Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1888-08-25
: STORY OF THE MINES.
HY MRS. NORA MARBLE.

1t was desolate scene as | wandered
among the pitfalls and abandoned work
ingS Of the Beaver Meadow Coal Mines.
In a hollow of an old and useless strip
ping lay IONS OF slaty waste, among
which CLEANED bits of coal here and
there. The mineral had long gone its
way to the market, and only the refuse
remained but even these bits the poor
about the district were forbidden bv the
owners TO CLEAN.
The winter had been a severe one, and
the coalhandlers' strike for a few pence
more day had augmented the sutferngs
Of the poor, not only in and about the
great city. but extending out to the coal
legtons as we'll for the barons had shut
down, and was not coal as dear for the
miners as for the richI
The place looked deserted and dreary
enough. but l walked on, musing over
the fate which doomed the generality of
men to tell and poverty, when suddenly
the figure of child arose from one Of
the heaps and stood before me, trembling
IN every limb, and piteons, scared ex
preston upon his wan, pinched little
face
=. ont be alarmed : said. touched bv
Bent you come to arrest me for
, pickin up the coai2' he inquired, falter-
ingly; ''ddn't the master, send ye'
At his feet now spied pail half full
4 Of the precious stuff
I'VE h'an't got no fire. he said grasp
1 ing the pail with his little blue. half
frozen fingers, "and poor granny has
| been >hivcrn' and mnanln and huggin'
! the baby awful close. sir. She thinks
/ that keeps it warnT, you Know
y wan smile fitted over lis face as he
4 saill,, but something in his tone brought
lump to my throat
And what is your name2' l next
inquired.
Jenny. sir
'sAnd your father where is he7"
81 dunno, answered the boy
81 ead1" | queried.
"Mebbe. ] dunno"
and Your mother1
His little lip quivered.
Mother went to work afore daylight,
sir. She goes out a washln' and scrubbin'
when she can git 1t. Well have some
supper when she gifts home granny and
me will and I'll have a fire. cause you
know motherll be awful cold and
tired >
WELL said, struggling with my
emotion, ''let US fill the pail, and | will
carry it.
1t was soon done, and before long we
stood upon the threshold of a miserable
shantv which the boy called ''home
He heeitatcd a moment before opening
the door
y on bent one of the masters now,
be ye he asked, solemnly
",'od forbid. answered. as seriously
And " amt come to turn US out O
the ,abin''
Never fear, | smiled Il come as a
f-iend not an enemy
For answer he opened the door.
Home \ carpttle>s floor, a bed, a
chair or two, a ie ess stove.
Covering close to The latter sat an old
woman grooming t. a babe which she
hela in her atps swathed IN ray>
III lie still, my BARN. she murmured.
startled by the opening of the door; ''lie
allt-the MASTERS shall nae touch yc,
never fear
oh those hollow checks. those
trembling ban3s. those stra9- Ing locks,
that bent shlycrin- form.
he ya.e,l At me eur ously 1t first, with
a vacant dazed like stare. then a shud
ier sneoh her frame.
BE ye on. . the masters, she IN
4ured, in husky 70 C.
so, | rcpl.ed, smiling. no"
| maun knoNcd it. sle sad, with
q nod The dell ne,er cooms smilln'
ard -and" here her voice fell to a whls
PEI ,.th" baroos are all sold to the'del
did ye know thar
made no answer. and she continued
her grooming II the babe ii her arms.
"llu>h, my barn. she said TO th'
motionless figure ''hush. thy father.
a-coonin "a coomin' home the DAY
Hast seen him. she cried, >uddeal,
| turning TO me; hast seen my Sandy
Ny puir boy. >andy-id he send ye
The bov look "a at me with 4 wlstiul
touching expression.
:" andy 5 the father he explained
who went away long ago.
Al this iuncture the door opened ant
! w9man abou, thirty Years OF age en-
tered, with every appearance OF wearl
oess AID heart sickness IN her form ans
face. !