Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 September 1879 — THE OLD CHALK-PIT. [ARTICLE]

THE OLD CHALK-PIT.

A Tale of Mouth Down. South Down, though charmingly situated in one of the eastern counties of England, is not a place of general resort. Here and there a cottage or two may be found, making a pleasing variety in a landscape rich in nature’s loveliness; but, as our narrative has only to do with that part of South Down in the immediate vicinity of the chalkpits, we will briefly introduce the reader to Adam Rawley and his wife, an old couple occupying one of the little dwellings near to this Ideality. Adam spent most of his days in carting away mud and rubbish from the roadside, and at other, times Be would work in the pits*; earning enough to keep himself and his wife in comfortable circumstances. These old people lived on from day to day, from season to season, without .change in their mode of life. They were quiet and orderly, causing neither trouble nor annoyance to their neighbors; but for all this they were no favorites. The fact is, Deborah Rawley and her husband lived only to - please themselves. Possessed of every comfort—for, besides the bread winner’s earnings, they had a little income of eight shillings a week coming in regularly—and, engrossed in their own concerns, they never troubled themselves about being neighborly; thus much of the sunshine of life was unknown to them through the unapproachableness of their own characters. They were certainly a striking contrast to the rest of the inhabitants of Lime Cottages, as the collection of little dwellings was called—among whom there was a feeling of friendliness, and ipany helpful deeds made life's day brighter to many But the Rawleys were strangers to acts of and so long as no misfortunes happened to themselves they never thought of relieving the ills of other folks. Mrs. Figgins, their next door neighbor, whose husband was down with brain fever, and required constant watching day and night, had three of her children laid up at the same time with inflammation of the lungs; yet, in’her domestic difficulties she never ventured on asking aid from Mrs. Rawley; but Mrs. Keen, a bony matron, with half-a-dozen little ones of her own, and engaged nearly every hour of the day in ministering to their wants, proffered the necessary help, even before it was solicited. The whole community, with the exception of old Deborah and her husband, vied with one another in helping poor Mrs. Figgins through her trouble. Not even a kind inquiry as to how the invalids were progressing passed the old couple’s lips; and as to a few of the new-laid eggs that Mrs. Rawley’s hens supplied ner with so plentifully finding their way into their sick neighbor’s house, such a thing was never thought of. Sooner than give them away they were allowed to ornament the shelves in the little parlor till they became too bad to be eaten by anyone. The faculty for performing kindnesses certainly did not belong to these old people. All their lives they had, closed their hearts to works of benevolence, and now, in their declining years, no gentle promptings from earth or from Heaven seemed to arouse them to deeds of love. Once only an angel’s whisper reached Adam Rawley, making him for a moment seem troubled and uneasy; but the .bright spark, Which, haa he allowed it to kindle, would have filled his rugged countenance with sunshine, was quenched as he muttered: “What is it to us if they do. want new-laid eggs? Let them of their own and they’ll get some.” So the communication which he had overheard Mrs. Figgins make to a friend concerning the requirements of her sick family was blotted from his mind, as he convinced himself that it was not needful to bother himself with other people’s troubles. Nevertheless, he repeated what he .had overheard to his Wife, and as a woman’s influence in whatever rank of life is powerful, Mrs. Rawley’s reply, had-ft tjeen in favor of achafi table action, might have done mueh toward its accomplishment, instead of which her verdict, “ Let them get eggs for themselves if they want them, ’ strengthened her husband in his opinion that the matter was no concern of theirs. So, while others with far scantier means, deprived themselves of even little necessaries in order to relieve the pressing wants of Mrs. Figgins’ household, this couple, who, in comparison, could have given of their abundance, shut their eyes and ean to their neigh-

bors* necessities, though • more than one of the invalids might have been making rapid prbgroHH toward convalescence, but fpr the lack of proper nourishment. .*'*• The Rawleys Were not in Ignorafioe as to the feeling of disfavor with which their fellow cottagers regarded them but what cared they? J Possessed of all they required, able to wait on themselves, endowed with good health, they solicited favors of no one, and with blinded eyes, and well-nigh unthankful hearts, they lived for themsclxasjgiljMMfe,* One afternoon, Adstn Rawley had just partaken of a very comfortable tea, which his wife had prepared for him. Po&r Mr® Figgfils’tfphle'* and anxious face, which he caught sight of as she returned from her scanty marketing, had by no means disturbed his enjoyment of it, and with the same unmindfulness regarding, the wants of others he prepared to set*’out for his work again. “ You’ll about have time to shell the peas and get the supper on afore I’m back,” were his parting words to his helpmeet, and with no thought beyond the present the speaker started. The following quarter of an hour was passed in retching the horse and cart from Farmer Kirby’s. Then Adam filled Ms cart with the collection of rubbish, and leading old Derry by the bridle, proceeded leisurely in the direction of the chalk-pits. Steadily and quietly the willing animal plodded on, past the lime cottages, down the curve of the road, to within a few feet of the deep hollow in which the load he was carrying was to be deposited.

But suddenly aloud “Whoa!” accompanied by a tug at the reins, announced that something was wrong; hut this failed to rectify matters, for the horse, suddenly checked at the moment of stepping, was unable to recover his footing, and, after one or two ineffectual attempts, his knees doubled under him and down he went. Then began a struggling and scuffling, as Adam exerted all his strength to get/Derryto his feet; but the ground, which was composed of loose sand, was unfavorable for this purpose, and the. horse’s struggles brought him nearer to the nit’s* edge. In bewildered dismay the old man gazed affrighted around, as he endeavored to pull the animal back. In vain he shouted and called for help, No living creature was visible, and no sdund broke the stillness as his agonized tones died away without response. “She’ll be over as sure as fate— and drag me in,” he gasped, frantically, feeling his strength failing with each plunge pf the horse. While large beads of perspiration stood pn his intensely puckered face, his thoughts flew to old Deborah, who was sitting in her kitchen then just happening to her husband within p short distance.frojn her dwellHaving finished, she rose from her seat as some one hastily passed her open door, and, in another moment, she heard Mrs. Figgins 1 eldest girl'e» plaining something to her mother. ‘ The tones were hurried and the sounds confused; and she might have paid little heed to them had not her own name fallen, with familiar distinctness, on her ears. . “What have they got to talk about me for?” she murmured, somewhat gruffly, as, proceeding to the door, she was going to close it; out her attention was arrested by what appeared to be the outpouring of all her neighbors as though, moved by One mind, they rushed in the direction of the chalk-pit. Mrs. Figgins alone stood stationary, and her countenance paled when she saw the look of fear that overspread old Deborah’s face as she inquired: “What’s thife, matter —what’s they all gone down there for?” “Oh, Mrs. Rawley, don’t be frightened; the horse has fallen down and your husband cannot get hind up again —and we—” Her listener stayed to hear no more; with a wild scream she rqn off, and reached the scene of the aceident just as, with air awful crash, the horse vanished over the pit’s mouth, dragging along with him old Adam. The half-howl, half-shriek, which broke from his wife’s lips long rang in the ears of those who heard it. “My Adam! my Adam! oh, let me get to him!” and, had it not been for kind but vigorous arms, the poor creature would have thrown herself into the pit in her agony. “Nay, stay ye here; he’ll be all right.” But as the soothing words were spokeq. .the speakers looked around with bewildered faces as they saw no possible way of making good their promise, for to use their owu expression, “ the men” were all away. Not a man was within call; the cottages were peopled by women and children at this hour of the evening, the bread-winners being away in the fields. “If he’s alive now, he’ll be kicked to death before he can be got out,” wailed Deborah, as the horse gave a restless plunge, and once more she made desperate efforts to reach her husband. All unkind behaviors and past disagreeableness were forgotten by the poor WOtnan’s neighbors as they wound their arms strongly about her, striving by word and deed to moderate her anguish. “Oh, if the men would only come!” and springing on a high railing, Mrs. Keen—who had already sent her children screaming off in Ml directions in search of them —looking wildly toward the fields, as she waved her handkerchief high abote her head and shouted frantically for help.

How slowly those moments of never-to-be-forgotten agony crept by. as, bending over the pit’s edge. Mrs. Rawley listened for any sign or sound to denote that her husband was living; but only the plunging of the hprse was to be heard, and, in the violences! Ker sorrow, the distressed woman might have broken from her 'compSMofts jswyfeiS? am Keen been followed by an assertion which sent a thrill of hope through every heart.* J ■" * v *l* ■ - up, Mrs. Rawley! ‘We’lFsoon have him out now!” she exclaimed.. bad still continued to wave het handkerchief. , Ere many seconds had passed half a dozen swarthy meh—their faces 'illumined with the rays of the setting sunbounded over the hedge and rail to the scene of peril. . .. / Their brawny hands and arms were soon earnestly engaged in the work of rescue; and while the women comforted old Deborah, her husband was got out of bis very dangerous position. He made no movement as they bore hhn to the surfitee, and then to his cottage, where was found that life was

<QOt exthrat. *He wre ftmrinlly -braised and shaken, however, and was some weei|s in recovering his usual health. This incident wrought an entire eb|»ge in the <rtd couple. ; Whetiwr ths stteiniftn and sympathy of their neigh-, Bon had anything to do with it cannot be said; but it is very certain that few are proof against kind words and loving deeds; sneers and reproaches may harden; but who-oan resist the sunshine, of love? Happily the Rawleys’ hearts were touched by the friendly solicitude shown them, and they evinced their gratitude in many ways. Selfishness gavff place to generosity, and perhaps the final recovery of Mrs. Figgins’ inih sente measure, due to the frequent Supply of new-laid eggs which Mrs. Rawley’s hens seemed to take as much delight in laying for other people as for their own mistress. Be that as it may, hearts which had been long closed to the sufferings around them were now awakened to the honest realization of life’s duties, their earnest attention to which enriched them With a higher appreciation of life’s true sweetness and the secret of alj happiness.— British Workman.