Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1877 — ON THE VERGE OF DEATH. [ARTICLE]

ON THE VERGE OF DEATH.

a Q'naJt'TMß&Mgl&Zi .3 I had among my fellow-students a special rep own lor my skill in every kind pleasure ‘W'wfßlllPl'wWs suwftndemtt my self, body and soul, and in consequence of which I possessed, although not tall mad stjamta s<me fguscle ud a high decree of i aßßfldtt>ce,“ywie Inftd acquired, of mind, 4H of wlnki qhalitim form eveii how a Ww aj|flas|§n iStn lies w&p ended and I had obtained a situation as pastor inWestem Germany, I did not give up my old inclination for gymnastics, and there was considerable talk odidin# ttfet tlflkyanug clergyman of tneGhfh'ftli Blasins had been seen hanging in his garden by accession to the pastorate,' I had mto matrimony. too scorching, consisted in climbing to a narrow proje«t£mftsJfe tHe dafty. chnrqh roof, and walking about there while I smoked my cigar. What a magnificent place this old *jS©olsftl£ a**.atone;sri«*Hrt yegeth-fjirff-iftl j’ffllm presented.little attraction. It had dften indulged in star-gazing. I regarded this airy region as my f«ftacial.nfovjipce. where l reigned in solijSrV mtij6st^bTW £ »f subjects, consisting m very nblsy ; tod intolerable ones. It excited isl me a merry, perhaps somwrtiat boyish feeling, as I thought what a look my superin£mnd«tet Wi#en he heard of fat cherubs, scaly dragons and gutters of zinc, or on the pinnacles of the towers, .frUPMWItN* wweMgJjkjM pwpect gutter in the middle of the roof, from whichap#iifg seen above but the*iig?ftH(heniMM46?4rt<adming swallows and below the broad paved churcn Vsqua^<i»J«Wcl| # iWp feet, >efte*tiy the that the event occurred Arhfclb I wili -Her* J^ta-jEmd.which Ihoroughly cured me for sevemf r mdnftePor fiyil desire for roof ol iuthi s Ursufofom around the outside of the cathedral, just where flie roof terminated, ran a smooth projecting edge about yUMst this, considerabty'tewer, just, above the _ great entrance, was a huge stone projection, which formerly supported a cqfoqsal figure of St. Peter, holding''A great iron lanterti. The statua had lphg ago disappeared and hiiraifclwi^iCiUl l broken, off, -so that Wtattwaa 4o*t ht*h-ti>a- appearance of an ana-chair without legs. 9 . kind to swing myserr down amt effjfry my cigar in this fantastic arm-chiir. .. Without hqsitatingj, moment I turned around, toOsMgdbmn, sOjjgflrtliAeaves with convulsive grasps fira uro nfcct in- 1 r , iftri&is sftuatidßM under me etAe dEfeqtiye ,1 .£oW that I w r as not (directly over li—ifideM. it was twd'P.WHhi/'frtmi the wall thin I had tl *ThisCircumstance, li&tfe’ter, caused me ''mtte'tokidtyr G'«ngl*jhelf a swing, by which I easily pressed one foot against J the building, I sprung safely into my* tiitag’ k&a D '^«iS^n?lceat 4eojJpj|u(i%aQfe red about them to enjoy “tKe fotowble cfPm * v-'.w'vi fati 1 to riS mi <MI: STOPiIIJS ‘ w £pM ra&ffi i way. The. sides of the of smooth iron, and so high that rcomu get no holdi There Waa uSQUIg left um bat to -press JPOjLhandft, upon Ibajivatitehind me, raise myself so and d«P hyTtegTsfe, W ?P*>k ihey •MMllkMat between my hands upon the .pwni fp* nt?**** <fotarstet»g«h in bandaged aims is jecemmtf Id &k procedure, and. that any woaid oooasioa a, failure—perhaps, too, a fall below? Nay, Jhere la a vast difference between

pavement must have an absolutely fatal effect. Thu more I considered my situation the less ff pleased me. and there I sat, smiled feebly at the multitude below, which ihcrensi d every moment, ashamed to cry forfffelp or make known my fear. "-Well,” said Ito myself, “if I sit hw-e top longer I shall lose eveiy favorable chance to escape. It is ludicrous to become bewildered like a child that baa gone aslrav in climbing, quite aside from the astonishment that the story must cause, if it comes to the ears of my parishioners and supporters. Up, tlienl I will close my eyas and act as if I were performing oq the soft turf of my garden.” ‘ In the space of a minute I stood on my legs in the lantern and wondered at my foolish weakness, when I observed to my terror that I still had the most difficult part of my undertaking to perform. Raising my hands above my head to seize the smooth stone e&ves I became aware that they were at least a foot and a half beyond my reach. In vain did I rise on my tiptoes and stretch out my arms convulsively; it seemed highly probable that I should have to spend the night in this situation. This was truly uo agreeable consideraJ(Aon, for the seat was only just large enough for me t« sit upright in it, and if rfetfasleep, which was possible, I should be precipitated headlong upon the pavenient. Then they could collect my bones me next morning. ’,ft.t this critical moment I was rejoiced by the appearance of the sexton on the eaves. He had missed me, and had come Wfteffiripe. “Silberaan!” I cried, interrupting hiß exclamations of astonishment, “ I am, as you see, in a peculiar dilemma, since I cannot reach the eaves. You must help n)6. It is no use to bring a rope, since yilft would not have room to brace yourself. If you bend down, however, and reach me your hand, you can exert your jqptire strength and raise me. You are a powerful man and lam not particularly heavy.” *.] “ Oh, sir, I am sure that I cannot |ift •you!” he replied. ‘m “ My good man, you must?” I asserted. “ I cannot indeed pass the whole night in this situation, and, moreover, I might pack up my bundle to-morrow immediately when this stupid story became known. Do not be foolish, therefore, but give me your hand.” In reply the sexton crouched down, un,‘wMihgly, apd stretched out his hand, Which I firmly seized with both mine by the wrist, while I swung myself out into mid-air. I felt one or two convulsive jerks, and was drawn up about half afoot, but then at once let down again. He could*not raise me. —. .1...’ I looked up. Such a vision as met my n may I never in my life see again. as pale as death; the protruding eyes stared with the expression of measureless terror into the abyss beneath us, and a oo}d sweat stood upon his forehead. “Let go!” he cried. “Curses upon you, let go! You will break my arm! I can hold on no longer, and shall he dashed im pieces below.” He wailed like a child at this moment of extreme peril. My hair rose—my brain reeled. I expected myself, every instant, to plunge below. My desperation Save me coolness, and I was surprised at le clearness and consistency with which 1 spoke. “ Silberman,” I said, “listen tomeand oease this unreasonable clamor. I can feel that you are gaining the counterpoise more and more every successive second. If J lpt go of you I shall perish; if not, we both will, and I assure you that I snail not let go as long as 1 can hold on. You had better, therefore, draw me up at once.” 1 saw that lie set his teeth together and Closed his eyes. Then followed a terrible exertion ■of strength, and I was kneeling uppn the eaves. The sexton lay beside ms in a deep swoon. I now bore him carefully through the trap-door, to the vestry, and gave him water, so that he soon recovered consciousness; but neither of us have ever forgotten that perilous adventure upon the eaves of the church roof. As for myself, three months passed by before I again trod this almost fatal place, and you can easily imagine that I avoided St. Peter’s lantern like fire. The sexton kept the secret, assuring inquisitive questioners that an eccentric Englishman, traveling through the country, had taken his seat in the lantern, and this version of the story was currently believed. Although the gymnastic mania was not entirely frightened out of me by this adventure, it only remained in a modified form, and I have since confined my athletic exploits to places less perilous than the scene of those moments of terror.— N. Y. Herald.