Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1879-10-04

printers their ink-in short the pop
ulace stood open-mouthed, open-eyed
and hands sought consolation in pock-
cts. Occasionally we saw shutter
on crack or lace curtain slightly
parted. O, we knew the eyes that
reered from behind these belonged
10 class of individuals il the town
| afflicted with a disease far mere Sc
| rious than fern fe. err; it ID confined
to the spinal cord and brain, boing
impossible to incline the head to any
extent in any direction.
The afflicted ones can always be
| readily distinguished on the street,
for in meeting an acquaintance the
bows given are necessarily very slight !;
| any effort to extend cordial ones
| would entirely sever the spinal cord
| and death would Immediately ensue.
| How often have we pitied these I'M
| fortunate onesl The disease is a
| new one; has only developed itself
in this generation at least in this sec
ton.
l was well acquainted in the old
stage coaching days with many of
the ancestors of these victims and |
shall never forget the very hearty
and heartfelt welcome I always re-
ceivsd at tbs old homesteads. Often
wet and tired after long and weary
drive 1 would lay aside my great coat
and sit down to the plain board and
| mountain fare. Meals never tasted
swester elsewhere. The old hunters
always had new tale to tell, and the
| good housewife hustled about, now
dong something for my comfort, now
hurrying off the little rosy-cheeked
Youngsters to bed in the loft, or an
adjoining room, if they were so for
tunate as to have mora than one. How
little did these good people imagine
that their fun-loving, romp.ng chill
dren, would some day be 80 sorely af-
ficted
But to return to our PARTY. We
soon left the town and after o short
descent commenced long climb. We
| met handsome young fellow; A. and
| II. Immediately lost their hearts, but
mine hostess informed them he was
| not single, whereupon their spirits
fell, but they occasionally rave about
those eyes. Now we passed lumber
wagon, or carriage, or good country
| man; now a dense wood, again a fine
farm. A road for a lortion of the
| way led over coal vein, and occa-
sionally convoy of coal cars glided
past on a track that ran through the
woods. The old toll-gate about one
| mile from town is deserted to the
| bats and owls; no good, honest toll
man and no light haired, happy little
Youngsters to stare at us as we passed.
We did not even hear the echo of a
toll on we went. 1t was not long
before we reached Fern Glen.
1 do wish, M, you could have been
| with us, 1 have seldom seen larger
bad of ferns of every size and descriu-
| ton, from delicate green to brown
| and yellow. The eun stole through
the thick branches and with his long
| slanting rays spread an airy, fairy,
| misty vail of brown and gold AID grey
| and green over the glen, and we, in
toxicated with the rare blessing Of
| color and light and shade, wandered
about gathering just enough of The
| ira;l, feathery things to ccunteract
| the fever. Only to me were the fair
| les visible; I could see them tripping
about under the ferns in their dresses
of shsdowy, shimmery, changea Bile
green hear their sweet voices th4t
sounded like the rustling of the
| ferns. My fevered pulse grew quiet
sooner than the others, and wander
ID off in eearch of some beautiful
leaves that had caught glimpse Of
| in the distance
One hour later found US all again
| in the vehicle surely the trip had
the desired effect. l examined the
pulses Of both A. and H., and found
them beating regularly and slowly i;
the skin had resumed its normal
| moisture, and the feveged look in
| their eyes had entirely disappeared
[ next felt the pulse of mine hostess ;
it vas little too quick, and her face
was slightly flushed, but I spoke en-
couragingly and reused her dropping
spirits.
| On my way down 1 met an old
| friend-no other than the little wealth
er beaten, rosy-cheeked, sandy-haired
| old ge-driver, with whom l ex-
! changed some pleasant words. He
has travelled these roads for forty
years and many's the glass we've
| taken together when we have been
detained at times over night. There
| are few fellows like Sandy. With
| our guns on our shoulders have he
| and in bygone days tramped through
hese woods in search of game. II
| YOU want good bear story go t,
sandy; he's the fellow to tell you
| one and he'll make ones very hair
! stand on ends when relating his hair
breadth escapes from wild and raw
enous beasts.
Next we met a pleasure party who
Aad been to the top of Savage noun
tain for the sake of the beautiful view