St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1892-12-24


$40, p'EAsE, GOOD MR.. SANITY TAUs,
BRING Us sUMFIN TO EAT ANYWAY.
Mr.. Andrews came from behind the
screen with tears in his eyes and in his
silently poked into the little stocking,
and then, sitting down again, sank into
reverie. Mr.. Brattle did not disturb
him. Silence reigned, broken only by
the mournful howls Of the wind, which
rose after midnight. At length the two
men whispered anxiously about Hngh's
protracted absence. Something they
feared must have happened to him. He
came with the dawn, looking so worn
and haggard that his appearances
startled them. They didn't know 1t,
but he had gone through over twenty
hours of almost continuous exertion
without morsel Of food, and that as the
elimination of weeks of starvation. He
reported
Zone Of the men, the most important,
had gone to Laurel Run, and went over
after him. .
ssFourteen miles, there and back, over
an exceptionally abominable mountain
road" Mr.. Brattle explained, soto yoee,
to his companion.
'sHe will be here" continued Hugh,
ssbefore o'clock. thought Miss Brat
tie might be anxious. SO stopped on the
way back to tell her you were safe, SIR
Thank you, Hugh. That was good,
kind thing to do, and not a little one, for
il took you good half mile out of your
way, and you must have been very tired.
"Oh, that's nothing, sir. I'm glad !
went
| ibid you see Mary herself3''
s.The minute after | knocked. She
was SO anxious she had not gone to bed.
but when left her mind was easy. She
told me to wish you o merry Christmas.
| sir"
Ny Godr' exploded Mr.. Andrews.
"The idea of a merry Christmas here!''
1T depends on you, " responded Mr..
Brattle to him in low tone.
Presently Mr.. Corrigan, tousled, testy
and surprised, emerged from his bed
room. All the hospitality at his COM
mand he extended to his yisitors-he put
more coal in the stove. Then he took
down the woman's gown from the
clotheshorse and handed 1t into the bed
room that Mrs. Cerrigan might dress
herself. When she came out she brought
the coarse gray blanket from her bed
and laid it over the sleeping child in
place Of the jacket, which Mr.. Corrigan
then put on.
Mary Brattle came over on horseback
at very early hour, bringing with her
a big basket full OF bacon, bread and
coffee
Il knew you had guests this morn
ing" she said to Mrs. Corrigan, whom
it is my duty to take care of, SO hope
You will not be offended at my helping
you to entertain them Her tone was
SO frank and friendly that it won the
.matron's good will at once, and no re-
bellious pride prejudiced her against the
prospect of a good breakfast. In few.
minutes the bacon was sizzling in a pan,
and for the first time in many months
the aroma of coffee amazed the atmos-
phere of the miners home. Alice
awoke and shifted it. With scramble
and plunge she was out of bed and in
the middle of the family room, staring
with wonder dilated eyes at the prep
arations for breakfast and quite OBJ
livious of the presence of strangers.
Throwing up her hands, with q shrill
scream Of ecstatic joy, she cried:
"Oh, gran'ma, Sanity Taus did tumi''
The strikers committee appeared on
time. and the superintendent formally
introduced to them his companion, Mr..
George Andrews, the new president OF
the Black Eagle Coal Mining company"
aMen,n said Mr.. Andrews to them, II
have only recently been elected to tho
directorate and made president OF this
comrany. Until now have never been
! in the anthracite country, knew nothing
| of the conditions of existence here and
would have been powerless to change
the company's policy if had known.
All that Is changed. We have new
management. know the facts thanks
to Mr.. Brattleand am happy to say
that have power to act as my judgment
| dictates. Work will be resumed in the
colliery tomorrow at old rates; shut
downs will be rare in the future, and
all the old hands are invited to take
their places again except the Slays
and Hnngarians; we will have no more
Of them" !"
The happy news few abroad as light
spreads when the sun rises; joyous hur-
rahs everywhere welcomed the ending
OF the strike, and merry Christmas.
was heard on all sides from lips which
certainly would not have uttered the
words that day except perhaps in bit
ter ony-but for the unexpected ending
Of their misery. And Mr.. Andrews
helped to make the day merry one by
ordering the opening of the company's
store and distribution of such liberal
largesse Of provisions as banished hunger
I~and carried comfort into every honest
home in the community.
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