Year: 1867




stood there with faces full Of sorrow.
'IIe says he'll throw himself down." ex-
claimed they, as Mrs Howard came up.
"lle is going to throw himself down"
"Thee munna do that lad - cried the
wife i;h clear, hopeful voice 'thee
munna do that. Wait Il bit, take off thy
stocking lad and unravel it, aud let down
the thread with bit of mortar. Dvst
hear me Jem p


The man gave sign OF assent, for it
seemed IA it he could not speak; and tax
ing off his stocking, unraveled the worst
cd thread, row after row. The people
stood around in breathless silence and
suspense, wondering what Tom's mother
could be thinking of and why she sent
him in such haste for the carpenters ball
of twine.


'Ler down one enl OF the thread with
a bit of mortar, aud keep fast hold of the
other" cried she to her husband The lit
tie threat came waving down the tall
chimney, blown hithcr and lhlthcr bv the
wind, but at last ached the oulstrelched
hands that were waiting for it. Tom
held the ball of string. while his mother
tied one end Of it to The worstel thread
'Now pull it up slowly" cried she to hel
husband and she gradually unwond the
string as the worstcd gently drew 1t up.
Ii stoppcd-the string had reached her
husband. "Now hold the string fast and
pull it up" cried she, and the string



grew heavy and hard to pull, for Tom
and his mother had fastened the thick
rope to it, They wached it gradually
and slowly uncoilng from the ground as
the string was drawn higher


There was but one coil left. 1t had
reached the top. "rhnnk Cod" exclam.
cd the wife. She hid her face in silent
prayer and tremblngly rcjoiced. The
rope was up The iron to which it should
he fastened was there all right but would
her husband be able to make use of them
would not the terror of the past hour
have So unnerved him, MS to prevent him
the nee essary measures for his safety 3
She did not see the magic influence which
her few words had excised over him.
She did not know the strength that the
sound of her voice, SO calm and steady,
had filed him with, AS if the little thread
that carried him the rope of life once
more, had conveyed to him some portion
Of that faith in God, which nothing ever
destroyed or shook in her true heart
She did not know that as he waited there,
the w,r Ia come over him, "Why art thou
cast down, o my soul and why art thou
di>quieled within me Hope thou in
Col" She lifted up her heart to God
for hope and strength. She could do
nothing more for her husband, and her
heart turned to God and rested ON him
as a rock.


There was great shout. 'IIes slfe,
mother, he's safe" cried little Tom "Ihou
hast saved me, Mary" said her husband,
folding her in his arms, "l}ut what ais
thee Thou sccin'st more sorry than
glad about it," But Mary could not
speak, AMI if the strong arm of her
husband had not held her up she would
have fallen to the ground-the sudden
joy, after such great fear, had overcome
| her


"Tom," said the Father, 'let thy
mother lean upon thy shoulder, and we
will take her home" And in their hap.
py home, they poured forth their thanks
TO God for his great goo lness and their
happy life together felt dearer and holier
for the peril that it had been in, and for
the ncarness that the danger had brought
them unto God. And the holiday next
dny-was it not indeed thank giving
day.