Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-08-11
STUCK FAST.

=
dent, l goes home one night, and Mrs
'Burge- that's our next-room neighbol
shows me something wrapped up in
flannel, all pink and Greasy, and very
snufly, as though it wanted its nose
blowing; which couldn't be expected,
for it hadn't got any to signify.
CANT it little beauty?" she says.
Well, couldn't see as it was; but
didn't like to say SO, for I knew my wife
Polly had been rather reckoning on
what she said we ought to have had
more'n a year ago J; so didn't like to
disappoint her, for l knew she lay lis
TENN in the next room.
Polly always said there never was
such baby as that one; and somehow
it was taking to see how her face used
to light up all over smiles when she
thought l warn't looking and 1 knew
| it was all on account of the little 'un.
She never said she felt dull now; and
when at home of a night used to think
how my mates would laugh to see me a
handling the little thing that was al
ways being pushed into my face to kiss;
when I'm blest if ever I see such a 70
racious Jun in my life; it would hang
onto you nose, lip, anywheres-in {
minute. One day, when it was about
nine months old, it was taken i'll of {
sudden like with a fit. Polly screamed
to me to run for doctor; for it hap
pened that | was on the club that week
and at home with bad hand. 1 run
for him, and he soon came; and ther
there was a warm bath and medicine
but afterward, when I saw the little
thing on Polly's lap so still and quiet
and with a dull film forming over it.
eyes, l felt that something was coming
though l dared not tell her; and abou
II o'clock the little thing suddenly
started, stared wildly an instant, AM
then all was over. s. Sun. 2 7 = III
My hand warn't bad any more tina
week; for it took all my time to try and
cheer up my poor broken-hearted lass
She did take on dreadful, night and
day, till We buried it, and then she
seemed to take quite a change, and
begged me to forgive what she calico
her selfshness, and wiped her eyes once
for all, as she said, and talked about al
being for the best. But she didn't
know that lay awake of a night, feel
ing her cry silently till the pillow was
soaked with tears We buried the lit.
tie one on the Sunday, and on the Mon
day morning | was clappsd on to a job
that did not much relish, for it was
the re-bricking of sewer that ran down
one of the main streets, quite fifty feet
under ground. aAta ~
After two years in London I'd seen
some change, but this was my first visit
to the bowels of the earth. I'd worked
on drains down in the country, but nc
such concern as this; why, a'life-guard
might have walked down it easy; so
that there was plenty of room to work.
But then, mind you, it amt pleasant
work there you go, down ladder after
ladder, past gas-pires aud water-pipes,
and down and down, till you get to the
stage stretched across the part that you
are at work on, with the daylight SO
high up, as seen through boards and
scafold and ladders, that its no use q
you who are working by the light Of
faring gas. There in front of you is
the dark, black arch; and there behind
you is another; while under your feet
the foul, rushing water hurries along,
sending up asmell as turns your silver
watch and every sixpence and shilling
you have in your pocket as black as the
water that swirls bubbling along. Every
word you speak sounds hollow and ech-
DING, while it goes whispering and
rumbling along the dark arch till you
think it has gone, when all at once you
hear it again quite plain in way as
would make you jump as much as when
half brick or bit O. hard mortar had
dropped into the water.
But, talk about jumping, nothing
made me jump more than when a bit OF
soil, of stone was loosened up above,
and came rafting down. I've seen
more than one chap change color; and
I know it's been from the thought that