"If I Had Only Spoke to Him Fair"
THE morning after I lectured in Wilkes-barre there was a great colliery explosion. Hundreds of Cornish miners were killed, and their corpses lay at the mouth of the coal-mine for recognition. Wives were wringing their hands, children were crying, and a wail of desolation filled the air. Sitting by a pale corpse was a young wife. She looked at her husband, but uttered no cry; her eyes were dry. She rocked to and fro, her face white with anguish. "O, that I had spoke fair to him at the end!" she moaned. "O, that he would come to life one minute, that I could say, 'Jimmy, forgive me!' But nothing can help me now! O, I could bear it all if I'd only spoke fair to him at the end!" And then at last the story came. They had been married a year, she and Jim, and both had tempers; but Jim was always the first to make up. And this very morning they had had trouble. It began because breakfast was not ready, and the fire wouldn't burn. And they had said hard words, both of them. But at the very last, tho the breakfast had not been fit to eat, Jim had turned round at the door, and said: "Give me a kiss, lass. You know you love me, and we won't part in ill blood." "No, Jimmy, I don't love you!" she said petulantly. "Give me one kiss, lass," pleaded Jimmy. "No, not one! And now—" and then the tears rushed to her eyes. With awful sobs, she flung her arms around the corpse. "Dear Jimmy, speak to me now," she moaned. "Say you forgive me." "Do not grieve so hopelessly," I said, trying to comfort her. But the mourner's ears were deaf to all comfort, and the wailing cry came again and again: "O, if I had only spoke to him fair at the last!" It is an uncommon story, this. We quarrel with those we love, and part, and meet, and make up again; death is merciful, and waits till we are at peace; yet how possible is just such an experience to any one who parts with some dear one in anger, or who lets the sun go down upon his wrath! It is always the noblest nature, the most loyal heart, which is the first to cry, "I was wrong; forgive me."—Selected.