Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1866-03-29
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STICK FAST.


pink and Greasy, and very snufly, as
though it wanted itsnose blowing; which
couldn't be expected, for it hadn't go
any to signify. a7 sa
"Ain't it little beauty! 2" she says
Well, j couldn't see as 1t was; but
didn't like to say so, for ] know my wife
Polly had been rather reckoning on what
she said we ought to have had more'n a
year ago so ! dIdn't like to disappoint
her, for l knew she lay listenin' in the
mex room.
Polly always said there never was such
a baby as that one and somehow it
was taking to see how how her face
used to light up all over smiles when she
thought ! warn't looking and / knew
it was all on account Of the little un.-
She never said she felt dull now and
when at home Of night used to think
how my mates would laugh to see me a
handling the little thing that was allus
being pushed into my face. to kiss when
Pm bleset if ever l see such a voracious
un in my life it would hang on to you
nose, lip, any wherein a minute.
One day, when it was about nine
months old, it was taken all of sudden
like with a fit. Polly screamed 70 me
to run for the doctor; for it happened
that | was on the club that week, and at
home with bad hand. run for him
and be soon csme and then there was
a warm bath and medicine but after.
ward, when / saw the little thing lying
on POlIy's lep so still and quiet, and with
a dull film forming over its eyes, felt
that something was coming, though l
dared not tell her; and about twelve
O'Clock the little thing suddenly started,
stared wildly an instant, and then it was
all over.
My hand warn't bad any wore that
week; for it took all my time to try and
cheer my poor heart-broken lass. She
did take on dreadful, night and day,
night and day, till we buried it ; and
then she seemed to take quite change,
and begged of me TO forgive what she
called her shelfshness, and wiped her
eyes once for all, as she said, and talked
about all being for tho best. Bat she
didn't know that lay awake of night,
feeling her cry silently till the pillow
was soaked with tears.
We buried the little one on Sunday,
and on the Monday morning ] was clap
ped on to job that didn't much relish
for it was the rebricking of sewer that
ran down one of the main streets, quite
fifty feet underground.
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 not
in such concern as-this why 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 60, down ladder after
ladder, past gas-pipes and wsther-pipes,
and down and down, till you got to the
stage stretched across the part you are
at work on with the daylight so high up,
as seen through boards, and scafOled and
ladders, that it's no use to 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 a smell
as turns your silver watch, and every
sixpence and shilling you have in your
pocket, black as the water that swirls
bubbling along. Every word you speak
sounds hollow and echoing, while it goes
whispering and rumbling along the dark
arch till you think ii has gone, when all
at once you hear it again quite PLAIN, In
way as would make you jump as much
as when half a brick or bit O. hard
mortar dropped into water.
But talk about jumping, nothing made
me jump more than when bit O. soil, or
a stone, was lOOsened up above and cane
rafting down. I've seen more than one
chap change color and l know it's been
from the thOnght that, suppose the earth
caved In, where should we be? No
doubt the first crush in would do it, and
there d be an end Of wOrkmen and FORE
man. but there seemed something wer.y
awful in the idea o. being buried alive.
Big as the opening was, when / went
to work il made me shudder; there was
the earth thrown out; there was the
rope at the side; there was the boarding
round there it was for all the world
like q big grave, same as I'D stood by on