American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-01-31
VOL. XXIV.


more certain. Feeling that he was now
on the high road to success, he determin
ed to hesitate no longer, but at once
asked Emily's parents to sanction theil
marriage. He knew of the little opposi
ton he would meet with, but as their love
was mutual, and his worldly prospects
considerably improved, he hoped thai
however unwillingly it might be done
her parents would still give their conse nj
to the marriage.
But, upon stating his wish, he found
how badly he had deceived himself Be
lieving that he would now be in the con
dition to suitably support their daughter
Emily's people had, as before mentioned
allowed the intimacy; but now, that the
marriage, which all along had seemed
only remote possibility, was preached
all the old feelings of animositv sprang
up anew. Her father told the lad that the
best plan for all would be to drop the
matter and think no more about it, as il
never could be. In vain the poor fellow
pleaded-told of his deep love for her
spoke of his life, on which not a stain OF
blot, save that honorable one of poverty,
existed-eXpressed his willingness to toll
hard and deny himself much, that she
should not miss one home comfort-"and
she owes me!' he exclaimed, "and wha,
will love not do? 1t will make our home
happy lit will gild over our poverty
Oh, sirl l know what love will do!
know what it has done for mel 1t has
made the dark, damp breasts glisten
with sunshinel and, in the dripping OF
the water as it forces its way through the
rocks of the mine l have heard only the
singing of BIRDS"
But the practical father was unmoved
by the eloquent appeal of the young
lover, and still persisted in his determine
ton, and with a heart almost breaking
Harry left him. Oh how dark everything
looked! Emily was lost. Yes, lost! he
cried, and, like the wall of sorrowing ma
ture, came back the echo, lost ~
Only rough miner, but too honorable to
marry her clandestinely.
Far out of the village, in wild spot in
the heart of one of the mountains, the boy
went, and there alone with his God he
had his bitter hour, and passed into the
shadow from which he was never to
emerge. Twas all he had, this girl love.
All that he had 10 Tighten his heavy labor
his lone eve lamb" and that was to be
taken from him. How he cursed his
poverty, and lamented his bitter fate
Then he cursed the hard, hard father
but paused in his denunciation, for there
was something in his breast that told him
this was wrong.
That night the good folk of the place
missed the accustomed sight of Harry and
Emily taking the regular evening walk.
They never saw them together again His
story had soon became public, and popu-
lar sympathy, of course, was all with the
lovers. Sundry valiant young fellows
counseled Harry TO a runaway match,
and were disguised with him when he
refused to listen to their advice The old
people said it was "hard." and the case
was made the special talk that night at
the miners Home" in which Emily's
fathers ears must have burned, if there
is any truth in the old belief that such a
phenomenon is observable when some one
is speaking i'll of you.
The next morning Emily had left the
place. Not willingly, as Harry knew, for
he had in the bosom of his soiled flannel
shirt a letter which was dearer to him
than all the golden golcondas that were
ever dreamed of. A tiny epistle, written
in a timer hand, telling of her sorrow;
of her undying love. How her father had
sent her away, ''to forget her foolishness !"
but how she would never forget him, but
would love him better every day, and
would continue to love him forever.
But she didn't. After about a year and
that Emily was married, and at last the
report was confirmed. In one ofthe large
cities of the East she had found the ac-
quaintance of one who soon caused her to
forget her poor miner love, and with
hardly regret she yielded to the impor-
tunities of her admirer and her parents,
and became this new mans wife.
When it became known in the place
that "pretty Emily" had forgotten Harry,
all eyes were turned on the young man to
see how he would bear it. Though his
yet he gave no outward sign, but went on
as usual with his every day life The
speculation which had promised to be so
successful had been given up, as when he
lost Emily he seemed to have lost all en-
ergy. He had gone back to his hard work
in the mine, and, what seemed stranger
to some, he was working in the cOlliery at
which the father of his loved one was the
A misty, rainy day! Around the mouth
of the shaft the men were idly gathering,
waiting the coming of the cage that was
to take them down to their daily labor.
The gloom that wrapped the world made
no difference to them, for where they were
going it was always dark and sunless.
One of the old miners, veteran in the
service, who was fitting on an empty
bucket, smoking, turned to his partner
and said:
"Do We mind the day, Patsy, when the
Horton mine blowed up?"
Patsy, laying aside his pick, which he
lad been attentively examining, looked
up, and replied:
well l do, Jimmy, It's never 1
hought you nor I would be alive to tell
lbout it,"
"That was one awful day, boys" con-
inued the first speaker "There was
yeepin' and cryin' in the village that
anne night. Eighty of us strong, hearty
men went down into the breasts in the
and how many do you think
anne up alive?"
The old man paused, and, taking his
,ipe out of his mouth, looked around
Imong his audience as if he were expect
ng some one to give guess. There was
10 reply, and he went on:
"There was just ten of us-that's all
ust ten men came up alive. You can
;ount it yourself, how many was lost"
Twas there your father was killed,
Harry" said the man they called Patsy,
urning 10 the lad
yes, | know all about it; too we'll"
replied the young man.
He was fine man, your father was"
continued Patsy, HE might have saved
himself, only he went back to help his
friend"
YES, sir; he died to save his friend ,,
said the other. you'll never be such n
nan as your father before you was, NV
boy"
That was the opinion they all had of
him, for weakness and seeming effemi-
nancy were damning faults in these mems
Eyes, and Harry knew that in their heart
If hearts they considered him cowardly
and imbecile. He felt it was false
within him told that if the
hour should come when his manhood