Year: 1866

ing, DuU tnen you see could have them
by me bit longer in the morning, and
then twas opleasant to watch for them
coming up Mt night, and more than all,
little crumbs of nows came up from time
totimealld day. Somebody would be COM
ing up every little while, and had many
q chance to drop into tho buckets little
tin pals, with taste of something
warm, right off the fire, or n bottle of
hot coffee, when ! saw my husband, or
Rufus, or Charley were little weak (;
and then to watch for tho "thank
you, wife," or "thank you, mother"
that was always certain to come back
the next chance. Oh, l like living here.
| would not have gone away to live in
the finest house in the land, and left my
husband and boys behind. We had q
bit of garden ut the door. / see you
laugh rs you look at the ground now !;
but they have covered up the spot, and
am glad. could not bear to look at
it after the time l am going to tell
you of.


at was seventeen years ago last May
when the oversecr Of the mine came
one night to talk to my husband. He
took him out of the house, and beyond
the little garden paling, where I could
not hear what he said; but when he
had gone, John-that was my husband
looked sObcrer than I'd ever seen him
in my life, and he was always the
brightest soul, full of good thoughts to
all men, and the thankfulcst man to our
Father that I ever saw. He couldn't
help laughing out his gladness. lie
said there was so much of it coming up


in his soul that he couldn't help letting
it out, and made me feel as if l was all
done up in q rainbow somehow; and
then the two boys"


For moment Aunt Nudge, stopped, q,
and Paul venturcd to ask:


"What did the overscer want ?"


"Ic wanted my husband to go down
in the mine at midnight, and examine
it, just as the miners have gone below
now. There were noises, strange growl-
ings and groaning, and the damps had
filled all the mine. You sec they open
ed the mine then on both sides of the
mountain, cast and west, and were
working toward each other, hoping TO
gain an opening through the mountain,
and some thought that it was the air
rushing through that made the noises.
Well, my husband went down. lie
never told me till twas just midnight.
You see it was Sunday night, and moth
ing could coax him to go down on Sun
day; SO he let me go to sleep, and when
/ woke up, the moon was flooding into
the room like great high tide, and
there, right on the river of it, was John,
kneelirg on the floor and saying his
prayers; and I heard the little clock on
the Kitchen shelf strike, and l counted
twelve. Just then came knock, and
John said Amen quite loud, and got
up. Then he came and looked over
me and saw that was wide awake, and
50 kissed me and said:


"Good-by, my little Nudge. I am
going down to the mine to look ut some
things they've found there. I'll be back
please God, to eat breakfast with you"


"The moonlight, and the prayer, and
the knock, and the good-by, all seemed
so strange that they dazzlcd me, and l
let him go; but dream had just after
frightened my sleep away, and l went
toit and sat by the lonely shaft and
watched all night. / listened with my
ears close TO the opening; but it was all
SO still, and the great full moon walked
down the blue field, and the dark noun
tain came up between, and the day be-
gan to break at last, and then rgot up.
My two boys We're out, early as it was,
digging in the garden to surprise me 50
| stole in at the front door, and let them
think was fast asleep.


"The little round table-you see 1t
there-was soon ready, four plates and
forks and knives on tit was just large
enough for four. Well, when the break
fast was waiting for John, the boys
eame to inquire for their father, and
when | had told them where he had
gone they never stopped to speak, but
went straight out, and l followed them
to the place where l had watched all
night. Just then the miners were come,
and they said Rufus and Charley must
not go down; but my two boys could
not, be kept back, and they bade nE
good-hy, and as their bright heads went
out Of Sight, Rufus called back, Keep
the breakfast warm, mother; and we
will fetch fuNbor up to eat it soon.'


"The placeWhere the coal was taken
out of the mine was about half mile
away, and the men who stood at the
windlass were gone to it, and l could
not bear to leave the place, the signal
might come at any instant, and there
would be no one there to mind it; so |
staid, but no sign came until the sun
was high in the sky and then, boys,
heard soft step behind me as L sat
watching the rope, not daring to- take
my eyes from it to see who cannG'nearer
and nearer.


"What is. my little Nudge doing
here?" said JOINTS voice. "I've come
for my breakfast" and my husband
stood leaning over me. "Tho boys,
joint" was alFthat | could utter, never
stopping to ask or wonder how he could
have come to me.


"God pity us, wife, if the hOys are
down below" was all he said in an in
slant he was gone for aid. lie met two