The Lake County star., 1877-11-22
REX MACARTHY.

REX MACARTHY.
From Appleton's Monthly Journal.
"It isn't in your belt a. the keys o.
the countryside hang, Jim Banks.
And maybe, stranger, If you'd feel to
stop and ask the overman, it's differ
ent answer yo'd get"
The speaker was one Of a group of
yawning, pale-faced pitmen standing
at the Lowther Shaft and the ''strang-
er" was a tall, good-looking fellow in
collier's clothes, who had just asked
Jim Banks II he "could get job in
the emine," and been curtly told, mo,
he couldn't"
Justthen gaunt. sinewy form, with
a grisly aspect, came stalking towards
them. He had candle stuck in his
cap and pipe iIt his mouth. ~
"That's John Bowles, stranger; it's
acivil word he'll give you, anyway"
The stranger nodded and smiled and,
with the light Of the smile still on his
face, turned to the overman.
."John BOwles,n - he said, 81 want q
job; can you give me One?"
"What's yo're name, frieiid?"
"Rex Mccarthy"
"What can yo' dO?"
81 could be a hewer."
"Iu high seamsW
Eyes, In high seams?"
essIn course, yo'd niver bend them
long legs and yo're long back enough
for some o. our lille seams, but we've
one or two'll hold yo're inches, an
there's other work beside. I'll gle yO'
apound a week"
-HDone.o
"a ra VOL raodu nnw man ctt
"NOw.u
"Then down yo' CO."
And in the swinging, banging,
bounding basket down Rex went
down through q thousand feet of dark
ness. Bowles's practised eye watched
his descent. "Yon chaps no pitman.
The basket were as.new to him as 1t
were to me forty years ago." All the
more, however, he admired the pluck
and address with which Rex had taken
his turn; and, If mo pitman," he
welded the pick-axe like giant. Be-
fore night Bowles was well aware that
he had made good bargain. Just be-
fore the hour for "loOsing" he sought
out the little fellow whose friendly
words had encouraged Rex to speak
to him in the morning. He found
him in q corner full of floating coal
dust, barely lit Dy three or four can
dies stuck in bits of clay. He was ly-
ing on his back, nearly naked, and
with O small pick working away at
the seam q couple of feet above him.
Twill HEWITT"
The man turned his glimmering
eyes toward the Overman.
"There's q chap int pit to-day, q
raw hand. I'm thinking; m'appen yO'
could do for him. Phebe's a tidy
wench, and kind one, too. I'd be
loathe for him to come to ill-folk."
"Ift' misses likes, I'm none agin'
rit.n
Just then long, shrill, resonant cry
came from the top Of the shaft.
Loose! loose! l-O-o-s-e" 1t was
taken up by the men below, and rung
from gallery to gallery and from
mouth to mouth until the men and
boys in the remotest recesses had
heard the welcome sound.
Bowles' suspicious were strengthen
ed by the fact that Rex did not under
stand the mode ofdismissal. He had
to 90 to him and say:
E"There's no clocks norbells here my
lad yon's the loosening cry. Up yo'
goln :.
When he got to the top of the shaft
he found VIII Hewitt waiting for him,
and, after o few words together, the
two men went toward the pit-vil-
lage. No village could haye been
tIglier or more depressing than these
long rowso Of brick cabins In their DESC
late dirtiness. The black ground, the
black cutters, the patches of blackened
grass. the black, weary men, and the
.blacker and wearier children tripping
ihOmeward, oppressed him frightfully.
Z A vision that would not be put away
intensified, by contrast, this dreadful
gpicture-a vision of q great white
house set in sweet old gardenways,
and guarded by steadfast hills lifting
bare heads to the blue skies above
them. .rt
He was so occupied with this vision
that, he scarcely heard the occasional
tsentences with which Hewitt tried to
Interest him. Yes, they cost Hewitt
some effort of courtesy and self-denial ;
! for men who have been hewing coal
all day in desolate, cramped corners
/. are Usually silent men until their bath
and dinner have restored them to
themselves. -s,s
(. weariness, Rex was glad to see that
( Hewitt lett the most squalid cottages
behind them, and approached one OF
the very cleanest and more respectable
dwellings. It had even q little garden
plot in front, where, in spite Of the
coalIy atmosphere, some primroses
and pansies were blooming. The
do0r.6tone was pipe-clayed, and q
white muslin curtain hung behind q
brilliant show OF geraniums In the
window.
Hewitt may be excused the pride
with which he opened lis door and
ushered the stranger into his home.
Golfers all have large Ares, but WilPs
01owed over hearth white as snow.
Golfers generally indulge In furniture
far above their station, but Wilps
manoQOny bedstead and chestof draw
ers and eight day clock were spotless-
ly bright and clean. Strips Of gay
carpet made the secured floor look pic
turesque. Snowy china, bright tins
and brasees, patched quilt and cuslI.
Ions, and o perfect luxury Of spotlesi
pillows, gave to the apartmentsa kind
Of bright and homely beauty to which
no heart could be insensible.
lNotthe least pleasant feature In thii
pictufe was q little, rosy, smiling
dumping Of q woman sitting ut q
round table before the cosy hearth
atone. IL was not lawful or usual fol
VIII 10 enter by the front door when
lie came from the pit, and, any wifi
mfol1t have Justly got little crOss q
fv0 occh dirty intruders. Bot Pheb<
Only made them stand ptfll while nh<