Story 6—Chapter 5.
Day after day Dick sat by the side of his trap, all in the dark and by himself, opening and shutting it, as the corves and rolleys came by, and Samuel worked away as usual with his pick and spade. Though not as strong as many of the other hewers, he made as much as any one else by keeping at his work. The missionary continued to come to the village occasionally on the Sunday, but many of the men were absent that day, or would not come to hear. He was a man very earnest in his work. His great object was so to preach the gospel, that his hearers might understand and accept the offers it makes. He therefore considered how he might best get the ears of all the people in the district. Few men, knowing the dangers of a coal mine, would go down a second time for pleasure; but hearing that all the labourers collected in one place to eat their meals, he got leave to go down to read the Bible and preach to them all that time. They understood from this that he really wished to do them good; and in the course of a week or two there were very few who did not try to attend to what he said. Some few did much more than that, they repented—they turned to Christ—they put their whole trust in Him. Happy was it for those few who did so.
Dick was now becoming a biggish boy, and he hoped soon to be made a putter. He did not like the work a bit more than before. He could not help thinking of the green fields he remembered playing in when he was a little boy, and he ofttimes sighed for them; but his parents wanted him to work in the mines, and so it was his duty to stay on where he was. At last he was made a putter, and had, with two other boys, to push and pull along the rolleys. He had been about a week at the work, when one day, as he was going ahead of a laden rolley, he slipped, and before those behind saw what had happened, the rolley went over his foot. He shrieked out, for the pain was very great, and it seemed as if his foot was smashed to pieces. “I shall be a cripple all my life, like poor Lawry; oh dear, oh dear!” was his first thought.
His companions put him on the rolley and took him to the foot of the shaft. He was soon drawn up to the pit’s mouth, when the banksman got two men to carry him home on a stretcher, and sent for the doctor.
“Oh, Dick, Dick, what is the matter? Another of my boys a cripple!” cried poor Mrs Kempson, when the men brought him in and placed him on his bed.
Dick could scarcely speak for the pain.
“Don’t know, mother. Hope not,” he could just murmur out.
“Was there ever so unfortunate a woman as I am? my poor boy! my poor boy!” she cried, trying to cut off Dick’s boot and stocking, which was covered with blood.