Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-01-04
Bessy's Life Rope

Be0oy1o Lite kOpe
II Steeple Jack, who was celebrated 4
, working on high steeplss, had daug
: ter named Bessy, who had much Of Il
fearless, adventurous spirit of her fat
; or, and would carry up his dinner
! the dizziest haights without trembling
; She seemed 10 feel as safe an bird, an
would stand at the edge OF the loftiei
bits Of paper In the air, Laughing 10 &c
her little pigeons fly, for 30 she calle
them.
Once upon . time flash OF lightnin
struck Rempton spire and displaced tn
cross and globe which surnounted it
also doing great damage to the uppe
courses Of the fine stone work aut
Steeple Jack had TO repair It, This b,
did BY ascending the tower az high a,
the beli chant Der, then placing ladder.
within the hollow Of the spire, until the
highest l0oph0las were reached, through
which braces were put crosswise.
On them . slight flooring was laid,
which supported two light ladders
reaching up 10 the ball. Day sfter day
Bessy climbed, with her father Q dinner
in q bssin slung in handkerchief, to
this Brial scsfold. 1t was only by call.
ing her Bet which was her fathers
way Of showing earnest 1ispleasure,
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
c1ied the old one, and glittering cross
surmounted the graceful steepls. Jack
had done his work 80 we'll that the vicar
and church wardens resolved, in addi-
ton 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 these clothes on 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 q crowd from
the adjacens villages and farms gather
ed to witness the exploit. Jacks wife
was away working alone at farm
honse some two miles from the village,
and Bessy had accompanied her, for she
knew that her husband would in all
nrohahilitv snonN tho dov q, diouinat;np
and shs IA III shs conII ,o concsaI h;a
evil hahits from tho iittis NJ maiSsn ~ "
With ths hnnSIe ~ ciothss in b;s
hand Ja,.L sta-taS ~, ,hs ,nv.r ,ha
crowd os soariv wotohinn b;,n nn,;, hs
emaroad fro,r the lon Sola m tho ,car
foid Hs cams ont and nu,l;nn off hi.
old hot arno ~ S"wn or o,npna ,hs naonis
than taking q rone in which he had
mada a noe.e in b;s hand ha ascsndsd
the ladders FIinoinu tha rome m over the
hal, the nooss nassed sronnd tho cross
on and ,;nbtam,md;, G ~ ' Jaor " manoaaJ s % ,o 90,
hauonf ire hnf,a .hich nro;antsa onsr
, 10y 10y o anr;a,sJ % % asoi % of he p s,sSnIs wh;Ia
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