Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-12-30


had no thought of resisting any at
tempt he might make to address the
crowd.
So Eric was carried up, and the doc
tor and Stuart brought him forward
and partly held him on his feet, look
ing out over n scene that became n
part of tho life memory of them all.
The moon was at the full. and there
was no need of torches or lamps. The
two dead men had been placed upon
rude platform OF boards at the foot of
the band stand and elevated so that
their forms could be visible to the
miners, even those who were at dis
lance. Their faces, uncovered, stared
straight upward in the cold midnight.
The captured soldiers were ranged di-
rectly in front of the bodies, and the
force of the great mob. indeed. crowded
them up to the very edge of the CHASTITY
platform so that some of them stood
touching IL. The square itself all about
the soldiers was black with the mob.
All the faces were set and stern. All
were lifted toward the stand as Eric
stood there confronting them.
He is a great man who knows the
way to the heart of a mob. Probably
there was not n soul in all Champion
that night who knew how to place his
hands on the strings of emotion and
impulse as Eric Vassall knew when 1t
was question of dealing with the men
whom Re loved and in whose cause he
had voluntarily given up all ambitions
that most men allow to grow when
they are conscious of their ability to
rise above their fellows. Eric assumed
the right to speak at this crisis as the
right of one who sacrificed more than
any man present for the sacred cause
of labor. And no man in the stand
dared to deny him that privilege or in
terrupt his purpose.
What do men say on such occasions?
1t Is doubtful if Stuart or the doctor,
who heard every word, could have told
afterward what Eric said. Every word
burned like fire in the air, but it did not
belong to the catalogue of speeches
easily repeated. The doctor was amaz-
ed at the power of Eric's voice. 1t
rang out like a trumpet and reached
the farthest point. 1t meant, of course,
that the collapse would come after the
III,
rowly to see the first sign of it. The
main current of Eric's appeal flowed
through the one channel of preserving
unstained the sacred cause for which
the men had sacrificed all they had and
were. The pleasure of tasting venge-
ance would last but little while. The
cause of labor would be killed so far as
they were concerned once and for all if
law was broken or vengeance taken
this night. He appealed to the reli-
gious element, which he knew was
strong in hundreds of the men before
him. He reminded them of the pray
ers that had been offered from the very
place where he now stood. How could
a just God or merciful Saviour look
with anything but horror upon meG
plunging into such a crime? And. on.
for the cause they represented! Was I:
not dearer to them than the killing Of s
few men in revenge? Would that
bring to life again their brothers? Who
was there who did not feel for the
wrongs and injustices of the working
men if he did not? Yet in his vision Of
events he clearly saw that never in his
lifetime or that of their children's chill
dren would they lessen those wrongs or
obtain just rights as men if by an act
of passion they broke the already too
slender bond of sympathy that united
the great public with them now.
Eric had never put so much of him.
self into an appeal before. 1t had new
er cost so much 1t would be wonder
full triumph for him if he could prevail
tonight. And he believed he could see
signs of yielding on the part Of the
men. If only he could hold out little
longer. He reeled in the arms of Stu
art and the doctor. All his senses throb
bed with agony. The panorama of the
square foated before him in mist OF
moonlight. and the dull murmur of the
mob broke en- his ears like a faroff
surf on an ocean coast. He felt his
voice failing him, his tongue seemed
like ashes in his mouth, and still 1t
seemed to him he must go on.
It was now, as Eric began to feel
earth and heaven slipping away from
him before he hal completed his hearts
desire or before his words had wrought
their work in the mems minds or acted
on conscience and reason, although
they had listened in a wonderful ST.
lence-it was now that voice rose
from the steps of the Salvation Army
hall, which was close by the railway
depot and, indeed, made one corner Of
the square of Champion. 1t was the
voice of Rhena Dwight, and she was
not speaking, but singing.
We have said that the Cornishman is
a great love-. of music and very suscep-
tible to its influence. Rhena had found
that out from her contact with the
miners and their families since coming
to Champion. 1t was not q remarkable
- hot 10 Ct Cd nd