Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1885-07-09
EVERYDAY TRAGEDY.
rrnaolor.,, IN petroIt Frse press. !

my door daily with whom have no ac-
quaintance.
These persons are not exactly those
who are called day laborers, but belong
10 that great class of working people
who are employed in Laboratories and
factories, in telegraph and telephone Of
fees, and in and about railway stations
and the like. Among them ell was one
man whom for many months | noticed
specially. II was not that his face was in
any way remarkable for beauty or at.
Effectiveness. Indeed. had it not been
for the expression it might well have
been called a very ordinary one-but
there wss something in the steady eyes
and in the sweetness and strength about
the mouth which found very interest
ing.
When first saw him he was already
verging upon middle age, but hi step
was still sprightly, and his honest yes
looked out bravely and cheerfully from
friendly Countenance
There was occasionally in his company
a Young woman, who evidently came
out to meet him. This happened often
est in spring and summer evenings
when the days here are at their longest
and finest. | used often then to watch
for them, for it was pleasant to see the
shining of the mans countenance and
the shy smile with which the girl
would turn to listen to him. |
needed to be no clairvoyant to dis
Germ how matters stood between them,
nor to guess that each had chosen wisely
and well. As the days slipped onward
perceived by changes in their manner
that my young people had been mar
rled. The girl came now almost daily
TO meet the man. She no longer held
herself shyly aloof, but leaned openly
upon his arm as she walked beside him.
They were always talking eagerly and
confidentially together, and could we'll
fancy the little domestic details she was
giving him, or imagine the story of bust
ness worries or successes which he
poured into the ear which listened so
alphabetically.
After a time il seemed TO me that the
world was going hardly with my young
people. Her dress, which had always been
plain and unobStTusive, now grew moro
and more simple, and missed the bits of
ribbon or dainty adornment, which had
heretofore made it fresh and jaunty.
Ny friends face, too, grew TO have anx-
ious lines about it, | noticed how his
straw hat did duty until late in the au-
tumn, and how shining and threadbare
was his clothing, with all the seams
showing white about them. 1t panied
me, too, as the weather grew severe 10
observe low scantily he was protected
from the winds of winter, and how he
stroye with comforter and mlttens TO
supply the place of the much needed
great-coat. But the shabbier grew my
friends exterior the more noble and
beautiful became his countenance, and
the very soul of patience and courage
seemed to look out at me from his earn
est eyes.
For time / lost sight of the young
woman, but at last one day she came,
walking slowly and dragging, with some
ehort, baby carriage behind her.
was shocked to see the changes a few
weeks had wrought in her appearance.
Her eyes were shining so brilliantly,
such vlTid hectic spot burned upon
either cheek and the cough was so hol-
low and frequent that | felt my heart
sink within me. It may seem strange
that ] made no effort 10 know person
ally these people in whom ] was so
deeply interested, but class distinctions
are the most impossible of barriers
here in republican America. |
knew that they desired no help or
charity, but would have resented bit.
terly any advance which they might
have construed into oiiicious interior
ence or even offensive patronage on my
part. So ] was forced to content my
self with watching and plying them
from afar. The poor baby was always
so frail and defeated creature, with
seemingly so loose a hold on life, that
was not surprised when very soon the
young mother came walking alone and
desolate and drawing no baby carriage
behind her. Her dress was cheap
black print, and the man when he met
her had on his shabby hat a scrap of
rusty black Grape by way of mourning
After this they showed even more
plainly the pinch of poverty and could
well fancy how their little hoard had
dwindled with the expenses of the
babys illness, death and funeral. The
poor young mother began to shrink and
dwindle rapidly also, and seemed al
most 10 vanish away like the snow in
spring time. She came very seldom now
to meet her husband, and when she did
so leaned heavily upon his arm and
walked slowly and YEARLY, and the face
was drawn and white which had so
lately been wreathed with smiles and
1imples.
And very soon she came no more to
meet him. still saw him almost daily,
but he had suddenly grown old and
STOPPING. His youth seemed TO have
dropped away from him like garment
His hair grew gray and scanty almost
in night season, and his face which
had long been so pathetic, now appeared
10 me almost sublime in its pain and
patience. Noyouthful comeliness could
have seemed 10 me half so touching or
beautiful as that worn face with its
deep lines OF suffering and fOrtitude.
j know that this was but very sim.
pie, everyday tragedy which had
been watching Just common work.
ingmans love and heart.break, with
nothing more terrible in il than a sickly
baby's dying and poor young woman's
wasting away in consumption, but,
after all, the great truths of love and
death, the agony Of passion, despair
and heart break are much the same TO
each one Of us daresay no knight of
Did loved better or more truly than did
any shabby workingman, or fought
more yaliantly against the monster that
6eset him, orfelt keener pang than he