The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-12-06
MISS PAPA.

Every morning When tho miners en-
ployed in the mines at B,rard assem-
bled around the shaft to ans wer to tho
roll call there could be seon, arriving
last of all, tall, sturdy looking fellow,
who led by tho hand little girl, seven
or eight years old. They wero Michel
Pierron and his daughter.
Bsfore setting foot upon the platform
of the car to descend the man took the
child in his arms and kissed her, and
then replaced her on the ground. The
little one cried, "Goodby, papa"
When he was upon the car she gazed
at him with two littl, anxious eyes, and
repeated 'Goodby papa"
When the signal for the descent was
given she clasped her hands and kept
repeating the single word "papn," until
she was sure that papa could no longer
hear her. Then she went on to the
schoolhouse close by, where she spent
the day.
When evening came she was always
the first at the opening of the sha It, aud
Michel Pierron was always the fir t man
who came up. As at his departure, he
lifted the child in his arms, and she
threw her arms around his neck crying,
"papa!'
Tho miners had heard her repeat
these two syllables so often, and had
been so struck by the strange passion
which she put into them, that they gave
her,the name of Miss Papa.
And certainly no name was ever more
applicable. Her father was everything
to her. Her mother had been dead a
long time; she had scarcely known her !;
she had only him. All the memories of
her childhood were filled with him. To
her his great rough hands had been as
gentle as a woman's. For her hi, hard,
grimy face had always worn tender
smile. For her this man had become o
woman and child at the same time.
All! how she loved her father, and
how terrified she was every morning,
when she saw him descend into that
great black hole, of which no one could
see the bottom.
Olo day a miner held her over, the
mouth OF the shaft, and sho had gazcd
down into the dark depths. Tutoring a
cry of terror, she drew back.
"Papa goes down there, T" she thought.
Goa, if he should never come up"
And that day, when Michel took her
in his arms as usual and kissed her,
she cluug more tightly than ever to his
neck, and said to him:
"You will come up won't your
"Oi course, my little one"
'Is there any danger, tell me, papaf"
"Why no, little coward"
'Does any one-can any one---die
down there2"
"Havo no fear" replied Michel,
laughing; 81 will not dis without let
ting you know"
| "Ahl Goodby, papa"
All that her father said was gospel
truth to her, and she went to school
completely reassured.
But the memory OF that black gull
into which her eyes had plunged could
not he cffacod, and from that time she
was afraid every morning and trcmbled
every evening; she feared that hel
father would never return from those
mysterious depths iato which she had
seen him descend.
Was it presentimentl Who knows
One day the report suddenly spread
that an explosion had occurred In the
mine. In moments time crowd had
gathered at the shaft. From all direc
tions people, wild with terror, cam
fooking to the spot. OF all those bur
led far below there how many would
ever see the light agaiu3
Micheps daughter was at school. Sht
knew nothing of it, and, besides, if any
one had spoken of it before her woult
she have comprehendedl
Could she know, poor little one
what an explosion vast No. But a
her age one knows already what dcatt
is; one understands, at her age, wher
one secs inanimate, mutilated bodies
extended upon the ground; aud the ap
proaches to the shaft were strewn will
them when she arrivel, that evening,
to meet her father.
She was stupefied for moment, ant
then the truth suddenly flashed upor
her; she had seen those men 90 dowr
living, those men whom shc knew we'll
who had kissed her many time; ane
now they were brought up dead
W uld they bring up her father Xix,
thom3
This thought distracted her. Sh.