American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-01-31
FOR AN ENEMY.

THEY are rough men, they who earn
their living far down in the mines where,
save for the Pickering 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 a halo of brightness
all around them.
Once upon a 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!-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
where the light is glittering at the foot of
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
ferelt bodies and take separate orbits.
They are the lights in the miners hats 3;
and the bread-winners are coming home.
Look at them as they come swarming
into the village! 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,
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 1t.
"Well, Harry, you're homer' replied
the lady by whom he was addressed
Eyes, mother; I'm home, and tired out"
the settee, and buried his face in his
hands
Long the woman contemplated her boy,
pityingly-for well she knew that the UNI
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 son
should take up the trade of the father, and
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. Mining
paid well-perhaps there is no other
branch OF labor, purely manual, that is so
well compensated as this, and the boy felt
that when others depended upon him it
was no time for conceits or prejudices.
Tome, Harry Get washed-supper is
ready"
Unwillingly the young man rose from
his seat, and taking down the basin from
its accustomed nail, went out to the pump
and filled it with water. When he had
washed himself clean of the grimy filth
that covYed him, and took his seat at the
table, it could be seen that he was a pale
handsome boy of about nineteen or TWEEN
ty years of age-the son of one of those
Welsh miners who, from generation to
generation follow the same pursuit.
A handsome couple, thought the moth
er, as, shortly after, she saw her son pass
by with Emily, the belle of the village,
hanging upon his arm. Handsome Emilyi
with her bright eyes and cheeks rosy with
health, Emily, who had turned the heads
of half the young men in the vicinity, and
finally settled her affections upon Harry!
They were engaged to be married, at least
SO report said, and only waiting until that
mysterious future when the boy could, To
use a common phrase, "see his way clear
ly," before assuming the responsibility of
marriage.
No one saw them; no eyes, save those
twinkling so brightly far up over head,
looked upon the lovers, and they were
happy in their solitude.
But, as at the approach of morning, the
sleeper wakes from his pleasant dream
and finds that the cruel cold realities of
life are before him, so Harry awoke one
day to find that all his love dreams, all
his happy anticipations of glorious
future, were like the mirage of the desert
fancy pictures in dreary waste of sor-
row and desolation. 1t came about in
this wise.
He, with a friend and partner, entered
into mining speculation in small way.
They were to have a certain percentage
of the coal taken out. The two young
men showed that they possessed both en-,
ergy and perseverance. They engaged
additional hands," and went to work In