A Visit From The Tooth Fairy in The Appalachian Coal Field's

A visit from the tooth fairy----In the Appalachian Coal Fields In the coal fields men getting out of work from time to time was not uncommon ,But it did cause things to be hard on their family money would run out until the mine was up and going or until they found other work and such was the case in our house daddy had been out of work for some time ,People had gardens and cows so most people could at least feed there family but no one had any money, I am telling you this in case you do not know about the coal fields and how people survived now to children life went on and so did our hopes and dreams and when it come to a lost tooth among myself and my sisters and brother we still believed in things like the tooth fairy I mean after all it was simple if you lost a tooth all you had to do was put it under your pillow and go to sleep knowing that when you awoke your tooth would be gone and a dime would be in place of it. Now the day before when I was four years old I lost a small tooth and I was happy you see because it meant that night the tooth fairy would come and as I danced around waiting for night fall, My parents were very unhappy because as the story goes there was no money to be found in the house at that time they had emptied out every jar of change to pay the light bill payment that was one thing that scared all miners when they were out of work ,How to keep the lights on, So when I lost my tooth that day my parents were not as over joyed as I was they was wondering what to do when night fall come, Now my mother had a cross necklace that I liked to borrow and wear to church as in our home church was like school you went unless you were really sick,So she thought I would be just as happy to receive the necklace and she had thought that she would tell me she had given it to the tooth fairy to wear, Now this may not have been the best plan seeing how my mother did not like or approve of little white fibs, But she said she had thought she would do some extra talking to the , Lord that night and she slid the necklace in place of the tooth and she reach my dad the tooth to place up high on the shelf in there room where I could not see it, Now with mother talking it over with the Lord she told daddy she felt sure all would be ok, Now they were early risers and got up with the sun to start the day and although they had what was called a,Big Ben clock they wound up and set the alarm each night but most mornings were up before the clock went off, But on this one morning I awoke first and was looking under my pillow now I might add that being still small I slept with my parents as at that time I was still the baby one ,Now mother said she told me to keep looking and then she said a ray of sun caught her eye threw through the window and it was like a sun beam that led to the floor, And there lay a mercury dime, And she said it was as bright as if it had just been maid she said daddy sat up and was as puzzled as she was but I had saw my tooth fairy dime in the floor and was out of bed dancing around, Now what became of the necklace well I will tell you both my parents said it was in mothers pillow case, how did it get there, and where did that dime come from , Both of my parents said they never placed it there and my mother added that when she let me wear the cross she felt that I was safer as though a warm felling would come over her when she placed it on my neck by the way she placed it on me a few years later when it was my first day of school and she felt comfort from this and why some children cry the first day mother said I was happy and that when she left me in the school room I was chatting with my new teacher about my necklace ,and she said tears came down her cheeks as she knew that I would be ok and this story is a true fact that both my parents told over the years, and God rest there soul’s I “BELIEVE”.......By, Oaneatta Stanley Smith .........For more story‘s visit often.

The Robber In The Mines

As time pass'es all little girl's grow up and realize maybe dad was not as tall as she thought. But when he held my hand and we would walk through the mountain paths,or close to the rail road tracks, He seemed like a giant to me telling me stories of how things use to be ,or maybe talking of the honey bees and their need for the flowers and the tree's, Yes those days were truley grand the one spent hand and hand , He never made me fill small and this was no easy task,Because their were four of us children in all ,And he wanted better for each and every one .And with a kiss we were off to school, And we all knew he belived in the golden rule,Some people say he was a simple man from,Eastern Kentucky, who never had a chance at school instead he became a miner of the land,I recall running to great him ,How strange this work made him lookCovered in black from head to foot ,He need an hour to scrub and still his skin looked dark almost blue,but he never really complained.Not even a shift called the hoot owl shift which was the last shift of the day ,What shift was better for once inside you could not tell night from day, Payday allway's brought a smile to his face, But then that awfull cough would take it away, The doctors had said the bright colored blood was coming from his lungs that he needed to leave the mine's for this problem was called, Black Lung, Rock dust would help hold the dust down he would say and he used a dust mask to help protect anyway,Besides this was the only work he knew, So with mask, battery light and water pail that allso held lunch off he would go ,So his children could stay in school ,And that was where we were when an Uncle came to bring us back home, We knew something was wrong, Mother could not find word's to tell us dad was gone she said, Remember he loved you all, The details of his death was very faint leaving unanswered questions in our mind's ,It seemed no two men told the story the same.No matter mother said it won't bring him back,I feared this would happen some day.The funeral was so sad, I was never able to see how he was in a better home now that he was gone For a seven year old girl it was plainly wrong, I wanted my daddy and I wanted him home. To touch his face to walk hand in hand , But that could never be again, ---The Robber had struck once more ,---The Robber of life that lurks in those dark holes underneath the land . The one that separates a father and a child's hand's, I am now grown with a child of my own , And I know now how my father feltToward his children's hand's. His death left holes in my heart , and still brings tears to my eyes, for you see that robber not only stole him from me, He took my daughter's grandfather to She never knew him , execpt through my memory's, And if this seem's sad Then you will surley understand when I say he robbed from her twice, He also claimed her dad's father much the same way ,Another place, Another time yet still with a coal mine ,Leaving little children behind.-----------------------by - Oaneatta Stanley Smith ---------------In Loveing memory of Troy E. Stanley---1928-1967-- May God Bless All Miners And Protect Them. "Photo is Not Of Troy E. Stanley" but repersents a Father and Child.