Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-10-12

the subject with the assurance that "he had
seen his likeness in some sporting paper, but
then illustrated papers were hardly in exist
| ence.
| He heard but little of the sermon though
the sobs and calculations around him testified
as TO its power, until the preacher, in telling
| the story of his own conversion, said Just
beyont Workington | met young chap as
seemed inclined TO be friendly-like. The road
were lonely, an I'd naught again crack, spec
ial as he knew about dogs, all game birds, an
wrastling. He were handsome, free-spoken
lad an when we came 10 Martha Dian's pub
lic he said We've all o. three miles to walk
yet let us have a warm bite, and I'll pay the
having
Here Rex looked intently at the preacher,
and then dropped his head again
"Well lads. we had some steak an brandy.
The steak did me good, the brandy put the
devil in me. When we went on again were
full o. my brag an soon shifted talk from
games to game boosted o my poachng,
an told wi many jeer O. the quality took
my rights from. noticed the lad got silent,
an when he did speak he said 'Yo're ripe
rascal If we hadn't eat out tn same dish I'd
thrash yo' well, an then send yo' to Botany
Bay"
Again Rex looked queerly up, and became
very excited and restless.
Then / were mad as mad an 1 said I'll
gle yo' throw rs 'ull settle yo' my lad, an
then I'm going straight TO Levens's Woods.
That silly young squire an his vixen o. II moth
er have kept me pretty well in hares an
pheasants for three years-an' be DANCED to
themr
Then knew naught more--the lad must
have felled me ut once. Three weeks after
ward l came TO my senses in the Methody
eoohpr'e bouqo I Nvnra in his bad mn his
wife an he were nursing me. Idhad fever,
an been to the gates o. death an hell. Well,
I'd better company coming back from them,
than l had going there-an' so I'm a saved
man thanks be to God an the preacher, an
the lad who felled me-whoever he be -
Rex stood up and sat down. and then stood
up again:
Billy Dawson" he said, I'm the lad that
felled you. am Squire Wrexham Levens, of
Levenss Park and by your mouth tonight
the heaviest burden has been lifted from Inc
that ever man bore. thought had killed
you and | went home and told my mother
what had done. She is n wise woman, and
she said Rex, go to the Lowther Pit : if the
man is dead and you were recognized as his
last companion, l shall-Nonsense you are
in France and no one will look for Levens of
Levens in pitmans village and dress. There
have waited ever since, partly because it was
too soon to show myself and partly because l
hoped l was in some degree atoning for the
knock-down gave you, by the help have
been able to render these poor souls in their
great calamity"
We'll Levens forgive yo' wi all my heart
for the knock down gotten fro yo'. 1t raised
me up, an made man of me-"
Rex walked up to him. and with frank
smile offered his hand which was promptly
and cordially shaken amid the outspoken sym
pathy of all present.
"Pit-boys are no fools, said jim Banks, as
he walked home amid a crowd of them, AN
yo'll all mind now, that at the very first we
nicknamed him Gentleman Rex"
The next day. Madame Levens. sitting think
ing of her son, and devising means to bring
home her banished, was amazed to see him
walk into the house in his proper clothing and
his old joval spirits.
TT has turned out better than l expected,
Rex" she said, when he had told her all
nov let us hear no more about it"
But that was Just the thing impossible for
Rex. That nine months in the Lowther Pit
was intended TO color and form his future life,
| and he was far too conscientious to avoid it.
In the first place viii and Phoebe were re-
| moved to a lovely country cottage. where Will
grew pansies and played dolorous. tunes, and
| led class meeting to the end of his innocent
life. There Bessie had teachers and dress
makers, and when, at the end of two years,
Rex took her home as his wife, every one con-
fessed that there had never been fairer La
| dy of Levens.
But the advantages did not stop with Rex
or Rex's wife or kindred; they have touched
with blessing every pit-man, and every pit
mans wife and children in England. For by
his pen and purse. and, more than all, by his
powerful pleading in Parliament, Rex has
| nhnliehaI CO Of tba tAitnauis
and procured them so many advantages, that
the great coal-lorls nickname him with polite
scorn, Our GroHt Coal Commoner. "-AppLe-
| tyaS ,IffrU1L