The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-10-19
After that Rex did as he pleased with
phnhe aud IVill IIawitt

| HUUe, u lcW WeekS uIUcr, 10 one q
her cronies. "IIe'll niver let Inc lift
heavy weight or do hard job if he'i
round; an, as for music and flowers
he's just extraordinary If he'd nob-but
go to chapel he'd be lad in q thous
and"
Perhaps among the pitmen he was
scarcely so well understood; yet good
deal of what they called his equality.
ways" were forgiven for the sake of his
unfailing kindness to the "lile lads,
who spent their wretched youth, har
messed with ropes and cut by cords
dragging heavy coal baskets out ot
seams SO low that horses could not be
used. No one struck the weary chill.
dren if they fell asleep or gave out in
Rex's presence; for he had q habit ol
striking back for the children, and pco-
pie who felt Rex's hand once never car
ed about feeling it again. lie had days
of sulking, too, when he ate his hunk
of bread and bacon at noon in the great
coal hall, where the men gathered, with.
out word or smile. But then, when
he did choose TO join in game of bowls
or quoits, or TO fiddle to their rude and
noisy dancing, he was the very king Of
good fellows.
One evening, when he had been
working several months in the Lowther
Pit, he came home in unusually low
spirits. 1t was harvest-time, and all
day long in the drcary darkness he had
been unable to forget the windy wheat
and the happy laborers in the yellow
meadow-lands. He heard Phoebe laugh.
ing and talking in the front room, and
supposing there was company, he
almost mechanically took more than
usual pains with his appearance. Very
glad was he of it when he event for
ward," for at the sunny window beside
the white muslin and the scarlet gera-
niums sat very pretty girl.
"This is Bessie-my little Bessie
said the proud mother; and Rex look
ed and wondered, and wondered and
looked. For Bessie was like none OF
the cOlliers' daughters he had ever seen
She was prettily clad in blue muslin
and the dress, folded carefully back
showed a snowy petticoat and stock
ings, and neat little low shoes tied with
bows of black ribbon. There were q
real lace ruffle and pretty pink ribbon
at her throat; her hands were white
and soft; her skin fresh and fair; hcl
whole appearance sweet, modest, and
refined.
Rex knew something of Bessie. Over
and over again he had heard of the
"well-to-do aunt, under-housckccpe OF
Lowther CASTLE" through whose infu-
ence Bessie had been taken into my la.
dy's nursery. How it was he could moi
tell, but the moment Bessie looked into
his face new daybreak shone over his
life. That moment he loved her.
Bessie had brought good news; she
had been promoted, and would have @
day "Ofi" evevy two weeks. Rex could
scarcely hold his cup when he heard it
Such tea-table as that was can only be
found in Loveland. Then, after tea, he
walked with Bessie and Will over the
fields to Lowther Castle. The harvest.
moon was in the sky; they had LOST
sight of the Stag, and cindcrs, and coal.
dust; they had come from a land like
the mouth of hell into one fragrant will
ripe wheat and dropping apples; and
by-and-by they were among the beeches
and lawns of Lowther Park.
Then Will kissed Bessie and bade hcl
''be good lass and read her bible .
and Rex held the soft little hand mo-
ment in his. If he had kissed her, too
it would have been nothing out of the
way. Collier customs would have quite
permitted the freedom, but it never en-
tered Rex's mind to take it.
Next morning Rex was in one of his
darkest moods. The weather had sud
denly changed; il was cold and wet
and Will declared he was too sick to &c
to work. Rex went alone to the pit
mouth, and stood for shelter under the
blackened sheds till the banksmen were
ready to send them down. Every one
seemed cross, and many were complain
ing to the wasteman of "bad air. il
the pit. Suddenly a pompous littl,
man, in the dress of a constable, appear
cd among them, and in an authoritative
voice asked for one David Hartly. A
rapid movement of the men put Dave
in the background, and his fellows
with anything but civil remark, said
"Dave was down-pit." Nothing daunt
ed, the man of law demanded to be lei
down in search of him.
| "Put him down an be DANCED tC
him." said several TO the men, in tones
which might have alarmed any prudent
man.
Rex approached the officer. "Yon'l
be wise man to stay above ground
SIR"
'T'm no coward, by George! IT.
my duty to secure David Hartly, ant
Pll do it If go To-"
"Pve warned you. Do as you like
The banksman expressed perfect will
lingness to "put him down." and per
feet ignorance of Dawes whereabouts
in the pit" "thoug't m'appen the cieac
ers knew; ii was none of his business. ,
'I'll go down with the gentleman,
said Rex, seizing the rope, and dowI
they went together. When they got tt
the bottom of the shaft, Rex said: 81
you have had enough of this, sir, II
see you to the top again. You'd better
go back"
"No, by George! I'll have my man.
every well; yondcr is one of the
viewers. l must go to my seam"
Rex thought no more of the constable
until noon. Then, in the great hal
when the men gathered, he heard then
havoring their bread and bacon will
rude jokes about him. Dave Hartly
was merriest of all; whatever trouble
there had been was evidently settled
Rex was thinking of very different
things. When he went home, viii was
worse; ho had high fever, and PhebG
said she "felt raytherly baddish." Be
fore midnight Rex was walking into
Whitehaven for doctor; viii wal
delirious and Phoebe very i'll.
Next day he did not leave viii. Jus
before five O'Clock the man in his delir
ium said something about the pit and +,
constable. II was as if some one hat
struck Rex.
"What do you say, Will?" he asked
and the sick man muttered in a kind o
horror: "The rats The rats! He'll no
fight 'em much longerw
Rex seized his leather cap and ran t'
the pit. The men were just "loosed."
"What time, banksman, did yon con
stable come up Yesterday" he asked.
81 dunnot Know"
Rex got the same answer from every
pitman he saw, sometimes Joined will
7 anything but kindly sentiments. III,
went back TO the banksman.