Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-05-17
nop. Your mother will tell you what

happy childhood had never lurl1ed eyes
which looked out upon life shadowed
by the wing of poverty and hopeless
misery.
~You may remember, sir, began his
mother, ~the great strike of the miners
in this region in the year lSS-- Sandy
my husband, was agin it, sir, from the
first. Well, sir" she continued, "the
men had been idle for months. but still
they clung to the hope that by holdin'
out their future would be bettered. II
was bitter cold and Sandy had gone out
to get the trust of pail of coal. He was
very white, sir, when he came back and
there was that in his eye which made me
shudder.
Why, Sandy, cried, my man, why
do you look sol
"For answer he pointed to the empty
pail
They would give me name, says he,
slow-like and husky; they viii nae
trust us more.
"'And why ? | asked, all of a tremble.
"' They mean to turn us out of the
house tomorrow he answered bitterly.
New men, my lass, are coomin' to take
our places at lower wages the day
@'But the BARN, our sick bairng
cried. She has been cryin' for a sup of
broth since mornin'. She is dyin', Sandy
--dyin' for the lack of nourishment'
- Ye maun get chicken, Sandy, cried
granny try it, mon. The darlin' is
starvin' can We no seeT
80 A chicken ? cried Sandy, with Bit
ter laugh. 'Ye maun as well ask me for
the keys of heaven, granny. They would
nae gle me trust of pail of coal the
morn. A chicken They would call me
mad an / should ask for it-=mad 7
"Well, SIR" continued the woman,
after painful pause, the next day was
cold and raw. A fine, drizzling rain set
in, which froze as it fell. The little one
was worse. She lay quite still now and
moaned no more.
They will never turn us out in this
storm, Sandy, with a sick BARN, / said (;
they can never be so cruel as that
"'The new men must have homes he
answered, despairing like.
"Just then came knock at the door.
Granny looked out the window, then
turned with white face and set lips and
grasped Sandy by the arm.
- BE mon,' she said, in low, deep
voice, be a mon, Sandy, and dinna let
them turn us out this awfu' day. Think
o. your dyin' bairn and be mon.'
Sandy shook in every limb, but an
swered not a word. There was a
louder rap now at the door. Granny
wrung her hands in agony, for just then
from the bed came low moan.
Broth cried the BARN; granny,
brothP
"'Open the door, Sandy said granny,
and taking the little one in her arms, she
stood like figure turned to stone in the
middle of the floor. There was silence
for moment when the door was opened,
then one of the men laughed.
Come he said, make ready to be
out of this by noon. You had your or
ders yesterday, Sandy, and we mean to
enforce 'em.'
IS But the BARN is near to dying an
swered Sandy, choking like, and sure
you will not turn us out in the stormY
- Well, if the brat be near dying, said
an officer, brutally, she may as well die
outside as in.
AThen, continued the woman, shield
ing her eyes with one hand, heard a
growl as like from wild beast, then a
cry Of mortal agony, and then"
Her voice broke and she half arose
from her chair and looked with fixed,
stony gaze straight before her.
AAnd them" queried, after painful
pause.
@And then, she resumed, with white
| lips, the man who had uttered that
cruel speech flung up his arms, swayed
to and fro and fell at Sandy's feet with
out life or motion. Then the rest sprang
upon Sandy, who stood there dazed and
horror stricken, white as the dead man
at his feet
al did nae mean to kill him, he said,
solemnly, with uplifted hand. God
above knows I did nae mean to kill him.
But the BARN is the light o my eyes, and
if any of ye be fathers, ye maun know
how-how-
He could say ne more, sir. for the
tears which choked him; tears wrung
from his great noble heart-a heart as
tender as woman's.
"'Coine, said the dead mans friends,
sayagely, come. We don't want any
more Of your whining. You'll get hal
ter for this days work, never fear.
"a halter r exclaimed granny, dazed
Iike-'a halter for my Sandy =
@Then she looked at the dead mans
face and laughed, such horrid laugh,
sir, that it curdled the blood in our
veins.
@The child no longer moaned, but lay
quiet within her arms. Sandy shook off
the hands which held him and stopped TO
kiss the bairn.
She's dead, he said, quietly my
Jenny, our pretty BARN, Is dead : and,
without another word, turned and went
out of the door, never to enter it again.
-SureIy, / stammered, he was not,
not"
/ c0uld not bring myself to utter the