The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1908-02-07

Nearer to thee"
Next day the camp was pitched in a
long. narrow valley with the grim
mountains coming close down on each
sid and the ends lost in the hazy dis
lance. A colored man followed them
from Virginia City to do the cooking,
n after things were running smooth
~ the engineer and his companions be-
gan hunting and prospecting. Ten days
had passed, and the men were away
one quiet afternoon when the girl.
swinging lazily in her hammock a;l
looking up at the grim peaks, felt n
feeling of W and reverence stealing
over her and softly sang:
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer. my God. to thee;
Nearer, my God. to thee;
Nearer to thee"
And 10! From close beside her q
voice repeated the last two lines of the
refrain and brought her out of the
hammock and upon her feet in an in
slant. ...
Leaning against a tree scarce two
yards distant she saw a young man Of
less than thirty. with his cap in his
hand and a smile of apology on his
bronzed and handsome face. He "A
roughly dressed, and yet the garments
did not fit him ill.
"a thousand pardons for the intru-
sion.' he said as he bowed low.
"You-you are the man who sang at
Andy's, and you are hurt" she said as
she took a step forward.
"Only a bit of an accident, miss-two
or three ribs broken by a fall from my
horse. l know this place. Up behind
the big bowlder there is a cave. 1
wanted to lie up in there for a couple
Of weeks and give these ribs a chance
to mend. OF course l did not know
you were here. A thousand pardons.
I will go elsewhere"
"No. You shall go up there, and !
will see that you are made .comforta-
BILE. The colored man shall bring you
everything needful. Go at once be-
fore some one comes. Please go!"
The man smiled and bowed and took
his way up the hillside. and Moses.
coming up just then with a supply Of
fuel, was told of the strangers pres
ence and pledged to aid and secrecy.
A flask Of brandy was filled, bedding
and food flung together, and these
things he carried up to the cave.
An hour later a sheriff's posse ar
rived. but they made 10 discoveries.
The man they had been trailing for
three days seemed to have vanished off
the face of the earth.
On the afternoon Of the fifth day. all
the men being away again, the girl
climbed the hillside. and, sitting down
beside the bowlder with her back to
the cave. she said to the man inside,
who gave her greeting and protested
his gratitude:
"You must have had a home-father.
mother. brothers and sisters perhaps?"
And then he told her his s%tory-told
it to a human being for the first time.
1t was the old, old story-pranks at
college. a stern father, al obstinate
son, harsh words, the going away from
home with a heart full of bitterness.
"And, now, when you are better?"
she asked as his story was finished.
give been thinking. / shall do no
more of II. I may go back and take
my place in the world again. l have
not taken human life and am not be-
yond redemption"
"God grant that you go back" she
fervently exclaimed. II think there
are spies around the camp, and I dare
not come to you again. If you go at
night, when all is quiet. give me a
sign, a sign that you are going back to
those who must still care for you-to
honesty, honor and responsibility"
He promised. At midnight five nights
later a terrible storm swept the moun-
tains and the valleys again. There
was no sleep for any one in the camp
until the storm passed away and the
stars shone again.
The last lingering raindrops were
falling upon her tent when a sound
caused the girl to rise from her couch
and part the flaps Of her tent and look
out. From up the hillside. where its
clothing of frs still glistened with the
wei, Cdu3 LuS WOluS - SAV
'still all my song shall be.
Nearer, my God, to thee:
Nearer, my God, to thee:
Nearer to thee."
"What is it, Olly?" asked the broth
er as he looked out of his own tent.
and his query was echoed by the young
e
Tho pirl did not answer. There were
tears in her eyes and a sob in her
throat. Happy Harry was going
away. He had given her the promised
sign. He was going home to father,
mother and sister, and the mountains
and valleys would know him NO more.
Submarine Cables.
The very first suggestion that was
over made about a submarine cable
was that made in the year 1895 by the
Spaniard Saliva before the Academy OF
- Do,oolono Tuy0 uoorS later