The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-05-04
pleasant evening closed Christian IN
telhgencer.
Bessy's Life Rope.

Oteeple JACK, VINO was celebrated Tor
working on high steeples, had daugh-
ter named Bessy, who had much of the
fearless, adventurous spirit of her father,
and would carry up his dinner to the
dizziest heights without trembling; she
seemed to feel as safe as bird, and
would stand at the edge of the Hottest
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, flash of lightning
struck Repton spire, and displaced the
cross and globe which surmounted it,
also doing great damage to the upper
courses of fine stonework, and Steeple
Jack had to repair it. This he did by
ascending the tower as high as the bell
chamber. then placing ladders 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 Bessie climbed with
her fathers dinner in basin slung in a
handkerchief, to this aerial scaffold, and
it was only by calling her Bet. which
was her fathers way of showing earnest
displeasure, that she was prevented from
scaling the slender ladders which went
still higher.
At length the job was completed, a
new copper ball, brightly gilded, super
seeded the old one. and glittering cross
surmounted the graceful steeple Jack
had done his work so well, that the
vicar and church wardens resolved, in
addition to his pay, to present him with
a 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 adjacent villages and farms, gathered
to witness the exploit. Jacks wife was
away working at 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 scafold.
He came out, and pulling off his old hat,
flung it down among the people, then
taking rope in which he had made a
moose, in his hand, he assembled the lad
ders. Flinging the rope over the ball,
the moose passed round the cross, and
tightening it, Jack managed to get be-
yond its bulge, which projected over the
aoriated 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 Jack
was coolly divesting himself of the old
jacket and vest, 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 overcom-
ing its rotundity. A cry of horror made
Jack look down, and he at one under
stood the desperation of the position.
His pride was humbled, 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 sufficient courage
even to brave the scafold, much less to
mount the tottering ladders which led
from it to the apex of the steeple.
Concentrating all his energies into one
shrek of agony, Jack exclaimed,
Send for Bessyl'
There was movement in the crowd
and soon a farmer in his buggy drove
off to Dawson's 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 utter
ance was doubtless heard above for when
Bessy arrived she displayed no fear, but
taking on her little arm 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 scafold and, without a
moments hesitation, she assembled the
ladders. Standing on the topmost rung
with one arm passed around the slender
stonework, she flung the rope. Jack
clutched it, and the little maiden de-
scended the steps. All the danger was
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