The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-11-16
cellanen1ts.
essy's Life Rope.

Steeple Jack, who was celebrated for work
ing ON high steeples, had daughter named
Bessy, who had much of the fearless, adven
turous spirit of her father, and would carry
up his dinner to the dizziest heights without
trembling She seemed to feel as safe as q
bird, and would stand at the edge of the loft
lest scatfold, amusing herself by scattering
bits of paper in the air, laughing to see her
little pigeons fly, for so she called.them
Once upon timea flash of lightning struck
Rempton spire and displaced the cross and
globe which surmounted it, also doing great
damage to the upper courses of fine stone
work; 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 loopholes were reached, through
which braces were put crosswise. On them
a slight flooring was laid, which supported
two light ladders reaching up to the ball.
Day after Day Bessy climbed, with her
fathers dinner in basin slung in handker-
chief to this aerial scaffold. 1t 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copper ball brightly gilded, superseded the
old one, and gittering cross surmounted
the graceful steeple. Jack had done his work
so well that the vicar and church wardens re-
solved, in addition to his pay, to present him
with a new coat vest and hat and a sort of
village fete was to be held in honor of the &C.
casion. Drinking one night at the Red Lion,
Jack had Dragged that he would put these
clothes on on top of the ball and he was not
the man to risk being twitted for cowardce
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
alone at farm house 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 evil habits
from the little maiden.
With the bundle of clothes in his hand,
Jack started up the tower, the crowd eagerly
watching him until he emerged from the
loop hole on to the scaffold. He came out,
and pulling of his old hat flung it down
among the people, then taking a rope, in
which he had made a moose, in his hand, he
assembled the ladders. Flnging the rope over
the ball the moose passed around the cross
and, tightening it, Jack managed to get be-
yond its bulge, which projected over the
aeorialed final of the steeple, and 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
divesting himself of the old jacket and vest
having made his bundle safe on one of the
aims of tie cross, the moose of the rope slack.
ened, 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 under
stood the desperation OF the position. His
pride was humbled, and a 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
scatfOld 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 fol
Bessyw
There was 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 thatp Wher
Bessy arrived she showed no fear, but, taking
on her little arm little coil of rope, she
passed through the crowd which readily made
way and assembled the stairs, Soon, hel
graceful form was seen upon the scatfold
and without moments hesitation, she as
cended the ladders. Standing on the top
most rung, with one arm passed around the
slender stonework 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
scatfold, while a shout of joy rose from the
| people below.
Poor little Bssy could not understand thai
she had done anything wonderful but sh,
embraced her father, and putting her face tt
his begged him to thank God for his safety
Jack was never seen at the Red Lior
again.
This was many years ago; but should any
Of you visit Rempton, you may still see
| fragment of line swinging in the breeze from
the now furnished cross surrounding tn,
steeple, and among the simple peasantry i
goes by the name of "Bessy's Life Rope