The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-08-17

| descent, and then invited Paul and
Arthur into her little hut.
/ She did not seold them, nor tell
them what bad, naughty boys they
had been, but she told them q story.
And this is the story that she told:
Twenty years ago last May, I
came to live in this bit Of house by
the great coal mine, to be near nv
husband and my two boys Not that
felt they were in any great danger
when lost sight of them going down
IN tile shaft in the morning; but,
then, you see, could have themrby
me bit longer in the morning, and
then 1T was so pleasant to watch for
them coming MP ut night, and more
than all, little crumbs of news came
up from time to time all day. Some
body would be coming up every little
while, and I had many o chance to
drop in the buskets little tin pals,
with taste OF something warm,
right off the fire, or n bottle of hot
coffee, when [ saw my husband, or
Rufus or Charles was II little weak:
and then watch for the thank YOU.
wife, Or thank you, mother that
was always certain to come back the
next chance. Oh, I liked living here.
would not have gone away to live
IN the finest house in the land, and
left my husband and boys behind.
| We had q bit of O garden ut the
door. sec you laugh as you look at
the ground now; but they have Gov
cred up the spot, and am glad. T
could not bear to look ut it after that
time am going to tell you of.
1t was seventeen years ago last
May, when the ovcrseer of the mine
came one night to talk to my hus-
band. he took him out of the house
and beyond the little garden paling,
where l could not hear what he said;
! but when he had gone, John-that
was my husband-looked soberer
than I'd ever seen him in my lie.
and he was always the brightest man,
full of good thoughts to al, and the
ttankfulcst man to our Father that
ever SAW. He could not help laugh
ing ont his gladness. He sail there
was SO much of it coming up in his
soul that he couldn't help letting it
out, and it made me feel as if was
ali done up i'll a rainbow somehow;
and then the two boys
For moment Aunt Mudgc
stopped. and Paul venturcd to ask:
"What did the overscer want?"
He wanted my husband to go
down in the mine at midnight, and
examine 1T, jIlst us the miners have
gone below now. There We're noises.
strange growhngs and groanings, and
the damps were filling all the mine.
You see they opened the mine then
on both sides OF the mountain, Eas.
and West, and were working toward
each other, hoping to gain an open
ing through the mountains, and
some thought it was the air that made
the noises. Well, my husband went
down. He never told me till Twas
just midnight. You sec it was Sun
day night, and nothing could coax
him 10 go down on Sunday; so he let
nc go to sleep, and when / woll" nip
the moon was floating into the room
like a great high tide, aud there,
right on the river of it, was john
kneeliny on the floor and saying his
prayers; and heard the little clock
on the kitchen shelf strike. aud !
c. united twelve. just then came Il
knock, and John said amen quite
out loud, and got up. Then came
and looked ut me, and saw that WAS
wide awake, and SO he kissed me nn,.
said
'Good-bv, my little Nudge. Ia.n
going down the mine to look at some
things they've found down there I'll
be back, please God. to eat breakfast
with you.
"The moonlight and the prayer.
and the knock, and the good-by. all
seemed so strange that they puzzled
me, and let him go; but Ii dream
had just after, frightened my sleep
away, and L went out and sat by the
lonely Shaft and watched all night |
listened with my ears close to the
opening; bat ii was So still, and the
great iu!! noon walked down the
b!ue field ana the dark lnouutain
came up between, and the day began
to break at last, and ,hcn | Got up
My two boTs were ont, early as it
was, digging in the garden TO sur
prise M, so [ stole in ut the front
door. and let vhem think / was asleep.
The little round tablc-vuu see it
thcre-w.ts soon ready: four plates
and knives and forks on it it was
just large enough tor foui Wei,
4l,,, l,ra,l- 6. ,,-,.. :