The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-09-20
THE OLD CHALK-PIT.
A Tale of South Down.

South Down, though charmingly sit
uated in one of the eastern counties of
England, is not place of general re-
sort.
Here and there cottage or two may
be found, making pleasing variety in
landscape rich in natures loneliness
but as our narrative has only to do with
that part of South Down in the imme-
date vicinity of the chalk-pits, we will
briefly introduce the reader to Adam
Rawley and his wife, an old couple occu-
plying one of the little dwellings near to
this locality.
Adam spent most of his days in cart
ing away mud and rubbish from the
roadside, and at other times he would
work in the pits, earning enough to keep
himself and his wife in comfortable cir
cumstances.
These old people lived on from day to
day, from season to season, without
changing their mode of life. They
were quiet and orderly, causing neither
trouble nor annoyance to their neigh
bors; but for all this they were no IA
vorites.
The fact is, Deborah Rawley and her
husband lived only to please themselves.
Possessed of every comfort-for, be-
sides the bread winners earnings, they
had little income of eight shillings 8
week coming in regularly-and, en-
crossed in their own concerns, they
never troubled themselves about being
neighborly; thus much of the sunshine
of life was unknown to them, through
the unapproachableness of their own
characters.
They were certainly a striking con-
trast to the rest of the inhabitants of
Lime Cottages, as the collection of little
dwellings was called-among whom there
was feeling of friendliness, and many
helpful deeds made life's day brighter
TO many of them.
But the Rawleys were strangers to
acts of kindness, and SO long as no mis-
fortune happened to themselves they
never thought of relieving the ills Of
other folks.
Mrs. Higgins, their next-door neigh
Dor, whose husband was down with
brain fever, and required constant
watching day and night, had three of
her children laid up at the same time
with inflammation of the lungs; yet in
her domestic difficulties she never ven
tured on asking aid from Mrs. Rawley
but Mrs. Keen, a bony matron, with
half dozen little ones of her own, and
engaged nearly every hour of the day
In ministering to their wants, proffered
the necessary help even before it was
solicited.
The whole community, with the ex-
ception of old Deborah and her hus-
band, wed with one another in helping
poor Mrs. Higgins through her troubles
Not even kindly inquiry as to how
the invalids were progressing, passed the
old couples lips; and as to few of the
new-Iaid eggs, that Mrs. Rawley's hens
supplied her with SO plentifully, finding
their way into their sick neighbor's
house, such a thing was never thought
of. Sooner than give them away they
we're allowed to ornament the shelves in
he little psrlor till they became too bad
be eaten by any one.
The faculty for performing kind
lesses certainly did not belong to these
I'D people. All their lives they had
1osed their hearts to the works of benev-
olence, and now, in their declining years,
no gentle promptings from earth or from
heaven seemed to arouse them to deeds
of love.
Once only an angels whisper reached
Adam Rawley, making him for a mo-
ment seemed troubled and uneasy; but
the bright spark, which, had he allowed
it to kindle, would have filled his rugged
countenance with sunshine, was uench-
ed as he nuttered:
"What is it to us if they do want new
laid eggs? Let them keep fowls of their
own and they'll get some"
So the communication which he had
overheard Mrs. Higgins make to friend
concerning the requirements of her sick
family was blotted from his mind, as he
convinced himself that it was not needed
to bother himself with other peoples
troubles.
Nevertheless, he repeated what he had
overheard to his wife, and as a woman's
influence in whatever rank of life is pow
erful, Mrs Rawley's reply, had it been
in favor of a charitable action, might
have done much toward its accomplish
ment, instead of which her verdict, "let
them get eggs for themselves if they