The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-07-24

Not even step, through all these
slow, slow hours. II passing peasant
through the day had heard the lonely
cry rising from the depths, he had set
it down to ghost or pixy, and had
passed on his frightened way regard
less.
And now that night was wearing on,
and no rescue. l could not live until
morning. knew that. My mind
wandered again. My mother waited
for me; l must hurry home; but was
bound by chain, in outer darkness,
and was going to die. There was no
Christian in all the land to succor me
Il was forgotten and forsaken, left in
the pit-and / would unclasp my
hands AMI fall and die. No, l would
call again once more. "Helpl helpl
Mercy! help!"
As my fainting voice died in the dark
depths and quivered up to the glim-
mering sky, felt hope die with it, and
gave up all thought of life. turned
my eyes toward my grave below, and
murmured with parched lips:
"Out of the depths have Icried unto
thee, o Lord"
lAbUIC I'LL OLldJ ltbu 5ttfCO lily lltG
hitherto still trickled on, and it's sill
very murmur, as it dropped on the
rocks below was the sole sound that
broke the deathly silence around me.
My prayer was over, and l had not
relinquished my hold. l was stronger
than had deemed myself. l would
cry out again. "Help! help! help"
/ stopped. Illstened. Asound was
floating on the wind. Coming, coming,
joining the drip, drip, drip OF the ril-
then dying, then returning. Listening
with my whole being, recognized the
sound. Bells-chuch bells-chimes
Ginning in the New Year 20. God,
have mercy on me! have mercy on mel"
Bells ringing in the new year-bells
Ginning in the ears of friends, telling of
sadness and hope-belIs clashing in at
merry intervals between music and
laughter, loving greetings, kisses and
Joy.
Will no one in my fathers house
take pity on me? Am l missed no.
where? The bells chime a feasting
and gladness, and am here hanging
between life and death. The jaws of
the grave are beneath me, my Joints
are broken and the bells chime on.
Would it not be good deed on this
New Year day to save me? Oh, feast
ers and jewellers, hear me!
Help! hep. 1t is Christmas time.
Help, for Christ's sake, good people,
The bells float nearer and drown the
drip of the trucking water, and l cry
"Help! help" saying Now will call
till l die" A film grows overmy eyes,
but my voice is strong and desperate,
as shout, "Christmastide.F For Christ's
sake, help, good Christians"
A great light-a flash of fire! For O.
moment deem it death; gazing up
ward see, amid q G lare of torches,
faces-O they were angels to me-eag-
er faces peering downward. And close
to me swings torch, let down into
the depths; it's light falls on my hag-
gard face-a great shout rends the
night sky.
"He is here! he is safe!-he lives!"
cannot speak, though my lips
move, and my heart stands still as l
see one, two, three daring men swing
themselves over the abyss-miners,
used to danger-and in a moment
stout arms are around me and / am
borne upward, carried gently like a
child, placed an instant on my feet,
and then laid tenderly down on the
earth.aug@ETl so weary, and faint, and
worn, thaa lie with closed eyes, -nev-
er striving to say word OF thanks,
! "Go not SO near the brink, madam,
I entreatI" / hear voice cry sharp
H. Then I open my aching lids, and
! betWesn me and the shaft kneels O.
white figure; between me and the sky
there bends white face, and tears
fell down upon my brow fast and
warm. 1t was my betrothed, Florian.
But even when she stole her little
hand i'll mine mine so cramped and
numbed that it gave no response to her
tenderness-and even when she stoop:
ed and pressed her lips to my cheek, !
could not breathe word to thank
her.
Yet Florian, dear wife, let me tell thee
now that from the depths ofmy happy
heart there rose a hymn Of JOY, and |
understood from that moment that
thou vert mine, and l owe my life to
thy love.
Then thy sweet lips breathed words
that fell upon my soul like mama
words of tenderness and pity that
made the torture Of those slow hours
in the pit fade away, so mighty did
this reward seem for my sutIerings.
Twas carried to Trevesky, and aA
the men bore me along, you walking
by my side, heard them tell the tale
of my servants fright when my horse
returned home alone, and how they
came to your father for tidings Of me-.
Then they whispered of the painful
search through the day and night, the
tracking OF my horses hoOls upon the
snow, and the story of the scared
peasant; who all night long had heard
the cry oil tortured ghosts issuing
from the earth, And the sad story
seized upon my Florian with deadly
fear, and turning back upon the black
moor she tracked the hoof marks I'M
til they stopped upon the brink OF the
forgotten shaft, the shaft of the work
ed-out mine, well named the Great
Wheal Mercy.
There WAS found and saved by her
had loved so long. And, dearest, as
I slowly came back to life that New
Years morning and family whispered
to you OF my pent-up sorrow, you, IN
your great pity, thinking OF my suffer
ing in the shaft, poured out all your
maiden heart. And your loving words,
my Florian, were sweeter to me than
ever the thrilling Spring had been III
the Great Wheal Mercy,
So in q month you were my wife,
and now sit by happy hearth, and
looking down on the happy faces oil
my wife and child, / thank God for
that browning mercy-thy love, dear
one-which saved me on New Years
Day from dreadful death in the
shaft of the Great Wheal Mercy.