National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-01-18


ting up an opposition whistle to the
wind, and thinking about the warm
fireside at home, with the snug sup
! portable; and then | thought what
a blessing it was i'll hard winter
to live close to the pits mouth, and
get plenty of coal for next to moth
ing. We could afford a good fire
there, such as would cheer the
hearts of some of the London poor,
while wages were not so bad.
Every now and then had to stop
and kick the snow off my boot soles,
for it collected in hard balls, so as to
make walking harder then not hay
ing the town lights to guide me, |
found I'd wandered a little out of
the track SO that the ground grew
rougher and rougher, and more than
once | stumbled. The wind beat
worse than ever; the snow blinded
so | could not look ont for the lights
of the town; and at last began to
think / had done foolish thing in
trying to make short cut. But
one is slow about owning to being
i'll the wrong; SO | blundered and
stumbled on; but at last. after walk
ing for some time. was obliged to
own to myself that was lost in the
snow.
"Stuff and nonsense y says the
next minute, and then | had TO look
round to see where | was. for knew
every foot Of it almost but nothing
could | see but show falling almost
like a sheet all around me- so that
, | could see only d few feet each way
while the snow where stood was
: nearly up to my knees. | listened.
but there was nothing to be heard
but the whistling of the wind |
! shouted. but the cry sounded muf-
p fled and close Just as if had been
in a cupboard {; and then | walked
little one way and then turned and
, went another: ana at last to my hor-
ror. found that | was regularly con
fused and could not make cut in
which direction lay town or village,
while the snow covered every foot
mark in very few minutes.
Now. did not feel alarmed, only
bothered and confused; for / felt
sure that If | kept on walking, |
{ must come to some place or other
that l knew, unless | walked right
! ont on to the great waste, where |
t might 20 for miles and miles with
out finding house: but | was hard
- " likely to get there, and the thing
/ ! most cared for was my poor gal at
home getting upset about me. and
r thinking | had stopped in the town
G drinking with some mates. being
# Christmas eve. when I'd promised
G over and over again most faithfully
{ that I'd always have my drop CT
K beer at home.
:. There's no danger, that's one
V comfort" said. unless | run bang
Y into the canal; and even then |
g shall know where am. so that won't
(. be be such a very serious matter;
5 and then | tried again to make out
Il where | was, but the snow came
:. down more than ever; aud at last
' fAelliiH = worried and cross, | started
n of afresh as hard as | could &c
5 when all at once let 90 of my stick
d for | felt one foot slipping, and, as
5 felt it go. fearful thought came
1. across my mind. With an agonizin!
n cry, tried to recover myself: but
ar from leaning forward to face TIL
Is wind, this was impossible, and thei
W shrieking out
20 My God. it's the old pit" | was fal
1t ing and rolling down--down into til
TO black darkness.
X 1t was like being in some hoi1ibl
s. dream, and for moment | fancie
o it might be ; but no, there | wds tal
te ing faster and faster for a length {
il time that seemed without an en-
l., as | waited for the coming cras
# when reached the bottom--to /
lie found afterwards mutilated corps
lie | thought all this, and much MOI
IL as ! fell down the sloping shaft {
the old pit: and then came a II
II, mendous splash as ! was plunge
nv down beneath the icy water whic
he roarcd and Numbered in my ears.
~ | had been down pit after pit
ny my time, working in the shafts {
the wood casing, maYing new or /
he pairing the old, perhaps half va
a down, hanging i'll a cage; or | ha
II; been working at the traps and doc
ok in the most dangerous parts, whe
nd YOU might hear the gas hissiI
at through between the seams of Il
mt black slaty shale; but | never |
on fore knew so hideous sense OF te
'ry as came over me as when, rising
tut the surface of the water, ! stru'
he out, as if by instinct, for the sid
we and then clinging to the roughcn'
he wall with one hand, and with Il
ng other thrust into sort of hole, !
off manned a few seconds painting al
III. half mad, up to my neck in the CO
as water, while the darkness was Il
vii rible.
us, 1t il impossible TO describe /
IN, horrible thoughts that came hurl
oiu ing through my mind as if to l
nerve me--thoughts of foul, choki
md gases, of fearful things swimmi
Tx about in the black water, or of h,
vas rid monsters lurking in its terril
ght depths ready to drag me under n
ng. drown me but, worse still, as
II gan to recover myself q little, W,
ait the calmer thoughts of the length