Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-07-13

5 NOT WHILE HE LIVED. (

worked with the gang in Nine Pits
colliery about fifteen years back, and
there was one man there who hailed
from South Wales as / got pretty
friendly with.
I've called him a man, but l don't
know the title comes right. He was
more like stunted boy than a man,
and more like some sort Of a queer
animal than either. He had monstrous
large head and shoulders, and a pair
of little, bowed, twisted legs, no big
ger than a child's of nine years old.
I've said we were pretty friendly,
but I don't know as l was anything
more than civil to him.
He was clever and could speak Eng
lish as well as any of us. He had
been two years or more at the Nine
Pits and he brought some money with
him when he came, for he had cot
tage Of his own and a tidy piece of
garden, which was above what the
rest Of us had.
There wasn't man of six feet
amongst us stronger than he was. To
have seen him swing his pick would
make you hold your breath. He
could walk, you see, down some of
the narrow, low galleries, where chaps
like we would have to crawl.
l lived along with my father and
sister then. We were precious poor,
and father used to say he hoped Hetty
would marry someone able to keep her
and so give us lift that way.
One day new hand came to the pit.
Jim Marwood by name. See him on
Sunday going to chapel, clean and
smart, as straight as pole, with his
blue eyes looking so frank and smiling,
and you'd say he looked a picture.
He struck up a mighty affection for
me before he had been n month in the
gang. He told me all about his friends
and such-like, most confidential, and l
found out he had to keep his mother
apd hadn't six-pence he could call
his own.
Well, one day. remember it as
clear as yesterday-it was between the
lights on September evening, / was
smoking my pipe in our back room
father was out of the house-when l
heard voices in the other room across
the passage. 1t was Matty and my
sister talking together.
Matty was the dwarf. He had n
long Welsh name, but we called him
"Matty" in the general way, because
OF his rough hair, and he didn't seem
to mind the joke.
IL love you! he says to Hetty. 'I've
loved Won avar cipca Two .aa,, 49,,
Won't you marry me? I'd be good
husband to YOU"
Marry your" she says. "Why,
Matty you must be dreaming! OF
course / won't"
He was silent for minute; then he
says: I'm stunted and crooked,
know, but love you better than any
other man will ever love you, and I've
comfortable home to offer you
''If you had twenty homes / would
mt have you,' she answered quick
$50 do say no more about It,"
He spoke short and savagelike.
Jim Marwood's the man that stand.
between you and me. Do you thinl
I've been blind? Jim Marwood ha.
got your heart and do you think 70,
will ever marry him while I'm alive
ut Is Jim Marwood that has got m,
heart and l have his, and I'm no
ashamed to say 1t before you or an!
man. l know you've got your cottag
and your garden that you are so NOR
tai pround of. and know Jim is poor
and we shall have. to walt for year
but you needn't think you'll frighte]
me out Of marrying him, I'd neve
marry such n miserable. wicked. ugl
little wretch as you! SO don't fiatte
yourself l would"
The next day we were all under
ground as usual Somehow or othe
Matty and Marwood and me foun
ourselves always pretty close togetl
err. He seemed to me to he hangin
on TO Jim In way l didn't like, heal
ing what had heard, and kept O
close to both as l well could