Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-04-12

| NViI>oii''dtillg anu ildI uclllUg. HG Whole
mass was becoming packed together, and
there was so much material TO be dis
posed of that there were tight squeeZes in
places-sO tight that sometimes fractiOus
rocks broke out in fire and flames, and de-
clared that they could not and would not
stand il, that they ,oouid have room to ex-
pand u they chose. OF course in this
! general squeezing | got much crushed.
and wherever | was pushed | met with
insult. Even the little room | took up
was grudged me.
Finally got thrown in with company
of minerals, who held themselves immeas-
urably my superiOrs.
cts a shame" | often heard them de
clare, 4" that that bit of old bone should
be in our way"
So they rubbed and knocked against
me, pushed and jOstled, till they dii sue
ceed in frrtting me to less than half my
original size; and even when everything
had subsided, and had found tiny "er-
ner to rest in, they often cast jealous eyes
upon it. They were not pleasant COM
panions; but bore all their unkindness
in silence. remembered how disagree
able | had made myself to others, and
felt that was paying a just penalty.
If | could have gone away, and left
them the space they so unwillingly
awarded me. how gladly would | have
doi.e so! But there was no possibility of
my escaping. buried as was, deep in the
earth. SO | lived on, sunk in my little
hole, as far out of sight as | could, quiet
and unObtru>ive, never speaking unless
were addressed, which did not happen
twice in all the ages. My whole exist
ence was depreciation for my unwelcOme
presence.
think they might have been kinder
| when they saw how humble [ was. How
ever, they were not: and perhaps it was
as well, for | was only scrap of old
bone, kept repeating to nyself-Only a
fragment of once mighty monster; but
such poor fragment that | very made
| quately represented him. 1t was better
should leave it alone than attempt it, for
should only have met with ridicule and
| incredulity.
or course knew nothing of the flight
of time; only know that it was centuries
| | lived down there, an old bone among
those aristOcratic minerals. And, as the
years rolled on, think they grew to de-
| spise me more and more. If could have
| done anything IT, make them improve
| their opinion of me, would have done it,
But could only remain quiet, and think
back on the grand old days when we had
led such free, wild life, my master
and |.
don't know why the minerals thought
worse of me rs time passed. | think it
must have been because they had nothing
TO do. and it was little amusement to
them to abuse me. Anyway, they often
called out to me in injurious tones, that 1
had lost my only beauty-my fine white
complexion and they wondered was
not ashamed to show my ugly, changed
face in their circle. bore it all in silence ::
what should l. have gained by replying :
And if I had lost my complexion, how
could help it, 1 thought we none of us
improve by age, | suppose, and if they
were indestructible and unalterable was
not cOnceited enough to think l was.
You see, it was not happy life | led
down there, but 1t, too, came TO an end,
as say have found all things do in this
world, if we only wait long enough.
Great disturbances occurred about us
! after our long quiet. /, accustomed to
such matters, thought they forebOded an
other cOnvulsiOn. anu, as my position in
life could but be improved, hailed the
sounds gladly, rejoicing at the thought
of release from my neighbors. l was
somewhat mistaken. The disturbances
and noises l heard were caused by men,
those beings who were at that time stran-
gers to me, though now they are familiar
| friends.
A shaft was being sunk in the ground;
for the place Of our abode had been pro-
nOunced valuable mine, likely to produce
copper. Daily the intruders came nearer
our dwelling, l could hear them ham,
mering, breaking, and rending. My
neighbors. grew alarmed; they had not
wished to be disturbed out of their even,
peaceful existence.
At last one day the men penetrated to
us. With curious eyes looked upon
them. They seemed so tiny to me after
the living beings had been accustomed
to, and l thought how one tread of my
masters heel would have crushed them
to atoms. But they were well-looking,
well formed animals, and took rather a
fancy to them from the first.
How relentlessly they tore away mass
after mass of ore! really felt quite sOr-
ry for the minerals, unfriendly though
they had been; they seemed to feel the
separation. so much, and resisted the in
struments as long as their strength would
allow. The.mass in which had nest ed
was torn off too, and we were all convey
ed into the outer air. Here we werehand-
ed over for inspection to a man who di-
/
[ was fully prepared when my turn came
to be thrown away a useless piece of
old bone. How could know that time
had wrought transformation in me?
Judge, then, Of my intense surprise,
when, having examined me closely and
urned me over and over In his hand, the
man called our,
NWe have indeed a find here. See this
splendid turquoise have discovered i'm
bedded in piece of copper. How beauti.
full it is what lovely blue!''
1t really took n!e some moments before
could realize that was the object Oi
these praises.
There was no doubt about it, however
for was handed from one to another, and
ardently admired, till at last the finder
folding me carefully in piece of soft linen
placed me is his waistcoat pocket, saying
he would ask jeweler about my worth
l was as curious as he about the verdict
J could not understand what had happen
ed to my poor, humble old self, and how
l, so long despised, should suddenly have
assumed value in evGyone's eyes. die
. wish the copper could have seen my tri
umph, and witnessed in what estimation
men held me. Then the recollection that
T after all, l was only an old bone rushet
over me II was perhaps unconsciousl,
acting delusive part, and when the jew
elsr saw me should be found out. Fo
how wasit possible tha. I could have be
!, come q costly thing, unless men price
old bones and that could hardly i'm
5 agine.
, How glad was when we arrived at tn
' jewelers., and was taken out of my en-
I velOpe and shown to himi
: He was wizened-loOking old man, VIII
wore pair of spectaoles, and seemed t
o look me through and through.