Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-03-17

bility of each interested party, and the
 requirements of justice. stood out as
 clearly as the clouds, when illumined
 by the liy Innings. stand out against the lackness of earth and sky at mid night.
 Yet when he found himself in the office of the company, and had been introduced to the representative of the New To, stockholders, he did not feel l quite s' certain that they would see it in the same l ght in which he saw it; or 1 that the inspiration which had come to him had reached their minds also. Somehow that look of self-suliiciency and air of sured prosper ty brought back the clouds and made all dark l again.
 But he would not abandon the idea.
 He would point out the wrong about to be done. an1 ask for jus co.
 And so. slowly and brokcnly at first, and then rapidly, and With a native elo- quence that hs ungrammatical words could not hide. he poured out the story ot his hopes and fears, mingled with a bit of his past history: the wrongs he had suffered, he and his, and of his wlllin,. ness 10 give largely to help re- lmburse tine company for their expendi- tureS, if trey would stop the supply of water and so remove the danger which threatened his home.
 When he legan speaking. MT. Job berS turnel towards him with q look of surprise upon his red face that speedily turned to one of increduli'y, and both gave place to contempt. and when John Parsons ceased speaking the English man turned to his partner.
 ''Nell, Hi ncver,' he said, speaking each word separately and with empha- sis. "Hif e isn't a-haskin' of us to g ve up our hen erprise and let the gold remain in the ills. where it is no use to hanybody, just because the earth that composes 'cm may be washed down upon is blar,tci bit of ranch"
 MT .Jobbers' partner smiled. At least the muscles of his face drew back from the mouth sl ghtly. He evidently piticd the ignorance of man who could make suca q re ,uest, and who now sat w. tn his arm thrown about h s boy. Johnny having crcpt to his side while he had been speaking
 "Iou ev vdently fail to comprehend the situation, Mr. PArSons.' he said. ''What would your ranch be worth if you could not sell it's products?
 'GoId, he continued, ''is the worlds medium of exchange, and gold mus be had in order to cary on business. All trade and commerce would cease if the supply of gold did not kncp pace with the increased power of the production of the people. You yourself could not exchange your grapes and other fruits tor wearing apparel-the comforts and necessities of ifc-if it. were not for the gold whic is coined into money.
 We do not know,' he went on. ''why the gold was placed in such fine = In E., l. washed down in order to obtain it, but undoubtedly it was for some wise bur pose; and in bring ne it forth we are doing great thing for civilization, and tor the common people as well as the rich; so you see you are acting vey Scltishly as well as foolishly in suggest ing such thing as stopping work on the mines"
 And to all this John Parsons could answer not a word.
 He felt that his opponents reasoning was fallacious, even blaSphemous. That it certainly could not be necessary; that God could not have intended it to be necessary, that the very means of exist | cnce. the soil, which is the origin of all | wealth, should be rendered barren and valueless in order 10 ob!ain that with | which to exchange wealth; and that there was no justice in robbing him and his that others might possess more of | that of which they already had enough | for all theil needs.
 But he was not accustomed to areu- mcnt. He had just made the longest speech of his life, and these men jud ged 1t foolish and him insane. He could say no more, and he arose without word l further, and carrying his boy in his l arms, passed out of the building and | turned towards tho place where he had | left his horses.
 He had but onc thought now-to get back home.
 His wife, he dimly felt, would sym- pathizc with him and comfort him; that is. such comfort as she could give, which was all the comfort that he would ever know. He should never be anybody again; never hold up his head again among men. Powericss to protect those he loved, there was but one com fort left him-to hide in the bosom of his family, the mem CTS of whom would pity him although they might not be able to have much respect for one who l was q man. yet could not protect them l from poverty and suffering and hunger. | In his over-wrou.ht state of mind it seemed to him that his home was al- ready gone, and he would not have been surprised, could he have been sud- denly transported to his cottage, to have found it 8 mass of ruins, with the rose vine dead above the porch, and his vine yard, and orchard, and fields covered with mass of debris from the mines.
 He paid his bill at the boarding house without seeing the party to whom he paid it, watered his horses and hitched them 10 the blackboard mechanically, Il i'm. 0l or1 wit d look of such absolute hopelessness that even Johnny was silent. his young spirits overborne by the weight :, of his fathers woe.
 Several times during tho first half of the homeward journey the boy tried to arouse his father by pointing to some bird, or flower. by the roadside, but if he heard at all John Parsons replied to the lad QnlN in monaSyllahles or at