The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-02-18
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urgent request hat he should join the
orchestra with his cellol 1t was not
simply that his cello was his joy and
pride, but he felt 1t to be a recognition
of his return to responsibility.
1 have often wondered how things
combine at times to n mans destruc-
ton.
Had Mr.. Craig not been away at the
Landing that week, had Geordie not
been on the night shift, had Mrs. Ma
yor not been so occupied with the care
Of her sick child, 1t may be Billy might
have been saved his fall.
. The anticipation Of the ball stirred
Black Rock md the camps with Il thrill
OF cNpcctant delight. Nowadays when
l find myself forced to leave my quiet
smoke in my studio after dinner Mt the
call of some social engagement which
/ have failed to elude l groan Mt my
hard lot, and l wonder as 1 look back
inc remember the pleasurable antici-
patton with which l viewed the mp
preaching ball. But l do not wonder
nov any more than 1 did then Mt the
eager delight Of the mel who for seven
days in the week swung their picks up
in the dark breasts of the mines or who
chopped and sawed among the solitary
silences of the great forests. Any break
in the long and weary monotony was
welcome. What mattered the cost or
consequence To the rudest and least
cultured of them the meme of the
life must have been hard to bear, but
what 1t was to men who had seen life
in its most cultured and attractive
forms 1 fail to imagine. From the mine,
black and foul, to the shack, bare,
cherries and sometimes hideously re-
pulslve, life swung in heart grinding
monQtony till the longing for a "big
drink" or some other "big break" be-
came too great to bear.
1t was well OH toward evening when
Sandy's four horse team, with q load
Of men from the woods, came swing
ing round the curves Of the mountain
road and down the street. A gay
crowd they were with their bright,
brown faces and hearty voices, and
in ten minutes the whole street SEEM
ed alive with Fundamentally had
a faculty of spreading themselves so.
After night fell the miners anne down
"done up Slick" for this was q great
occasion, and they must be up to 1t.
The manager appeared in evening
dress, but this was voted "too giddy"
by the majority.
AS Graeme and 1 passed up to the
Black Rock hotel, in the large store
room Of which the ball was to be held,
we met old man Nelson, looking very
grave.
"Going, Nelson, aren't your" 1 said.
eyes, he answered slowly. "Pl
drop in, though / don't like the looks
Of things much"
"What's the matter, Nelson?" asked
Graeme cheerily. "There's m funeral
on" ,
perhaps not" replied Nelson, "but
I wish Mr.. Craig were Mt home" And
then he added, "There's Idaho and
Slavin together, and you may bet the
devil isn't far Off"
But Graeme laughed at his suspicion,
and we passed on. The orchestra was
tuning up There were two violins, a
concertina and the cello. Billy Breen
was lovingly lingering his instrument,
now and then indulglng himself in q
little snatch of some air that came to
him out of his happier past. He look
ed perfectly delighted, and as 1 paused
to listen he gave me a proud glance out
Of his deep, little, blue eyes and went
on playing softly to himself. Present
ly Shaw came along.
"That's good. Billy" he called out.
''You've got the trick yet, 1 see."
But Billy only nodded and went on
playirfg.
"Where's Nixon7" I asked.
"Gone to bed" said Shaw, land I am
glad of 1t. He finds that the safest
place OH pay day afternoon. The boys
don't bother him there,p
The dancing room was lined on two
sides with beer barrels and whisky
kegs At one end the orchestra sat; at
the other was n table with refresh
ments, where the soft drinks might be
had. Those who wanted anything else
might pass through a short passage
into the bar just behind.
This was evidently a superior kind of
ball, for the men kept on their coats
and went through the various figures
with faces Of unnatural solemnity, but
the strain upon their feelings was quite
apparent, and 1t became a question
how long 1t could be maintained. AZ
the trips through the passageway be-
came more frequent the dancing grew
in vigor and hilarity until by the time
supper was announced the stiffness
had sufficiently vanished to give NO
further anxiety to the committee.
But the committee had other cause
for concern, inasmuch as after supper
certain Of the miners appeared with
their coats off and proceeded to KNOCK
the knots out Of the floor in break
down dances of extraordinary energy.
These, however, were beguiled into the
barroom and "Alled up for safety, for
the committed were determined that
the responsibility of the ball should be
preserved to the end. Their reputation
was at stake not In Black Rock only,
but at the Landing as well, from which
most Of the ladies had come, and to be
shamed in the presence of the Landing
people could not be borne. Their diff.
culties seemed to be increasing, for at
this point something seemed to go
wrong with the orchestra. The cello
appeared to be wandering aimlessly up
and down the scale, occasionally pick
ing up with the tune with animation
and then dropping 1t. AS Billy saw me
approaching he drew himself up with
great solemnity, grayely winked at me
and said.