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126 228 . the miracles of antichrist
lay scattered over the valley. Remains of walls and
strange old towers were there. It was a complete
wonderland.
While Margherita Cornado grew up, she was in the
habit of spending the greater part of her days on this
platform. Yet she rarely looked out over the
dazzling landscape. She was occupied with other things.
Her father was in the habit of relating to her about
the life in the sulphur mines in Grotte, where he was
a laborer. Whilst Margherita Cornado sat on the
airy terrace she constantly fancied herself wandering
about down in the dark passages of the mine, and
groping along in the dusky shaft.
She never could cease thinking of all the misery
which prevailed in the mines ; above all, she thought
of the children that carried the ore up to the surface
of the earth. " The little carts," they were called.
That name fixed itself in her memory. Poor, poor
little carts, poor little mining carts !
They came in the morning and followed each his
miner down into the mine. As soon as the miner
had cut sufficient ore he loaded the little cart, and
so the latter commenced to ascend. Several of them
met during the journey, thus forming a long train.
And then they would sing,
" One journey is done with smart and pain
Nineteen are left for weary little swain."
When finally they were up in the daylight, they
emptied their baskets and threw themselves on the
ground to rest a moment. Most of them dragged
themselves over to the sulphurous pools, found near
the mouth of the mine, and drank of the fetid water.
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