The Somerset reporter., 1886-06-02

Look, look. ncighbor, DO you sec;'
Poor lad poor lad!
There. he : turning around now. gh .
| can bca to look
And to think that | scolded him only
yesterday, and told him he'd come 10 bad
end Heaven forgive me,
But we mustn't let him die, nci9hbor>.
Can't he be got at, som how
What mp here, Not unless one had
wings "
Such were the cries that flew from
mouth to mouth through the markct-placc
OF AN old Dutch town, which WAS crowd
ed with men, women and children, all
staring upward with looks of terror. at
the Spirc of the new church that over
looked the square.
Clinging to the stone cross above the
spire, with two hundred feet of empty air
below him, and no means of getting down
was Il boy whom every one had already
recognized rs naughty Michael Adrian
son. the bad boy of the town.
It WAS hardly fair however, to call NJ =
chacl bad boy for Hdt he certainly
was not. He had Il thoroughly kind heal t
of his own. and wa, always ready to COLI
fort crying child. carry an old woman'~
basket for her. or defend II little boy
against biz one, But Il more reckless,
daring madcap youngstcr could hardly
have been found in all Holland. The will
der and more dangerous II thing WAS. the
more he seemed To delight in dol il,
and all the thraShings given him by his
stern old father did not appear To sober
him in the least.
al .lti, 81,
seemed likely To prove his last - is easily
told. Stealing out just about daybrrak,
he found. To his great delight, that the
wol kmcn who had just completed the new
church in the markct-placc had not yet
taken away their ladders, and t nj the
way was clear for him right up to tn
top Such II chance was too good To he
lost and mp he went.
Grand fun he thought it, as he went
higher and higher. looking down upon
the sleeping town at his feet, and the fiat
green meadow outstrctchcd all around it
like Il map. and the distant sea glittcrin@
in the first ray of sunrise. Having mount
ed the tower. he crawled up the ladder
which wa, fastened to the sprc itself and
soon found himself snug in the hollow of
the stone socket just below the cross,
where having nothing else 10 do, he fell
fast asleep.
But. after "A time. he was awakened by
the noise ot the crowds which were pour
ing into the market square from all sides
to see how the new church looked now
that it was finished lie rose to his feet
and glancing around him, started as if he
had been stung.
The id9dcr trdS doHr
In moment, he understood it all
While he was sleeping. the workn en-, neN-
er dreaming that anyone was on the Spirc,
had taken away their ladders, thus cutting
off his only chance of escape, 1t was at
that moment that he was recognized by
the horrcr-strckcn crowd below.
As soon aS the townspeople understood
what had happened, three or -four young
fellows rushed off to hunt up the workmen
and make them put back the ladders But
this would need good deal of time: and
| in the meanwhile it seemed only too like
| " that the boy would turn giddy and fall
headlong down.
Suddenly whisper of "llerc comes his
father" ran from mouth to mouth, a. Il
stout, hard-faccd man, with arms bare tc
the elbow, pushed his way through the
crowd.
MANY time had AdrainSon been angry
with his frolicSomc son, and many hare
blow had he given him. But now all his
wild prankS were forgotten; and as the
father looked up ut that dreadful hight.
and the small. dark figure above il. he re-
membrred only the bright, merry boy who
used to run To meet him when he came
| home from his work in the evening, and
he muttercd brukenly through his clnchcd
teeth
IVY poor little lad
| Meanwhile, how Jared it with the boy
/ himself? Any ordinary child, in such Il
case. would give himself up for lost but
! this lad, who was to make his name re
nowncd throughout the whole world not
MANY years later. was not 50 easily daunt-
i ed.
/ All at once his clear voice came pcalmg
down through the still air So boldly and
c'cerily that every one started;
Look out below, am going to send
yea something
The throng swayed back, and down
clattcrcd heavy tile, smashing 10 pieces
on the pavement.
Michael had already formed his plan.
To slide down the tiling of the Spirc.
which offered neither handhold nor foot
hold, would be certain death; but if he
could kick out tile every here and there.
and thus make hight of steps for him
self, he might be saved yet. Already, one
tile was knocked away; and the boy, IT,
ing on his back. with one foot planted
firmly in the gap which it had left was
hammcring with the lower foot at a SEC
onI tile lower down
Step by step, down he came. like IA fly
crccpingalo wall. till at last he reached
the foot of the sprc.
But now he had to slide over the edge OF
the parapet, in order To yet on To the tow
err and this was the most ticklish job of
4 ali.
The indrawn breath of the crowd below
sounded ike hiss in that dead silence a.
/ they saw him swinging in the empty air
But, in another instant he had made
good his footing upon projecting spout
and after that it WAS child's play for sucl
a climber to descend hy the Stone-carNet
work of the main building
\ few moments more. and a shout thai
seemed to shake the whole town told thai
he had reached the ground in safety.
All this while. old Adrian>on had hcci
watching his sons perilous decent will
set teeth and cinched hands, unable t'
utter word.
But when he saw the boy safe. his an
ger awoke again, and sching him by tn
shoulder with his brawny hand, he roarcd
You young dog III teach you t.
frighten your own father this way =
Gently, my good fellow. said dee
voice behind him, ~ the burgomaSte
himself in his fur-trimmcd robes and gol