Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-10-06

tendent. was John Kelsey. and the next
minute he had class of the youngest
children placed in his charge, and he
was hearing them read.
He has done this on account of what
/ said to him." was my first thought,
and felt glad but directly after |
was in misery, for my eyes rested upon
Mary Andrews. and that explained all !;
it was for her sake he had come.
| don't know how that afternoon pass
ed, or anything else. only that as soon
as the children were dismissed [ saw
John Kelsey 60 up to Mary's side and
walk home with her; and then | walk
ed out up the hillside, wandering here
and there amongst the mouths of the
old, unused pits, half full of water and
thinking to myself that | might just as
we'll be down there in one Of them, for
there was no more hope or pleasure for
me in this world
Time slipped on, and ! could plainly
see one thing that troubled me sorely !;
John was evidently making an outward
show of being a hard working fellow,
striving hard for improvement, so as to
stand we'll in old Andrews eyes, while
I knew for fact that he was as drunk
en- and dissipated as any young fellow
that worked in the pit
/ could not tell Andrews of this, nor
could not tell Mary. If she loved him
it would grievc her terribly, and be dis
honorable as well; and perhaps he might
improve. | can tell him though,
thought, and I made up my mind that ]
would; and meeting HIM one night, ev.
identity hot and excited with liquor,
spoke to him about it.
.If you truly love that girl, john" ]
said, you'll give up this sort of thing =
He called me meddling fool, said
he had watched me, that he knew | had
hankering after her myself but she
only laughed at me; and one way ane
another so CALLED me that we fought.
went home that night bruised. sore, ane
ashamed of my passion; while he wen
to the Andrew S and said he had had t,
thrash me for speaking insultingly abou
Mary.
| heard this afterwards. and 1 DON
know how it was, but wrote to her tell
ing her it was false, and that [ lovet
her too we'll ever to have acted so.
When next we met l felt that sh
must have read my letter, and laughe,
at me. At all events. John Kelsey did
and | had the modification of seein,
that old Andrews evidently favored hi
visits.
| John still kept up his attendance a
the school, but he was at the far end
and more than once when looked u
| it was to find Mary Andrews with he
eyes fixed on me- She lowered ther
though directly, and soon after it seem
ed to me that she turned them upo
John.
1t seems to me that man neve
learns till he is well on in life ho,
he should behave towards the lady {
his choice, and how much better
would be If he would 60, and, in.
straightforward, manly fashion, tell he
of his feelings. | was like the rest,
could not do it; but allowed six month
to pass over my head, six wear,
wrctched months,-till Christmas cam
on, cold and bitter, but not so cold an
bitter as was my heart,
E 1t was Christmas Eve, and in
dreamy, listless way | was sitting ov'
my breakfast before starting for worl
when | heard a sound, and knew VIII;
it meant before there were shrieks in ii
village, and women running out an
t making for the pits mouth a quarter
mile away. | tell you | turned sic
, with horror. for I knew that at lea
twenty men would be down on the nigl
| shift. and though it was close upon the
5 leaving time, they could not have con
t up yet.
y ''Pit's fired pits fred r | hea1
' people shrieking; not that there W
, any need, for there wasn't soul th
o didn't know it, for the pit had spok
f for itself. And as / hurried out
j thought, all in flash like. of what
+ Christmas it would be for some famili
!; there; and | seemed to see long pI
t cession Of rough collins going to t
0 churchyard, and to hear the wailings
5 the widow and the fatherless.
/ There was no seeming, though, in t
a wailings, for the poor frightened v
| men, with their shawls pinned over tn,
l. heads, were crying and shrieking to 0
another as they ran on.
t, [ didn't lose no time, as you may ST
It pose, in running to the pits mouth, b
d those who lived nearer were there 10
s before me and by the time | got th.
= found that the cage had brought
| part of the men, and three who were
sensible, and that it was just going do
It again.
q 1t went down directly and just as
er disappeared who should come runni
o. nv ,,o1o c,J coorol l,,% M,,x, ~