The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-06-21
nTRI- w. y & j i Il ID q EDITION.


I'makingrapid progress toward dconvalcsccncc,
if supplied with proper nourishment
The Rawlcy's were not in ignorance as
to the feeling Of disfavor with which their
fellow cottagers regarded thcm-but what
cared they2
Possessed of all they required able to
wait on themselves, endowed with good
health, they solicited favors Of no one, and
with blinded eyes, and wel-nigh unthank-
full hearts, they lived for themselves only
One afternoon, Adam Rawley had just
partaken of very comfortable tea, which
his wife had prepared for him. Poor Mrs
Higgins pale, anxious face, which he
caught sight of as she returned from her
scanty marketing, had by no means dis
turbcd his enjoyment Of it, and with the
same unmndfulncss regarding the wants of
others he prepared to set out for his work
again.
"You'll about have time to shell the peas
and get the supper Oh afOre Pm back"
were the parting words to his helpmcet,
and with no thought beyond the present the
speaker started.
The following quarter of an hour was
passed in fetching the horse and cart from
Farmer Kirby's Then Adam filled his
cart with the collection of rubbish, and,
leading old Derry by the bride, proceeded
lcisurcly in the direction of the chalk pits.
Steadily and quietly the willing animal
ploddcd on, past the Lime Cottages, down
the curve of the road, to within few feet
of the deep hollow in which the load he
was carrying was to be deposited.
But suddenly loud "Whoal" acdom-
panied by tug Of the reins, announced
that something was wrong, but this failed
to rcctify matters, for the horse, suddenly
checked at the moment of slipping, was un.
able to recover his footing, and, after one
or two Intellectual attempts, Ills knees
doubled under him and down he went.
Then began q struggling and sculilinng,
as Adam exerted all his strength to get
Derry to his feet; but the ground which
was composed Of loose sand was unfavor-
able for this purpose, and tho horses strug-
giles brought him nearer and nearer to the
pits edge. In bewildcred dismay, the old
man gaZed affrighted around, as lie endea-
vorcd to pull the animal back.
In vain he shouted and called for help!
no living creature was visible, and no sound
broke the stiffness as his agonizcd tones
died away without response.
| "Shell be over as sure as fate--and drag
me in,' he gasped frantically, feeling his
strength failing with each plunge of the
horse. While largo beads Of Precipitation
stood on his intensely puckered face, his
thoughts flew to old Deborah, who was sit
ting in her Kitchen, calmly shelling fine
| gathering Of marrowfats, little guessing the
peril then just happening to her husband
within a short distance from her dwelling
| Having finished, she rose from her seat
as some one hastily passed her open door,
and, %in another moment, ;she heard Mrs.
Higgins eldest girl explaining something
to her mother. - 7 ( EIEE . fAES !
The tones were hurried and the sounds
confused; and she might have paid little
heed to them had not her own name fallen,
with familiar distinctness on her ears.
| "Wbat have they got to talk about mo
for?" she murmured somewhat grnfy, as,
proceeding to the door, she was going to
close it but her attention was arrested by
what appeared to be the outpouriug of all
her ncighbors, as though moved by one
mind, they rushed in tho direction of the
ohalk-pit% ''' '''.~ '"N
Mrs. Higgins alone stood stationary, and
her countcnance palcd when she saw the
look of fear that oversprcad old Dcborah's
face as she inquired: rne
e s"What's the matter--what's they all
gone down there for7" ".G|i.nS'w.
"Oh, Mrs, .Rawley, don't be frightened; I;
the horse has fallen down; and your hus-
band cannot got him up again-and We"
Her listener stayed to hear no more; with
q wild scream she ran off, and reached the
scene of the accident just as, with an aw-
ful crash, the horse vanished over the pits
mouth, dragging along W th him old Adam.
The half howl, half shrek, which broke
from his wife's lips, long rang in the ears
of those who heard it..
"My Adam! my Adam OH, let me get
to him!" and, had it not bpon for kind but
vigorous apms, the poor creature would
have thrown herself into the pit in her
agony. gg.,,..~r, ....,. HI,
"'"Nay, stay ye here; hell be all right"
But rs tho soothing words were spoken,
the speakers looked around with bcwildcr-
| cd faces, as, they saw no possible way of
making good their promise, for to, use their
own expression, "the men" were all away.
Not a man was within call; the cottages
were peoplcd by women and children at
this hour of the evening, tho bread-wnners
being away In tho fields. gr,t ma
~ "lf he's alive now, he'll be kicked to
death before he can be got out" walled De-
borah, as the horse gave restless plunge,
land once more she made desperate efforts
to reach her husband
All unlSind behayior and past disagreea-
bles were forgotten by the poor woman's
neighbors sss they wound their arms strong
" about her striving by word and deed to
moderate her anguish, ,s.Y r.sorg.
s'Oh, if the men would only comel and
springing on q high railing, Mrs, Keen
who had'already' sent Tier children scamper-
ing off in all SdiSotiona iaisesrQh of thom---
Looked wildly toward the fields, sas ahc
waved her handkerchief high above hor
head, end shouted frantioally for help .
How slowly those moliionts Of ncver-to-
beiforgotten agony orept by, as, bending
oypr the pits edge, Mrs. Rawloy listened
for any Sign Or sotnd to denote, that her
hnaabaand t vas living; but only, the plnnglng
violence Of her sorrow, the distressed wo-
man might, have broken from her compa-
siens and cast herself IN the hollow, be-
sneatlb had not a prolonged shout from Mrs.
sKeen been followed by an assertion which