Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1888-08-25
; or the first time the boys eyes

or the first time the boys eyes
ightcned
Mother he said, .1he gentleman
fetched home whole "a full Of coal
see and the little fellow spread his
hand, over 'hr newly kinded fire with
look Of pride AMI satisfaction.
Hush" whispered granny: the
fairn sieeps Wakc her not up, 10
misery a2an 1t We're a blessin', when
hunger cooms aud cold, Tor u all to
sleep. The ma sters canna sell sleer.'
she muttered, brushing with oneg toll
worn hand the stragyIing AockY from
her brow though they do >oyn our
bodies. they Gamma touch the soul"
Poor granny" sighed ,1emmys
mother " It's always the masters since
that awful day sleepn' or wakin', us
always the MASTERS
''Sh"' again whispered the old
woman, rising feebIy and depositing
her burden upon the bed 'sh- h the
BARN sleeps
THE child must be cold, said to
the younger woman. 'lts clothing
seems poor and thin.
he smiled strangely ana placed her
finger upon her lip.
'Tain't no real baby whispered the
boy; Its only a stick O. wood the
granny calls the BARN
looked az the boys mother inquir-
ingly.
Yes, said She 'the bairn died the
morning poor sandy was taken away.
+ Granny went crazed. as YOU see. which
was a mercy, sir, seein' as how she lovede
the BARN and Sandy better than life. y
The 'oid woman had returned to her
chair, aud. cheered BY the warmth, was
sinking into gentle doze.
Sandy" she murmured. 'Sandy's
eoomin' hame the day. The BARN will
/ nae mair cry from hunger. for the father
/ is coomln' hame.'
.Uf What dark day do you speak?'
inquired; ''and who took your hus
/ band away
The boy shuddered, and crept close to
I his mothers side.
She hesitated.
"Here, Jenny" hastened to say,
"take this money and 90 to the nearest
store Your mother will tell you what
/ to buy"
He was gone; but, nevertheless, | was
haunted by those solemn, pleading, wist-
full eyes ewes IN which the glad light Of
happy childhood had ne, er lurked eyes
which looked out upon life shadowcd by
the wing of poverty and hopeless
misery
You may remember. SIR" began his
mother, ''the great strike of the miners
III this region IN the year 1SS-. Sandy,
my husband, sir, was agin it from the
first. He knowed it meant starvation III
the end for the miners, and triumph for
the masters. | abor, sir, is the only in
hcrltance Of the poor and when there
no labor, there's no wages. and no wages
means no bread so while the masters
count their gold and mockingly bide
their time, the poor strikers and then
families must suner, naught being left
them but TO eat the bread and drink the
waters Of attlicton.'
True" I as>cntcd; ''too true"
'Well, sir, she continued, ''tre mel
had been idle for months, but still the,
clung to the hope that. by holdin' out
their future would be bettered hat tht
barons would see at last that all the,
asked for was wages enough to sweetel
labor something beyond the coarse tar'
and the corlfortless cabin which had evel
been their portion. So the day came
when even the bit of salt pork and BLACK
bread could no more be had at the com
pany's store on credit 1t was bitter cole
and andy had gone out to get the trust
of IA pail of coal. lie was very white
sir. when he came back, and there wa
that in his eve which made me >hudder
''Why, sandy cried, my man
why do YOU look SO ~
For answer he pointed to the empt'
pail
''Thev would gle me name, says he
slow like and husky, they Will nae trus
Us more.
.'And Why | asked, all Of tremble
g They mean to turn us out OF tn
house tomorrow he answered, bitterly
New men, my lass, are coomln to TAX
our places at sixty cents the day
Foreigners. Jenny, at sixty cents tn
day
But the BARN, our sick hairn
cried. She has been erwin for sup 0
broth since early mornn' She !
dvin. Sandy-dyin'- for the lack o
nourishment,
SANDY rroaned He was bic
brawny man. SIR, wiIlin' to work, ans
he well-nigh worshiped the little on
which lay there moann' and cryln' 70
the broth which he couldn't give her
..le maun -et chicken, Sandy,
cried granny try it. mon The darllr
is starvin, can ye no see.
"A Oh ckcn2 cried sandy with
b tier laugh .Ye maun as vel ask m
for the key Of heaven. granny. The
would nae Gle me the trust Of a rail {
coal the morn. \ chicken they woul
,,II 1-,,,o NOD an shall ask for II