Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-02-12

haDDV III In6lI SOI1LllOC'
But, as at the approach ofmorning, 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 a glorious
future, were like the mirage of the desert
fancy pictures in dreary waste of sor-
row and desolation. It came about in
this wise.
He, with a friend and partner, entered
into mining speculation in small way.
They were to have certain percentage
of the coal taken out The two vornC
men showed that they possessed both en-
ergy and perseverance. They engaged
additional Hands" and went to work in
earnest. The speculation promised to be
a good one, and an advance in the nrice
of coal only made a successful result
more certain. Feeling that he was now
on the high road to success, ne determin-
ed to hesitate no longer, but at once
asked Emily's parents to sanction their
marriage. He knew of the little opposi-
ton he would meet with, but as their love
was mutual, and his worldly prosnects
considerably improved, he hoped that
however unwillingly it might be done
COuSGQI
to the marriage.
But, upon stating his wish, he found
how badly he had deceived himself Re.
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 a remote possibility, was preached
oil thn OLD IF
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 it
never could be. In vain the poor fellow
pleaded-tOld of his deep love for her
spoke of his life, on which not stain or
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 loves met" he exclaimed, and what
will love not do? 1t viii make our home
happy lit will gid over our poverty |!
On, sir! | know what love will do! !
know what it has done for me! 1t has
made the dark, damp breasts glisten
with sunshine! and, in the dripping of
the water as it forces its way through the
rocks of the mine [ have heard only the
singing of birds!"
But the practical father was unmoved
by the eloquent appeal CT 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, Iosti 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 a 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 to Tighten his heavy labor
his zone 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 denunciaJion, 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 pu bile, 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
ic oh =, ii rbn11
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 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 year and
a half of absence, it was noised around
that Emily was married, and at last the
report was confirmed. In one of the large
cities of the East she had found the &C
quaintance Of one who soon caused her to
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
heart must have been torn and bleeding,
yet he gave no outward sign, but went on
q q
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
i'll the mine, and, what seemed stranger
to some, he was working in the colliery at
which the father of his loved one was the
superintendent.
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, a 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
had been attentively examining, looked
up, and replied:
well l do, Jimmy! It's never |
thought you nor would be alive to tell
about it!'
THAT was one awful day, boys" con-
tinued the first speaker. "There was
weepin' and cryin' in the village that
same night. Eighty of us strong, hearty