Year: 1873

A TALE 1 HEARD.


Though you may not think it, have
story to tell like one of those youread
in books and papers; none of youl
made-up ones, though, but an "out-and.
out plain statement of facts" as the
lawyer said to Jones when he went to
him about the sheep he'd lost, and
which he afterwards saw with Jenkins.
Jones always marked his sheep with q
red 81" and his neighbor marked his n
with a blue one. Jones missed one of
his finest three-year-olds, and went
looking for it among his neighbor's
flock, and there he saw what he SUD-
posed was his sheep, for on close ex-
animation, he found little spots and
smeared places of red which had not
been covered with Jenkins blue ink, so
he went to Jenkins and asked him for
it, but he only got rough answer for
his pains. Well, Jones went to the law
yer about it, and before the case was
brought to court he was told to bring
the sheep he thought was his'n to court,
and behold! when he went to pick if
it out he found Jenkins had shorn his
sheep of their wool, and every sheep
looked pretty much as tother one did.
But l started to tell you that tale about
Sallie, and here goes.


am an old man Low, but when
look back to that day my blood thrills
and whirls through my veins as though
it were but yesterday. You see I was
collier, as they call it in the old coun-
try, and worked in a coal mine in Mon
mouthshire. [ was a new hand there,
and being strange to all at the pit, was
little down in the mouth at first; but
as the days went by the men seemed
more friendly with me, and at last one
of them, Joe Edwards by name, as good
an old soul as ever lived, asked me to din
ner at his house on Sunday. Bright tand
early that morning [ made myself as
clean as it was possible for pitman to
get, and, dressed in my best, started.
felt little backward about going in,
for L had heard old Joe had the prettiest
darter around Surrowy, but in [ went.


Good morning, lad; L see you're
here. Jane, this is the lad I was speak.
in about. He'ua smart 'un, isn't he
Come and shake hands with the stran-
ger, Sallie. This is my darter," said the
old man. Sallie came through the open
door of the kitchen, and holding out
her hand to nae she said: GLOW do you
do, sir?" in whisper like, with he1
cheeks growing redder every minute.
[ thought then she was the prettiest
girl l ever saw, and it didn't take long
to find out that she was as sensible
steady, Woodworking young woman as
ever was.


Well, that was the first time I saw
Sallie, and [ kept going to old Joe's
house oftener and oftener, and staying
longer and longer every time. went
until 1 made up my mind I'd ask Sallie
to be my wife, for thought she looked
kinder and more loving like to me thar
to any of the young men she knew, and
one day I made the venture. She said
''yes, in that nice quiet way she's got
In month, or mebbe six weeks, We
were married, and you never saw pret.
tier nor a likelier bride than she was.
She had the brightest eyes, clearest Skin
and neatest form that ever was, and hel
hair was so bright and shiny. 1t used
to cause her good deal of trouble
though, that hair did, for, do what she
would, it wouldn't stay smooth. Shed
tuck it back forty times an hour, vet il
would creep up in the dearest little
rings all around her face. I liked it tc
be SO, but Sallie said it looked untidy
and | suppose it did.


Well, we went on living very happy
together, [ working steadily every day
and Sallie keeping the little house clean
and comfortable and looking as bright
as a new sovereign, and she got hand.
somer and handsomer all the time. ]
used to tell her she was my weekday
sun, for you know I never saw the sur
except on the Sabbath, being in the
dark pit every day beside, and she
seemed like sunbeam to me when
came home in the dusk of evening and
found her so trim and smiling. It was
worth staying ten hours in that deer
black hole and then see my pretty little
woman when came up.


We seemed to have no trouble MOI
frettihgs. And why should we when
We loved each other SO much, and when
there was plenty of work and good
wages? But every day can't be fine
one, neither can every life be without
sorrow.


How well I remember the day our big
trouble came. got up that morning
and eat the breakfast Sallie got for me,
and after kiss and good-by from her /
started for the pit looked around
three or four times at her standing in
the doorway and wondered, as I looked
at my grimy suit all spotted over with
the tallow from the candle in my cap,
how she could love and care for me.


Somehow or other the shaft never
looked as deep and dangerous before.
| shivered as [ looked over the basket
at the black, black place below, and