Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-03-04
: a MINER s LIVE arc AY.

Nelley Glover was tne prett'est lass IN
! the village Il or eyes were of the sweet
est blue her cheeks wero Ike rose
and you might have though 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. e /
loved Nelly, but as for thst all the'young
| cha of the village were of the same
mind, and she might have had her pick
of US |; the worse of it was she treated US
all alike, and wouldn t look at ore more
than the other She had asmile for
everybody, and was always good temper
ed, bat there it ended aud, somehow,
none of us could screw up the courage to
| try her further. -@.a5.. d F -
One morning there was no work in the
pit for my gang, because the viewer want
ed that port of the seam shored up, and
it struck me, all at once that [ would
have it out with Nelly; SO [ made my
self smart and set off, walking as briskly
as if it was for wager. You may think
it was conceit in me, but [ can say that I
was then as clever chap to look at as
For alltthat, [ began to walk little slow
when [ caught sight of Mrs Glover's
cottage. and [ felt a dread at my heart
But | went on, and had just got up to the
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 word to say to her. .s-i -aE t"
"Why, Charley, what is the matter ?"
she cried, in frightened sort of way. Z
"Well, it is just this, " said. And
there [ stopped. "5 eE 81
as anything wrong with Jack 7" she
cried quickly. a a11 a.l.@ @t-- Z"
| ssJack pr. F r. .t~-s|. " .s
"Y 2, he is down in the pit, and they
say It's foul, which makes mother and me
uneasy. You haen't heard anything?"
and she looked in my eyes as though she
would read me through. 4 @ "-@a
"No, no p answered, steadying, now
thatI thought [ could comfort her.
"He is all right You mustn't mind
what the old women of the village say, Or
you'll be looking for a blow up every day
| in the year, when there is nothing more
than common I hadn't come to you
about Jack, Nelly; it is about myself = :
She gave me another look now; then
her cheek flushed mp like fame, ana
her eyes turned away.
"Do you know what I want to say,
Nelly ?' [ went on. ''I wish you did,
| for / can't tell it. It IS more than [
have got words for. How [ love you,
how you are always before me, how | am
crazed and mad about you. But though
I can't say all want to, here stand, and
II wouldn't change with a king, f you'll
take me as am. - - ~. 1."
"Ah, Charley you don't know how
you pain me-" she answered. : ''56 10. ~. -.
"Don't say that, Nelly: [ doubted
about speaking to you, but now that |
have done it, now that I can't 60 on de-
ceiving myself, if you have any pity in
your heart, show it to me, and | will
cherish you to the. day ofmy death. y. =. :.
"It's no use," she replied, t can nevor
marry pitman. / gave the promise to
mother and Jack, when we walked up
the village at the funeral of my poor faith
er and brothers, all three killed in the
mine-our great sorrow, which [ can
never think of without crying"
And the tears, twas true, was running
down her cheeks, though, for the mo-
ment, she seemed to me to be harder
than stone. And seemed to turn to
stone myself had no recollection, no
feeling, no sense, aud [ couldn't have
moved step to save my life. Then it
all flashed upon me like lightning /
took last look at Nellie, dropped my
head upon my breast, and without saying
another word I walked out of the gate.
Our village seldom look bright, no mat
ter how the sun shone, and now | felt as
if the sun would never shine again for me,
so as my eyes fellon the line of cottages,
with the clouds hanging down from above,
and nothing around but waste, | thought
[ might as we'll be my grave as continue
to live there Besides, | should be al
ways meeting Nelly, perhaps lurking
about her mothers cottage, and making
her as miserable myself. Why shouldn't
go away to Yorkshire, or Derbyshire, OF