Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-08-17
ERie's Wedding Day
A TALE OF THE GREAT COPPER
MOUNTAIN.

Down far below the sunshine and
green grass, in the black, steep. abys,
ses of the largest copper mine o. Q
Fahlum, sat Eric Sture, with his fel-
low-miners. Black jacks and wooden
bowls, filled with brandy and nut
brown ale, were in every hand. A
bright log-6re blazed and cracked in
the midst of them-for though it was
summer above, it was chill and dark
in the heart of the copper mines.
The laugh and jest passed merrily
from lip to lip, and the miners told
tales Of ions Lundsbracka, of Gus.
tavus Vasa and his Dalecarlans, and
of the Ferry of Brunbek and the de-
feat of the Danes. Healths were
drunk, good wishes uttered, and each
rough hand in turn was stretched
forth TO grasp that of Eric Sture, for
it was the eve of his wedding-day,
and on the morrow he would be mar
ried to Ebba, the fair-haired darling
of Oluf, the woodcutter in the beech
forest above; Ebba, whose step was
light on the mountain-side as the foot
of the mountain-deer; whose eyes
were as blue as the deep; bright lake;
and whose voice was sweet and JOY
o,,. -, ~ = CONES of the birds high up
in the leafy branches OF her native
forest.
Eric Sture was that night glad at
heart, as he sat with his comrades by
the red light of the wood fire, and
listened to the wild north legends
for he loved Ebba deeply and ten
derly, and he had loved her long.
It was a wild scene. All around
the rough-hewn walls and, huge jut-
ting crags were glistening with :; a
duff copper hue, and streaked with
deadly verdigris. Dark. avenues and
narrow passages cut in the solid rock,
and looking like. the burrowing places
of the gneme people, branched off on
every side, stretching and winding
far away into steep and dangerous
excavations, rich with the precious
ore, and known only to the fearless
feet of the miner. High up, frai
wooden bridges, consisting frequently
Of a single plank, were thrown from
height to height, above clefts fathom'
less to the eye. Over these the
hardy workman crossed with hi
heavy burden, never needing thf
creaking board that bends and trem'
bles with his weight, or the blacl
chasm below, which, if his foot slip
ped, must be his grave. Here ant
! there small wooden huts were erect
ed; and along the smooth perpen
diculer walls of the shaft, marrow
pathways, like shelves, were cut IL
places that would otherwise have
been inaccessible. In the distance
little glimmering lights were waving
to and fro, crossing each other, nov nov
advancing, now retreating, now tadlln,l
away and becoming absorbed in tn
gloom. These were torches carried
BY the miners in remote parts OF tn
excavations the men were not Visl
Bile. and the little dancing tongues Q
| fame looked like will-o -the-wispsS
or the disembodied spirits in Dante
Inferno, who were transformed INT nj!
living fires. Atlong intervals dis
tant gathering sound was heard
reverberating in deep echoes througl
the mine like thunder or an earth
quake sometimes the noise was iol
lowed by a faint shout far away, o
by thick, rolling, sulphurious smoke
This was from where they were blast
ing the rock and rending asunde
the hidden veins of mineral. Al
around the fire lay the party OF hap
py workmen. Fantastic lights ant
shadows fitted and waved on tn
crags beneath which it was klndled
High above their heads was impenes
trable blackness and higher stll
| ESQ high that it seemed miles away
a spot of blue sky looked down upo'
them like a protecting face, clear AM
calm, and the pale stars shlnln
through.
To this point Eric's eyes were con
stantly directed. His thoughts wer
with theupper life Of the world; W.T.
, Ebba and 0luf in the beech forest.
The Skals, or health-drinking'
grew by degrees, less frequent, On
BY one the noisy jewellers were : s.
fenced; their heads sank to tn
ground, the cups dropped from thel
hands; an inarticulate murmur sue
ceeded to the legend and the SONG
They. slept. At length Eric stur u,
remained the only watcher BY To
fire.. Seated on a coil of rope, hl
chin resting on his hand, his ey
fixed on the glowing ashes, he sat an n
thought of his past life and his = II
ture; Of his childhood and his youth
of his love; his long season of dout
and hope, and of his present hap
piness. Hia earliest recollection
were Of the mine. It's dark, cavern
GUS recesses ard It's rugged declivltle
had been his first home, his play
ground, his native place. The brigt
world above was for many years as
{a,rrrro.trial naraiise a region of hol