Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-03-14
called % on good suthority-you won't
mind striking palms with me-"
Ishook him by the hand pretty vigor.

$3.50 ~ '>,~ s~ kAS'sy 'so~~
ously.
"You've got . middling strong grip OF
your fist for one Of the overgrown sort.
said he. "Where's your friend. John
Brentr
"Here in London. searching for Miss
Clitheroei"
"Wheres your horse-the blacky
"Deadl Shot and drowned In the Mis-
souri. helping OF fugitive slave"
"That's brave. Well. Richard Wade,
my dear child Ellen Clitheroe and her
father are here in my house. They are
safe here, after all their troubles, mp In
that room where perhaps you marked the
roses In the window. She has been sick
at heart to have heard nothing from you
since she came to England. It will be
the one thing she lacks to see you, and II
you will let me say few words to you
first, I'll take You to them"
"Go on. II you have protected my
friends, you are my friend, and want
to hear what you have to say"
III am short, and shall try to make q
long story short" said Padiham. II
wish to tell you. In a few words as l
may. why Mr.. Clitheroe and his daughter
are In my house.
"Look at me, q stunted mani Life In
Q coal mine stunted me. suppose ! was
born underground. know that never
remember when was not at work,
either harnessed like dog and dragging
Goals through q shop where ! could not
stand upright, or. when I grew stronger
bigger I was not to grow-down In
the darkest holes, beating out with q
pickax stuff to make other mems houses
warm and CHEEKY. II had had air and
sun and light and hope ! might have
been shapely man.
at was In Lancashire, the coal mine
where had been shut up, boy and man,
some twenty years, rs l reckon. There
came one day q weakly man, who hadn't
been used to work hard, into the shaft,
and they put him at drawing out the
Goals I dug. Hugh was the name he
gave, and he hadn't been long enough
underground to get his face black be-
fore wei baptized him Gentleman Hugh.
I had never seen gentleman to know
him, but ! had feeling Of what one
ought to be, and 30 had my mates In the
pit. Gentleman Hugh seemed TO us to
suit the nickname we gave him. We're
roughs down In the coal pits, and some
Of us are brutes enough; but Gentleman
Hagh managed to get us all on his side,
and there wasn't q man OF US that
wouldn't give him lift.
"Gentleman Hugh took a fancy to me
and 20 did / to him. Nature had mis-
used me and life had misused him. We
had something to pity each other for.
But I had the advantage In the dark
damp hole where we worked. had lost
nothing; knew Of nothing better; ! was
healthy and strong II was stunted; !
could help Gentleman Hugh and save
him wearing himself out. And 30 ! did.
He was the first person or creature ! had
ever cared for.
II did what could for him In tighten
Ing his work. but he gave me back hum
ilred times what could give. was
hands without head, or without any head
that could make my hands Of use. He
had head enough. and things In his head,
but his hands were never meant Tor
tools to get living. Gentleman Hugh
walked mp my brains. l knew how to
pick and dig. and sometimes wondered
II that was all should ever be at. But
air and daylight seemed as II they did
not belong to me. ! was drudge apd
never thought Of anything but drudginG
until Gentleman Hugh came down into
my shaft anl began TO tell me what there
was outside OF coal mines.
"He told me about himself; that he
was Hugh Clitheroe, . gentleman, and
how he had been ruined by factories and
coal speculationa II was his losing his
fortune In coal mine that set him on
coming into ours to make his bread. and
poor bread. too, for gentleman. he
said he was sick OF daylight 1t wa'
better to be a drudge, 30 he said, down
in the blsckest and wettest hole OF any
ooalpit In Lancashire than to beg bread
Of men that pretended to be his friends
when he was rich. and sneered at hin
for his folly In losing his wealth.
found out that there were wrongs and
brutality above ground as well as un
der IL. y,
.By and by. when Gentleman Hugh
and had got to be friends. he took Inc
ono holiday and showed me his daugh
Ter. She was sweet little lass. He hat
left her with the rough women, th'
miners wives. But she had her owl
way with them Just rs he had had will
M. They called her little Lady Ellen
and would have cut mp their own brats
II they hadn't been too tongh, II she hat
wanted such diet. Little Ellen, swce
lass! was not afraid OF me, Dwarf Georg'
and Runt George As they called me. Sh'
dia not run away and cry. or point ant
hugh at me a. the other children did
She was picking daisies on the edge o
an old coslpit when we first saw her;
little curly haired lass Of five years old
She was crowned with daisies. and sh'
didn't seem to me to belong to the sam
class af beings as the grimy things ha'
been ,.uong all my days. She gave IN
a daisy. and asked me II l knew VIII,
made It, And when I said ] didn'
know, uniess It came Of itself. she names
God to me. Nobody had named God Il
me before except In oatha
"Do 4 tire you, sir" said Padiham
with this talk about myselfT
.Certainly not; you interest me great
b..
ready to zee You yet. II is almost mine
snd at the stroke OF nine he has his break
~. I always 60 mp then 10 give hin
puod morning. You can go with me-"
-Msantime. tell me how You foun
them again."
"I found them by . drawing OF her.
But I win 60 on Straightforward Wit
my story.
~ couldn't stay doit, though ! ha
\ TO drudge for many day after drs
saw little Ellen, and she gave me tn
daisy and named God to me. Wheneve
\ I could get away, and that was only ono
q quarter or half year, went up 70 se
her. She made friend OF me. and tol
me to take care Of her father. He wa
4 very much down. quite broken and helI
| less, with just enough strength to do hal
bis appointed work. 80 ] helped hi1
with the rest.
"After long time the owners foun
ouE that he had education, and they too
MIN into the ofice. All the men wei