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

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"Hold, hold fastr' cried Au11t
Nudge, ere her hand went out to ar
rest the unwinding of the rope; but
Arthur who had been Watching long
for just that opportunity, when there
should be no men to oppose, at the
mouth of the mine, had no thought
OF being stopped by u woman, and
he unwound faster and faster, until q
firm grasp was fixed upon his hand
and the speed arrested.
.sGently, gentlyr' gasped the wo-
man, eff you will save your brothers
life."
At the words, Arthur turned white
with fear, and let go, leaving all that
fearful strain upon the small hands
that could but just hold in their grasp
the crank of the windlass, and The
rope was SO old that it must give way
soon, and might, ut any second-it
had not been used for months.
Aunt Mndge seized the crank with
both hands, and cried: sFHelp! help!
helpr'
! Arthur caught it just in time; it
was slipping from her grasp, and the
two gently lessened the motion, until
VIC OuSACU SLOOu SUlu.
Paul had jumped in very .bravely,
anticipating a fine time and o terrible
surprise to the miners below. when
he should suddenly drop into their
midst; but even as the blue sky was
shut from his sight, he gasped with
an emotion very like fear. When the
rays of light disappeared one by one,
he began to tremble aud cling fast to
the sides of the tub, that was only
large enough to hold him. It was
perfect blackncss in the shaft, anil
the air that rushed up, as he felt him
self to be rushing down, was not like
the brave, sweet air that he had
breathed under the blue of the Sky:
it made him think of suffocation, and
the darkness was so dense that he
thought it was burying him alive; he
felt its weight driving down upon his
head.
In that moment, Paul Vail would
have given everything Ire possessed
to be safely out of ,ho coal region.
Suddenly he felt himself to be no
longer going downward, the motion
had changed to swift, circling
course, that would have made his
brain dizzy, but for the fearful dark
ness. The rope was UNFINISHED, but
he knew it not-one strand had
parted.
He shouted aloud, and, from the
depths, his own voice thundered back
to him The thought was whispered
to him: maybe Arthur cannot hold
the crank any longer" and the fear
full sequence came: ''What if he lets
go?"
Paul Vail had never before been in
n position of utter helplessncss. He
had always had his own strong arms
and feet to aid his movements-lis
eyes to tell him where he might
move; and now, he found all these
gifts of no manner of servicc-therc
was nothing for him to do but to
pray. God shuts every soul in thus.
at some point in life, with himself.
That the soul may feel after God, if,
happily, he may be found
1t is not always in mines, or on the
ocean, amid pillows and natures
wrath, or in the earthquakes tremor.
that the soul of man meets this point
of utter dependence on it's Creator.
It comes in still, small ways-thc
friend In whom we trusted fails us; :;
or we watch the feeble, fiutterin1
breath, and know that it is going out,
unless the Giver of Life breathe anew
upon our loved one.
Paul Walls time for prayer came.
and the cry went forth for help.
''Now. my boy. hold fast, wind
gently, and, God willing, we will have
him safely up" said Aunt Nudge;
but her voice trcmbled, and only her
hands nerved themselves to the task
1t was quite different affair, Arthur
found, drawing up the bucket. Their
united strength could but Just com
pass it, and then the awful danger Of
the ropes parting, and the naccsSity
for uniform tension. Once OK twice,
the little woman'seyes wandered down
the mountain; but no help came.
Steadily, steadily around the wind
lass wound the rope, until there came
into view the parted strand-it was
giving way fast.
"Have mercy" calculated little
Aunt Nudge, and bidding Arthur to
hold fast, she sprang down, close
to the open shaft, and with arms
stretched over the edge, she caught
the rope below the parted strand,
Her hold was just sufficient to ba-
lance the break.
No ,rao,.to1 CON <a1I 1,ov. LAM. @I,o