The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-07-08
4 MARNELOUS ESCAPE.
BY CHhs. c. JOHNSON.


ped mp in flannel, all pink and Greasy
and very snuflly. as though it wanted
its nose blowing; which.couldn't ht
expected. for it hadn't got any to sig
Nifty.
'Ain't it little beauty" she says.
| Well | couldn't see as it was; but
didn't like TO say so, for [ knew my
wife Polly had been rather reckoning
on what she said we ought to have
had more'n a year ago: so L didn't like
to disappoint her, for l knew she lay
listenin' in the mex room.
Polly always said there never was
such baby as that one; and some
how it was taking to see how her face
used to light up all over smiles when
she thought | warn't looking: and ]
knew it was all on account of the little
'un. She never said she felt dull now
and when at home of night | used
to think how my mates would laugh
to see me handling the little thing
that was allus being pushed into my
| face to kiss: when I'm blest If ever |
! see such voracious fun in my life;
| IL WOliiti lidll1 ou W YOU iico', iiIH,
anywheres- minute.
One dav. when it was about nine
| months old. it was taken all of a sud
den like with a fit Polly screamed
| to me to run for the doctor; for it hap
pened that ] was on the club that
week, and at home with bad hand.
| run for him. and he soon come; and
there was a warm bath and medicine;
bnt afterwards. when | saw the little
thing lying on POlly's lap so still and
quiet, and with n dull film forming
over its eyes, | felt that something
was coming, though | dared not tell
her: and about II o'clock the little
thing suddenly started, stared wildly
an instant, and then it was all over.
My hand warn't bad any more that
wnnk, for it took all my time to cheer
mp my poor heart broken lass. She
did take on dreadful, night and day,
till we buried it and then she seemed
to take quite change, and begged OF
me to forgive what she called her
selfishness, and wiped her eyes once
for all, as she said. and talked about
all being for the best But she didn't
know that | lay awake Of night feel
ing her cry silently till the pillow
was soaked with tears.
We buried the little one Sunday
and on the Monday morning | was
clapped on to a job that didn't much
relish, for it was the rebricking of a
sewer that ran down one of the main
streets, quite fifty feet underground.
After two years in London I'd seen
some change, but this was my first
visit to the bowels of the earth. I'd
worked on drains down in the country,
but not in such concern as this; why,
life guard might have walked down
it easy: so that there was plenty of
room to work But then, mind you,
it amt pleasant work; there yon go,
down ladder after ladder, past gas
pipes and water pipes, and down and
down, till you get to the stage
stretched across the part that you are
ut work on, with the daylight so high
mp, as seen through boards and seat
folds and ladders, that it's no use to
vou who are working by the light of
flaring gas There in front of yon is
the dark, black arch: and there behind
you is another while under your feet
the foul rushing water hurries along,
sending up a smell as turns your
| silver watch. and every sixpence and
shilling you have in your pocket, black
as the water that swirls bubbling
along. Every word you speak sounds
hollow and echoing, while it gees
whispering and rnmbling along the
dark acrch till You think it has gone,
when all at once you hear it again
quite plain in way as would make
you Jump AS much as when halt a
| brick or a bit o hard mortar dropped
into the water.
Bnt talk about Jumping, nothing
made me Jump more than when bit
of soil, or a stone was loosened ur
| above. and came rafting down. I've
seen more than one chap change color
| and know it's heen from the thought
that. suppose the earth caved in
| where should we be? No doubt the
first crush wonld do it, and there'd be
an end of workmen and. foreman; but
there seemed something very awful
in the idea of being buried alive.
Big as the opening was, when
went to work, it made me shudder
therc was the earth thrown ont: there
was the rope at the side; there was
he boarding round; there it was fol
all the world like big grave, same a.
I'd stood by on little scale the day
before; and feeling bit low spirited
ii almost seemed as though | was go
ing down into my own. never to come
up any more.
We9ry stupid and foolish ideas
says you-farfetched ideas. Very
likely, but that's what | thought: ant
there are times when men has VERY
strange ideas; and III tell you for +;
fact that something struck me when
went down that hole as / shouldn'
come mp II again; and | didn't either
Why, the very feel o the cold damn
place made You think o being buried
and when a few bits of earth came ant
ratified down on the stage above M
head as the first start was over, i
seemed to me so like the rafting ,,
the earth but few hours before up
on little coffin. that something fel
with n pat upon my bright trowel, i
it mad boon left would ha' been spo
O rust
Nothing like work to put felloy
to rights and | soon found was feel
ing better. and the strokes of m
trowel went ringing away down tn
sewer rs I cut the bricks in half, an
after bit l almost felt inclined t
whistle; but l didn't, for l kept O
thinking of that solitary face at hom
tho face that always frightened u
when | went back. and had n lie sue
a man of me as ! felt / was TO it wa
enough to make any man VAIN to b
thought so much of. And then
thought how dull she'd be a. lookin
at the drawer where all the littl
things were kept; and then well