The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-08-22

| ave constituted nlulnciI Tue bOlc pro
tector, if not moIrner. If any thing
was to be said, he said ir; if any thing
was to be done, it was done by him.
Through the following day and at the
funeral, he was the chief director and
actor. When the sods fell on the coffin
in that wild, wonderful place, it was his
arm the poor stricken woman clutched
as she cried
sob, can't bear itl-indeed, can
not bear iti'' And it was curious TO see
his attempts at consolation, they were
so clumsy, yet well meant.
The other miners looked on with as
constituent. John swore Just as saw
agely when with them, and clustered as
noisily; but when he spoke of the wom-
an and her child, or even of "parson, -
as he called him, there was tender re-
gret in his voice and.manner that was
strange to them.
"Well, pard," asked one of his chums,
a tall, loose-jointed fellow, whats go
in to be done with that woman and her
kid, now parsons gone? Kind'r glad
to be quit of his pra'rs, / reckon, eh?''
"Don't you 60 to sayin' any thin
agin parson!" growled John, with sew
eral oaths.
"Why, what's come over yerp" asked
! the other, in some establishment.
Parsons dead" was the slow reply
"I wasn't partickly favorable to his
pra'rs, as I know of-fact, didn't like
them, p'r'aps, or him neither-but he's
dead, and dead men can't speak for
themselves, so | speak for 'em.
GAS for the woman-what's goin' TO
be done, don't know; but she'll never
90 back. There's death in her face
The kid'll be alone in the world afore
long"
"Then she better be sent to her
friends"
"There amt any," said John. "I
larned that much from her. Them two
was sort of all alone in the world. Tn
going to take the kid"
You'll" and the man stared.
ayes, me. Any objections? Ibleeve
I've almost made my pile, and theirs no
critters belongin' to me. Yes, I'll take
the kid"
1t was almost touching to see Johns
devotion to the wife and child of the de-
spised "parson."
Day by day the woman wasted away.
On her cheek the death-stain came out
in burning crimson, and she turned to
John in her sorrow, fondly deeming
that he did every thing for the sake of
the husband she had loved so dearly.
Not morning came that John was
not first in the hut, getting breakfast
for the sick woman and her child. The
latter, serious because of her mothers
illness and her fathers death, lowered
around him to the best of her little abil-
ity, smiling in his eyes, and talking
tender loVe-prattle all the time.
go, John, don't you know it's very
wicked to swear? Don'tyou know your
Commandments yetP" This was once
when an oath slipped out unawares.
"Then | won't swear, doggone me
if I will, little 'un," said John, penitent. |
90 But that's just as bad,' said Lily,
climbing upon his knee and resting her
innocent face on his shoulder. .t
"Then won't say doggone, blast me
if will"
She lifted her head and looked sor-
in his face as she said
81 guess your mother never taughted |
you when you was little boy"
al guess she never did," said the |
miner, and his eyes moistened. " My |
poor mother died afore [ knew any
thing"
"Oh, am so sorry!" she said, at
tentively regarding him, red lips apart,
soft eyes dewy with feeling. 81 know
all the Commandments, and I'll teach
'em to you, and then you won't swear
any more, because, you see, then you'll
5now it's wicked"
'All right, little un,' was the re-
sponse.
There came a day before long when
he rough miners stood over another
grave, and Lily, weeping as if her heart
would break, lay in the arms of John
Bray, as in the arms of tender father,
md sobbed herself to sleep upon his
breast.
1t became an understood thing that
John had adopted the orphan, and the
)ne little child, in her innocence, be-
came the one spiritual guideof the whole
camp. ...
Under Johns supervision, the church
planned by the parson went up, though
here was no minister, while John HIM
self, with the help of little Lily, plant
I'd vines at the rough porch, and flow
IRIS on the dead minister's grave.
How he watched the child! How his
leart softened as, in her simple Ian
suage, she talked of heaven. When
he lay sick of fever, the man put up
Wild, fervent prayers for the first time
n his life. When she recovered, he
ient hundred miles for a minister to
,ome and have public worship, to sig
lalize his sense of Gods great mercy.
And Lily never wanted for care, or
owe, or money, after that. John Bray
vas ''father," and Lily was "daugh-
err" and a great reformation was
wrought for all time, and l believe for
III eternity, in the character of John
Bray, the ''wickedest man in our camp"
-YO7ltb'S TO7Jlr112ioa