The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-03-06
MISS PAPA,

Every morning when the miners en-
ployed in the mines at Berard assembled
around the shaft to answer the roll call.
there could be seen arriving last of all a
tall, sturdy looking fellow, who led by
the hand little girl seven or eight years
old. They were Michel Pierron ami his
daughter.
Before setting foot on 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 "Good-by, papa"
When the signal for the descent was
given she clasped her hands and kept re-
peating the single word "papa" until
she was sure that papa could no longer
hear her. Then she went on to the
school house close by, where she spent
the day.
when the evening came she was al
ways the first at the opening of the
shaft, and Michel Pierron was always
the first who came up. AS at.his depart
ure, he lifted the child in his arms, and
she threw her arms around his neck,
crying papa"
The 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 more ap-
piicable, Her father was everything to
her. Her mother had been dead long
time; she had scarcely known her; she
had only him. All her memories of
childhood were flied with him, To her
his great rough hands had been as gentle
as woman's. For her, his hard grimy
face had always worn tender smile.
For her, this man had become a woman
and child at the same time.
Ali how she loved her father, and
how terrified she was every morning
when she saw him descend into the great
black hole to which no one could see the
bottom.
One day miner held her over the
mouth OF the shaft, and she had gazed
down into the dark depths. Uttering n
cry of terror she drew back.
Papa goes down there" she thought.
"Oh, if he should never come up"
And that day, when Michel took her
in his arms as usual and kissed her, she
clung more tightly than ever to his neck,
and said to him:
"1oI will come up, won't you"
"Of course, my little one"
'ls there any danger, tell me, papa p
"Why, no, little coward"
docs anyone-oan anyone-die down
therel'
"Have no fear" replied Michel,
laughing; 81 will not die without let
ting you know"
"Ah GOODBYE papa.n
All that her father said was gospel
truth to her, and she went to school com
pletely reassured.
But the memory of that black gulf into
which her eyes had plunged could not
be eiaced, and from that time she was
afraid every morning aud tremblod every
evening; she feared her father would
never return from those mysterious
depths into which she had seen him
descend.
Was it presentiment2 Who knows?
One day the report suddenly spread
that an explosion had occurred in the
mine. In moments time a crowd had
gathered at the shaft. From all direc.
tions people, wild with terror, came
flocking to the spot. OF those buried
far below there how many would eyer see
the light agaiu9
MchePs daughter was at school. She
knew nothing of it, and besides if any,
one had spoken of it before her would
she have comprehended2
Could she know, poor little one, what
an explosion was? No. But at her age
one knows already what death is; one
understands at her age when one sees in
animate, multilated bodies extended
upon the ground, and the approaches TO
the shaft were strewn with them when
she arrived that evening to meet her IA
ther.
She was stupefed for a moment, and
then the truth suddenly flashed upon
her; she had seen those men 90 down
living those men whom she knew so
well, who had kissed her many time /;
and now they were brought up dead.
Would they bring up her father like
them.
This thought distracted her. She be-
gan 10 run wildly among the debris,
which they had brought up from the
mine, crying: Iapa Papa! Papa w
There were, it is true, many others
who cried and called "Papa!n but not
one in such despairing accents. The
others they drove back, but no one could
be found to push her away. They let her
run, poor child, from one body to anoth-
er, sometimes stopping before a dis.
figured face, hesitating for moment, as
if she feared she might recognize her
father u
No, he was not among the dead. She
grew calmer, and sought among the liv-
ing. He was not there. She questioned
every one, but one hal cen him.
OF the sixty miners who had went
down in the morning forty five had come
up alive; fourteen were dead. There
remained but one to be accounted for;
that cne was Michel.
She had made them explain all that
to her, aud she understood. She CLAIMED
her hands ioyously, as if they had said
to her: ''He is all rights You will see
him again" All how she hoped to see
him. Then she suddenly recollected the
morning on which her father had said to
her:
81 will not die without letting you
know"
1t only needed that to give her the GER
tainty that he was living,
child's faith is strong. 1t is not
easy to drive out an idea which has once
taken root in its mind. So, when the