Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-01-28

1QYOluuLaTu1 ne IOSo W Ills 16Gb dllQ
bowed, but as the girl only seemed to regard
him as one might look at a circus tumbler,
Philip relapsed into his seat, in the hum1lla-
ton beauty can put upon the greatest of us.
"Nothin' but cold potatoesl Well, 1 guess
they'll do with a little salt and a piece of
bread"
"Did Curran speakF' asked the girl.
eyes" answered Philip. .,"And who is he
"a common laborerg" Then he bit his lip.
But nobody took offense, no one suspected
their guest of being anything above COM
mon laborer.
SONY laborer," answered Graves, ga
weaver, but he's got some book knowledge
somehow. There amt many can beat him
/ at talkin', is there2n
The girls eyes were on Philip now, impa-
tient, as he fancied even for his poor tribute
to her lovers praise.
''He is wonderful" he assented, "but what
don't understand is, that he can be such a
man and still a weaver. Where did he learn
| it allF'
"Have you got enough to eats Well,
knowledge has got pretty well through all
classes now, for those as wants it, It's there
. for all who have eyes or ears for it. Why,
| friend, where have you been all your lifei
Brains and hearts don't go by station. I've
found smarter men in shops and mills than
most we send to congress- There's thousands
like Curran, if they only got the stirrin' he's
had some way Now, Jane, it's about time
you got this mans bed ready"
Philips heart jumped. OF course hs
couldn't stay, but what excuse could he give
for coming at all, then9
'Be you loohin' for job2" asked Graves,
after his daughter had left them.
i, hall h. had ka
wanted ito put one spark of happiness
. into such lives as these, but he nodded. The
| man looked him over rather disparagingly.
''WelI, wash yourself up and black your
boots d bit, and l guess l can do somethin'
for you in the mill. It's hard work and
small pay but we never had better, you and
me. We don't well know what we miss bein'
poor, we miss it such big ways"
Show long has Curran lived here?" asked
Philip incoherently. The man stared at him
q moment.
'Ohl Curran, he amt been here more'n
six month. He amt got no folks; he lives
down to one of them factory boardin' houses
but don't have no friends, or talk about any
thin but what you heard tonight. But it's
all useless" Graves looked gloomily ON the
floor. 1--WE amt got no show; the rich are
too many for us, guess it's human nature
for one man to boss the crowd or it wouldn't
q always been SO. There's the girl, she'll
show you where to sleep. Be up early in the
mornin, now"
The only course for him seemed to be to
follow the girl, and Philip rose to his feet
"Good night" be said. The sick woman
opened her eyes in surprise. Such people as
they found no time for amenities in their
dreary home. Graves looked around.
"What? Oh yes, goodby, but I'm goin' to
see you in the mornin."
His bedroom, on which the roof encroached
rgreedily, was newly whitewashed, or else was
seldom used. His lamp sat on a wooden
chair with no back to it, crowded by tin
wash basin, with his portion of water half
filling it, and round black ball of soap.
Then Philip turned to look at the bed they
had made for him on slat bedstead with
low headboard but not so low as the thin
pillow. How many times must anybody
double the pillow to make it fit for his headg
For a counterpane was the girls plaid shawl;
he had seen it on a nail down stairs. Poor
little girl, she would want it very early in
the morning. Then he glanced in the eight
by ten looking glass that hung on the white
wall Disguised his own father would not
have known him, and he had sensation of
double consciousness as he saw his own re-
lection. Perhaps Graves was disguised too,
and all the i'll dressed men he had seen that
evening, who suffered as much in their
g1etched lives as he could, who could
Rnjoy all that frightened his own life
much. And clothes made the
Inference between him and them, apparent
Y, perhaps really. The world managed ac-
ording to the clothes standard--for the man
Eho could borrow broadcloth suit, COM
orts, consideration, happiness-for the man
overalls, weary days, cherries houses,
unger and-bah. Phillip pulled off his
reat boots and threw them angrily across
be room; he did not know what to make of
all.
He did not propose to spend the night here,
course and face the family and his job in
be mill in the morning, but he might as
ell lie down till the house was asleep and
cape became possible. But he could not
o down with all his paint on and spoil
he poor little pillow. So he takes Off his
GLOW whiskers, and makes such good use
the basin of water and tho ball of soap
hat when he next looked in the little
irror he saw no longer the road dusty
amp, but the fresh, kindly face Of q young
an who has never tasted of the bitter foun-
Iins of life. He started as if he had been
lot; the windows had no curtains, and any
hsserby might have seen his transforna-
pn. Then came heavy step on the stairs.
blew out the light and buried himself in
10 bedclothes. In moment more the door
ened and Philip was breathing heavily.
k'AsleepT it was the voice of his host.
Well, s'pose the morning will do. Pretty
red, guess; wonder how far he came to-
w and Graves clcled the door after him
ID went down stairs again.
OF course Philip was not going to sleep, but
ere would be no harm in just closing his
as, he could think so much better.
Here he was drinking in the very life of
poor, a strange, terrible life he had never
lilly imagined before He had seen how
rn and broken were their men, and read
pathetic lines of despair and sullen
atchedness written on their faces, as if in
mt reproach to the providence that had
ilcted the unsoftened curse of life on them.