Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-07-29
Splicing the Ladder.

did Sailors Home in Liverpool
was on fire, and vast multi
tude Of people gathered to wit
ness the confagration. The fu-
i ry of the flames could not be
checked, 1t was supposed that
all the inmates had left the
burning building, Presently
two poor fellows were seen
stretching their arms from an
upper window, and were shout
ing for help. What could be
done to save them?
A stout marine from a man
of-war lying in the river said,
''Gfive> mea long ladder, and I
will try it,
/ lie mounted the ladder. It
was too short to reach the win.
dow. "Pass me up a small lad
derp' he shouted.
1t was done. Even that did
not reaclrto the2arrns stretched
frantically out of the window.
The, brave marine,was not to be
sb:Hked. He lifted the short lad
der up on his shoulders, and,
holding on by a easement, he.
brought the upper rounds with
Iimreach of the two men, who
were already scorched by the
flames. ri. ~,. 4sl
Out of the window they clam
bered, and creeping down over
the short ladder, and then over
the sturdy marine, they reached
the pavement amid the loud hur-
rahs of the multitude.
1t was a noble deed, and
teaches a noble lesson. 1t teach
es us that when we want to- do
good service to others we must
add our own length to the length
of the ladder.
Harry Norton saw that his
fellow-clerk, Warren Proctor,
WAS becoming a hard drinker,
although he was only 16 years
old. When he urged him..to stop
smoking and drinking Warren
replied: gsrbaf
"Why, you sometimes take
cigar and a glass of wine your
.sclf.il 80 oTL soo9e
"If you will sign pledge
.neyer;to smoke a cigar or touch
a glass of liquor ! will do the
same was the reply.
5lThei bargain was made, and
Harry saved his friend by adj
ding the length Of his own ex-
ample to the length of the lad
der.JL ni ez1f "af
a widow lady near me was
suffering from sickness and poy-
erty. | Ter daughter, delicate,
refined girl, said to herself, "My
mother must be taken care of;
III advertise for a place as a.
servant girl" " m el7ft
| She did so, a rich man, saw
the advertisement, and, deter
mining that the brave girl should
not undertake that, he procured
her a situation as secretary in an
institution where she gets 5000
n year. An unselfish daughter
thus brought relief to suffering
mother. c She splieed the ladder
with her own self-denying exer-
tions. "a
1t is alnoble thing to be un-
selfish, and to give up gr;ttifica-
tions for the sake Of ether peo-
pie. When the great Christian
sage Of old said, sit is Arotright
to drink wine by which my
weak brother stumbles, he adj
ded the length of his influence
for saving others from drunken
hesss
| could tell of two Christian
lads, ,welI educated and refined,
who go every Sunday. to a mis-
sion-school in a dirty, deaSaded
street, that they may encourage
some poor ragged boys to go
there too. Those two boys have
the spirit of Jesus Christ. They
are not selfish; and they mean
that the poor, ignorant lads
shall climb up in the world over
them.
That is the way to initiate the
Divine Master, who gave Him
self that men might climb out
of the folly and degradation OF
/ sin into heaven itself.
Killed BY Ice-W Water.
[Piitsburg CommerciaLl
!