San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-09-28

LOT Dlm. mo Cnlu--u Noiy o"0'"
beauty, Of six years-pulled at her
gown, and cried, "Where's papa? 1
Want to kiss him."
It was terrible hour. Every body
shrank from he but John Bray.
"Won't you 60 bring my papaP' ask,
cd the child, leaving her mother and
lifting her sweet blue eyes to his face.
The man shook his big head, and even
his mouth trembled.
al can't do that, my. little KID" ne
said, without an oath. "Your pa has
given in his checks, little un. He would
ride ugly Bess, and the beast threw
him, and"-
A cry that seemed to echo as from a
hundred breaking hearts pierced the
sweet summer air, and the parsons
wife had fallen to the ground. John
lifted her in his strong arms and car
ried her straight into the hut, though
the others protested against it.
"She'll want to be near him, l know
that, i" he said; and he was right.
All that night one could hear the low,
agonized means in that dimly lighted
miners hut, and some of the rough, SYM
pathizing men remained sitting about
outside. The moon looked in upon the
fearless grief of the one mOurner, the
beautifully sculptured features OF the
dead man, and the lovely sleeping face
of the little child, so curiously like that
other in its long repose.
John Bray walked round and round
the hut the whole night. He seemed to
have constituted himself the sole pro-
tector, if not mourner. If any thing
was to be said, he said it; 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
"Oh, can't bear it!-indeed, l can
not bear it," And it was curious to see
his attempts at consolation, they were
so clumsy, yet we'll 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 a tender re-
greet in his voice and manner that was
strange to them.
"Well, pard, asked one of his chums,
tall, loose-jointed fellow, "what's 60
in to be done with that woman and her
kid, now parsons gomez Kind'r glad
to be quit of his pra'rs, l reckon, ehP"
"Don't you 60 to sayin' any thin
agin parson!" growled John, with sew
eral oaths.
"Why, what's come over yer?" asked
the other, in some establishment.
"Parson's Dead" was the slow reply.
81 wasn't partickly favorable to his
pra'rs, as 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, 80 speak for 'em.
GAS for the woman-what's goin' to
be done, l 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. 81
larned that much from her. Them two
was sort of all alone in the world. I'm
going to take the kid"
You!" and the man stared.
eyes, me. Any objections? 1bleeve
I've almost made my pile, and theirs no
critters belongin' to me. Yes, Ill 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 u 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 yet?" This was once
when an oath slipped out unawares.
"Then won't swear, doggone me
if will, little 'un," said John, penitent.
"But that's just as bad" said Lily,
climbing upon his knee and resting her
| innocent face on his shoulder.
"Then won't say doggone, blast me
# will"
She lifted her head and looked sor-
rowfully in his face rs she said
81 guess your smother never taughted
YOU whcr you was little boy
al guess she never did," said the
miner. and his eyes moistcred. Ny
poor mother died atore knew any
thing
ION. | am so sorry." She said, at