The Washington critic., 1886-09-21
LlSGARVAN CHIMNEY.

tnat tne accident am gong 10 tell you
about happened. But for that same
accident I don't think Katie an /
would be man an wife this day, for
you see my father was set again the
match, Katie being only laborcr's
daughter, while he himself was fore.
man in the mills, getting good wages
and thought deal of by his employers.
An IL 1t wasn't for Katie don't think
ia be here now to tell you about 1t,
for twas she that saved my life,
through hitting upon a plan that never
once came into the heads of me or Of
my comrndcs-aye, or OF those that
you'd have thought would know better
than any of us.
l was not brought up to my fathers
trade, having been taken, when young,
by brother of my mothers, o master
bricklayer living in the town. When
my uncle died i came to Lisgarvan for
bit, just to see my father, and finding
that they were at work on the new
buildings at the mills, / looked for en-.
ployment there, an got 1t at once
Lisgarvan mill is flour mill, and
pretty place 1t was in those days, with
the river running just by the old red
brick buildings, an the big water wheel
always going round an round. The
river falls into a larger one little
down, an the tide comes up as far as
the mill, so It's in boats that most of the
corn is brought in, an the flour carried
away. 'Tisn't half so pretty a place
now; there are big whitewashed build
ings alongside of the old brick ones,
the big wheel is stopped, an you hear
the whirr of the engine instead of the
sound of the water. But they makes
power of money there, an gives deal
of employment
AS was saying, I got taken on as a
bricklayer Katie's father was work.
ing there, too, an l used to see her
bringing him his dinner, and. after
bit, began to think that I'd like to
have her bringing me mine, too. She
was as pretty girl then as you'd see
anywhere-she's good.looking to this
day-an' / soon became that fond of
her that I'd have done anything Almost
to get her. She herself was willing
enough; twas my father that made
the difficulty. He was a proud man,
as proud in his way as any gentleman,
an he was right down mad at the
notion of my marrying laborer's 8
daughter TO be sure, was earning
good wages, an might have married
without asking any ones leave If I'd
been so minded, but didn't like to go
again the old man that had
always been good to me. Be-
sides, Katie was just as proud as
himself. an would have nothing to say
to me unless he was satisfied. l got
the master to speak to him, but sure
'twusn't bit of use. "Iow would
you like, sir," he says to the master,
'if had a daughter, to have Master
Philip take up with her, an wouldn't
that be the same thing?" l believe
that the master didn't think it would
be all the same thing; but my father
wouldn't hear reason from him any
more than from me; so Katie an had
hope Of his coming 'round, au very
little hope we had of that same.
AS we were putting up II steam en-.
gine in the mill, we had, Of course, to
have big chimney, an we got a man
them chaps that builds chimneys an
anything about it but themselves.
deed, twas that built the most of It,
finished by Christmas-ten years age
This Christians coming on-all but the
lightning conductor, and that was moi
put up owing to the masters wanting
10 make inquiries when he'd go to l. on
don, an see for himself what would be
the best kind to use. The master was
cciaptifin cnrt nf n Unpt tlanop on I, nd
ideas of his own-sometimes they'd be
better than other peoples, sometimes
maybe not so good. AT any rate, there
was a delay about the conductor, an ir
The meantime the engineers were a
work, an the big chimney was smolI
ing away like blazes. Mr.. Brown
the strange workman, had gont
away, saying very condescendiug like
that he was sure Jim Forde Chat wa
me) would be able to fasten the rod tc
the chimney as well as he could do /
himself. He took all his scalfodin.
with him, but before he went away h,
fixed beam with pulley to it to thu
top of the chimney an left long rop,
hanging through it, 50 that MAJ
could be hoisted up at any time; an
there the rope hung dangling, weel
after week, until the master com
home, bringing the rod along will
him.
Once it had come there was no gooC
losing any more time in fixing IL, 81
one Saturday afternoon in January, NJ
/ went on n plank, slung securely II
the end of the rope, my tools alon,
with me, an settled myself astride OF
the stone coping. Twas rather late Il
the day, but the morning had been to
wet an stormy to work, an the mas
Ter was as impatient TO get the 10
done us If 1t hadn't been himself thn
was hindering it all this time. wa
as much at home atop of the Gimme
as / was on the ground, an | work
on without once looking down, unit
ny job was finished an | was putin
up my tools. Then, all OF II sudden,
lcard rafting noise; an looking ovel
/ see the plank going down very fast
! called out, "lIullo, there send tina
up again, will you ~ but tn
only answer got was loud laugh
for all the world like silly Jerry tn
natural sand sure enough, there Ii
was, standing by the wlndllss, juml
Ing an clapping his hands. | locke
about for The man whose business
was to manage the windlNss, but not
sign of him was there, nn' in minut
heard the rattle OF the pulley again
and saw that the rope WINS runnin
through 1t in the wrong direction,
made grab at it, but twas jerkel OF
Of my hand, an before | could cate
it again the end had slipped through
and there | was more than II hundre
fret from the ground, not knowin
how in the world was to get dowr
an Jerry dancing an caperiuS below
calling out, Come down and thras
NE now, Mr. Furde, won't youY" The