American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-02-24

| quarter OF mile 1urtncr on, ana SO We
were able to approach, till, with cry OF
horror, | leapt over heap after heap OF
coal, torn from roof and wall by the eX
plosion, to where, close to the fire, lay the
body of John Kelsey-so close that his
clothes were already smouldering, and the
fire scorched my face as | laid hold OF
him and dragged him away.
How we ever got him to the foot of the
shaft | never could tell; for to have car
ried him over the fallen coal of the dis
used galleries would have been impossi
bic. 1t was either to risk the gas of the
regular way, or to lie down and die by his
side. l remember standing there for &
few moments, and sending prayer up
to Him who could save us; and then, with
a word to my mate, we had John up be
tween us, and staggered towards the shaft
in strange, helpless, dreamy way. To
this day it seems to me little less than a
miracle how we could have lived; but the
fire must have ventilated the passages
sufficiently to allow us to stagger slowly
along till we fell, more than climbed into
the cage, and were drawn up.
have some faint recollection of hear
ing cheer, and of seeing the dim light
of the chill December day; but the only
thing that made any impression upon me
was a voice which seemed to be Mary's
and touch that seemed to be that of her
hand. / heard a voice saying, Terribly
burned, but he's alive. Got pipe and
matches in his hand" and l knew they
were speaking about John Kelsey, and the
thought came upon me once more that /
had saved him for her; and, with an eX-
ceeding bitter cry, | covered my poor, fire
blinded eyes, and lay there faint and half
Insensible
And it's not more that I can recollect,
only of being in wild, feverish state,
wandering through dark passages, with
fire burning my head, and coal falling
always, and ready to crush me; and then
l seemed to wake from long, deep sleep,
to lie thinking in a weak, troubled way
about getting up.
1t was month, though, before I could
do that; and then there was a tender arm
to help me, and soft cheek ever ready
to be laid to mine; for in those long
weary hours of sickness Mary had been
by my side to cheer me back to health,
and had learned that was loved.
1t was one evening when she had been
reading to me that ] learned the secret
that made me a happy man. We had
been talking of John Kelsey, and start
ed in my bed as Mary said in a soft, low
voice
"And now that he is better, father
again wants me to marry him"
ana your! L SAID, IN husky voice.
She did not answer in words, but turn
ed her gentle face TO me, half reproach-
fully; but the next moment it wore soft,
loving flush, that told me all, and VIII en-
l feebly tried to draw her towards me,
she laid her head down, and wept upon
my breast, calling ME her hero and her
loved.
1 need not tell you that John Kelsey's
visits were at her fathers wish, nor how
it was through his recklessness the pit
was fired neither need 1 tell you that I
had a lot of foolish fuss made over me by
the proprietors for what they called my
bravery, and that they promoted me and
that's what they've been doing ever since.
And as to something else, why you have
guessed that already-this was Mary
Andrews once, my dear wife now, these
many years.
Accidents since in the pit 4? Well, yes,
several for with every care we cannot
stop them but l can say this if you
want to see a deep pit, ours is as safe
one as any in Yorkshire, and has had less
life lost in it than any you could name
The fire ? Oh, that's burning still. We
have stopped it out from the part we
work, but it IS likely to burn for years.