American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-05-01

A wonder for the world to see,
And men shall say, who see thee shine,
A Master wrought II from the mine.
Rose Terry Cooke, On Christian Untoss-
THE HERMIT.
a r.ss - lEs.l.s I.lFs IN the sierr. AG.are
Away up on the main range-th,
Sierra Madrc--of the Rocky Mountains
twelve thousand feet above the sea
rests little mining camp of som.
twenty or twenty-five rough log cabins
Right ON the edge of timber line! Tall
spruce pines below; bare, jagged rocks
above. North, south, east and wesi
huge peaks tower In their massive
grandeur and rear their stony heads tc
the rising and setting sun, and seem
Ike grim old sentinels keeping watch
over the little basin in which are the
cabins, collectively known as Mineral
City The mountain sides are scanned
and ribbed with the rich silver veins OF
San Juan. and scores of cuts. shafts and
tunnels echo daily To the clang of drill
and sledge as the hardy miners delve
after the metallic treasures OF these
great sforehouses.
Near the blacksmith shop, where the
not unmelodious ring of drills and picks
being sharpened Is heard all the day
snd tar into the night, little cabin
stands unobtrusively upon its rocky
foundation There is an air of neatness
about its hipped roof of nicely split
"shakes' and its carefully-hewn door
that speaks well for the patience, taste
and skill Of its builder. In fact, the
cabin is pointed ont as fine specimen
of frontier architecture.
The solitary owner and occupant of
hrx{I< Ern Il
out the camp as the Hermit" Not,
be it understood. because of his imita-
ting those poor old beings of ancient
story who dwelt in caves and fed at
the approach of any one, but simply be-
Cause he was taciturn. quiet old fell
low. who worked his mine alone, and,
when joining the rest of the men about
the f1ro in the saloon, always sought a
corner and rarely. If ever, took part in
the conversation.
He wns vastly different from the rest
At his fellow laborers. He never drank;
he never swore; but in his quiet, unob-
Husive way would sit and gaze intently
At the ire, unmindful Of the stories, the
hearty laughter, the social drinking and
the absorbing games of cards going on
around him Tall he was, with q de-
cided stoop In his shoulders; q long
beard. plentifully streaked with gray,
and pair Of weAried, restless, nervous,
yeaauing eyes, that somehow appealed
to the rough but good-hearted miners.
Mall came twice . week in Mineral
City, and the saloon was the post-ofiice.
Regularly upon the carriers arrival the
Hermit would join the crowd and listen
with m eager, expectant air as the su-
prescriptions Of the various letters were
read out by the saloon-keeper. and
then, when the last missive had been
reached and either claimed or set aside
he would lower his head and slowly
the fireplace with never a word.
Every mali that went out carried let
ter from the Hermit, always directed to
the same party, and every month he
registered one to the same address,
which the boys shrewdly guessed con-
tanned such money as the poor fellow
Was able to scrape together from the
scanty yield of his mine-the Alice.
The boys had often debated upon
writing letter to the Hermit, for his
continual expectation and his regularly
bitter disappointment touched them,
but they argued that it would not be
what he wanted, and so the idea was
abandoned. Several of them asked the
postmaster to lay aside their letters
without reading aloud their addresses
that the contrast might not be SO pain
fm to the Hermit, and none of Them
gave vent to any joyful ordinations
when the mail brought them favoEs, as
was their won't The old whisky key,
It the corner of the fireplace, was al |
ways reserved for the Hermit, and |
come when he might he never found it |
nor when sitting there was
he ever crowded. And SO these rough |
showed in various ways |
their sympathy for their lonely and |
silent companion. of whom they knew
nothing ave what his pinched, care
worn face and yearning eyes told.
One day the maid came in and the |
Hermit was not there. This was so
that it led to considerable |
speculation among the boys. Then
R0ney, whose lead lay near the Alice,
remembered that the Hermit had not
been 70 work that day or the day before,
md when night came on and the keg in
The corner remained unoccupied the
boys concluded that investigation was
"Pards, ! reckon the Hermit may be
, leetie of and might kinder need
help" said Georgia, IAN it sorter
strikes me we might call in an see."
As this met the approval of all the
men, Georgia and Roney started up to
he Hermifs little cabin. A dim light
srept around the edges of the old flour
Dack that acted as q curtain for the
little square pane of glass constituting
J window and, after consultation the
'wo messengers concluded to take a
peep before making their presence
Known.
Georgia put his face to the glass and
peered intently within The Hermit
1T ON the earthen floor enveloped in
'orn and miserable blanket. His hat
was on and his long, gray hair was
'sngied and unkempt. His eyes, which
Georgia could plainly see, as he sat
nearly facing the window, combined
With their usual pleading expression a
Iort Of feverish glitter, and the whole
lttitude of the man WAS one Of despair.
N his hands he held what appeared to
10 . photograph and an old letter, and
" never moved his eyes from them.
The rest Of the room that came with
n Georgia's field Of vision betokened
,Ieanliness, but at the same time ex-