Middletown transcript., 1891-06-18
Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fiy,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the temDest still Is nigh,

LAOl JOathinS sn~So "OAS~S f@~J
er.song:
Jesus. lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom 1y,z -.
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is nigh.
There was sharp, agonized cry in
the crowd struggle 6ghti==no
.an herculean gold.washef, wild and
unkempt, wrenched his way through
the swaying mob. .!ands leapiug TO the
plank, almost savagely clutched che
singer by the shoulders.
Them's the words-sing them
there agin-'while them nearer waters
rolls'-sing 'em agin y
With startled fervor and deep
er tremor of feeling that rung of
victory. out quivered the pleading
words
Jesus, lover OF my soul, te
Let me to thy bosom ny. ~
While the nearer waters ron,n IA
"Them's it-stop right wher ye is,
them nearer waters
rolls s'-I've got suthin' to say. Boys.
We all knowed Dick Nsrcott ?" A
strange new light was in this miners
wolfsh eyes. A stir breathed assent
from the crowd, breathless, voiceless,
to hear what all this meant. For
we'll they knew Dick Norcott-or had
known-young, quiet and strange
when he came among them, his life
hope killed by a mistake that was not
a crime. Abused, brow beaten,
bullied, cursed and threatened daily,
uncomplainingly, and ever unfineh-
ingly he had worked steadily at his
claim, day in, day out, while the year
ran, under the bitter stigma Of. cow
ardice, for with one torrible memory
ground into his soul, he refused for all
to fght-and became the butt of the
brawling camp. But when-there
was more than one sudden gulp
among those brenzed meH-and " big
Tom" Ricket spoke again:
Parson, we don't want no cantin' /,
whang-doodle in ourn.
We don't want no cryin' an groanin'
over our oneryness. We don't want
no brimstun an sulphire shuck onter
Us. We ain't the kind of ducks that
kin be skeered inter heaven. When
the days comes up, it's US an the
rocks, an the san an work, work,
work. When the nights comes down
across the divide, it's US an the dark.
to be tough, an kill time, an sleep,
until the days comes up agin, an
then back to the rock. an the san
an work, work, work. We kin do all
that. We has done it, year n year.
That's US /! Their we kin hol our own
agin Calaveras, an asks no odds O.
nobody-ain't it, boys"
Bet your life p rose 10 shifting
from the sea of heads, stern
proclamation of reliance in self
against the worlds worst, their fellow
men.
"All what men needs for men, fer
work, we's got right hyer in these
arms of ourn"-and brawny muscles
swelled beneath the clinging flannel
=" but it's when them nearer waters
rolls!
1" Parson, we called Dick Norcott
but one day down ther at two
mile bend, a homeless widder's babby
toddled inter the sans. 'Twan't no
uthly use, that babby, but Dick, out
perspectin', hearn it cry, an | hearn
Dick yell. When | kim on the jump,
wander were Dick a wallerin' in the
quick-san' arter the kid, the little un
50 light he jus begin to sink, Dick
knee deep areddy with his weight.
~ kin see it yet-how he tore the
babby from the sans an
throwed him back like a b'y'nte inter
the shaller water an safe bottom when
the mucky, shaky, hungry stuff had
sucked him down to the waist. How
l tried to fine a plank, an none in
miles. How / tried to rope him, an
the lariat were too short-him quiet
an pale-like ez death, advisin' an
suggestin', an me the only soul in
hearin'. How / fout along the edge
to reach him till my boot tops filled
weth san an l had to fight outen it
agin. An how I screeched for help
-an' then cussed an cried when we
both knowed it were it were too late
An him lookin' back to me weth
the las sun acrost his face an GAL
like hair, jes' like yourn, paraon.
smilin that smile, sweeter an quieter
as babby on is mammy's breas
aud Tom, says he, drop that. i
can't go over the divide to that tune!'
The sans oozed like under his
strechin' out arms, an shook an
sized an wiggled like a big coil-up
snake jes' under the slashin' water. =
The strong man covered his face with
his hands and shuddered as he lived
it all again. The crowd moved, pain.
fully silent, chewed hard, not one
would look into another's face. There
was a suspicious dimness in Tom
Ricketts, eye when his brawny hands
went down.
" Then Dicks voice come gentler,
like wind a whisperin'-'Tom, says
he, gin my shanty to the widder, gin
my washin claim to Lame Blake. be
amt no luck, and tell the boys, Tom,
tell the boys that-thar / want
afeard 7 His voice were clear ez
a silver bell, nary a shake, ez two
little swirls showed his shoulders was
under. 7
"Oh Dick !-an' / swore, a faliin'
on my face so'st l mightn't see the
en- fergin US, Dick. fergin us, we
didn't a knowed ye 7 Tom" says he.
deep an cam an kindly liket. her
amt nothin' to fergin. / never bear.
ed ye no gredge-but, Tom, gin every
man a fair shake, an tell EN- / want
afeard, Tom, tell 'em want afeared.
Goodbye ole man, good-byel"
81 looked-parson. / sees him now,
head throwed back in the sun an
4 al