The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1898-11-11

dressed in soft raiment, placed in costly
coffin, and that, preceded by a martial
band, playing requiem, all the people
followed sorIowingly to the grave; and
that, as they gently heaped the sods
above his breast, they sent after him in
to the beyond, heartfelt ''aIl halls and
fareWells ~
Another of these sanity old sinners
was billie Smith. He was not a miner
receiving $3.50 day, as were the ma
jority Of The men in camp, but he and his
partner, surly fellow, had claim
which they were developing, hoping
that 1t would amount TO something in
supply Of -four, bacon ana coffee, and
That was about all, aud it was about ali
Gney expected to have until spring.
In early January the weather was ex-
LIemely cold. Their cabin was q rude
nut, open On every side TO the winds.
One DAY while a party were gathered in
large tent, called by Courtesy the store,
Billy came il with CHEEKY smile for
every one, and received hearty wei
come, as he always did. He had been
Gnere but few minutes when his part
ner came in. He was fairly boiling with
rage; SO angry was he that he could
hardly articuiaGe distinctly. Finally he
explained that some thief had stolen
els and sack of flour. He wanted al
officer dispatched with search warrant.
Oh, never mind," said Billy. "Some
poor devil needed the things VI he would
not have taken them"
"Yes, but we need them, too; need
chem more than anybody else," was the
response of his partner.
"Oh, we shall get along" said Billy.
I'VE have plenty"
Yes. retorted the partne r, "but VIII t
are we going to do for bed? Our hair
mattress and best pair Of blankets are
gone, and the cabin is cold"
"We can sew up sacks into mattress
and fill 1t with soft brush and leaves, and
use our coats for blankets" replied
Billy. "Well get along all right. The
truth is, we have been sleeping too warm
of late"
"Too warm! ~ said his partner, bitter
lY. II should think SO. A polar bear
would freeze in that cabin without q
bed"
do you think so, asked Billy smiling.
''Well, that is the way to keep it, and so
if any wild animal comes that way we
can freeze him out. Brace up, partner !
Why should man make fuss about the
loss of a trife like that?"
Now, the facts were these: A little be-
low Billy's cabin was another, into which
family of immigrants had moved.
They were dreadfully poor. Going &c
and returning from town, Billy had
noticed how things were. One night IS
he passeds going home in the dark, he
heard child crying in the cabin, and
heard it say to its mother that it was
hungry and cold.
The next morning he waited until his
partner had gone away to the minc, then
oiled the mattress around sack of
-four, then rolled up the mattress in his
best Lair of blankets, swung the bundle
On his shoulder, carried it down to the
other cabin; there opening the door, he
flung his bundle inside; then with his
nnger on bis hips he said in hosise
ThIsper to the woman: Don't mention
IT.; not WORD. stole the bundle, and
II you ever speak Of it you will see me
iynched,n and in another moment was
swinging down the trail, singing joyous
II some old refrain.
Billy. in The mountains gave up bis
bed and his food. He not only had not
i cent to draw against, but he had not a
reasonably weli-de fned hope.
When &c last the roIl-call Of the real
royal men OF this world shall be sounded,
il any Ut you chance TO be there you will
aear, close up ia the head OF the list, the
name OF Billy Smith, and when it shall
be proL onnced, if you listen you will
near very soft but dulcet refrain
trembling along the narps and murmuT
among TIE emerald arches that will
sound Ike bne beating OF the wings of in
Vulnerable doves.
Poor fellow. He was shot through the
brain by ruffian shortly afterward, but
it was said that he was so quickly trans.
fixed that in his coffin the old sunny
smile was still upon his face. Probably
the smile only came 40 the light went
out here and he saw the dawn and felt
the hand-clasp on the other side.
In Nevada q great many years ago