Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-08-09

Pierre said TO them,
Fix upon day to complete your hap
piness
And that was not distant day-they
were SO much beloved, and merited go well
to be so, that the day appointed for their
wedding was festival for all their neigh.
bors. They left their work. the mines
were deserted. The tables were spread.
boque,s adorned the bosoms of the girls
and the coats of the young men. All a.
round were heard cries Of JOY, and the
music of instruments. Which regulated
the movements of the dancers on the
green.
In.,he midst of. the fete Pierre was seen
to embrace his pr y bride. Then he said
my s,erousIy to his companions. keep
her here. now is Vle,me for the surprise?
Now | will get the presents
lie wen, away, smiling. placing his
finger on his mouth as though TO enjoin
secrecy. and passing around the house APP
peared to take crooked path which led
to the mines! They saw him no more.
He did not return ,hatanigh,. he came
no, on The following day. They sea,ch-
ed for him, they called for him they wal
ted for him! Three days. four days,
eigh. days, month. year passed away,
and Pierre returned not
On the day of the wedding. as soon as
his long absence was perceived, the sports
were suspended. The bride wept and
wrung her hands. The miners, led by the
falhef searched through every passage i'll
the mines leaving no passage where a
man could be unexamined-but nothing
gave them any hope Of discovering the re-
mains of their companion. Of their friend.
Margaret came near TO death ! She re
turned 10 life to concentrate it 10 the faith
er and mother of Pierre They had so
much to weep for and she also, but graft
ilude endowed her with superior natural
courage. She took off her boque. and her
bridal wreath, and kissing them, said -
Il will avail, his return
Sixty years after this terrible and singu.
lar adventure. may changes had taken
place in the village
Margaret had closed the eyes of her
benefactor. Nearly all those who had
been present at her wedding had dis
appeared from The earth. The children
who leaped for JOY as they accompanied
the bride. had become old men. new
generation had arisen. and the recollec-
,;ur "f Tire adventure oil Pierre anu oI IT'S
sudden disappearance. existed only as
those traditions, which passing from age
10 age furnish food for the reflections and
dreams which superstition inspires The
minds of the unenligh,ened.
They spoke of Pierre as of supe!nat-
uraI being. He was accused Of having
made compact with evil spirits. During
The cold season, when The winds chased
The boar frost through the air. and made
the dry branches of the ems and beeches
crack or when roaring in the chinneys,
they seemed to resemble melancholy
groan the old women pretended that II was
Pierre, who came to ask for prayers and
las. as ylum. They could hear his voice
in the rnmbling of The thunder storm
when the snow had left the smiling fields
and the sun rIpened the grain, or tInged
the vine leaves on the hills.
In the heat of the summer when light
vapor frightened in the air. they thought
il was shooting star which announced
the torments Of the soul Of Pierre.
The cry of the night bird. the rushing
of the leaves, the adder darling through
the thick grass, the far off howl Of the
wolf, all brought terror TO the hearts OF the
villagers, when they were obliged to quit
their homes. The men at the sounds OF
ill omen, FASTENED their steps. knit their
brows; and cas-, unquiet looks around
them. as if they thought that the cold
hand of Pierre was stretched over them
and threatened their innocent ones.
Pierre was every where. Prayers were
addressed to him, and wax ,apers burned
in honor Of him. The terrified magma
| tons Of the villagers made them regard
as one intent upon injuring them, the
shade of him who during his too short ca
reer had only thought of doing good to
his fellow creatures.
At length i. happened. after having ex'
haus,ed all the veins Of the mine and ex-
plored all the old parts. II became neces>
sary 10 dig new pits in another place.
The proprietor came upon the grounds
and his arrival was the signal for rejoicing
He was humane and beloved by all the
| miners.
Four days they had labored, the young
lalies and gay cavalrie. who had come
with the proprietor. to assis. in the fesll-
val of The opening Of the mines. and who
danced under the spreading branches. and
returned to the city none did remain but
the engineer and those interested in the
| mines.
On sudden strange noise was heard
1t was low numbering like that which
| a.nannnad The distant thunder Storm II