The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-09-20

~Inle vacancy mas mol yet Deen HlleO..
JOHNS MINNIE.
John Minnie was twelve years old;
John himself was fifty, and coal miner.
It had been showing all day; showing
at Pittsburgh,a at Scranton,a Wilkesbarre;
showing on the bleak, black noun
tains and into the shafts 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 its homecoming, had not
whitened one of the number. Their
faces, hands and words were black.
"Hush," warned one of the men. ''Not
another word; that's Johns Minnie 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, ill
speaking miners, for she had heard the
tones of his voice and caught from few
words the very bit Of news that no man
wished known.
Johns Minnie never looked back; the
snow fakes fell and melted on her warm
cheeks as she pinched her arithmetic and
geography and shut her teeth with lit
tie snap.
At the next turn she saw through the
snowfall woman's figure; the woman
was'coming down from the mountain
near whose base stood fifty or more cab
ms, 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 not, Minnie Jansen?" replied
Miss Wren. "There's plenty of misery
and hunger on the mountain to-day, and
it isn't one bit easier to bear misery and
hunger in snow storm, now, is it my
dear2"
'It's harder" returned Minnie, land
Miss Wren, if it wasn't for you'll wouldn't
60 home tonight, at all, o how 1 do
hate to 90 home. Mothers sick, and IA
theirs cross, and Carl and Jansen never
speak pleasant word, and then the
twins cry, between them, all night; no.
body has enough to eat; the clothes are
all worn out and everything is just as
miserable as it can be-" sobbed the twelve
year old girl with sudden outburst of
sorrow; ''and, Miss Wren, things is COM
ing on worse still, things isl
"Stop crying, my dear. There! I'll
walk back little with you and you shall
tell me all about it."
"No, Miss Wren, it's something that
can't tell, and will not tell; not even if
I'm hung down the shaft for it."
lis it anything can help, Minnie9"
"You!" exclaimed the child II won
der how. No, nobody can't help it, now.
0 somebody's awful wiked, somewhere.
I wish just knew who it is that makes
everything go wrong up here on the noun
TAIN"
~, "The more things go wrong, the harder
we must try, Minnie, to make sure that
our little duty is done right. Now 20
home happy. I've been to see your
mother to-day. You'll find good COM
Portable supper for to night in the house,
and tomorrow Miss Florence will be at
home and we'll see what can be done.
8. Goodnight. Run homo with 4 smile
and q kiss for your poor mother"
With the words, pretty Miss Wren
turned to retrace her steps.
She had not gone far ere Johns Minnie
ran down, calling out, "Did you say your
sister-that Miss Florence-was coming
home tonight"
'Yes, and we'll see you Tomorrow"
-: "What time to night2" persisted Min.
ME. -
20, too late for you to see her. She
won't be up before the midnight train, .
and with smile, half seen through the
falling snow, Miss Wren went downward
toward the town, and the little girl toiled
through the snow up the mountain. She
pinched her books harder than ever as
she tried to plant her strong young feet
in the footprints of somebody who had
butrecently gone upward, and she kept
saying to herself, ooh, if it wasn't for
father; if it wasn't for my father!'
Johns Minnie had forgotten all about
j.. Miss Wrep's advice concerning the smile
and the kiss long before she passed the
group Of miners cabins, and BY the time
she came to the shaft she had taken q
resolution. She had resolved to tell her
mother oil about the ''things that were
coming on worse STILL"
Minnie's heart was too full to notice
va SoAA CnoAecs tuSC OtneIWlSe WOulO nave
= attracted her attention, even before she
entered the cabin: In the little window
beside the door, pressed close to the panes
OF glass on purpose that she miqht see
was 2 geranium; glowing with clusters of
!: scarlet poisoning; but Minnie's eyes
were on the snow. 80
She opened the cabin door and went in
stalrew her school books into chair and
:! asked Of Carl,""Where is mother9''
~ should like to know if you think /
carry mother about with me picking
slate7" returned Carl, who had entered
tho house directly ID front. of Minnie, and
who gave q long whistle as his: ewes
caught sight of the plant in the window,
AZ the instant Mrs. Jansen entered the
room, carrying in one arm an infant, in
the,othe pan filled with potatoes.
Il =" Mother, where did this thing that
sdsres to live and look pretty como from, y
questioned Carl. :. .,i.,.L 80. 4; :,
"Tsks this baby, and I'll tel. you," re-