Year: 1872

AS WaS leaNllR TIC yafu one
evening to trudge back to the bits
Of rooms we had been forced tc
put up with since came to Lon
don for better wages, was called
into the Office by the foreman
"What's your present job, LindayT
he asked, and | told him.


"IIumph that can stand ovci
for day or two, can't it! Stubs
has fallen i'll again, and you must
take his place"


/ didn't care to be shift ID before
I'd finished what / was about, but
journcyman bricklaycr, with a
wife and children looking to him
for bread, cannot afford to be toe
particular, and so held my tongue


"You must go to Coot's brewery
tomorrow morning and finish that
chimney" the foreman told me SO
lie gave "a few more directions be.
sides, and then went his way, while
| went mine, not very well pleased
with the prospect before me.


/ suppose l never had ought tC
have followed the trade, for though
I'd gained myself a good character
as a steady workman, | had never
been able to overcome horror OF
being perched at any great height
In the country, where the buildings
are low, / managed well enough
but in this great city there were
roofs on which l could not stand
without this dread depressing me ;
nor look down without feeling as
though something below was tempt
ing me to fling myself over, and
end at once the miserable sensation
which no efforts of mine would
shake off.


This huge chimney the foreman
had ordered me to finish was reclS-
oned one of the highest and best
built shafts in London. We were
all proud of the job, which, so far
had been carried on without a sin
gle mishap; but had been earn
estly hoping that might not be
sent to it; and it wasn't till the
worl1men had got almost to the top
that began to breathe bit more
freeley, and trust that it would be
finished without any help of mine.


Once at home with the young
ster's merry prattlo in my ears, l
forgot my uneasy feeling about to-
morrow's job, but the moment ]
dozed off to sleep 1t came back to
me in hideous dream. / thought
l was falling down down down
and just as the crash of my body
striking the earth seemed incvita-
BILE, woke up with start to find
myself bathed in n cold perspira-
ton, and every limb trembling.


No more settled sleep visited my
pillow that night, and it was a re-
lief when the booming of the clocks
dispelled my frightful visions, and
warned me that it was time to face
u reality.


The morning was bitter cold and
boistcrous, scarcely q soul was to
be seen i'm the deserted streets at
that early hour, and the dull thud
of my footsteps sounded mournfully
in the stiffness reigning around.
At last tho great chimney loome1
in sight, and, gazing up at its inn
mense height, l shivered at the
thought of being on top of it, and
forced 10 look down ut the sicken-
ing depth below.


If it had not been for the shame
of the thing / should have gone
back; but the thought of Bessie
and the children spurred me on so,
buttoning my jacket tightly around
me, / began to ascend the staging.
In my journey upward l passed
many costly curtained windows,
and remember thinking, rather en-
viously, how nice it must be to be
rich, and sheltered on such morn
ing from the bitter cold in a warm
Iy-furnished bedroom.


Some fellows wouldn't mind il
the least bit il they were perched
ON top of st. Paul's on the coolest
of mornings, provided you sup
piled them well with beer; but
wasn't over strong-limed, any
moro than | could pretend 20 be