Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-05-22

thought her brown hair was the luest silk 'Thef
she had figure like fairy, IL was SO trim; ant
with a waist you could almost span | love,
Nelly but, as for that, all the young chaps of th,
village were OF the same mind and she might hav,
had her pick of us; the worst oft was she trea
MS all alike and wouldn't look a Que more than
another She had a smile for everybody aud wa,
always good-tempered, but there it ended and
somehow. none Of as could screw up courage "a
try her further don't know how often thought
it over. 10 came into my head the first thing in
the morning, aud there t 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 | am, digging, or blasting.
or tuunelhng; above ground, or down in pit; INV
thoughts tufned on Nelly and from being the
merriest fellow in the village | lust came TO be
the dull"st. One morning there was no work in
the pit for my gang, because the viewer wanted
that part OF the shored up. aud 10 struck me-
all at once, that would have il out with Nellie.
so made myself smart, and set- of walking As
brisk as % &C was a wager. You may think 10 con-
ceit n me, but | can say that ! was then as clever
a chap to look at as you would often see--and
knew il. For all that began TO walk a bic slow
when | caught sight Of Alrs. Glover's cottage. and
! ielt dreai at my heart. But | went on, and |
Just got mp % toe cottage, when who should come
out but Nelly herself She never looked prettier
than At that minute but, appearing so suddenly
she dashed my spirit, and hadn't a word to saw
20 her
"Why, Charley, what is the matter p she cried,
in - frightened sort Of a way.
Wei, it is iust this said And there
stopped
Is anything wrong with Jack? ?n she cried,
quickly
"Jackm
Yes, he is down in the pit. and they say it is
foul, which makes mother and me uneasy You
haven't heard anything?' Aud she looked ia my
eyes as IT she would search me through
No, nor answered. steadving. now that
thought could comfort her. " He is all right
on mustn't mind what the old women OF the vii
lage say, or you'll be looking for blowiug-up
every day in the year. when there Is nothing more
than common. haven't come to YOU about Jack
Nelly 1t is about myself.n She gave me another
look now then her cheek flushed up like a flame.
and her eyes turned away.
DO you know what ! want to say, Nelly p /
went on. 81 wish you did, for ! can't tell IT, 1t
is more than have cot words for. How / love
YOU, how you are alwass before me- how | am
crazet and mad about you But though | can't
say all | want to, here | stand and | wouldn't
change with king, it you'll take me as I ami"
"Ah, Charley. you don't know how you pain
me- she answered
"Don't AZ that, Nelly. doubted about speak
ing 10 YOU, but now that have done it, now that
can't 90 on deceiying myself, if you have any
pity in your heart show it to ne aud | will cher
ish YOU to the day OF my death
''lt is no use,n She replied, q" | can never marry
pitman. gave the promise to mother and Jack
when he wake up the village at the funeral of my
poor father aud brothers. all three killed in the
mine-our great sorrow which | can never think
Of without crying
And the tears, it is true, were running down
her cheeks, though, for the minute, She seemed to
me to be harder than stone. And I seemed turned
to stone myself. had no recollection, no feeling
and no sense, and | couldn't have moved a step to
save my life Then it all flashed upoa me like
lightning. ! took last look at Nelly. dropped
my head on my breast, and, without a word more
walked out Of the gate.
Our village seldom looked bright, no matter
how the sun shone, and now | felt as if the sun
would never shine again for me, So as my eve Tell
on the liue Of cottages, with the clouds hanging
down from above, aud nothing round but a waste,
| thought ] might as well be in my grave as
continue 10 live there. Besides, ! should be al
ways meeting Nelly, perhaps lurking about her
mothers cottage, aud making her az miserable as
myself. Why shouldn't 60 away to Yorkshire.
or Derbyshire or 20 the diggings in Australia,
for that matter? The notion, If il was good for
nothing more, gave me little spirit. IL turned
my thoughts, aud | stepped out brisker, going
straight home. | hadn't much to settle there,
only TO bid goodbye TO the folks | lived with
and | soon came out pack on back, and began my
tramp.
stopped at the moor, and looked back, remem-
bering might never the place again, and,
dismal As | now thought it. with its gaping walls
and shaken roofs encumbering the backened
ground, had been happy there. Not one of
those tumbling cottages bat would open It's door
to me not one where couldn't meet a friend
And there | had been born; it was the spot on
earth that, in that hour of bitterness loved
best, and dida't turn away without dashing my
hand over my eyes. | was walking on, when sud-
denly the air rang with a crash which shook the
ground. | knew what it signiied; such sounds
denote but one result in the black country, and
throwing down ny pack, | darted off 10 the pit
with the feelings that animate every miner such
Ii didn't seem minute before | came to the
round the pits mouth, but some were
there before me, and the oh-men and the women
were rushing up from the village in stream
The smell from the pit almost knocked me down
as | came up, and had to get my breath a little
when three or four OF rs crept on TO the mouth
and looked down. The explosion had destroyed
the cage, not leayinga stick Of it, but it hadn't
injured the signal rope hence means of commu-
nioation remained for any one Immediately below.
As soon as | saw this, / set to work to rig cross
bar, and presently had it ready.
''Just lower me geutly" said TO two banks
men. 81 may pick up one or two if there's any
near
'Yo can't go down yet % cried the viewer.
GLOW many are in the pit Pr
"Half an hour ago there was fay,n replied the
timekeeper; "bu: l am thankful to say, they all
came up but tenn
"And they are all LOST said the viewer, "for
there will be another explosion directly
I'll go down. anyhow | said, doggedly; "and
if nobody will lower me, I'll jump down.
A good many were on the heaps now--men and
women-some Of the women crying, and some
praying but when | spoke out that way, there
was a dead silence Then two or three called out
''Good-bye Charley. God bless you, brave lad.n
The banksmen lowered me down, and | sank
through the pits mouth. A Davy-lamp was tied
round my waist, and held a rope in my hand
so that might signal 20 be hoisted up, II the air
became too foul But had no intention OF GO
ing back till had searched the pit and seen if
there were any alive. One thing, | didn't care
about my life. and another, | would have been
ashamed to face the folks above without doing
so | felt inpatient that they lowered
me at such a snai's pace, and kept looking up
and down to measure the distance yet To be
traversed. The shaft had never seemed so deep
10 me before | strained my eyes into the dark
ness below, and | saw no bottom; / glanced up
and the CLEAN Of light grew smaller aud faihter
scanned the walls oithe shaft, and marked only
their black bound. But my progress was notified
by the Increasing density OF the air, which began
to affect my breathing and us went on, had to
shift my face from side 20 side to make Il little
current. At last my feet touched ground.
looked around as jumped of the straddla
and saw the furnace out which put stop TO
the ventilation of the nine, far it depended
on the brattices, and no air entered but by the