Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-05-25
Correspondence
The History of Lump of Coal.
ny .sITsELF."

upper world, find a Je has much TO 90 ID
producing a favorable impression upon
the minds of men. The other day, chanc-
ing to look out from the iron prison IN
which was not only confined, but actu-
ally burning alive, saw a venerable man
showing his guests a few 'dingy bis
which he declared were very ancient
coins. He said they were found IN far
off country called Egypt, and were thous-
ands of years old. At this declaration
the visitors seemed greatly to wonder and
examined the bits very carefully and
with much interest. This caused me to
wonder that |, who am so much their SEN
ior, should burn out my life before the
eyes of these antiquarians, unknown and
unnoticed
To tell the truth, | was somewhat !jeal-
Gus of the fame which these bits of coin
were evidently acquiring, chiefly on ac-
count of their supposed great age, while
l, old enough to be their great-great-
greatest grandfather, was forced to lie in
that fiery fu,Sace, silent and unobserved.
Since nay advent, or rather "apsent,"
had overheard a conversation among
some persons whose complexion was very
much like my own, TO the effect that
Americans entertained prejudiccs against
them on account of their color. | greatly
feared, therefore. that my evident want
of fame among the guests aforesaid was
mainly due to the fact but too apparent
that | was black. With a stout determi.
nation to break down the barriers of this
foolish prejudice by the sheer force Of
subtcrranean eloquence, my whole soul
fred with unwonted ardor, | moved my
self to the outer edge of the CRATE, and
sounded in the ears Of the venerable host
and his wondering guests the words of my
history, the substance of which | now
publish to the world.
Many thousand years ago. long enough
before your great progenitor Adam began
TO ''dress" and "kecp" the garden which
God planted, EXISTED Yes, ages before
the Almighty-my Creator and yours
began to fit up this globe for the resid-
ence Of man, had being. though in a
form lar different from that which you
now behold. The exact time Of my crea-
ton | cannot tell | only know it was
during that long creative period so con-
cisely designated by the first three words
of that good old book you call the Bible.
In the various changes | have under
gone, something of my original substance
has been lost, while other materials have
taken its place and helped to make me
what | am. Bat the first form with
which | found myself clothed was that of
Il luxuriant and beautiful tree fern, bear
ing distant resemblance to that species
which is now found in your torrid zone.
Trees and plants then had rapid growth
attaining a remarkable size in brief Pc
rod We were the outgrowth Of an i'm
mensc marsh--ihe bed of vast sea which
once covered nearly all the central por-
ton Of North America, and were the pro-
duet of conditions little known TO men.
We matured rapidly and met an early
death. | remember seeing my comran-
ions fall one by one around me and at
last it was my turn. We were ''lovely
and pleasant in our lives, and in death
we were not divided Myriads had pre-
ceded us aud together we decayod in one
vast grave In process Of time the water
OF the marsh gave us thorough soaking
and at last we were united in mass of
mud from which grew plants and trees
like us to die and fall away. In this
muddy mass my identity was nearly lost,
for was not to be separated from it I'M
I'll thousands of years should pass and the
hand Of man reach down to snatch me
from the grave of ages.
Each succeeding era added its mon
strous burlen to the weight around and
above me. To increase my grief fires
from beneath burned fercely and forced
their unwelcome heat through every part
of my poor crushed body. By these cola-
bined Influences, gradually not only my
heart but likewise my entire substance
was hardened until finally became what
you now see me.
AS the ages rolled on, many hundred
feet of substance like my own, and rocks 1
of various kinds we're piled above me.
At last it pleased God to fit up the
earth--then without form and void---for
the future abode Of man. "The Spirit Of
God moved upon the face of the waters"
Light shone in upon the darkness. The
waters were divided. The dry land,
forth grass, herb and tree, APP
peared. The sun, moon and stars assert
al c,r tla g.. -; .La; a.,,,Ia.o IL |