A CURDLING ADVENTURE!

Otago Witness, Issue 1891, 1 May 1890, Page 31

A CURDLING ADVENTURE !

We coloniak, on the whole, I think, have more appreciation of St. Paul's Cathedral than any d'ther of the London sights. Coming over from Australia for a six-months' visit, 6'ne of the first things I promised myself was to see St. Paul's. I felt it impossible to go back and fade pry friends if I could not say that I had seen the metropolitan cathedral. Fiist one thing intervened, and then another, until mylast day in England had been reached. The last day I had kept clear of engagements purposely, but unfortunately a telegram arrived in the morning summoning me to Norwich, and it was 8 o'clock in the evening before I reached Liverpool street on the return journey. Now, I was bound to start for Brindisi the next day, and it seemed as if it were to be my fate to miss the last chance or seeing Sf. Paul's. Still I was determined, and a fast hansom put me down at the corner of St. Paul's Churchyard. As I stood on the pavement looking up at the Hgiant dome the clock struck 9. The sun had set, and high over head the golden ball and cross stood out against the sky, still burnished by the evening glow. Ihe traffic hadslackened, there were but few pedestrians, and an occasional cab crawled by. The city seemed to sleep, and St. Paul's was closely fastened up. Was I doomed only to see the outside ? Bending my back and gazing upwards, I saw that about the great golden ball was a tracery as of cobwebs, and men like flies were crawling about. Stout scaffoldings and cables they were, no doubt, but from the street they appeared but trifling. After quickly walking round in vain search of an open door, I came to the end of the south transept ; I spied a light. Presently I heard a door softly closed, and a grey-headed old veiger opened the iron grille. With all the. eloquence of which I am master I entreated him to let me into the sacred fane. He hesitated and shook his head. "Very well," he said, "it is against the rules, but, as you say, it is a long way fiom Australia ; I'll let you in if you don't mind stopping inside for an hour. I shall return then, but I must lock the door behind me. Do you wish to go inside 1 " Thanking him warmly, I said " Certainly, yes.'' I got under the great dome, which hung like a luminous cloud above, full of hazy uncertain shadows, a faint circle of light flitting around the huge piers — white figures gleaming here and there in shadowy recesses, marble warriors, heroes, and statesmen. Under the dome in the great open space was a vast crowd of chairs, rush bottomed, lashed together in rows looking eastwards. Choosing one of the most central of these I sat down and began to dieam, peopling the area with a vast invisible congregation. In soft, long drawn cadence, the bells of St. Paul's tolled out the hour of 10. I had been in the place an hour. I felt chilled and numbed. I walked briskly up and down an avenue between the chairs. I had seen enough, and wanted to get away from the scene of shadows. Looking upward a faint circle of light marked the soaring vault, and just above my head I saw a rope hanging down from the vast height above. Then I remembered the spider webs I had seen outside about the ball and cross, and as I stood and listened I heard faint sounds of hammering and knocking. Men were at work hundreds of feet above ; lights shone here and there, twinkling like stars. In years gone by I used to be a famous gymnast, and the sight of the rcpe hanging above me put me in mind of my former prowess. How many times, I wonder, could I, hanging on to the rope, draw my chin up to my knuckles ? I leapt up and caught the rope. Once, twice, thrice. Drawing myself up and down until I grew tired, I stretched myself, expecting to reach the ground with my toes. But I could not Glancing below me I saw with horror that the flooring had vanished from under me. I was swinging suspended by my hands high up towards the dome 1 If I had dropped at that moment I might have been safe, but I hesitated, and v.as lost. Slowly and steadily the rope was being wound up. I shut my eyes. Was this a hideous delusion ? No, I looked down — the floor below was almost out of sight. There I swung, a tiny human speck half way beiween heaven and earth. My muscles were wearied with fhe load. I made huge efforts to grasp the rope with my feet also, but impossible. I could not do it. I could therefore only hold on. I was now on a level with the plinth that surmounts the great arches of the dome ; the colossal fresco figures seemed to mock my agony. I must be half way up now — could I hold on to the end ? But, to my despair, I now saw that the seeming dome was a false one, above which rose the real conical roof another 100 ft or more, and that through a vast round orifice, the sham dome, the rope was to ascend to the uppermost peak. In that moment of torture I saw that my fate was inevitable ; my muscles now were relaxing, my ;jrasp would fail, in another minute I must fall and be dashed to pieces ! Confused thoughts whirled through my biain. In my mind's eye 1 saw the plains of 5.,1 .sp, herds, and flocks in my far-off home. My limbs weie relaxed, my senses almost deserted me. Voices, I thought, were calling

me. I was slipping, slipping, slipping, and— I fell I " How do you feel now. sir 1 " was whispered close to my ear. Was it possible 7 Was I still alive 1 Yes, my brain was consolotia. But coy frame? shattered, no doubt ; a mere human wreck. I only dared to uoe my eyes< and yet I had no feeling of pain. An old man was befiding over me,' the same who had admitted me ;' he had a wineglass in his hand. A candle by his side formed a little chamber of light about us. "Am I knocked all to pieces ? Do say ? " I whispered. " I don't think so, sir, you are not hurt a bit. Bless you, sir, you only fell about three feet; 1 ' I stretched o'tifc my arms, they were all right, and my legs were sound. " How is this ? " I said, sitting up and looking about me. " I thought I was carried up into the dome ? " " And so you were. You'd have been a dead man by this, but just In the nick of time I came back. I don't suppose I should have noticed you becatise of the light,- but 1 caught sight of your body against the gilding, and then you gave a sort of moan. Says' I, 'There's death here if I don't think of something at once.' Then I recollected hearing the workmen chaps whistle three times when they wanted the rope lowered, so I piped away and the rope began to come down. 1 shouted to you to hold on and keep your heart up, bdt you didn't seem to hear nothing. When your feet came within a yard of the floor you quivered and fell in a dead faint. But what were you about, to let them draw you up like that ? " I explained my gymnastic feats. " Oh, I see, you shook the rope. That's the signal to pull up, and up they pulled. The men are working double shifts now, and in a hurry to get finished." " When I left St. Paul's Cathedral that evening, I felt weak and nerveless, as if I had gone through a long illness. I have written this true and unvarnished account of my mishap as an outlet to my feelings. I did not talk much about St. Paul's when I returned to the antipodes.