The mountain Democrat., 1864-07-09
'Ay, there's another; but it's LONGER.


hood before, and Of course it does not looI
to me IS it does to you. who have liNet
here Sll your life. R8sy' I S&Ac3, 3cc..::=..;
that ny companion had pAOsed through
the gate. and following his example, i
you say that this Ii tAo best way, well
take it,
I've not lived here ell my life, be said
replying to the first part Of my sentence
aud l wish to God I'd never come neal
itr
was startled by the earnestness ant
evident sincerity with which the words
were uttered, and turned to look at tn,
speaker; We were in the glare now, and
he could be seen quite plainly. A com
monplace-looking man enough, about for.
ty years of age. his insignificant features
deeply marked by the small.p and be.
grimmed with SCOT and coal dust. Hi,
dress was dirty fustain. There was no
thing remarkable about him in any vay
and concluded that he was disappointed
in wages, or had given up something bet.
ter for bis present occupation, whatever
1t might be. He was silent now: and
though | wished to know why he had
spoken his regret so earnestly, | could
net very we'll ask him, and so tried to
draw him into conversation.
Are wages good about hcre::' asked
Ay, they're well enough if you work
well, he said sullcnly they're the same
here as in most places you earn wha;
you get, and you get what you earn
Who do you work fer ? | went on.
He named the friend whom | was 60.
ing to visit.
Is he q good master
He's like tn rest, hard 'ua. Set his
mind or maxim his forum sharp, | reck.
Oh, ard gettin' out O. this cussed place
| suppose you'd do the same if you
were he:' | suggested.
Like enough, he aSSented.
, BY this time ". had left the canal side,
and were walking in narrow lane, along
whl:h ran single tram-wAy, and by the
side OF Eh'ch were some Of the poorest,
cottages. or rather novels, | had ever
seen most Of them, however, were d;mly
lighted, ard from some came rough
sounds O: mtrr!pent and holiday making.
= nv guide stopped before the door OF
one Of the cottages which was in com.
pet" Darkness, ard turning to ne, said
II you keep on FOR half mile, ana then
taxi III road to tn left, yea can't miss
I'll n'uee.'
Ne yau rot g";ng any flrtheri' |
asked, rather anX'on>.y. for greatly dis
10 T.! tae idea n' waking alone.
No. he sad, blunt!y, taking q key
from bis jacket pocket, aad putting it in
IL tie doar; I'm AZ home
II You will show me the rest Of TIE
way shall bc uach obliged. said, a.
the sarn- time slipping ha,f.crown into
his ,cit band; and 20 one scens TO bt
waiting for YOU
lie aea,A not take the coin, bat rcpla
eng the ~ N lis pocket, moved for
ward, Sang:
Ne, there's no one wAitin' for me-
Tho tone in which he echoed my words
70, one of >n'h profound sadnesS, that
was much stuck by il, and a m0nent az
TIA he Continued;
NJ, there's NO one waitin for me tia,
there o1ttage is as empty as it is dark,
there's no fire in it, and no we.comc
there's no wife nor 10 children; there
rausht there u max q hom: oF. bI. Ia
fcnT bare walls
lou shot!d marry I said checrfully,
thca you'd have s wife to welcome you,
ard Children, in time, perhaps. At any
rae, yol i have Gre and q light
But | had era all once,' he went Of,
not hced."s r:y Interruption, = good wife
and three children, an lost 'em all this
night year sin'. It's Christmas eve,
isn't it,
'Lostr I repeated much shocked
what did they die ofY
AZ, lost en-; they didn't call it dy,
:ag
/ VIZ! you not tell me about it: ask
Cd, much interested.
This day last ear it was like as it Is
now, on'y froster, an blacker, an darker
come home fro work at five o'clock and
it vas pitch dark by then. We lived in
the same cottage en- wife had made it as
e. tidy as paiace-she was rare clean 'un
al, ready for Christmas day, an when
we'd hAi tea she faun' out that candles
WAS forgot and wanted, there was only
tue piece o one that was burnin'. There's
tn shcp close by there, and he indicated
the direction by pointing with his thumb
over his shoulder" an she thought nc
harm O send.n' tn youngest chilG-She
was six ear old, and sharper nor any
needle ever saw-to fetch 'em. She
didn't come back soon as she might ha'
done, and We sent TIL next 'un-she was
close upon eight-after her; for tho il
were as dark as dogs mouth, we though,
no harm, tn shop were close to, an them
knowing III road SO well.
She didn't come back no more th' FIRST,
an We said what we'd do when they did
come, piayin' away out i the dark, and
the night SO cold an when it come that
they'd been gone nigh upon half hour,
Jack that was the eldest OF all-Said
. he'd 60 an bring 'em in. lie stopped
away too, til We was tired O. waitin an
tn wife says, 'Drat them children; let
'em get playin' an they never think
nothin' o no errands; but III fetch EN-
in, an warm 'em too, and she puts her
shawl over her head an off she goes. She
didn't shut tn door fast or tn wind
bursted it open, and goes to shut it, an
lust then thought hcerd a scream in
her voice, and as she wasn't O-Screptchy
sort O. woman, it give me kind o turn.
cIapt tn candle end into an old lantern
as we had, and off went to see if reely
had heerd anything.
1T were lawful dark outside, not a
moon nor e star, and right searched
along the ground, ho!din' out the lantern
to show a light where gnsH, an well
did. About twenty yards fro tn cottage
| found out all bout it, There d been n
crowning in, and down they was all gone,
wife, an Jack and tn two other children;
an there was me Standin' on tn edge wi
tn lantern, lookin' for what wasn't TO be
seen, for the crownin' in was deeper than
any one knows, an never saw no one oi