River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-08-25

NINE.
'Lillie, l will try to save your fathe
If | cannot, l viii die with him.
ooh, thank you," she said, looking
straight into my face. Come up alive
for my sakep'
With these words ringing in my ear
| jumped on the lift and was soon spin
ing downward into the vault of dark
ness and despair. The air was thicl
with noisome apors, and We could dis
tinguish nothing at first; but afte
awhile our lanterns revealed hug
masses Of coal thrown out of place, i'm
prisoning men in living tombs, for with
out fresh air life could not be sustain
ed.
On every side the mine had been rem
and torn, and instead of the wide pass
ages where the men worked all wa
blocked up with debris, and large shafts
Of wood used to stay up the mine lay
torn an twisted, proving the fury of the
power that destroyed them.
We gazed at each other in mute des
pair-then Selling any implement tha
came to hand begand to work with q
will. | never knew | could handle q
pick before, but certainly made 9
good progress, and succeeded in burst
ing open lead. one of the most i'm
portant in the mine.
"Here!" | shouted, as | found mum
Der of men piled together. "Come and
help me out with them. Some o
them at least are alive"
By the yellow light OF the lantern
recognized the party that had gone
down to the rescue. Lilies father first
He was insensible but still breathed
his arm was doubled under him and
broken; what other injuries he had
sustained | could not tell.
He was placed in the lift and 1t ook my
place beside him; as many of the Other
men as the lift would accommodate
we're laid there and we were soon on
our way to life and light.
The first face saw on gaining day
light was Lilies, in fact / saw it as ]
gazed upward anxiously; it shone white
and pure above the dark abyss of woe
from which we assembled like star Of
hope.
When we came into the light and
she saw her father lyingsin my arms
as | knelt to support him, she proved
her courage by neither screaming nor
fainting She assisted me to lift him
out and place him on litter that had
been provided.
| examined him now and found that
in addition to the broken arm Mr..
Hardwick had sustained other injuries
none of them necessary fatal, still
placing his life in great danger. at
tended to his wounds and had him re-
moved to his house, which was for
tunately near. Then l returned to the
mine All that woful day! as the sun
set that night there were sorrow and
weeping in almost every humble home
in the town.
| lost no time and the other doctors
were also kept busy. l visited Lilies
father about every two hours and ad-
ministered such remedies as | thought
were needful. | asked Mrs. Hardwick
if she wished another doctor, but she
"Ohl no. You saved my husbands
life and ! have every confidence in
your skill. Let the other doctors at
tend to the rest of the poor men,"
We had all of us enough to do that
day and many days after.
No more explosions followed, but all
the wounded men were not rescued at
once. Some of them were buried
among the loose masses of coal, and
had to be dug out.
Many who were given up for lost
were brought mp alive after all hope
had been abandoned. But the valley
was full of sorrow and grief, too painful
to dwell upon.
attended Mr.. Hardwick through the
long illness that followed, and with the
help of God brought him back to
health AMI strength as the hawthorn
was in bloom, and the robins began
their spring songs among the old elms
| saw Lille daily, and her sweet face
became dearer to me every time L met
her. She found time to visit among
those on whom the hand of God had
been laid, speaking words of comfort
and healing. \ true womanly woman
such as are given to bring men near
er to God than aught else can do.
1t was a beautiful balmy evening
when l paid my last professional visit
to her hOme-the perfume of spring
violets in the air and the dewy mist Of
early nightfall lay over the valley.
| found Lille sitting alone on the
sidcsteps of the porch, her iacework
lying in her lap.
ct is too dark to work, doctor" she
said pleasantly. II am taking advan-
tage of the lazy hour. like to sit here
and enjoy the perfume of my violets-
you know | have perfect mania fol-
flowers. Do you remember ! wore &
rose that morning-that ter
rible morning! ] do not think | shall
ever love roses again-their scent
brings it all back to me. One can
hardly imagine associating anything
terrible with the perfume of q rose, but
| do"
/ sat beside her and spoke on all sorts
of subjects except the one nearest my
heart-that | had not courage to men
ton.
/ paid my visit to Mr.. Hardwick and
told him it was unnecessary for me to
see him again in my professional cap,
acity
"Come all the same, my dear fellow
come as a friend, he said, pressing my
hand cordially.
Il His wife, a sweet, motherly woman
seconded the invitation, and | babe
them all good night. Lille sat on the
steps, though. | had seen her fitting
about the house while / talked with hel
father; as | passed out she held out her
hand to me, saying:
Here is something for you, doctor
No, do not look Mt it till you are al
home"
Without another word she vanished
leaving in my hand a small, white pack
age. As soon as | was in my ssrgery
| opened the paper; there lay the rose
my love wore in her bosom on the day
of the terrible explosion, and on the
paper, in her own pretty handwriting
the words of the poem | read to hel
among the maple trees.
1t was late, but did not sleep unit
| saw Lille again, and heard from own
dear lips that she loved me- Her par.
ents consented to our marriage, and
we are happy The perfume of rose
has for me no horrible associations.
Indians on the War Path.
SANTA FE, n. NJ, Aug. 14.-Indiar
depredationS fill the air, but must be
-. .:.t l,1,,-;I ,,y, IN1a allowance