The Blind Brother: A Story of the Pennsylvania Coal Mines

nto the fading darkness. When they were gone she went about her household duties with a song on her lips. She did not often sing when she wa

on that awful day when she found herself homeless, moneyless, among strangers in a strange land; when, in answer to her

ad grown, both in stature and in grace, till t

reatment for his eyes, with the possibility of sight. It might take years of saving yet, but every day that they could all work m

e day was. But it was lonely without her boys. It had been weeks since they had been away

first day's work. Then, while the shadows grew indistinct, and the darkness settled down

ightly, the windows rattled, and a dish on the

for a moment, wondering what it could mean. Then

their gates, and men were hur

?" she called ou

the answer; "it mu

he

th a dreadful apprehensio

e it's i' the Dryden Slope.

but only for the moment. Hope came to her rescue. There were a hundred chances to one that her boys wer

ecision; then, throwing a shawl about her hea

to go until she should meet them. There were many people hurrying toward the slope, bu

d not go fast enough. Even as it was, people jostled by

lside, at the mouth of the slope, she saw the twinkling and glancing of the lights of many la

etched about the mouth of the slope, as a barrier to hold back the pressing crow

the opening of the mine, and wher

dozen men, with picks and crowbars, climbed into them and went

the widow saw Sandy McCulloch comi

e up to her, and laid his hands on hers, and, before she could speak a

are the

the fall afoor it comed; an' some 'at got catched

dy of a man was lifted out, placed

the woman's eyes. But she looked at it only for a moment.

a-workin' like tigers to get to 'em, an' we'r

ss, at lengthening intervals, with its dreadful load, and to hear the shrill cry from some heart-broken

n in their places. The men were surrounded with eager questioners, but t

y Sandy

; I'll bring 'em to ye mysel'. Mos' like they're back o' the fall, an' it'll tak' time to ge

re naught; ye'll sp

re naught,

d disclosed the light in her cottage window; and then, bidding her to be hopeful,

all the missing had been accounted for-some living, some dead, and some to whom death

heading; and, along this passage, the entire work of rescue was now concentrated.

dly that the opening of a few feet was the work of an hour; again, the huge blocks and slabs

. They said little; men do not talk much under a pressure like that; but every muscle

tools scarcely ceased in their motion, so quickly were they caug

f earth could charge nerve and muscle with such

fering. The frank, manly character of Tom, and the pathetic simplicity of his blind brother, had made both boys the favorites of the mine. And beneat

le, and, in place of them, she put some of her simple household remedies. She prepared bandages and li

k, wounded, too, perhaps; but she h

sleep; but at every noise she wakened; at ev

of rescue was going bravely on. He had, himself, just come from the face of the new opening,

gs. The monotony of waiting became unbearable at last, and

rival, and a half-dozen miners lifted themselves wearily to the ground. The crowd pressed forward with eager questions, but the t

hite-faced and eager-eyed, and said, "It won't be long now, ma'am, till we'll be afther rachin'

some question, but

hungry like, maybe, an' no wondher; but safe, ma'am, as safe as av ye

igns?" she asked. "D

oth childer a-laughin' in your face or ever the mornin' dawn

night passed, and the morning dawned, and Larry

story: "They're a-worki

perish from hunger and foul air long before the way could be opened into their priso

hrist-child in the hallowed manger in the town of Bethlehem. White and pure upon the earth, in the winter sunlight, rested a covering of newl

pt her company for the night had gone

hat there

so at last, and she had thanked them for

life; she only prayed now that their dear bodies might be

st room; she laid out the clean, new clothing, and the spotless sheets; she even t

ee them till the time came, she found the Christmas

a book or two, and, last of all, some little gifts that her own weary, l

mas dawn had come;

oor, simple Christmas gifts, there came some softening influence that moved her heart, and brought the swift tears to her

and Sandy McCulloch stumbled in. He was out of breath, his eyes were wide with exc

started to

an

had come int

he forced out bre

y, aliv

he room seemed whirling round her; s

ted. "Alive, an'

ell. The shock of joy had been too sudden and too

pings, they labored with redoubled energy, if such a thing could be, and, after another night of most gigan

of Bennie seemed fain to leave his wasted body, it took

s in tender haste to their mother's house; and those who ran before sho

he men grasped one another's hands, and tried to speak without a tremor in the voice-a

er burial. But it was only when the lips of Tom and Bennie were unsealed, with growing strength,

ie the shock had been more severe. He gained strength very slowly, indeed. He could not free his mind fr

t he could leave his easy-chair without a hand to help him; and not until all the s

spoken for it; that skilled hands in the great city gave proper treatment to the blind boy's eye

to his valley home. Wide-eyed he was; exuberant with hope and fancy,

or the trees more richly clothed with verdure. The first faint breath of coming autumn had touched the landscape here and

ran on and on, were sparkling in the sunlight with a beau

s were! Bennie said he never dre

the ever changing landscapes formed and

fallen, and from that city, up the valley of Wyoming, Benn

swelled with pride, as, by some unaccountable instinct, Bennie ca

me. And as they grasped his hand, and marked his happiness, some l

d Bennie, hand in hand together, as they used t

she heard, instead, the light footsteps of her two boys on the walk, and their voices at the door; and then-why, then, she had Bennie in her arms, and he was saying-str

riber'

ling inaccuracies we

able spelling ha

tion and compound wor