Year: 1866

Paul Vail had never before been in a
position of utter helplessneSs. He had
/ always had his own strong arms and feet
TO aid his movements-his eyes to tell him
where he might move; and now he found
/ all these gifts Of no manner OF service
there was nothing for him to do but TO
pray. God shuts every soul in thus at
some point in life, with himself, that the
soul may feel after God, If, happily, he may
be found.


| 1t is not always in mines, or on the
ocean amid pillows and Nature wrath,
or in the earthquakes tremor, that the
1 soul of man meets this point of utter de-
I pendence on its Creator Ii comes in
still, small ways-the friend IN whom we
trusted fails us or we watch the feeble,
huttering breath, and know that it Is going
cut, unless the Giyer of Life breathe anew
upon our loved one.


Paul Walls time fer prayer came, and
the cry went forth for help


Now, my boy, hold fast, wind gently,
and, God willing, we will have aim safely
up" said Aunt Nudge but her voice
trembIed and only her hands aeryed them
selves io the task. Il was quite differ
ent q flair, Arthur found, drawing up the
bucket. Their united strength could but
just compass it, and then the awful danger
of the rope parting and the necessity for
uniform tension. Once or twice the little
woman's eyes wandered down the nouns
tain; but no help came.


Steadily, steadily around the windlass
wound the rope, until there came into
view the parted strand-it was giving way
fast.


"uave mercy p calculated Little Aunt
Nudge, and bidding Arthur to 'hold fast"
she sprane down, close to the open shaft,
and with arms stretched over the edge, she
caught the rope below the parted strand
Her hold Yas just sufficient to balance the
break.


No mortal can tell how l0rg the boy s
muscles could have done service IL hold
ing the crank, or how long the brave little
arms could nave done duty over the shaft
and there no need to tell, for God sent
Il strong hand that reached down beside
the weak arms, and another and another
came. and Paul Vail was drawn upward
and once more he saw the blue of the sky,
that had seemed so precious to him when
shut out from it.


Arthur and Paul had, in their careless
zeal to explore the mine avaiied them
selves of an old worn out apparatus, that
no miner would have thought of risking
his life by, and the miners from the 9th her
side Of the mountain had arrived in time
to save Paul There had been heard
strange noises in the earth that day-a
great groaning Of gasses, that gave warn
ing of danger to be, and the men were
going down TO clear the depths in time


Little Aunt Nudge watched the descent
and then invited Paul and Arthur into Ii her
little hut





what bad, naughty boys they had been,
! 1t she told them a story. And this is
the story that she tod:


"Twcnty years ago last May, came to
live in this bit of house by the great
coal mine, TO be near my husband and my
two boys Not that felt they were in
any great danger when l lost sight Of
them going down in the shaft in the
morning; but then, you see, | could have
them bv me bit longer in the morning
and then it was so pleasant to watch for
them coming up at night, and more than
all, little crumbs Of news came up from
time to time all day Somebody would
be coming up every little while, and had
many a chance TO drop III the buckets
little tin pals, with a taste Of something
warm, right off the fire or a bottle Of hot
coffee, when ! saw my husband, or Rufus
or Charles was a little weak; and then to
watch for the thank you, wife, or thank
YOU, mother, that was always certain to
come back the next chance. o, | like
living here. | would not have gone away
20 live IN the finest house IN the land, and
left my husband and boys behind. We
had bit Of q garden at the door. ] see
YOU laugh as YOU look at the ground now
but they have covered up the spot, and
am glad, | could not bear to look at it after
that time am going to tell you Of


1t was seventeen years age last May
when the oyerscer of the mine came one
night to talk to my husband. lie took
him out Of the house and beyond the lit
tie garden ia inr. where | could not hear
what he said but when he had gone,
John-that wss my husband-looked So
Lerer than Ia ever seen him in my life,
and he was ALWAYS the brightest man, full
of good thoughts 10 all, ard the thankful
est man to our Father that / ever saw
lie could not help laughing out his glad
ress. lie said there was so much OF 1t
coming up in his soul that he couIdn help
letting 1t out, and it made me feel rs If |
was all done up in n rainbow somehow
and then the two boys


ior moment Aunt Nudge stopped, and
Paul ventured to ask:


- What did the oyerseer want2'
He wanted my husband to 90 down ih
the mine at midnight, and examine it, just
as the miners have gone below now
/ There were noises, strange gruHlings and
rroauinrs, and the damps were filling al
/ the mine. Nou see they opened the mine
then on both side Of the mountain. east
and west and were working toward each
other hoping 10 gain an opening through
( the mountain, and some thought it wa,
the air rushing through that made tbs
noises. Well my husband went down -
He never told me till twas Just midnight
F.. ! on see 1t was Sunday night, and nothing
could coax him 70 90 down on Sunday; st
hc let me 70 to sleep, and when ! woke W
the moon was floating into the room Ike
a great high tide, and there. right on the
river of II, was John kneelIng on the fi0ol
and saying his prayers; and | heard til.
little clock IN the kitchen shelf strike
and | counted twelve Just then came
knock. and John said amen quite GU
loud. and cot up Then he came ant
looked at me and saw that | was wid,
awake, and so he kissed me and said


q. Good-by, ny little Nudge / an
going down the mine 10 look at somt
things thcyye found down there. III b
back, please God, to eat breakfast viii
you


The moonlight and the prayer, an,
the knock. and the goOd-by, all seemed $
strange that they puzzled me, and / lie
= | ka1 f-a-