Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-08-04
Black
Rock
By RALPH Common
3 M@@@@ 81 81 ga 3

WENT UP WIFI craig 10 MIS-. Ma
vor's door. She did not hear us COM
Ing, but stood near the window gazing
up at the mountains. She was dressed
In some rich soft stuff and wore at her
breast q bunch of wild flowers. l had
never seen her so beautiful. / did not
wonder that Craig paused with his
foot upon the threshold to look at her.
cry, "Oh, my darling, you have come
to mel! she came with outstretched
arms. l turned and fed, but the cry
and the vision were long with me.
1t was decided that night that Mrs.
Mavor should go the next week. A
miner and his wife were going east,
and l. too, would join the party.
The camp went into mourning at the
news, but it was understood that any
display of grief before Mrs. Mavor
was bad form. She was not to be an
noyed.
But when suggested that she should
leave quietly and avoid the pain of say
ing goodby she fatty refused.
81 must say goodby to every man.
They love me, and 1 love them"
1t was decided, too, at first, that
there should be nothing in the way of a
testimonial, but when Craig found out
that the men were coming to her with
all sorts of extraordinary gifts he
agreed that it would be better that they
should unite in one gift. So it was
agreed that l should buy a ring for
her. And were it not that the contribu-
lions were strictly limited to 81 the
purse that Slavin handed her when
Shaw read the address at the farewell
supper would have been many times
filed with the gold that was pressed
upon the committee. There were no
speeches at the supper except one by
myself in reply on Mrs. MAYORS behalf.
She had given me the words to say,
and I was thoroughly prepared, else I
should not have got through. l began
In the usual way:
"Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentle.
men, Mrs. Mavor Isl
But I got no further, for at the men,
ton of her name the men stood on the
chairs and yelled until they could yell
no more. There were over $50 of them,
and the effect was overpowering. But
I got through my speech. l remember
ii well. 1t began:
Mrs. MavOr is greatly touched by
this mark of your love, and she will
wear your ring always with pride"
And 1t ended with:
"She has one request to make-that
you will be true to the league and that
you stand close about the man who did
most to- make it. She wishes me to say
that, however far away she may have
to go, she is leaving her heart in Black
Rock and she can think of no greater
Joy than to come back to you again"
Then they had "The Sweet By and
By" but the men would not join in the
refrain, unwilling to lose a note of the
glorious voice they loved to hear. Be-
fore the last verse she beckoned to me.
1 went to her standing by Craig's side
as he played for her.
"Ask them to sing" she entreated. 81
cannot bear it."
Mrs. Mavor wishes you to sing in
the refrain" l said, and at once the
men sat up and cleared their threats.
The singing was not good, but at the
first sound of the hoarse notes of the
men Craig's head went down over the
organ, for he was thinking, suppose,
Of the days before them when they
would long in vain for that thrilling
voice that scared high over their own
hoarse tones. And after the voices
died away he kept on playing till, half
turning toward him, she sang alone
once more the refrain in a voice low
and sweet and tender, as If for him
alone, and so he took it, for he smiled
up at her his old smile, full of courage
and full of love.
Then for one whole hour she stood
saying goOdby to those rough, gentle
hearted men whose inspiration to good
ness she had been for five years. II
was very wonderful and very quiet. Il
was understood that there was to be ne
nonsense, and Abe had been heard tt
declare that he would throw out any
cotton backed fool who couldn't hold
himself down, and, further, he had en-
Joined them to remember that her arm
wasn't pump handle.
At last they were all gone, all bu
her guard of honor-Shaw, Vernon
Winton, Geordie, Nixon, Abe, Nelson
Craig and myself.
This was the real farewell, fol
though in the early light or the mex
morning 200 men stood silent about tn
stage and as it moved out waved thei
hats and yelled madly, this was tn
last touch they had of her hand. he
place was up on the drivers seat b.
tween Abe and Mr.. Craig, who bel
little Marjorie on his knee. The re:
of the guard of honor were to folio
with Graeme's team. 1t was Winton
fine sense that kept Graeme from 70
lowing them close. "Let her go OF
alone" he said, and so we held bac
and watched her go.
She stood with her back toward Abe
plunging four horse team and, stead,