Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-24
nothing was visible but the whites, which
rfol,

4
| were congested with blood
| The priest stood there, with his eyes ap-
piled to the telescope, as if turned to stone
by the horrible sight But he was man il
| whom the inward sentiment of holy duty
! ruled and strengthened all human weakness
l He fell on his knees, and lifting toward:
heaven his outstretched arms, and his eyes
| full OF tears, he exclaimed, sobbing:
"Merciful Godl send Thy servant divine
inspiration to save this Christianl'
A circle had been formed around him. but
| at distance, and as if the people were afraid
to approach. He glanced at the
faces of all these men, who with
dropping head and bent down eyes,
| seemed crushed under the frightful weight OF
fatality. He spoke, wept, entreated in vain
he was compelled to recognize that if even by
an impossibilty a man could be found to try
the ascent of the spire, he would be unable to
give the wretched victim any aid without
being, to a certainty, dashed himself into the
abyss On the other hand, a ladder was not
to be thought of; there are no ladders lilo
feet long. As to the erection of a scaffolding,
the materials would have to be obtained from
the neighboring town; it would require at
least two days, and seven or eight would be
necessary to erect it.
When he was at last fully convinced that
there was no hope of human assistance the
priest, turning toward the doctor, asked him:
"Does he still lives'
Perhaps" answered the doctor. eff he
has not been struck by apoplexy, or by a
syncope, Immediately followed by rigor
mortis, to remain thus fastened on by his
ho no in toll
81 know what l have to do,n said the
priest
And having beckoned to three or four men
and the doctor to accompany him, he went to
the vestry-room. There, having put On his
surplice, alb and STOLE he told them that be
wished to ascend to the platform in order to
send from there to the dying man the absolu-
ton in articulo norris, and asked them to go
with to help and assist.
He soon appeared on the balcony Of the
platform. With his prayer-book in one
hand, and with the other giving the blessing,
he looked, with his body floating, as it seemed
in the air, and the sides of his surpiice blown
out by the wind, like an angel with wings
spread to fly to heaven.
1t was a sublime sight. The crowd
kneeled; and while the priest was sending to
the expiring creature the last farewell of the
Christian, one could hear from below, ming
led with the tolling of the bells, a murmur
of prayers and sobs.
What more can be said? Towards even
ng some crows began to turn round and
round the steeple, the next day two or three
were seen to stop and to peck with their
beaks. Soon the vultures arrived, coming,
from far off from the mountain.
When the news of this horrible event
reached the county town, it was decided
that scaffolding should be erected to bring
down the body. But after many formali-
ties, the estimate was made, showing that it
would cost 10, 600 francsi The county was
very poor. The affair, as the saying is, was
"buriedn in the records Office.
The weather-cock turns no more, it has lost
itsshape; it cuts out on the sky some indefna.
BILE profles which change as the blasts of the
heavy gales tear away some fragment Of tie
remains that still cucumber it.
1t turns no more. K Whether the
dying wretch, in his last paroxysm, has
strained it; whether the blood, trickling
down under the pecking of the birds of prey,
has rusted the pivot, it is said that it will re-
main thus, until the end of time, as motion
less as the stones of the church to which it is
made fast.