Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-01-30
FOR AN ENEMY.

THEY are rough men, they who earn
their living far down in the mines where,
save for the flickering of their tiny lamps
all is thick darkness. Miles away from
the face Of the bright, beautiful earth
among the secrets which nature has hid
away in her bosom; tearing from the beds
on which it has lain SO long, those pre-.
cious black stones that play such an i'm
pOrtant part in the economy of labor. To
the CHEEKY music of the pick and shovel
they toll the day long; and the lamps
upon their hats shed halo of brightness
all around them.
Once upon time, so the story books
run, gnOmes dwelt in these subterranean
retreats, and in these dismal halls held
their nightly revels, and these Jumps of
coal were precious glittering jewels.
Every now and then there goes out to
the world tale of horror that chills the
blood of the hearer-a story of holocaust
of the deathly choke-damp that strangles
a strong man in a instant; of burning
breakers, choking up the shaft and leaving
the miners below to die horrible, linger-
ing death; of explosions that tear all
before them, and leave in their wake a
mass of bleeding, shattered humanity.
Yes es!-rough men who toll thus, but
kindly; men who stand every hour on the
brink Of the grave, and have for their COM
panion, always at their side-Death.
Down behind the beautiful hills the sun
is sinking Slowly from their rich pas
turage in the clover and timothy come
the cattle lowing farewell to the depart
ing day. Done is the days toll, and
standing at the door of her dwelling, the
miners wife looks across the fields to
Al,oP g Il
the shaft, far up the hillside. At length,
in the gathering darkness, issuing one by
one from the pit come numbers of stars,
as they seem, that twinkle brightly, and
like various consultations divide in diff
ferent bodies and take separate orbits
They are the lights in the miners hats
and the bread-winners are coming home
Look at them as they come swarming
into the villageI Black and rugged
strong armed and powerful. Surely, men
not fit for a ballroom or reception, but
men who could be depended upon to
stand firmly though the end was destruc-
ton.
Into one of the houses that stood in a
long row on the only street of the place, a
young man turned, and opening the gar.
den gate, passed up the walk into the
dwelling. He was a delicate lad, and
seemed untitled for this hard labor that re-
Quired possession of all the muscle and
sinew allotted to mankind.
"GoOd evening, mother" he said cheer
lily to the sole occupant of the room, as he
entered it,
"Weu, Harry, you're home!" replied
the lady by whom he was addressed.
eyes, mother I'm home, and tired out
AS he spoke he sank wearily down upon
the settee, and buried his face in his
hands
Long the woman contemplated her boy
pityingly-for well she knew that the un
wholesome work in the mines was killing
the lad-but what could he do? Many
years ago his father was one day brought
home stunned and bleeding, and without
word of recognition or farewell, passed
away What so likely as that the sor
should take UP the trade of the father, anC
early in life be the provider of her who
cared for him when helpless? So into the
mines Harry went, and, though by nature
untitled for such an avocation, did his
work with the best of them. Minine
paid well-perhaps there is no Other
branch of labor, purely manual, that is 81
we'll compensated as this, and the boy fel
that when others depended upon him
was no time for conceits or prejudices.
Come, Harry Get washed--supper il
ready" SIS
Unwillingly the young man rose from
his seat, and taking down the basin from
its accustomed nail, went out to the pump
and filed it with water. When he ha(
washed himself clean of the grimy fltl