ahead.

Misery and suffering, and the long keen pain, the sad cheerless
prospect, and over all the empty life and the broken heart.

Lowwood was plunged into gloom when the news of the accident was known,
and every heart went out in sympathy to Nellie Sinclair and her young
family. It was indeed a terrible blow to lose at one and the same time
her husband and her eldest boy.

It was two days later, and the bodies had not yet been recovered. Men
toiled night and day, working as only miners fighting for life can work,
risking life among the continually falling debris to recover all that
remained of their comrades.

"It couldna ha'e been worse," said Jenny Maitland sorrowfully to her
next door neighbor. "It's an awfu' blow."

"Ay," rejoined her neighbor, applying the corner of her apron to her
eyes. "It mak's it worse them no' bein' gotten yet. I think I'd gae
wrang in the mind if that happened to our yin," and then, completely
overcome, she sat down on the doorstep and sobbed in real sorrow.

"I suppose it's an awfu' big fall. He had been workin' on the top o'
some auld workin's, an' I suppose they wadna ken, an' it fell in. It
maun hae been an awfu' trial for wee Rob, poor wee man. His first day in
the pit, an' his father an' brither killed afore his een!"

"Hoo has Nellie taken it, Jenny?" enquired the neighbor, after a little,
when her sobs had subsided.

"Ye'd break yir heart if ye could see her," replied Jenny sorrowfully.
"I gaed owre when oor yin gaed out wi' the pieces--he cam' hame at fower
o'clock to get mair pieces, for they're goin' to work on to ten the
nicht--an' I never saw onything sae sad-lookin' as her face. She has
never cried the least thing yet. Never a tear has come frae her, but
she'd be better if she could greet."

"Do ye tell me that! Puir Nellie! It's an awfu' hand fu' she is left
wi', too," commented the neighbor.

"Ay, she jist looks at ye sae sad-like wi' her big black een; never a
word nor a tear, but just stares, an' she's that thin an' white lookin'.
I look for her breakin' doon a'thegither, an' when she does I wadna like
to see her. The bits o' weans gang aboot the hoose wonderin' at her, and
she looks to them too, but ye'd think she'd nae interest in onything.
She jist looks out o' the window an' doon the brae to the pit. It's
awesome to look at her."

"Oh, puir body!" and again the kindly neighbor was overcome, and Jenny
joined her tears too in silent sympathy.

"The mini