Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-06-20

crowd made a move, bu: when every one
of us realized that it would cost four or
five lives there was a lack of enthusiasm
to begin operations
l used sometimes to wonder what bs
past had been-if he had heart like other
men-if there was better nature deep
down which none of us had ever seen?
Sometimes caught him looking steadily
into the camp fire, as if the flames were
weaving picture for him. Then the hard
lines of his face would soften, the evil look
fade out of his eyes and Bully Ben"
would appear to be a stranger to our camp
One day he got caught in cavein on his
claim and was terribly injured When the
fact was reported almost every man re-
Joiced over it. 1t was at first expected that
he would pull through after a bit, but it
was soon discovered that he was hurt in
ternally ard that it was only question of
hours when the end would come
1t was an unwrtten law with us that
when miner got hurt or fell sick, the one
whose claim was next to him on the right
should attend him. | was next to Ben.
and so 1t fell TO me to nurse him as best |
could. From the first he had no com
plants to make and no questions to ask.
1t was almost shutdown one afternoon, and
the mark of death had been plainly
stamped on his face, when he quietly said
to me:
Last night dreamed of Mary and the
children. ! saw them coming over the
hill, and they kissed me before ] died.
Poor Mary-poOr childrenP'
looked down into his face, and there
was such change that | could hardly
credit it. 1t had grown soft and gentle,
and the eyes might have belonged to a
woman. There was something to touch
the heart in his voice as he turned his eyes
to the open door and continued:
Yes, Mary and the children. She was
leading them and they had come to see me
die. Do you think they will be here in
timer
| soothed him as best | knew how ~
pretty soon he seemed to fall asleep. ia /
ness had hardly come before the great suI!
moon lifted herself above the hills and
poured such a food of light down upon
our camp that it was like day again. sat
at the door looking out upon the glorious
sight when Bully Benz aroused from his
lrIhargy and said:
Mary and the children are coming ova
the trail must watch for them as they
come over the hill! Draw me to the door
and let me be the first to see themr
! moved his cot into the doorway and
propped him up that he might face the
hill The blindness of death had already
come to his eyes, but after a minute or
two his vision seemed to grow clearer.
and he pointed to the fir trees and called
out:
Il knew they would come! 1t is Mary
and the children, and they will kiss me be-
fore die,''
looked up at the three trees-"Mother
and Children"-and for n time believed
them to be human beings pausing there
moment to look down upon our camp.
had never seen the moonlight bring them
out in such a way before
"May-children-I knewr'-
had turned my head away. heard
him gasping, and when | looked down
upon his face again he was dead left
him lying there in the moonlight for the
men to look upon rs they filed past They
wondered ut the smile on his face, and
when told them of Mary and the children
and of his vision they said:
Then he had Il heart, after all and to
morrow we will lay him away in grave
under the fir trees. NJ. QUAD
What the Hon. George G. Vest says IN
IeS"lu w Tue superiority Oh Tue hlrsCn>
berg's diamond and nom chapgeable spec.
ts Giles:
Il SIN using glasses which purchas ed
from Prof. Hirschberg and they are the
best | ever tried; it affords me great
pl essure to recommend Prof. Hirschberg
as an excellent optician, and his glasses
are simply unequalled in nv experience.
G. G. VEST
These spectacles are for sale by 7. H.
Thomas, agent for Rock Island.