The National tribune., 1893-06-29
"RECKLESS." "
The Experience of One Boy in a
Mining Town.

Ga boy brought up in a min
! ] ) !: :::. &: ! ; q
ing town, knowledge of life's
N n evils comes early; yet to
M(9 mo Reckless" his childhood
NM E1&1 seemed a, period of blissfui
WA~ Inconsistencies, when, after
~ the first shock, he looked
O0gS back overit.
w He had not known the
M physical pleasures and hui
w manizing love for animals
and fields which the country
gives, nor had he enjoyed the sOphisticating
variety of city boys life. There had been
no delicious, busy-idle days of fishing and hunt
ing no adequate mental training for his vigor-
Gus individuality; for Silver Hill is ugly, dry.
and arrogantly ignorant The children OF the
mining towns are modelled upon no conven-
tonal pattern. Each springs up from the rocks,
aggressive and active, and the influences he en-
counters modify but slightly his bristling
originality. Reckless" knew of nothing bet
ter than the free life the dusty town afforded,
and his self-reliant nature and strong, DARK
face bespoke a close assimilation with the
mountains, the mines, the stern aspect OF the
barren country. He reveled in long ram
bles over the sagebrush-covered hills made
golden in the Summer with suntiowers, and
his merry heart and sturdy body delighted
in the rough fun which the heavy Winters
SHOWS give the mountain boys The craving
of his developing mind was satisfied with any
book or paper that came to him, for has imagina-
ton enuobled characters and events till they
became heroic.
Ofcourse he had long ago understood the vital
significance of the rise and fall of stocks, and
in casual way kept himself posted as to the
selling price per share of the more important
mines. Being wide-awake lad, with what he
fancied WIS talent for fnancierinR he later
invested large sums of imagined wealth in GER
tain stocks, and after wOrming himself In
among the excited crowd in front of the
brokers' offices, would stand with panic or ex-
ultation written upon his eager face, according
to the fluctuations of his supposed investment.
The spirit of gambling took possession OF the
boys impulsive nature, and, being miners
son and born to poverty, he glOried in daring
risks and enormous imaginary purchases upon
margin.
As he grew tall and broad-shouldered. he be-
came ashamed of the little book in which he
had entered the wonderful transactions, where
one page made him millionaire and another
a beggar. But his interest in the stock-board
was strong as ever, and he longed for the time
when he might invest his own money and,
perhaps, realize his boyish Dreams for he felt
uDbounded hope in the future.
A Nevada child sees wrecks all around him
his own life may be cl0uGed by poverty which
y
the time comes when his physical strength
shall enable him to earn money. he. will trust
fully follow the path which his father followed
before him. Reckless" DESPITE his unchild-
like experience, was assured of success. He
meant to be rich, and great, and happy; he
intended to win where others had lost; he had
a confident expectation of triumph, con-
sciousness, which to him seemed lnialllble, OF
special power.
But he wasted little time on dreams A
healthy boys life is too full, no matter where
he may be, TO allow much room for thought. In
the bustlng, hilly town where all his life had
been passed, Reek less" knew every person of
Importance, every piece of news that the day
furnished. His eager mind absorbed expert
ence, and he could talk with precocious intel
ligence of tine quality of ore in the cross-cut of
the Bertha Mime or of the latest scandal, in
which mining towns are prolific
Silver Hill people measure time from import
ant mining events. An occurrences happened,
they will say when Bertha" touched 500;
ayear after the fire in the southend mines; or
Just before the rise in DAY & Cummings"
Reckless" (" left boyhood behind him after the
panic caused by the failure of Grayson Gray
son, stock brokers'
He had been ont on the hills with his dog in
the early morning, when, looking down upon
the grade below he saw a swift y-moving team.
Surprised, he put both hands TO his mouth and
shouted cherrily to the driver; but a pale,
frightened face looked up st him, and the
horses wero urged on mady. On their way to
school an hour or two later, the boys noticed
that the Graysons' office bad not been opened
and long before II o'clock the infuriated
miners. who besieged the closed doors, knew
that Edgar Grayson and his brother had left
Silver Hill before daybreak, taking with them
che fruits Of years of labor and all hopes of
future. ease. There was hardly home un-
I,,I l,r-f fLad NJ nuoda aiFsar ia
too poor, no millionaire too rich, to be ndiffer-
ent to the glorious possibilities of stock invest
ments.
After school, as they hurried along the street
with an unnatural perception of trouble. the
children discussed the news. Reckless" whose
uncompromsing spirit had earned his nick
name. was in disgrace and sat in the empty
school room. Sowing at his books. He looked
up resentfully as the door opened, expecting
the teachers entrance and familiar homily,
but little maid with smooth, brown hair and
rosy cheeks came toward him, her hands out
stretched, plying look in her eyes.
"Oh. Reckless" she said. softly, isn't it
dreadful? ? ! ran back to tell you what they
say of your father"
"What2" he demanded, rising from bis seat
and shaking the dark hair back from his face.
The soft brown eyes were suffused with tears
as she raised them TO has face.
He-he's dead, you know. They say he's
shot"
But Reckless" waited to hear no more.
He tore out of the schoo-room and rushed
madly up the hill.
In the next week Reckless" grew old. As he
became familiar with the details of his fathers
hidden life and shameful death, the honest lads
pride suffered fearfuliy. He had had no hero
worship for his father; all his heroes dwelt in
books; but although his unguded youth had
taught him much his instinct was still Puri-
tan. He could ind no pity in his rigid code
for the man who had neglected his wife and
finally killed himself for the miserable woman
who no longer feigned affection when his
small savings were swept away in the Gray
sons failure. In time, however. his bitter re-
sentiment for his mothers humiliation reused
him from his grief, and he squared his shoul-
ders for the burden they had inherited. He put
away his ambition, hs made it the sole aim of
his life to keep his mother and her brood of
younger children in the humbly respected
position they had held. He told himself
that he was fortunate to be permitted to take
his fathers place in the mine and he assumed,
matter of course, the responsibilities his
father bad laid down.
There came a day when the tax upon his
young strength proved too severe, and with a
despairing moan. he threw aside the pick and
shovel and lay gasping and faint in the dark
brought him to the surface; and " Reckless {"
came back to life, after his Illness with a
sweetened consciousness of the generosity and
charity of his mates.
As he lay back in the luxury of GONZALES