The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-02-08
NO. 46.,

When the dishes were washed the ladies
joined the festive party about the stove. The
mother sat down and filled short. black
pipe, lit itand began to smoke. The little
gtrl experimental with her handkerchief.
! First she put it around her neck, to see how
It would look for a scarf; then she threw it
over her shoulders, to see how it would do
for shawl. and then laid it over her knees.
to see how it wonld answer for Il dress. 1t
seemed to be satisfactory in every case.
Girls will be girls. suppose. whether in coal
mlaes or in Grown fronts aud this little
girl with the black face had as great a fancy
Tor looking pretty as any other little girl.
After the pipes were smoked out, NOT a
word having been said, the miner got M and
went into the other room, where he was soon
followed by his wife. In minute he came
back, and like true man, offered me the
only bed III the house. OF course. refused
IT. and was it soon settled that should share
the hig boys bed, which was on the floor BIZ
the stove. The rest OF The family disappear
ed into the other room aud the boy and /
Went to bed, or Ito tloor.' ii you choose.
This was about eight o'clock in the evening.
and from that time till five next morning.
When we got up thatis stood up and shook
ourselves), just one word was saitl The boy
raised courage to ask. "Cold?n
lstretcheda point and said no. While we
were lying Oh the floor with our feet under
the stove, had II good chance to make an
inventory OF the contents of the room. Ifan
auctioneer should advertise them for sale the
bills would read this way: One coal stove,
one pine table, four wooden chairs, one
wooden settee, one lot dishes, one lot pans
and kettles, one dinner pail. The next room
the only other one in the house, would in
ventory thus: One low bedstead and bed
ding, one pillow, stuffed in window where
glass is broken out. Nothing else
AT five next morning, when the rafting of
a coal-scuttle woke me up, the whole family
were about and breakfast was on the table.
1t was wonderful breakfast The principal
dish-indeed, to tell the whole truth. the
only dsh-was cold potatoes. After break
fast the wife put her husbands dinner in the
tin pail 1t was too big slices of brown
bread, big slice Of cold liam, and the inter
stices filed in with cold potatoes
WORK AGAIN.
By this time it was O'Clock, time to START
for the mine again. Not word was said
about any pay fol supper, lodging and break
fast. III it had been Yankee family my bill
would have been made out before daylight /;
but, being only poor Irish family, was
welcome TO all had had. So put some
coin OF the realm in the boys hand. and
tried to make him say good bye, but he
wouldn't even talk enough for that.
AS soon as we were out of the house tie
miner begaH to talk again. He was out of
the reach OF his kindly wife and he became
talkative and asked me what thought of a
miners home? wouldn't like to have told
him.
From the time we went into the house till
we left it twenty words would much more
than cover al that Was said by the miner or
his family There was not, in all the house,
a book or Il newspaper TO read. There was
not picture on the walls; there was not Il
carpet on the floors; there was not IL look
ing glass even for the little girl to admire her
black eyes in.
And this is the place that this hard-work-
ing miner called home. After long, dark
days work this is where he goes to rest. Be-
tween the day in the lonely mine, with only
the mules for enmpan:-. and the night in
such dreAry home is this, give me the
mine. -[Philalelphil Times