Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-11-10

urneu: anu Muiy st" sat "" s"0 S'SP'
II the church, with tears IN her eyes.
The lady perceived she was troubled,
md kindly asked how long she had been
n this country. 1t is but about twenty |
,ou,s,' said Mary, speaking in her broad
Irish accent. 'And have you no friends
here's" inquired the lady. Il am but a
stranger here, na'am,' was the reply;
but there is one kind gentleman prom
ised to bclriend me, if 1 could but find
the street wncre he lives. His name is
Mr.. ***s*ss-does ycur ladyship know
what street he lives in? Is it not Park
slreet?' said the lady, smiling. Oh,
Heaven bless your ladyship! it is the
very name!' said Mary O'Conner-her
eyes Frightening as she spoke; and
would you have the goodness to tell me
where this same Park street may be!'-
-. | am Mrs. @.*****,' returned the lady;
and my husband has told me your sto-
ry. Follow me home, and we will see
what can be done for you.
This gentleman and lady were as kind
to Mary as they promised to be. She
staid there three weeks, doing what she
called sodd turns in the kitchen; and
at the end of that time, Mrs. *s** had
procured as much work for her, as she
could possibly do. MIR. **"*'"* owned
very small, but comfortable house IN
Dorchester, and gave her leave to occu-
py that for one year, without rent WIN
a egratefll heart, Mary went to take
posse Of her new abode. 1t was "A
neat, warm house, surrounded on all
sides, except the front, with bushes and
trees. Many ladies' in 'oston sent her
washing, and ir oning, and mendlng, to
do; ana Mary's every wish was gratIfled
except that Of knowing what had become
of her poor husband.
In this comfortable home the little Irish
girl grew as wild aud hearty as a noun
tain goat. She was a forward child
and when she was four years old, she
was really Of great use to her mother.-
She could set the chairs in their places,
and dust the tables--and when her moth
er went out to hang clothes, she would
run round after her, with basket OF
clothes pins, and give them to her, as
fast as she asked for them. There was
stream near the house, where Mary
used to 20 and wash her little girls feet
every summers evening AwIde plank
was thrown over this stream, and near
it, close beside large button wood tree,
was wooden seat fixed, where Rosy
used to sit by her mother, talking and
singing, while she was knitting. There
were bars near this seat, which led into
neighboring wood, where Mrs. OCon-
ner had leave to pick up the broken
boughs end underbrush, for her own fire;
and almost every day, chubby little Rosy
might be seen trudging alongside her
mother, carrying load Of cat-sticks, as
heavy as her shoulders could bear.
Thus happily and u.eluIly passed their
time, until the little Irish girl was five
wears old, and still no news Of Patrick
O'Conner. Mary became more and
more anxious; but she tried to keep up
a good heart. One day as she was
walking over Roxbury neck, with a
basket of clean clothes, she was carry
ing home, and little Rosy skipping and
Jumping behind her, with her tiny bas-
kets full of nice linen pocket handker-
chiefs-they happened to meet the very
sailor, who came on shore with them,
the first night they landed in America.
Mrs. O'Conner knew him instantly, and
he knew her. After a hard shake OF
the hand, and various inquiries as to
how she got along in the world, anc
whether that little Dutch built girl was
the baby he had left; Mary eagerly asked
him If he had heard any thing about her
husband, in the course of his travels. The
mans countenance changed-and Mary
knew at once, that he had no good news
to tell He seemed unwilling to talk on
that subiect-and said he could tell noth-
ing for certain-it was all a flying rumor.
Besides,' added he, 'women have but
faint hearts, the stoutest ofthem.' How
ever, when Mary begged him, for PHYS
sake, to tell all he had heard, he confess
sed he had been in India, and there had
heard of an lrishman, by the name of o.
Conner, who had been shot, for attempt
ing to desert from the army.
Mary did not faint away; neither did
she burst into a violent fit oftears. She
told the honest sailor that she had been
supported under all trials, and she would
still hope for the best; but even while
she spoke, her very lips were pale, and
she felt dizzy Sickness come over her.
twas cold and windy, when Mary
returned that highland she went to her
home with an aching heart. In vain
Rosy prattled, and called her attention to
every living thing, as they went along;-
and when they reached the house, and
the oflicious little girl brought shingles,
and tried all she could to puffthem into a
blaze, to warm her mother-still she took
no notice OF her. Then little Rosy
drew her cricket close up in the corner,