Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-03-13

Qeckeu CeudTS VI luS HlOuHJdlhS, AO VIII
come Unexpectedly upon small white
wooden cross, standing, az if on guard,
OYER grave close beside the trail. its
only surroundings being the moaning
pine trees and the endless waste of snow.
Ofthat simple cross, rudely carved by
knife in some friendly hand, is the
name and date:
PHILIP M'GINN,
April 7th, 1888.
A little above, certainly not many hun
dred yards, but out of sight around the
sharp spur of the mountains, are situated
the great Bolton coal mines, their tall
wooden shafts rising up in the midst of
the solitude, noisy with never-halting
machinery, and surrounded by marks of
never-ending toll.
Here and there, along the gulches and
the canons, which are crossed in every
direction by black ash paths, can be seen
the little wreaths of smoke curling up
into the blue sky, showing. where the
dark Drowned delivers in the depths below
make their humble homes.
The snow lies trampled and dirty from
the pit-housc in every direction, and the
great heaps of slack show the employ
ment of a large force of workers.
Not one of them all to-day but as he
passes that lonely grave beside the trail,
will reverently bend his head and feel
that, standing there, he is very close to
God. If you have time to listen, l will
tell the simple little story again for you.
l was acting as foreman over the night
shift at the "Mohawk" mines all that
winter; hard, rough job enough it was,
but was all I could get to do; and this
boy, McGinn, was "helper" in Shaft
No. 3.
remember we'll the night ne first
came to us. 1t was in December, rough
and clustering outside, so that even the
thin boards of the little shaft-house af.
forded small protection from the wind.
| was huddled close to roaring fire,
trysng to study out some plan for max
ing the Snake river dam safer before
spring foods should come. Close as
kept, the red flames roaring up the chin
ney, yet would shiver, as a heavie
blast would come sweeping around tht
| euQe Oh JU0 mountain dnu phdhO Ill
cabin as if it were in air.
Just then some one knocked at tn
low door, and without even glancing u
bade whoever it was to come in.
A burst of icy wind swept over me,
foot shuff1ed along the floor, and
turned-to see q strange boy standin
before me. his ragged, patched clothe
covered with snow, his face red from th
wind, and pair of big blue eyes look
ing up anxiously into my face.
"What is it, my lad3" | asked gentl!
for something about his forlorn appear
ance had touched my heart with pity.
His eyes fell to the floor, and he stoo
there for an instant twirling his ragge
hat in his cold hands without saying
word. Then he gulped out, as if MAJ
fully trying to keep back the tears:
"Please, sir, want some workm
His voice was honest, his face earnes
his words true.
"Sit down, my little man," l saic
kindly. "Where are you from2"
He put his well-worn boots out t
ward the heat of the fire and locke
straight into my face as he made answe
"From Trinidad, sir. left there tn
molning."
"Trinidad3" I echoed, in surpris
glancing at the snow beating against t
windows almost like hail. "Why, tn
is fifteen miles from here"
'1know it, sir" He shlvered littl
'It was very cold, but they said / cou
get work here"
"You are rather young for the mines
l began, but he leaned forward eagerl
ooh, sir, don't say that! Father
dead, and l must work. | am strong
indeed l am, and l must work, or WI
will become of Maryl"
felt the tears in my own eyes in sy
pathy with his.
"Maryl" 1 said. "And who is Mary
h "She is my sister, sir. She is {
Il there now waiting to hear" and
pointed over his shoulder to the door.
tYour sister out there in this storm
', and in surprise started to my feet.
! ayes, sir. She is peculiar, Mary
and she would wait there till l ca
back
'e "Then for heaven sake, bring her
"A she shall share my fire anyway"
Without answering he opened the d
and went out into the snow. In
moments he came back again with
sister, a slight-built, brown haired {
of fifteen, as poorly dressed as hims
and shivering with the cold.
| took her small, chill hand in
own, and drew closer to the warm
For a moment none of us spoke; t
20 she looked up anxiously into my face.
"Did you give Phil something to
sir?" she asked.
To resist the pleading hope in her
voice was more than could do. Sw
by sudden thought of my own sist
far off in an Eastern city, | bent de
c,e and kissed her white cheek.
ito "He shall have work" said, gray
,n- "if have to make place for him. "
And the sudden light of happil
which sprang into the blue eyes was
grand reward.
But this is McGinn's story and
mine, and must hurry on to its sad
tragic ending. found the boy odd
:. to do about the shaft at first. and a:
Wy proved always able and willing, ]
vanced him in few days and placed
upon the night shit as "helper" al
foot of the shaft.
m" ,r% The girl and boy-for she was tn
der of the two, and quite a womi
took possession of an old, tumble, d
shanty lclose to the trail. helped
i fit it up as best we might to keep GU