Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-05-27
( IN THE MIDST OF STRIFE.

Looking up at the illuminated face of
the great city clock, one would have
Seen that it was near midnight. And
the light rain, which had been falling
during the day and most of the even
ing, had now ceased, the clouds were
breaking apart in ragged masses, and
bright. full l-moon high in the Heavens
made the, night wildly beautiful. In
ly smoking his pipe and watching all
from the lookout tower above the
clock, could not remember any night
that had pleased his fancy more. Below
lay the great city stretched out like
map unrolled from the glittering water
of the harbor miles and miles away
toward the dim hills of the country,
and bordered by the tall masts and
rigging of the many ships at the docks.
Here were long streets and avenues,
that tapered into the distance. until
their rows of gas-lights appeared linked
together; and here and there were a
hundred little streets, lanes and alleys,
many of them stinguishable only by
the dark shadows their existence made
between the crowded blocks. At one
point or another high buildings loomed
up gloonhily above their neighbors;
church-steeples. also, were conspicuous
msevery direction; and in two or three
places lowered huge chimneys of work
shops, emitting their smoke. Now and
then the rumble of heavy stages, the
pulling of small steamers in the harbor,
or the sound of some distant bell could
be heard
The old bell-ringer had watched it all
many and many a night; but, lying on
the lounge, Mt an opposite window of
the tower, was q boy, fifteen or sixteen
years old, who had never before looked
down on the weird, wonderful sight.
Its glimmer and magnitude fasl mated
him.
~ should like to lie here in this
moonlight week, watching it all, Mr..
Trexler," he sad, after a long silence.
"Aye, lad, you might well wish
that" the old man returned. alt
doesn't look like this always. Some
nights its dark and lonesome enough;
dark and lonesome, you know. 1t
rains, p'raps and the wind blows, and
then there's fires breakin' out every
hour or so, maybe. By and by you'll
see it different"
1T would be pleasanter, though, what
ever it might turn out, Philip Kempton
thought than the hard work he had
been employed at. What he wanted
was chance to rest little, and now
and then do as he chose-the way boys
did who had fathers to provide fol
them, instead of always tending ma.
chinery in noisy foundry. Up there
in the tower, keeping watch every
night for fires with the kind old bell
ringer, he meant to forget great dea
that had happened in the two or three
years past. There would be an oppor.
tunity, too, of five or six hours every
day after he had slept to work little
on something he kept hid away al
home-something he had begun one
night by the light of the foundry fires
and been perplexing himself with {
long while.a
He stood up, tall, slender boy, will
pale face, and leaned against the side
ofthe window. Mr.. Trexler, pushing
the tobacco into his pipe and watching
him, wished that he was trihe NOR,
rugged. His mother set sight b,
him, poor woman; and if anythin,
should happen TO the lad, it would q
hard with her. She and the boy hat
had hard time of it since they'd beer
living in the same tenement with hi
family. Sometimes the lad was sick
then The mother herself; and about al
they had to live on was what the bo,
could earn. Poor people had har'
struggle TO live, anyhow, Mr.. Trexle
thought, hunting for match and thei
going across to his own lookout again
Sometimes it seemed as though every
body was a-crowding and pushing AM
fighting to get ahead, and the who'll
city was throbbing below him. Twent
years he had been looking on it-noy
In the daytime, now in the night
watching the people coming and going
coming and going.
~ He took his pipe out of his moutl
with some deliberation, leaned out 0
the window, and scanned the distanc
amoment.
Now, then, ladr' he said turnin,
round quickly. "There it is, away vi
there on the east side, where the sky j
beginning to redden. Quick! Let u
sound the alarm"
This was Philips initiation, and h
trembled a little with excitement rs h
helped TO lift the long lever that strucl
the bell At first there was only tn
crimson glare in the sky; but dark
massive cloud OF smoke soon rolled u
from the spot and struggled away
leaving q broad, leaping iiame in IT
wake--a sight common enough I
Philip before he had watched man
more nights, just then, however,
all made a vivid impression; and whe
he had gone home at daybreak an
fallen asleep. it went on repeating II
self over and over--tf . red sky, th
smoke, the flames, and the loud clanl
ing bell, startling the deserted street
far aud near.
He was sensitive, thoughtful boy