The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-05-30

ers.
"Them's the words-sing them there
agin-'while them nearer waters rolls
sing 'em agin y
With startled fervor and deeper tre-
NOR of feeling that rung of victory, out
quivered the pleading words:
Jesus lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
"Them's it-stop right wher ye is, par
son-'while them nearer waters rolls
I've got suthin to say. Boys, ye all
knowed Dick Norcott2' A strange new
light was in this miners wol6sh eyes. A
stir breathed assent from the crowd, breath
less, voiceless, TO hear what all this meant.
For well they knew Dick Norcott-or had
known-young, quiet and strange when he
came among them, his life hope killed by
mistake that was not crime. Abused,
brow beaten, bullied, cursed and threatened
daily, uncomplainingly, and ever untiinch-
ingly he had worked steadily at his claim,
day in, day out, while the year ran, under
the bitter stigma of cowardice, for with one
horrible 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 bronzed men-and ''big Tom"
Ricket spoke again:
"Parson, We don't want no cantin, hip
percritical whang-doodle in ourn. We don't
want no cryin' an groanin over our onery-
ness. We don't want no brimstun an sui
phire slIuck onter us. We amt 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 di-
vide, 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 horour own agin
Calaveras, an asks no odds o'nobody-
amt it, boys p
"Bet your life !" rose in a shifting muir
mur from the sea of heads, stern procla-
nation Of reliance in self against the
world S worst, their fellow-men.
GAN what men needs fer men, fer work,
we'se got right hyer in these arms of ourn
and brawny muscles swelled beneath the
clinging flannel" but it's when them
nearer waters rolls 7
sParson, we called Dick Norcott coward
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 ii
cry, an hearn Dick yell. When | kim
on the jump, yander were Dick a wallerin
in the quick-san' arter the kid, the little un
so light he jus begin to sink, but Dick
knee-deep areddy with his weight.
"I kin see it yet-how he tore the
screamin' babby from the sans an thrOwed
him back like gy'nte inter the shallel
water an safe bottom when the mucky
shaky, hungry stuff had sucked him down
to the waist. How [ tried to fine 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 had
to fight outen it agin. An how screeched
for help-an' then cussed an cried when
we both knowed it were too late. An hin
a lookin' back to me weth the las sur
acrost his face an gal like hair, jes' like
yourn, parson, smilin that smile, sweetel
an quieter as babby on its mammy's
breas, and Tom, says he, drop that. !
can't 90 over the divide to that tppeP
'sThe sans oozed like under his strech
in out arms, an shook an sized an wig
gled like big coilup 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
painfully silent, chewed hard, not one would
look into another's face There was a sus
picious dimness in Tom Ricketts, eye when
his brawny hands went down.
"Then Dicks voice come gentler, like q
wind whisperin' Tom, says he, gin
my shanty to the widder, gin my washin
claim to Lame Blake, he amt no luck, and
tell the boys, Tom, tell the boys that-that
want afeard 7 His voice were clear e2
silver bell, nary shake, ez two little
swirls showed his shoulders was under.
"'Oh Dick AN ! swore, fallin' Oh
my face so'st | mightn't see the en-
sfergin us, Dick, fergin us, we didn't a
knowed yer Tom, says he, deep an can
an kindly liket, 'her amt nothin' to fergin
| never beared ye no gredge-but, Tom
gin every man fair shake an tell 'em
want afeard, Tom, tell 'em | want afeared
Goodbye ole man, goodbye"
II looked-parson, | sees him now
head throwed back in the sun an watel
roun' it, nary fraid in them boys blue eyes
O. his n, an him a smilin' up at the sky
seed no more. couldn LOOKOUT
hearn him sing out all to oncet like an an
gel in heaven. Parson, I'm tough, but my
heart hurts yit, an thems the words wha
he sung
Jesus, lover o. nay soul,
Lemme to thy bosom fly,
When them nearer waters rolls"
The great hoarse voice shook as it STUN
bled through the lines.
"'When them nearer waters rolls
How his voice rung ther-then so still.
hearn myself breathin' I couldn't look
nor think on it, nor listen fer cryin'.
could died right ther on the sans
When burst see, them-lyin', shiny, laugh
in, waters was splashih along in the sun
an up in the hills | seem to hearn then
words a cryin' When them nearer water
rolls, lemme to thy bosom fyF
''When the days an the nights an tht
work an the fghtin's jes' all, men OF
Kehoe's Bar don't need no sech, but it''
when them nearer waters rolls'-that' 4
what we wants.
"Boys, words what Dick Norcott could
die to n do fer men to live to Here's fel
a church at Kehoe's! Parson, sing them
words agin y
Into his huge sombrero chinked his sack
of dnst and as the words rang ont aSain il