The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-05-29
A Miners Love Story,

the sweetest blue; her cheeks were
like rose, and you might have
thought her brown hair was the finest
silk. Then she had a figure like a
fairy, it was so trim; and with waist
you could almost span. I loved Nelly,
but, as for that, afI The young chaps
of the village were of the same mind,
and she might have had her pick of
us. The worst of it was, she treated
us all alike, and wouldn't look at one
more than another. She had smile
for every body, and was always good
tempered, and there it ended, and,
somehow, none of Us could screw up
courage to otrybher further / don't
know how often |, thought,it over. 1t
came into my head the first thing in
the morning. and there it remained
the last thing at night, when it either
kept me awake or haunted my dreams.
At last it quite took possession of me.
No matter where I was, digging or
blasting, or tunneling, above ground
or down in the pit, my thoughts
turned on Nelly, and, from being the
merriest fellow In the village, just
came to be the dullest. One morning
therelwas no work in the pit for my
gang, because the yiewerywanteds that
part of the seam shored up. and it
struck me, all at once, that / would
have it, out with Nellie, SO / made
myself smart, and set off, walking as
brisk as if it was a wager. You may
think it conceit in me, but L can say
that I was then as clever a chap to
look at as you would often see-and
1 knew it! For all that, 1 began to
walk bit slow when caught sight
of Mrs. Glover's cottage, and | felt
dread at my heart. But / went on,
and I just got up to the cottage when
who should come out but ,Nelly.her-
self. She never looked pIettier than
at that minute, but, appearing so sud-
denly, she dashed my spirit. and |
hadn't word to say to herr nsol.
Why, Charley, what is the mat
ter?" she cried, in frightened sort
of way.
well, it is just this" 1 said. And
there l stopped.
rs anything wrong with Jack?"
she e f Gsisd IS quiokly1O8
"Yes, he is down in the pit, and
they say it is foul, which makes mother
and me uneasy. You havn't heard any
thing?" And she looked in my eyes
as if she would search me through
:, i" No, no!v answered, steadying,
now That i thought L could comfort
her. HE is all right. You mustn't
mind what the old women of the viii
lage say, or you'll bea1ooking for a
blow up every day in the year, when
there is nothing more than common.
! haven't come to tell you about Jack,
Nelly; it's about myself" at.g 20 Els.
il She gave me- another look now;
then her cheek flushed up like
fame, and her eyes turned away.
: Do you know what want to say,
Nellyr' | went on. . [ wish you did,
for I can't tell it. Itsis;nore than l
have got words for How | love you,
how you are always before me. how |
am crazed and mad about you But
though | can't say all | want to, here
| stand and wouldn't change with. a
king if you'll take me as | am r
''Ah, Charley you don't know how
you pain me- she answered. $50
g Don't say that, Nelly. | doubted
about speaking to you, but now that l
have done it-now that [ can't go on
deceiving myself, if you have any pity
in your heart show it to me, and | will
cherish you to the day of my
death"
1t is no use," she replied, Il can
never marry a pitman. L gave the
promise to mother and Jack, whe We
walked up the village at the funeral
of my poor father and brothers, all
three Killed in the mine-our great
sorrow, which [ can never think of
without crying"
I And the tears, it is true, were run
ming down hereheeks, though, for,the
minute, she seemed tonne to be-hard4
ser than stone And | seemed turned
to stone myself. I had no recollec-
ton, no. feeling, and ae sense, and
couldn't have moved step to save
my life. Then it al flashed upon me
like lightning. took last look at
Nelly, dropped my head upon my
breasts and, without word more,
walked out of the gate.
Z Our village seldom looked bright,
no matter how sthe sun Sshene, and
now felt as if the sun would never
shine again for me, so, as my eye fell
son the line orof cottages, with the
clouds hanging down from above, and
nothing round but waste, [ thought
l might as well be in my grave as con-
tinue to live, there Besides, Ishould
be 4 always meeting Nelly, perhaps
lurking about her mothers cottage,
and making her as miserable as N.Y.
self Why shouldn't l go away, to
Yorkshire, or Derbyshire, or to the
diggings in Australia, for. that matter2
The notion, if it was good for nothing
more, gave me aTlittle spirit. It