Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-08-10
Bessy's Life Rope.


Steeple Jack, who was celebrated for
working on high steeples. had a daughter
named Bessy, who had much of the fearless,
adventurous spirit of her father, and would
carry up his dinner 10 the dizziest heights
without trembling; she seemed to feel as
safe as a bird, and would stand at the edge
Of the loftiest scaffold, amusing herself by
scattering bits of paper in the air, laughing
to see her little pigeons fly, for so she called
them.
Once upon a time, a flash Of lightning
struck Repton spire, and displaced the cross
and globe which surmounted il, also doing
great damage to the upper courses Of fine
stone work, and Steepe Jack had to repair
it. This he did by ascending the tower as
high as the bell chamber, then placing lad
ders within the hollow Of the spire until
the highest loop-holes were reached through
which braces were put crossways on them
a slight flooring was laid, which supported
two light ladders, reaching up to the ball.
Day after day Bessy climbed with her faith
er's dinner in a basin slung in a handker-
chief, to this aerial scaffold, and it was only
by calling her Bet" which was her faith
er's way Of showing earnest displeasure, that
she was prevented from scaling the slender
ladders which went still higher.
At length the job was completed, new
copper ball, brightly gilded, superseded the
old one, and gittering cross surmounted
the graceful steeple. Jack had done his
work so WELL that the vicar and church.
warden resolved, in addition to his pay, to
present him with new coat, vest and hat,
and sort of village fete was to be held in
honor of the occasion. Drinking one night
at the " Red Lion" Jack had Dragged that
he would put on these new clothes on the
top of the ball and he was not the man TO
risk being twitted for cowardice from not
making his rash promise good.
This intention Of Jacks got abroad, and
on the fete day, quite crowd, from the ad-
AGENT villages and farms gathered to wit
ness the exploit. Jacks wife was away
working at a lone farmhouse some two miles
from the village, and Bessy had accompanied
her, for she knew that her husband would in
| all probability spend the day in dissipation,
| and she did all she could to conceal his
weakness from the little maiden.
With the bundle of clothes in his hand,
Jack started up the tower, the crowd eagerly
watching until he emerged from the loop
hole on to the scaffold. lie came out, and
pulling off his old hat flung it down among
the people, then taking rope in which he
had made moose, in his hand, he assembled
the ladders. Flinging the rope over the
ball, the moose passed round the cross, and
| tightening it, Jack managed to get beyond
its bulge, which projected over the fioriated
final Of the steeple, and soon stood on the
very top of the cross, while the huzzas of
the crowd below came up like the buzzing
Of bees to the elevated regions of his proud
ambition.
BY some unlucky accident, while cody
| 4; ~ ba nll bot
having made his bundle safe on one Of the
arms of the cross, the moose of the rope
slackened, and the rope itself slipped over
the ball, leaving him without any possible
means of overcoming its rotundity. A cry
Of horror made Jack look down, and he at
once understood the desperation of the pc.
sition. His pride was BUNDLED, vertigo
seized his brain, and he would have fallen
If he had not clutched the cross. What
was to be done? Among the whole crowd
there was not one with sufii,ient courage
even TO brave the scaffold, much le's to
mount the tottering ladders which led from
it to the apex of the steepe.
Concentrating all his energies into one
shrek of agony, Jack exclaimed
"Send for Bessyl"
There was a movement in the crowd and
soon farmer in his buggy drove off to Daw-
sons at " The waste" for the daughter of the
entrapped steeple-climber.
What an hour of waiting was that For
the first time for many years Jack tried to
pray, and the imperfect utterance was doubt
less heard above, for when Bessy arrived
she displayed no fear, but taking on her lit
tie arm a coil of slender rope, she passed
through the crowd, which readily made way
and assembled the stairs. Soon her graceful
form was seen upon the scaffold, and, with
out moments hesitation, she assembled the
ladders. Standing on the topmost rung,
with one arm passed around the slender
stone work. she flung the rope. Jack
clutched it, and the little maiden descended
the steps. All the danger was over. Jack
made the rope fast, and was soon upon the
scaffold, while shout Of joy rose from the
people below.
Poor little Bessy could not understand
that she had done anything wonderful, but
she embraced her father, and putting her
little face to his, begged him to thank God
for his safety.
Jack was never seen at the Red Lion u
again. The cross to which he chung in his
hour of danger became his solace and his
salvation, and every Sabbath morn he might
be seen leading his darling by the hand tc
the house of God.
This was many years ago, but should any
of you visit Repton, you may still see a
fragment of line swinging in the breeze
from the now furnished cross surmounting
steeple and among the simple peasantry il
goes by the name of Bessy's Life Rope
Christian Aduocdte.