The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-06-23

we came 10 q small gate, winch OpeLou "P
on the canal path. 1t looked SO dismal ano
dreary as far as it could be seen, anc
was SO inpenetrably dark where it coulo
not, that shrank ftom walking along the
towing path with the contingency Of walk
ing into the water
! is there no other way than this?
asked.
GAY there's another; but it's longer. Are
you scared O this?" was the reply.
,'Well, no, not exactly" said hesitatinG
/ ''but I was never in this neighborhood be
/ fore, and Of course it does not look tosne
/ as it does to you, who have, lived here all
your life. But" I added, seeing that my
companion had passed through the gate ar1d
following his example, 6 if you say that this Is
the best way, Wen take it. :"
"Fve not lived here all my life, he salc
replying to tile first part of my sentence
.and wish to God Ia never come near it
Twas startled by the eariestness and evi-
dent sincerity with which the words were
uttered, and turned to look at the speaker
we were in the glare now, and he could
be seen quite plainly. A common-p place look
ing man enough, about forty years Of age,
insignificant features deeply marked by the
small pox, and begrimed with SCOT and coal
dust. His dress was dirty fustian. There
was nothing, remarkable about him in any
way; and | concluded that he was disap-
pointed in wages or had given up some
thing better for his present occupation, what
ever that might be. He was silent now and
though l wished to know why he had spo-
ken his regret so earnestly could not very
well ask him, and so | tried to draw him
into conversation.
g Are wages good about here p [ asked.
cay they're good enough if you worl,
well he said sullenly;' they're the same here
as in most places; you.earn what you get
you get what you earn.
Who do you work for?" went on.
He named the friend whom was go
ing to visit
lis he a good master"
''He's like tn rest, hard 'un, Set his
mind on maxim his FORUM sharp, reckon,
and gettin' out o this cussed place"
g suppose you'd do the same thing if
you were he?" | suggested.
:" Like enough, he assented
BY this time we had left the canal side,
and were walking in narrow lane, along
which ran single tramway, and by the side
of which were some of the poorest cottages,
or rather novels, have ever seen; most of
them; however, were dimly lighted and from
some came rough sounds of merriment and
holiday making.
My guide stopped before the door Of one
of the cottages which was in complete dark
ness, and turning to me said;
IF you keep right on for half a mile and
then take til road to tn left, you can't
miss TIL house"
''Are you not going any farther?' I asked
rather anxiously, for greatly dislilled the
idea Of walking on alone.
No." he said, bluntly, taking key
from his jacket pocket and putting it in the
lock of the door; .'I'ln at home"
" If you will show me the rest OF the way
shall be much obliged" | said, at the stme
time slipping half-a-crown into his left hand
''and no one seem to be waiting for you"
He would not take the coin but replacing
the key in his pocket moved forward, saying:
No, there's 40 one watin for me"
The tone in which he echoed my words
was one Of such profound sadness that was
much struck byit, and in moment after
he continued:
No, there's no one waitin for me; that
there cottage is empty as it is dark, there's
no fire in it, and no welcome; there's no
wife, nor no children; there's naught there
to max home Of but tn four bare
walls"
''You should marry. said cheerfuIIy,
then you would have wife to welcome
you, and chilcren in time, perhaps At any
rate you'd have fire ard a light"
'But had 'em all at once, " he went on
not needing my interruption, "a good wife,
and three children, an lost EN- all this
night year sin. It's Christmas eve, isn't
r"
'Lost!' I repeated, much shocked !;
''what did they die of ?"
GAY, lost EN-; they didn't to cali die"
''Will you tell me about it asked deep
y interested
''This day last ear it was like as is now
Only frostier, an blacIler, an darker. / come
home fro work at five O'clock, and it was
pitch dark by then. We lived i that same
cottage, an my'wife had made it as tidy as
palace-she was rare clean 'un,-all
ready for Christmas day, an til pudden was
a ready for bolin' an when we'd had tea
she foun' out that candles was forgot and
wanted, there was only the piece O one that
was burnin' There's the shop close by there, ="
and he indicated the direction by pointing
with his thumb over his shoulder-an she
thought no harm o sehdin' tn youngest
child-she was six ear old, and sharper nor
any needle | ever saw-to fetch EN-. She
didn't come back as soon as she might ha
done, and we sent tn next 'un-she was
close upon eight-after her for it was as
dark as dogs mouth, we thought no harm,
tn shop was close to, an them KNOWN tn
road so well.
''She didut come back no more nor tn
first an we said what we'd do when they
did come, playin' away out the dark, and
the night so cold an when it came that
they'd been gone nigh upon half an hour,
Jack-that was the eldest Of all-said he'd
go an bring em in. lie stopped away too,
till we was tired o. waitin' an tn wife says,
''Drat them children; let 'em get a playin
an they never think nothing Of no errands;
but I'll fetch EN- in an warm EN- too and
she puts on her shawl over her head an off
she goes. She didn't shut til door fast, OF til,
wind burst it open; and goes to shutit, au'
Just then thought | heard a scream i'll her
voice, and as she wasn't a schreetchy sort O
woman, it give me kind o. turn. [ capt
tn candle end into my old lantern as we had
and off | went to see if 1 RELY heard any
thing.
1T were lawful dark outside, not moon
nor star, and l right searched along the
ground, holdin' out tn lantern to show
light where was goin, an well l did. A.
bout twenty yards fro tn cottage I found
out all bout it. There'd been crowning in
and down they was all gone, wife, Jack,
IL
me standin' on tn edgewi' tn lantern, look
in for what wasn't to be seen, for tn crown
in in was deeper than anyone knows, an |
never saw no more of all Of them that had
been at tea wi me so happy an pleasant. +"
vaguely apprehended the catastrophe,
aud though my ignorance ofthe meaning Of
the words browning in" prevented my I'M
derstanding it fully, the mans voice and
IL l. IL. I