Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-16
HAPPY TOM.

vi
Yhe, are 50 tall that d lot OF ScaffOld.
Ing is bu,it round them so that the
mcn may get up aud down to their
work When the great chimney Is
npl,hed the men beg n at the top and
Lakc all tie scatToldlng down The
man VINO has charge Of the building
il aided the master mason. and he
stay, at the top Until the last stick
Is down, then when he is sure that
nil is right nc comes down himself by
means OF Il rope which is fastened to
great iron ring at the top OF the
chimney.
Now il you will remember about
This you will see Just how the Incl
dents OF this story came about.
Tom Sanders was the son of a
master mason. He was y sturdy
scotch boy, not a bit handsome, for
he mad red hair and freckles and big
feet and hands ard Il snub nose, but
he mad a pair OF rs merry blue eyes as
was always SO good. naturcd that the
other boys called him "Happy Tom"
lie never had a chance to get lone.
some. for he had u lot OF b. others and
sisters. They lived IN a wee little
house, but it was all their own, aud
they had garden where they raised
their vegetable. They had COW and
pig, and Toms mother had little
corner under the window where she
painted flowers.
30 you see they were very happy
and busy family.
Toms father could not always get
work. The winter before this time
/ am telling you of he had been idle
tor long time, and Tom had to
work pretty hard, but he didn't mind
it. He whistlcd and sang, and his
mother used to say with tears in her
eyes:
"Ah, he's the blithe, bonny lad,
God bless himw
At last Toms father got "job."
1t was a good one. too. He was to
superintend the building of one of
the largest chimneys that had been
built for years Now the children
could have new Shoes aud the good
mother could have gown, and Tom
eOul0 go back to his books.
Day after day the father went to
his work. Tom carried his dinner to
him at noon. and when night came
they were all together, a healthy
group and far happier than many
who live in palaces
I'm tell thee what we'll do,
mother" said Mr.. Sanders, one day.
'The morrow after the chimney is
done We'll ha' bit OF a holiday, and
all go over to the Loeb for an out
ing"
The children heard it and were de-
lighted, and day after day they Ques.
toned their father as to when the
happy day would come.
"Will it he next week. feyther?"
rosy little Kate would ask, and when
he would shake his head wee Will
would plead.
Tell us how mony days will be be-
fore we can haze our frolic"
But at last the long waiting came
to an end, as all things do, and Mr.
Sanders announced one night to the
delighted childrcn:
Tomorrow the chimney'll be
done, and then, hey for our frolic!'
The next afternoon Tom and his
mother ana the children all went to
see the catfolding come down and
the father descend the long rope, for
the boys thought that was great
feat.
Slowly the men took down the
heavy timbels ana struck the sides of
the chimney with hammers to see
that there were no weak spots in it
Toms father, up at the top, was pay
ing great attention to the move
ments of the men. for he had taken
great pains with that chimney, and
he wanted To be sure that it was all
right.
AT last it was all done, and there
stood the tall chimney in all it's
beauty OF workmanship, and the men
gave great shout
Tom and his mother looked up at
the top. 1t was so high that the
brawny mason looked like a little
hoy. And now they looked to see
him come down, but-what was the
matter?
ANY saw ''tu' u, looN "iluly
about him and then clasp his hands
about his head in dazed sort of way.
The men looked at each other and
then up at the chimney, wondering
what could be the matter, when all
at once the truth burst upon them:
They had forgotten the rope.
There it lay in coil upon the
ground. Tanned and grimy as they
were their faces grew CHASTITY as they
thought of the awful conse luences of
their mistake. What could be doneo
1t was impossible to get ladders that
would reach to the top Of the great
tower, and Of course they could not
throw ANYTHING up to such height.
1t had taken the whole force OF
men all day TO tear down the scat
folding, and it would take ten days
to build it up again The case seemed
hopeless one.
The poor mother threw herself on
the ground and cried and vrOaned a.
II she were dying, and all the chill
dren kept her COmDany. all but Tom