The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-03-12

now, for the first TIME, the great blind
! tears came gushing from my eyes, so when
| slowly took down first one hand and then
another, | was blinded and could not see
+ for a few minutes till, STOPPING little
lower, there, smashed and flattened, COW
cred with mortar and dust, was my cid red
cotton handkerchief, tied around the basin
and plate that held my dinner dropped
here by my little darling.
J For a few moments was, as it were,
struck dumb-i. was so different sight to
what l had expected to see and then L
! leaped up and laughed, and shouted and
danced-the relief was great.
Come on ~ | cried again and then, for
an hour or more we are at it, working way
till the light began to come in the east, and
tell us that it was daybreak.
Late rs it was, plenty of people had stop
] ped all the time ; for somehow or another
hundreds had got to know the bright, gold
en- haired thing that trotted backward and
forward every Gay with my dinner basin.
! She was too little to do it. but then, bless
you, that was pride for my wife
cOmbed and brushed and dressed her up on
purpose. And fiue and proud we used 70
be Of the little thing going and coming
SO old-fashioned. Why, lots of heads used
TO be thrust cut to watch her =; and seeing
how pretty and artless and young she was,
we used to feel that every one would try
and protect her !; aud that was so. Time
after time that night l saw motherly-look-
ing women, that | did not know, with their
aprons to their eyes, soboing and crying !;
and though | didh't notice it then, re-
nnembered it well enough afterwards -ah .
and always shall while the way in which
some of the men worked-well- to-do men
who would have thought themselves in
suited il you'd offered them five shillings
for their nights job-showe6 how my poor
little darling had won the hearts of all
around. Often and often, since, too,
could have stopped this one, and shook
hands with that one, for their kindness :;
only there's always that shut-upness about
an Englishman that seems to make him all
heart at a time of sorrow, and piece of
solid bluntness at every other time.
Well, it was now just upon morning and
we were all worked up to pitch of excite
ment that nothing could be like. We had
been expecting 10 come upon the poor child
all the afternoon and night, but now there
could be no doubt of it. She must be here !;
for we were now down i'll the stoke hole,
working again with more vigor than had
been shown for hours. Mems faces were
flushed aud their teeth set. They don't
talk, only in whispers, and the stuff went
flying out rs fast as others could take it
away.
Easy, easy" the sergeant of the police
kept saying, as he and two OF his men kept
us well lit with the strong light of their
lanterns.
But the men tore on, till at last the place
was about cleared ont, and we had got to a
mass Of brick wall sloping against one side,
and little wood work ou the ether side
along with some rubbish.
And now was the exciting time as we
went, four of us, at the brick wall, dragged
at it, and raised it, when some woman
above shrieked out, and We stood trembs
ling, for it had crumbed down and lay all
of heap where we had raised il FROM
"Quick - l shouted huskily.
And we tore the bricks away till there
was hardly a scrap left, and we stood staI>
ing at one another.
''Why, she amt here, arter all - says a
policeman.
''fm blest," says another.
But couldn't speak, for did not know
what to do but stood staring about as il
L expected next to see the little darling
come runnihg up again unhurt.
cry there" says the Sergeant.
Then he turned on his light into dark
corner, where the bits of wood lay, and
darted across and threw back two or three
pieces, when I gave cry, and fell on my
knees again. For there was no mistake
this time I had uncovered little foot, and
there was the little white sock all blood
stained and l felt great sob rise from my
breast as | stopped down and kissed the
little read spot.
steady said the Sergeant and then
quickly, as l knalt there, they reached
over me, and lifted piece after piece away,
till there, in the gray light of the morning,
L was looking upon the little motionless
figure, lying there with her golden hair, as
had fancied, dabbed in blood from a cut
in her little white forehead, where the
blood had run, but now lay hard and dry.
Covered with blood and scraps of mortar,
she lay stretched out there, and felt as il
my heart would break to see the little,
peaceful face almost with smile upon it
while, as if out of respect to my feelings.
the men all drew back till knelt there all
alone.
And now far up in the sky the warm
light of the rising sun shone, and it was
reflected down upon that tiny face, light
ing it up with almost heavenly beauty and
as knelt there in the still silence of tha t
early morn could hear again and again a
half Stifla6 sch,