Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-10-12
JOHNS MINNIE.
Christian Union

y
John himself was fifty, and coal mi
ner.
1t had showed all day; showing al
Pittsburg, at Scranton, at Wilkesbarre
showing on the bleak, black mountains
and into the great shaft leading into the
great coal mines.
At fifteen minutes after four of the
clock Johns Minnie, going home from
school, encountered group Of men
The snow, with all it's down coming. haC
not whitened one Of its number THEN
faces, hands and words were black.
Hush! " warned one Of the men
" Not another word; that's Johns Min
ME a-cOming.
The young girl walked on, not even
raising her eyes as she passed the men
but she knew that her own father stood
In the center OF that group OF angry, i'll
speaking miners, for she had heard the
tones Of his voice, and caught from the
few words the very bit Of news that nc
man wished known.
Johns Minnie never looked back: tho
now-hakes fell and melted on her warn
checks, as she pinched her arithmetic
and geography, and shut her teeth with
a little snap.
At the next turn she saw through the
snowfall a woman's figure; the woman
was coming down from the mountain
near whose base stood fifty or more cab
ins, 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 no, Minnie Jansen." replied
Miss Wren. There $ plenty Of misery
and hunger on the mountain to-day, anC
it isn't one bit easier to bear misery anC
hunger III a snoWstorm, now, is it, my
dear?"
:" It's harder" returned Minnie; "an(
Miss Wren, if it WASH t for you, | woull
not 90 home tonight at all Oh! how
do hate to go home. Mothers sick, anc
fathers cross, and Carl and Jansen ncv
er speak pleasant word and then, tn,
twins cry, between them, all night; tn,
clothes are all worn out, and eyerythin.
is just as miserable as it can be, " sobbet
the twelve-ycar-old girl, with a suddel
outburst of sorrow: and, Miss Wren
things is coming on worse STILL things
is"
Stop crying, my dear. There! II
walk back a little with you and you may
tell me about it."
" No, Miss Wren, it's something thai
| can't tell and will not tell-not ever
if I'm hung down the shaft for it.
" Is it anything that | can help Min
nie?"
You! exclaimed the child. Il won
der how? No; nobody can't help it, now
o, somebody's awful wicked, somewhere
| wish just knew who it is that make
everything go wrong up here on th'
mountain"
The more things go wrong, the hard
er we must try, Minnie, to make sur,
that our little duty is done right. Now
so home happy. I've been to see you
mother to-day. You'll find good, com
Portable supper for tonight in the house
and tomorrow Miss Florence will be a
home and we'll see what can be done
Good night Run home with a smil,
and kiss for your poor mother"
With the words, pretty Miss Wrel
turned to retrace her steps.
She had not gone far ere John Min
ME ran down, calling out: Did you sa.
your sister that Miss Florencc-wa
coming home tonight? ,"
:" Yes, and we will see you to-mor
row.
What time tonight" still persiste,
Minnie
20, too late for you to see her. Sh
won't be up before the midnight train,
and with a smile half seen through tn
falling snow, Miss Wren weat downward
toward the town, and the little girl tod
died through the snow up the mountain
She pinched her books harder than eve
as she tried to plant her strong youn
feet in the footprints of somebody VIII,
had but recently gone upward, and sh
kept saying to herself. 20, if it WASH
for my father; if it only wasn't for IN.
father!
Johns Minnie had forgotten all abou
Miss Wren's advice concerning the smil
and the kiss long before she passed tn
group Of miners cabins, and by the tim
she came to the shaft she bad taken
resolution. She had resolved to tell he
mother all about the $ things that wer
coming on worse still.
Mlnnle's heart was too full to motto
certain changes that would have attract
ed her attention, even before she entered
the cabin. In the little window besid
the door, pressed close to the panes o
glass on purpose that she might see, wa
geranium, glowing with clusters o
scarlet blossoming; but Minnie's eye
were on the snow
She opened the cabin door and went in
threw her school books into a chair, an
asked of Carl: " Where's mother?"
i should like to know if you think
carry mother about with me pickin
slate? returned Carl, who had entere
the house directly in front of Mimi,
and who gave a long whistle as his ey
caught sight of the plant in the vii
dow.
At the instant Mrs. Jansen entere
the room, carrying in one arm an infan
and in the other pan filled with pot;
toes.
Mother, where did this thing, tha
darcs to live and look pretty, com
from?" questioned Carl
Take this baby, and I'll tell you
returned Mrs Jansen, from whose han
as she spoke the pan of potatoes slippe
and fell to the floor.
Carl and Minnie gathered up the p'
tatoes, with many question concernin
the good supper, whose savory odors a
ready hoated about the room. TO eac
and every question the same reply W;
made: Miss Wren has been here;
Miss Wren brought it; " Miss Wre
sent it.
Mother" said Carl, suddenly,
Miss Wren would only boss the min
we'd have better times. | know she
pay me more than | get for slate picl
ing"
Stop talking nonsense, Carl" sai
Minnie. "Take the baby; I want mot
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