The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-09-10
A CHRISTIAN HERO
he Lays Down His Life for Friend and
Is Himself Miraculously Saved.

He Lays Down His Life for Friend and
Is Himself Bfiraculously Saved.
There are heroes in every class of life;
many name unnoticed and unknown
to fame is yet written in the Book Of
Life, enrolled ip the noble army of mar
tyrs who have laid down their lives for
others for his sake who died for them.
Such hero was Michael Verran,
splendid specimen and true type of q
Christian Cornish miner.
From boy he had lived and worked
In the dark mines, but he had learned
to lisp the name Of Jesus at his mothers
knee, and the dark galleries and levels
Of the mine did not hinder his having an
abiding sense of the Saviour's presence
One day in his full manhood he was
engaged with two others sinking a shaft
They had bored a hole in the usual way
for blasting, and then according to rule
one of the three had assembled the shaft,
leaving the others to finish the prepare
ton for firing the charge.
The hole was filled with powder and
securely tamped, and all that was left
to do was to cut the fuse and then for
one man to ascend the shaft and let
down the bucket for the last, SO that he
who fired the fuse might have time to
be drawn up to the surface before tho
charge should explode.
Michael and his companion had be-
como familiar with danger. They were
careless; and while tho fuse was at
tached to the charge. they set to work
to cut it through with q stone and an
iron drill. In doing 1t the iron gave out
spark, and in second the kissing of
the fuse told them that in few mo-
ments the charge would explode.
Both dashed to the shaft, and holding
onto the bucket, gave the signal to BE-
drawn up; but alas! the strength Of the
man at the windlass was not equal to
lifting two; he could wind up only one
man at time. ..-....
To remain was death to both, and it
was Michael Verran's turn to ascend.
He looked at his companion, stepped
from the bucket and quietly said;
Escape, lad, for thy life; shall be
in heaven in a minute"
Swiftly the bucket assembled, and the
man saved leaned over the pits mouth
and listened-listened for WHAT For
tho great roar and boom that told him
of the sudden destruction of the brave
comrade who had given up life to save
him.
Up came the smoke and rubbish,
binding and sickening. There could
be no doubt of the miners fate close
shut against that fearful hole. Yet
down they hurried, and among the scat
tered blocks of rock at the bottom of the
shaft they shouted in faltering tones
his name, "Michaell Michael! where are
you?"
And the strong answer came, "ThanlI
God, am here!'
Eager hands dragged away the rub,
bish and rock, and there underneath q
huge slab of stone that had blown
across him, and lodging against the end
of the shaft protected him from all the
rest. They found him safe; not q
scratch upon him nor his clothes torn
He had sat himself down in the corner
of his rocky prison, placed a shield Of
rock before his eyes and commended
his soul in prayer to God, and the God
who cared for Daniel in his rocky dun.
geon had delivered him and saved him
from death.
For years he had lived to tell of Gods
goodness to him and to lead others by
his example to the Saviour, and then
they laid him in the quiet country
churchyard, where the long grass now
waves over his sleeping place. But hi,
name still lives in the hearts of the
simple Cornish miners; his heroism il
still remembered by maiden and strip
ling, who have learned his story from
the aged folk who lived in the time
when the brave, good fellow gave him
self up to die for his friend and comradt
in the bottom of the pit shaft.
Greater love hath no man than this
that he lay down his life for his friend.
Christian at Work.