The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-06-05

find II hard to bear"
Then l repented my light words and
said: 'Why. the thing will 60 sure
enough. After that scene in the church
they won't go back"
"Poor fellows.' he said, as II to him.
self. whisky is about the only excite
ment they have, and they find it pretty
tough TO give it up, and lot OF the
men are against the total abstinence
idea. 1t seems rot to them"
at is pretty steep" l said. Can,
you do without it,"
"No; fear not. There Is nothing else
for it. Some OF them talk of compro,
and drink quietly in their shacks. The
moderate drinker may have his place
in other countries, though / can't see
il. | haven't thought that out, but here
the only safe man is the man who quits
ii dead and fights it straight. Anything
else is shecrcst humbug and nonsense
| had not gone in much for total alb,
stincncc up to this time, chiefly because
its advocates seemed for the most part
to be somewhat i'll balanced, but as
perhaps there was n total abstinence
side to the temperance question, and
ms to Black Rock, | could see how it
must be one thing or the other.
We found Mrs. MavOr brave and
bright. She shared Mr.. Craig's ankle
~. but not his gloom. Her courage
was Of that serene kind that refuses
to believe defeat possible and lifts the
spirit into the triumph of final victory.
Through the past week she had been
carefully disposing her forces and win
ming recruits, and yet she never seemed
to urge or persuade the men. But as
evening after evening the miners drop
ped into the coy room down stairs
ed them till they were wholly hers.
She took for granted their loyalty,
trusted them utterly and so made it
difficult for them to be other than true
mon.
That night Mrs. Mavor's large store
room, which had been fitted up with
seats, was crowded with miners when
Mr.. Craig and l entered.
After n glance over the crowd Craig
said: "Thcre's the manager. That
means war" And saw tall man,
very fair whose chin fell away to the
vanishing point and whose hair was
parted in the middle, talking to Mrs.
Mavor. She was dressed in some rich,
was looking beautiful as ever, but
there was something quite new in her
manner. Her air Of good fellowship
was gone, and she was the high bred
lady. whose gentle dignity and sweet
grace, while very winning, made IA
miliarity impossible.
The manager was doing his best and
appeared to be we'll pleased with him
self.
shell get him IL any one can.
failed" said Craig.
/ stood looking at the men, and a fine
lot of fellows they were. Free, easy,
bold in their bearing, they gave no
sign of rudeness, and from their fire.
quent glances toward Mrs. Mavor I
could see they We're always conscious
OF her presence. No men are so truly
gentle as are the westerners in the
presence Of n good woman. They were
evidently Of all classes and ranks orig
inally, but now and in this country OF
real measurements they ranked sim
ply according TO the "man" in them.
"See that handsome young chap Of
disspated appearance" said Craig
That's Vernon Winton. an oxford
graduate, blue blood, awfully plucky,
but quite gone. When he gets repent
ant, instead Of shooting himself he
comes TO Mrs. Mavor. Fact
From oxford university TO Black
Rock mining camp is something of a
step" | replied.
THAT queer looking little chap in the
corner is Billy Breen. How in the
world has he got here" went on Mr..
Craig.
Queer looking he was-a little man,
with small head set on heavy, square
shoulders; long arms, and huge hands
that sprawled all over his body; alto
gether a most ungainly specimen Of hu.
manity.
BY this time Mrs. MavOr had finished
with the manager and was in the CEN
ter OF group OF miners. Her grand
air was all gone, and she was their
cOmrade, their friend, one Of them
selves. Nor did she assume the role
Of entertainer, but rather did she, with
half shy air. cast herself upon theip
chiyalry, and they were too truly gen
tlcmen 70 fail her. 1t is hard 10 make
western men, and especially old tim.
crs, talk. But this gift was hers, and
it stirred my admiration TO see her
draw on a grizzled veteran TO tell how,
twenty years ago, he had crossed the
Great Divide and had seen and done
what no longer fell TO men 10 see or
do in these new days. And 50 She won
the old timer. But II was beautiful TO
see the innocent guile with which she
caught Billy Breen and drew him 70
her corner near the organ. What she
was saying / knew not, but poor Billy
was protesting, waving his biz hands.