The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-10-14

nlSSelf 10 hlSSelf. Ihcre was lass llV-
ing in these parts then. and Fighting
know that he had said much
to her, but we could see that
he was about as fond of that
lass as a lad could well be. know that
for mother was living then, and this lass
would often be between her house and
ours. 1t seems that one Sunday, as it
might be this, Joe had met her, and
told her how fond he had been of her and
asked her to become his wife. She told
mother that this same night. Well, it
seems she said that Joe mus mt look for
that. for she was already promised, and
was going to be wed that Whitsuntide.
When she told Joe that, he said ne'er a
word, but he grew very white in the
face, and turned quietly away. The
next day he had to work beside the
very man who was promised to the lass
as he loved. Well they had
been at work for some time, when Joe's
mate, turning round to get hold of
shorter pick that was lying near
sees him standing behind him with his
arm raised and the pick in his hand, as
If in doubt whether to strike or not, and
with look in his eyes as he had never
been known to wear before. The two
LiCh iOohCo ~ ouc stuOtucE WIluOul
speaking for while, till Joe said, "God
forgive mer and turned away. and
from that time they never worked side
by side again. 1 don't know how it
was, but we used to think Joe kept
away on purpose-I mean, so as not to
be in the way to strike the other one.
That would be a matter of three or four
months before the fire."
What firep' I aSkad
"What fire?" the other repeated, in
a tone of astonishment. "Why, Fen
toms Pit. Did you never hear tell of
the fire in Fenton's Pit?"
!" No." 1 replied; "you know am
stranger here"
"Ah, you must be. should think"
the man said. somewhat roughly, &" if
you never heard tell of that"
He took small, blackened pipe from
the pocket of his vest, looking thought
fully before him, and filing the bowl in
the mechanical manner of person
who, preoccupied by an all-engrossing
thought, is going through some famii-
lar action, for his thoughts were evil
IDENTIFY far away, and the pitman's face,
rough and strongly marked as it was,
became saddened and almost tender in
its expression under their influence. He
remained silent so long that at length
said:
AZ should like to hear about that fire
if you don't mind telling me-"
Was you ever down a pit. mate"
he asked.
told him no, but had often thought
1 should like to see one.
Better stay where you are, mate"
the man answered. "Ahr' he added,
after another pause, "it's strange how
how we liver'
"How do YOU mean?' I asked.
"rve worked in the pit for more nor
twenty year." he replied; "but 1 never
go down in the cage now-that is, since
that time speak on-but think may
be going to my grave. What with the
rising of the water, or the fall of the
coal, or the choke-damp that means
death, the lives of such as us amt worth
much; but all these put together amt
nothing to pit on fire! When the coal
is bursting with the heat and the heavy
masses of earth fall down, crushing or
laming them that can't get out of the
way-when the cry is, Every man for
himself and God above for us all!-when
fainting and struggling, they think for
moment on wife and children and
then they fall and die!
| "Well, that was the sort of fire
speak of, and all of those at work in the
pit that day rushed for the lift that
might carry them up away from the
place where the flames were roaring
and rushing with the noise of a great
wind. Well, Fighting Joe was the last
man in the lift, as they thought; but
just as they were beginning to move
they heard a loud cry for help and they
saw that other one-him who had mar
ried Joe's Notwithstanding for the
lift and begging them for Gods sake
not to leave him behind. Well, tell
you, the lift was overfull then, but Joe
sprang from it and, seizing hold of the
other one, with the help of those inside
say was, Tell her did it an God bless
thee, mater and then we heard the roar
again of the flames and we never saw
Joe again"
The man sat quietly for a second or
two, and, though his voice did not fal-
| ter, he added, in a softer tone:
"But the next day, when the fire
had burned itself out, was one ofthem
that went down into the pit. There
was q crowd of the miners wives and
children standing at the pit mouth, and
when we came up again we laid body
gently on the-ground, and the men took
off their caps and said ne'er a word,
while the women cried, and many of
them sobbed aloud; it was blackened
| and burned, and but for where the pit
mans Jacket had saved him, it might
have been no more than the earth it
was lying on. But as we stopped ten
derly to raise and carry the body away,
the Jacket fell off, and there, on that
part where once beat true heart, was
alock of a woman's hair. He had begged
it of her, she said. SO often, she had not
the heart ut last to refuse him, and God
only knows, mate, what comfort poor
Joe might have felt in wearing it for
her sake.
"We buried him with that little curl
lying on his breast, and with many q
sob, and many God bless thee, poor
ladr we lowered him to his rest. We
planted them little flowers, and it
seemed to me as if they growed
brighter on his tomb than anywhere
else"
He paused again, and as stole look
at him 1 saw two large tears rolling
slowly down his hard face. He was q
little embarrassed at my observing them,
1 think, for he said:
don't you think worse of me, mate,
because I'm giving way a bit, but 1 am
the man Joe saved"
The champion jack-of-all-trades be-
longs to England and lives near Chi
chester. He has served as seaman in
the four quarters of the globe and acted
as steward, sailmaker, cook, mate and