The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-12-10
BOwKER'S TRIUMPH.



side again. There, on June bridge, he
stood and watched the eddies circl
around the great stones, and found tina,
negative and bewildered comfort which
trouble always finds in running water
Meanwhile Selma had gone back to bed
and had there renewed her tears, and
was finding some comfort in running
water also. And, at the moment when
William stood upon June bridge, Abra
ham Cough, in suit of fannels, was
making his way to the day shift in the
Strip -and-at-it. Lest you should find
yourself too much disturbed by the
phrase, let me explain that the Strip-and.
at-it was q coal mine, so named by its in
mates from the cant phrase of some
"doggy" or ganger: "Now, lads, STRIP
and at it."
Poor William regretted his holiday
and longed for the hour when worh
should begin again. He beguiled the
heavy hours of the day by the compost.
ton of woe-begone verses, whereof for
tune has preserved fragment, which
here embalm:
The sun that shines go bright above,
Knows naught about my wrongful love;
The birds that sing in Wiginore lane
Bring nothing TO my heart but pain.
ds ~ Is very dlsmal tnng
While my Selma has gono off
To walk with Mr.. Abraham Cough"
vv;,l;or,,, , woo :, a., Ill r..
10 n rorv % d;snai T tb;n~ ~ 20 'o tho 9mw ,tnraa5 -
heart, grown egotistic through its pain,
,r;,b t'Ntbot tha s,,n I'LL si;np p"sn
tho Ill nI,o,,Id s;,,,, ;,,st 49, T Il.:,'.iu "iu
ond oa ,,o,-.;l,- as T tSoi' Jojs ,snuy
st;I, - a., "I III - ''iousn Noi'ii' WIS
''itt WILL, ~ au a',u ~. soiiIic' h;s ,,,
,;.,id I D''I,i;o 'Iom 80; n,ie ilieai ao u
and then strolled home again. still very
miserable, but a trife soothed bv tbe
verse-making process. He was due at
the mine at six O'Clock. and m hour he.
fore that time he was upstairs excbano.
ing his Sunday costume for the work.
day coaly flannels, when he became con-
scious of hustle in the street. Look
ing through the window, he beheld men
running hatless and coatless, and un-
bonneted, unshawled women hurrving
along as fast as their feet could take
them. Everybody ran in one direction.
and in the crowd he caught moments
glimpse of Selma andAher father. The
girls face was white with some strong
excitement, and there was n look of the
widest imaginable fear in her ewes.
Both hands were pressed to her heart as
she ran. A Black country collier's in.
stinct in q case like this is pretty likely
to be true. William threw tho window
open, and cried out to the hurryinp
crowd:
"Wheer is it?'
"At the Strip-and-at-it, some famll-
lar voice called ont as the struggling
crowd. swept by.
,.xu,. :. s,, ;,:
SHE nn H f,o ~ or;oJ 49, opS"thor "S%rh, o;oo
-. .ora,o al J.; aaoan1 a. Hoo 80,
10 - aIoo,. W;ii;o',, nj, o aosh
1ao go" n1 % hm'a;o5 i';nea,f 1iioo aInuo
Az na."t' n.t ""'' 'i"'iie' "i"'''ii "ioi'e
'no s'ies' o,
~ al, po's wv no saspuu, 1s n'
most figure in huirying mass. The
woman knew him.
"For Gods sake, lend me thy hand
Willy-yum." she gasped in answer. an,
Joe's in"
He caught the shriveled little figure
in his great arms as though the ole
woman had been n baby, and dashed OIL
again. Ave. the tale was true Their,
belched and yolleyed the rolling smoke
There were hundreds upon hundreds O
people already crowded upon the nj
mound and about the shaft, and from
every quarter men and women cam,
streaming in, white-faced and breathless
| William set his withered burden down
and pushed through to the edge of th
shaft. There was water in the up-cast
and the engines were at work ful
power. Up CANS the enormous buckle
and splashed its 200 or 300 gallons dow
the burning shaft, and dropped like
stone down the up-cast, and aftera long
long pause camo troubling and lahorini
up again, and yomited its freight aSai
and dropped like stone for more.
"Yo' might Just as well stand in
ring an spit at 1t, said bowker' VIII
his face all pale and his eyes on fir
SECT tho stinktos mp and let man
two go down.
'"Will yo' max one Bill BoWker
said biawny, coal smeafed man besl'
him.
"fls, ! WILL was the answer gave
ike bulldog groWl,
"ill maize another' sad the mah'
An NE, An me- An mo- efl'
a dozen more ,