New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-09-17
An Old Miners Story. !,

).
which mold .miner told me at the
Grand Pacific the other day was this:
1--WE hadput up the'cabin that was to
be;home to us.away up on the Yaller
Stone, andsit Nas.ln them times away
out ov sigktov civilization. Thar was
eeNen ov usraRd we was all mon who
had met the world all our lives the
wrong way. I reckon thar want q
man who hednt he'd the iron driv into
his soul and clincht on the tother side
Thar w3n't-a man in the crowd that
ever he'd asplesent story for to tell,
Thar wa'n'tya man as ever l know'd
who ever sung song. We called tbs
place Lonesome Ledge. We didn't git
together in any formal way, and we
niver past any resolution about how
good we were before or how as we was
goin' to reform. Ever man jist seemed
as it he know'd t'other one he'd q
tombstun in his heart and it were sacri-
ledge to 60 nigh it. All but one. He
were q young chap that we picked up
on our way out. He had hair as yaller
as my hands and kind ov q stoop in
his shoulders as If he he'd he'd q burden
put onto him afore his time. But he
had awful blue eyes that was as soft
and pleadin' in thar looks as the sky
above US. He sed his name was :Brixie.
IF he he'd emmy other we never .know'd
1T, and we didn't know whether Brixie
were his front name or his back name,
and we niver axed him. He were as
frail in his looks as one ov them beam
poles that used to be in the garden. FL
thar were ennything about Lonesome
Lodge that was easy Brixie allus got it.
One evenin' we was oil settin' round
Lonesome Ledge, each man lookin'
into the fire es ef he expected it was
goln to speak. Finally one seq, Nv har's
Brixiep seq he. Nobody could answer.
Ever man seemed to say in his face
Well, he'sgone, and that s the wayuvall
life.' We all laid down on the floor. and
q reckon we all went TO sleep. Men IN
our station don't stay wake NV nights.
Next mornin', when we woke up Brixie
were on hand, butsnobody axed him;
whar he'd been, and he never sed.
Well, that thing happened ever few
nights for nigh onto three months, and.
still nobody axed what it meant
NOR Brixie never sed word.
One night we saw him wash his
face and comb his ha'r. He he'd
some trouble to git it to lay down,
but he got it. Then he put some bar
lilo on his boots, and then he tuck his
coat and'beat it agin cedar that was
about as frail as he were. And then
!he put it on and walked away. Still.
mo- man axed q question. He were
gone the next night, and the next, and
the pext, until thar wuz enough
nights to make q week and enough
weeks to make . month. Still no man
laxed . question. One night whom
we wus all about to stretch ont We
iheerd knock on the door. IL bar or
ia painter or kyoot he'd walked in We
would hev thought nothin' about it, but
ito hear knock on the door Of Lone
some Ledge were q strange thing, and
made Us all look at each other. We
didn't 81 know what to say or do. Ireckon
mo man in Lonesome Ledge he'd heard
e knock on the door for more'n year.
But finally ono ov the boys got mp, and,
shakin . Of he he'd the aqer, he soz:
! why don't you come in, thar's the
latch string on the outside, sez he. The
door opened and thar were Brixie, and
~ 0O 0AN0 k06E were S0y-1OOKl0.
thing that were woman. It were the
Must MOmsn we'd seed in over . year.
lBrf{is jist brought her in, and he list
isez: 1(rs. Brixfe,. wife ov Brixie.'' I
never forRit that night. She made ~ 5
lsnpper with them little hands; she wasn't
iupthe tipsAnd then she sot down in front
Eoy the IRE and I know hers were the
IsWeetest song that were ever sung ii
them mountains. Then we al got up
land formed . sirkle about her and took
lher hand, and al Ct oncet somethin'
seemed to loosen the iron il our hearts
Iand thaw us out. We knowed now
why Brixie he'd gone away oy nights,
land that night We III slept out On the.
igr0lnd. except Mr.. and Mrs. Brixiey
INell ,ssir, not to tire you, Lonesoms:
Ledge were broke up, and we arc a
|goina back 70 Whar we come from II.
tho East years ago. All on account ov.
/ 1ls.a Brixie, whose purity face and
sweet songs fetched Us back Is our
senses and made men ov Us. That's
how lshappen. g be here tonight e 81