Year: 1867

I
at home. She was always busily em
ployed for her husband or children in
some way or other; and to day she had
been harder at work than usual. getting
ready tor the holiday to m orrow She


had just finished all her preparations.
/ ana her thoughts were silently thanking
Col for her happy home and all the bles-
! sings OF iife when Tom ran in; his face
was white as ashes; and he could hardly
! get his words out Mother. mother
| he cannot get down..


Who, lad? Thy father p asked his
| mother.


They've forgotten to leave him the
rope answered Tom. still scarcely able
| to speak. His mother started up horro r


struck and stood for a moment as i: par
/ alyzed, then pressing her hands over her
| face, as if to shut out she- horrible pie
t ture, and breathing prayer to God for
| help. she rushed out of the house
| When she -esched the place where her
! husband was a. work, crowd had col
lected round the foot of the chimney.
and stood there quite helpless. gazing up


with faces full OF horror He says he ii


throw himself dp~n.' ex, laimed tuey. as
Mrs. Howard came up. Hes going to
throw himse dowa'


Thee nunna do that. lad = cried the
wife, with q clear, hopeful voice '6iee
| nunna do that. Wait 4 bit. take of thy
stocking, lad, and unravel it. and let
down the thread with bit of mortar
Dost hear me, Jem!'


The man made \ sign Of assent, for it
seemed as il he could not speak, and ia
king off his stocking, unraveled the wors-
ted thread. row after row. The people
stood round in bfeathless silence and
suspense, wondering what Tom mother
conld be thinking Of. and why she sent


him in such haste tor the carpenter ball
Of twine ai


Let down one end OF the thread with


bit Of mortar. and keep fast hold OF the


other, cried she to her husband The


little thread came waving down the tail


chimney, blown hither and thither by the


wind, but at last it reached the out


streachet hands that were waiting for it.


Tom held the ball of string, while his


mother tied one end Of it to the worsted


thread. Now, pull it mp slowly cried


she to her husband, and she gradually


unwound the string rs the worsted gently
drew it up. 1t stopped-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 watched it grad
ually and slowly uncoiling from the
as rss sss ssq sae one coil Ie Il had
reached the top. THANK God! Thank
God = exclaimed the wife. She hid her
face in silent prayer and tremblingly re-
joiced. The rope was up. The iron to
which il should be fastened was there all
right; but would her husband lie able to
make use Of them ?-would not the ter
ror of the past hour have so unnerved
him, as TO prevent him from taking the
necessary measures for his safety? She
did not see the magic influence which
her few words hal over him. She did
not know the strength that the SO oInl of
.ter voice. so calm and stealfast had fiji
led him with-as it the little thread that
carried him the rope of life once more,
had conveyed to him some portion of
the faith in God, whica nothing ever lie
stroyed or shook in her true neart. She
did not know that as he waited there,
the words came over him, Why art
thou cast down o my SD IL and why art
.hou disquieted within me? Hope thou
in God. She lifted up her heart to God
for hope and strength She could do
nothing more for her husband. and her
heart turned to Eoi and rested II n on
Il on rock.


There was great shout He's safe.
mother. he's safe cried little Tom
Thou hast save' me. Mary said her
folding her in his arms. But
shat aiis thee? Thon seen-t more sor
y tan glad about it Bat Mary coaid
not speak, and if the strong arm of her
husband Lad not held her up she would
ave fallen to the ground-the sudden
oy after such great fear, had overcome
Ter. Tom said his father, let thy
mother lean on thy shoulder. and We
will take her home And in their happy
home they poured forth their thanks to
) OIL for his great goodness: and their
happy life together felt dearer and holier
;or the peril that it had been in. and for
he nearness that the danger had brought
hem unto God. And the holi.lay-was
indeed Thanksgiving day Eng. S. S.
Magazine.