The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-10-15

birch tops, singing:
"'Will ye no come back again?
Will ye no come back again?
Better lo'ed ye Gamma be.
Will ye no come back again?'
"a strange terror seized us. 1nstinc-
lively the men closed up in front Of the
body and stood in silence. Nearer and
nearer came the clear, sweet voice,
ringing like silver bell up the steep:
"'Sweet the lav'rocks note and lang,
Liltin' wildly up the glen.
But ay tae me he sings ae sang.
Will ye no come back again?'
"Before the verse was finished Old
Ricketts, had dropped on his knees,
sobbing out brokenly, % God, O God,
have pity, have pity, have pity! and
every man took off his hat. And still
the voice came nearer. singing so
brightly the refrain:
"'Will ye no come back again?'
"It became unbearable. Old Ricketts,
s9rang suddenly to his feet and, grip
Sing me by the arm, said piteously:
"'Oh, go to her! For heavens sake,
go to her!
81 next remember standing in her
path and seeing her holding out her
hands full of red lilies, crying out:
care they not lovely? Lewis is so
fond Of themv
"With. the promise of much finer ones
I turned her down a path toward the
river, talking 1 know not what folly
till her great eyes grew grave, then
anxious, and my tongue stammered
and became silent. Then, laying her
hand upon my arm, she said, with gen.
tie sweetness:
"Tell me your trouble, Mr.. Craig,
and I knew my agony had come, and I
burst out:
"'Oh, if it we're only mine!'
"She turned quite white, and, with
her deep eyes-you've noticed her eyes
drawing the truth out Of mine, she
said:
"Ts it mine, Mr.. Craig, and my ba-
by's?
81 waited, thinking with what words
i to begin. She put one hand to her
heart and with the other caught little
poplar tree that shivered under her
grasp and said, with white lips, but
even more gently:
"'Tell me-
81 wondered at my voice being so
steady as said:
"tNlrs. Mavor, God will help you and
dent, and it IS all over.
"She was a miners wife, and there
was no need for more. I could see the
pattern Of the sunlight falling through
the trees upon the grass. I could hear
the murmur Of the river and the cry OF
the catbird in the bushes, but we seem
ed to be in a strange and unreal world.
| Suddenly she stretched out her hands
to me and with little moan said:
"'Take me to him.
"'Sit down for a moment or two
entreated.
"No, no; am quite ready. See,' she
added quietly; 4 am quite strong
81 set off by short cut leading to
her home, hoping the men would be
there ahead Of US; but, passing me, she
walked swiftly through the trees, and
I followed in fear. AS we came near
the main path I heard the sound Of
feet, and I tried to stop her, but she,
too, had heard and knew.
"'Oh, let me gor she said piteously.
You need not fear
"And I had not the heart to stop her.
In little opening among the pines we
met the bearers. When the men saw
her. they laid their burden gently down
upon the carpet of yellow pine needles,
and then, for they had the hearts OF
true men in them, they went away into
the bushes and left her alone with the
dead. She went swiftly to his side,
making no cry: but, kneeling beside
him. she stroked his face and hands
and touched his curls with her fingers,
murmuring all the time soft words Of
! love.
".Oh, my darling, my bonny, bonny
darling, speak to me! VIII you not
speak to me just one little word? Oh,
| my love, my love, my hearts love!
Listen, my darling!
"And she put her lips to his ear,
whispering, and then the awful still
ness. Suddenly she lifted her head
and scanned his face, and then, glanc-
ing round with a wild surprise in her
eyes, she cried:
"'He will not speak to me! On, he
will not speak to me?
81 signed to the men, and as they
came forward I went to her and took
her hands.
"'Oh,' she said, with vail in her
voice, 'he will not speak to me!
sThe men were sobbing aloud. She
looked at them with wide open eyes
Of wonder.
"sWhy are they weeping? Will he
never speak to me again? Tell me-
she insisted gently.
"The words were running through
my head,
There's a land that is fairer than day.
and I said them over to her, holding
her hands firmly in mine. She gazed
at me as if in q dream, and the light
slowly faded from her eyes as she
said, tearing her hands from mine and
waving them toward the mountains
and the woods:
"'But never more here! Never more
herev
81 believe in heaven and the other
life, but confess that for moment it
all seemed shadowy beside the reality
of this warm, bright world, full of life
and love. She was very i'll for two
nights, and when the coffin was closed
a new baby lay in the fathers arms.
'She slowly came back to life, but
there were no more songs. The miners
still come about her shop and talk to
her baby and bring her their sorroWs
and troubles; but, though she is al
| uors pantle almost tender with them,