Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-06-12
CHAPTER ".


> oi lar deeper cOmmiseratiOn and distres
: hundred fold shot around Simon M0y
!, again stood out, and taking off his cap
: communicated something reluctantly an,
: hesltatingly to the Laird Ringan Cockburr
- staggered, and looked up piteously to tn,
leaden sky, NJ--no. 1t could not be
Father said Thrift, jjining him, anC
1 suddenly aware Of n strange overlook
= why it is Wat not here Send him anC
=, the bansters word they'll take their turf
with the miners Wat will do the work o
a two men however grieved he may be to sec
this sight
! Let alane, Thrift, my woman, replied
/ the Lard, weakly. Watts housing tho
: sheaves, and he could do no guide here; you
see there's no room for the folks already
| There's relays upon RELAYS; let a be-
, Housing the sheaves when mems lives arc
.. to save' II run for him myself
'Blde still, Thrift, bide here, command
you, the Lard exclaimed, violently. Thrift
was thunderstruck, she looked at her father
, shaking in every limb, his fine tranquil face
working with emotion. She caught the
glances of the others, now turning from lib
Blair, sitting rocking her self on the moor,
all directed to herself with the same mex
pressible gentleness and solemnity beaming
strangely from those familiar, homely faces.
The truth CLEANED upon her, the awful
fact that Wat, vexed by her pain and re-
sentiment. had risen from bis bed; and, as if
possessed by dark fate, had gone where he
had not been for weeks, to the pit head;
and before the main portion of the work
men assembled, had borrowed a miner s
tools and descended the shatt-either seized
with II wild superstitious notion Of trying
his individual luck in the costly and con-
demned speculation-or with a calmer pur-
pose of attempting to satisfy himself by ac-
tual eyeslght, while it held out the least
glimmering Of the result on which the Laird
yet pinned his iath.
Still and stark, or uttering stihed groans
OF mortal anguish, fathoms beneath their
feet, crushed and concealed in IA living
grave, with the clods and stones heaped on
his uncoiiined, unshrouded. breast, lay come
ly, kind W at Cock burn, the husband and
father, in the flush and promise Of his man
hood.
Ihriit's blue eyes glarcd upon the wit
nesses, her white cheek grew IL purple red,
and she dropped down at her fathers feet,
| clasping his knees, and writhing before
him Gle me back Wat, father gave
you all else, the bite from my bairnie
mouth, but not Wat, never Wat
Oh, hapless King of Israel, who rent thy
royal robe at the mockng mandate Of the
lmperlous syrian, here is Il man more tor
tured and abAsed, as if he too were "A god
to Kill and to make alive and one of the
wretched suPpiants his pleasant child,
Thrift, young bride three twelve months
back.
Not sorrow alone, but remorse, is clnk-
erins and middcning the cordial happy ma
ture. conyulsing and Transforming each iea
tlre as II an evil spirit had Possessed itse.f
OF the iair body
Oh' no BLAIR ye hae nyted on Llwrie |
mohy day, but ye parted friends at last |
teii ,, you standing there gloomei on my /
nrV' my suue' s9oer' klhu Suue man. my
Iv'r' uear wat, L. an III wlie' hard heart
= oragSi' MIN 'iil' az .lhst MS better Judg- |
i' nc Saeu uo"n Vhe PiV' anu met MS
N'HV" 'uis udy.
r,, lts, 'Hl9 VIII De the fearful burden OF
inrl't sau Wldowhood, the blight that
her sunk s1arch,ns syns' hnr h,ir Win n"t
one or two sJirht threads but whnIn G,t"s
OF silver breaking its brown before the o.
tober day be done. and she but matron of
twenty iive-until her DIVING moment. he il
near or tar; that there had been discord be.
tween her II Wat Cockburn ON that last niyht
in the cheerful lirht of their uuiet hearth,
that he had risen and gone ont of his hnuse
in the grey morning, Without one word Of
reconciliation and reyiyinp regard oxcb,ngad
between them. They wh1 lowell narb ot5or
so truly, who were one flesh in the blessed
bands OF holy wedlOck
Ihriit's first piroxysm of despair soon
sunk IN exhaustion, and with hands and
heart cold and heavy as lead, she sat as
still as lib Blair Another hand led a.
way the innocent, ignorant, daunted child,
or forced reireshment upon the Laird Now
that he was gone, taken from her so sudden
" and ieariully, Thrift cared for none but
Wat Cockburn.
Many strong arm that had dug with
grim application gave way; the shades of
evening fell chill on those wastes; by the
red light OF lanterns, the Laird looked hag-
gard and aged as some patrIarch-God-ior-
saken like Job-belOre there was halt, q
shout, and the signal that the lost were
found.
The mon clustorod Jonathan IN .r;...oa
ring the women hid their faces, and sobbed
anew with bitter violence, A board had
been fixed above the ordinary tub, and upon
1t a man was ascending, with dark mass
resting at his feet; slowly and cautiously
they wound the rope until they were almost
level with the bystanders. The lights fell
on great crimson stain, and every breath
IN the circle was drawn hard and short.
There $ life In him yet but how'd him
irae his mlther
Life what a power there is in that sound.
though it be but a vapor huttering in his
flight, expiring in fttul tortured flashes
Life how the name alone can heal the g.,
broken heart and revive energies, strange .
and wonderful as humanity can display
lib Blair rose up strengthened, and follow
ed on her own feet the shapeless bruised h,
form. Was not her Lawrie still in life, and ;
might not merciful Providence spare him, =
manned and helpless, Tor her, his old moth /
er, to tend and succor-ior whom her feeble I
fingers might spin day and night-to whom a
she would never again give Grabbed, spite /
ful answers \ wild Imagination, but still !
A ray OF hope to Tighten the miscrere of the ,
bcreaycd heart. And how Thrift Cockburn +