Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-12-05

bleak, black mountains and into the shafts
leading into the great coal mines.
At fifteen minutes after four of the clocl
Johns Minnie going home from school
encountered n group of men. The snow
with all lis down coming, bad not whiton
ed cne of the number. Their faces, hand'
and words were black.
Hush, warned one of the men. No
another word; that's Johns Minnie com
ing
The young girl walked on, not ever
raising her eyes as she passed the men
but che knew that her own father stood ir
the centre of that group of angry, ILL
speaking miners, for she had heard the
tones of his voice, and caught from Il few
words the very bit of news that no mar
wished known.
Johns Minnie never looked back; the
snow flakes fell and melted on her warm
cheeks as she pinched her arithmetic and
geography and shut her teeth with little
snap.
At the next turn she saw through the
snowfall woman's figure; the woman
was coming down the mountain neal
whose base stood fifty or more cabins, the
homes Of the miners.
AS the woman and the child came to-
gether the child cried out:
Miss Wren, have you been on the
mountain to-day?
why not, Minnie Jansen9' replied Miss
Wren. There's plenty of misery and
hunger on the mountain to-day, and it
isn't one bit easier to bear misery and
hunger in n snow storm, now, is it, my
dear9
It's harder, returned Minnie, and
Miss Wren, if it wasn't for you, wouldn't
90 home tonight at all. o how ! do
hate to 90 home. Mothers sick and faith
er's cross, and Carl and jansen never
speak pleasant word and then the twins
cry between them all night; nobody has
enough to cat; the clothes are all worn
out and everything is just os miserable as
it can be- sobbed the twelve-year old
girl with sudden outburst of sorrow
and Miss Wren, things is coming on worse
still, things is.
Stop crying, my dear. There! III
walk little with you, and you shall tell
me all about it,
No, Miss Wren, it's something that
cant tell, and will not tell; not even il
I'm hung down the shaft for it,
is it anything can help, Minnie?
'Youn exclaimed the child. i wonder
how. No, nobody can't help it now. o,
somebody's awful wicked somewhere. |
wish | just knew who it is that makes
everything 60 wrong uph here on the noun
tai,..'
The more things 60 wrong the harder
we must try, Minnie, to make sure that
our duty is done right. Now 90 home
happy. I've been TO see your mother to-
day. You'll find good comfortable sup
per for tonight in the house, and to-mor-
row Miss Florence will be at home and we'll
see what can be done. Good night, Run
home with n smile and II kiss for your
mother
With these words, pretty Miss Wren
turned to retrace her steps
She had not gone far ere Johns Minnie
ran down, calling out, Did you say your
sister-that Miss Florence-was coming
home tonight
Yes, and we'll see you tomorrow.
20, too late for YOU to see her. She
won t be up before the midnight train,
and with smile half seen through the
falling snow, Miss Wren went down TO-
ward the town, and the little girl toiled
through the snow up the mountain. She
pnched her books harder than ever rs she
tried to plant her strong young feet in the
footprints of somebody who had but re-
Gently gone upward, and she kept saying
to herself, oh, if it wasn't for father; if
it wasn't for my father
Johns Minnie had forgotten all about
Miss Wren's advice concerning the smile
and the kiss long before she passed the
group of miners cabins, and by the time
she came to the shaft She had taken " res
olution. She had resolved to tell her
mother all about the things that were
coming on worse STILL
Mmnie's heart was too full to notice
certain changes that otherwise would have
attracted her attention, even before she en-
tered the cabin. In the little window be-
side the door, pressed close to the panes on
purpose that she might see, was IL gera-
mum, glowing with clusters Of scarlet
blossoming; but Minnie's eyes were on
the snow.
She opened the cabin door and went in !;
threw her school books into chair, and
asked of Carl, Where is mother?'
i should like to know if you think l
carry mother about with me picking slate?
returned Carl, who had entered the house
directly in front of Minnie, anl who gave
long whistle as his ewes caught sight Of
the plant in the window
At the instant Mrs. Jansen entered the
roSm, carrying in one arm an infant, in
the other pan filled with potatoes.
Mother where dld TINS thing that dares =;
To i've and look pretty come lrom''
questioned Carl ,,,,
lake this baby ana III tell YOU re-
turned Mrs; Jansen. from whose hand aS
sue spoke the pan oil potatoes shipped anu
fell to the floor.
Carl ana Minnie gathered up the pot"-
toes with many IL question concerning the
good supper, whose saVoIy odors already
hoated about the room. 10 each and every
question the same reply was made. Miss
Wren has been here Miss Wren brought
it, Miss Wren Sent it,