The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-08-02
An Old Miners Story.

According to my memory the story
which an old miner told me at the
Grand Pacific the other day was this:
"We had put up the cabin that was to
be home to us away up on the Yaller
Stone, and it was in them times away
out ov sight ov civilization. Thar was
seven ov us, and we was all men who
had met the world all our lives the
wrong way. l reckon thar want a
man who hed'nt he'd the iron driv into
his soul and clincht on the tother side.
Thar wa mt man in the crowd that
ever he'd a plesent story for to tell.
Thar wa mt man as ever [ know
who ever sung q song. We called the
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 iist seemed
as if he know'd t'other one he'd a
tombstun in his heart and it were sacri-
ledge to go 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 a kind ov stoop in
his shoulders as if he he'd he'd 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.
Eff he he'd emmy other we never know d
it, 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 bean
poles that used to be in the garden. Eff
thar were ennything about Lonesome
Lodge that was easy BriXie allus got it,
One evenin' we was all settin' round
Lonesome Ledge, each man lookin'
into the fire es eff he expected it was
goln to speak. Finally one seq, 'Whar's
BriXie?' seq he. Nobody could answer
Ever man seemed to say in his face
Well, he's gone, and that's the way NV all
life We all laid down on the floor. and
| 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, but nobody 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
lie on his boots, and then he tuck his
coat and beat it agin a cedar that was
about as frail as he were. And then
he put it on and walked away. Still
no man aXed question. He were
gone the next night, and the next, and
the next, until thar wuz enough
nights to make week and enough
weeks to make month. Still no man
aXed question. One night when
we WIS all about to stretch out we
heerd knock on the door. If bar or
a painter or a kyoot he'd walked in we
would hev thought nothin' about it, but
to hear a knock on the door of Lone
some Ledge were a strange thing, and
made us all look at each other We
didn't know what to say or do. reckon
no man in Lonesome Ledge he'd heard
a knock on the door for more'n a year.
But tinaHy one ov the boys got up, and,
shakin' as eff he he'd the ager, he seq:
why don't you come in, thar's the
latch string on the outside, sez he. The
door opened and thar were Brixie, and
by his side thar were a shy-lookin'
thing that were woman. 1t were the
fust woman we'd seed in over year
BriXie iist brought her in, and he iist
SEE: Mrs BriXie, wife ov Brixie" /
never forgit that night. She made us a
supper with them little hands; she wasn't
up the tns.and then she sot down in front
ov the fire and know hers were the
sweetest song that were ever sung in
them mountains. Then we all got up
and formed a sirkle about her and took
her hand, and all at Oncet somethin'
seemed to loosen the iron in our hearts
and thaw us out. We knowed now
why Brixie he'd gone away ov nights,
and that night we all slept out on the
ground, except Mr.. and Mrs. Brixie.
Well, sir, not to tire You, Lonesome
Ledge were broke up, and we are all
goin' back to whar we come from in
the East years ago. All on account ov
Mrs. BriXie, whose purity face and
sweet songs fetched us back to our
senses and made men ov us. That's
how | happen to be here tonight -
Chicago Herald.