The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-04-18
DAILY CRESCENT.
Oh n z reS
Sketches of the Sidewalks and Levee

Sketches of the Sidewalks and Levee;
! ltih Ghmpses into the Neso Orleans Bar (roOms
PATRICK McDRAY.
| Stranger perhaps you We seen stout, hardy
looking lIibernian driving cotton bales along the
street. He jolly-lookng fellow, somewhat pit
ted by the smallpox, cracks his whip in peculiar
manner, and drives good horse-lIlat IS Patrick
McDray.
lie s clever fellow, is Pat and by dint of hard
labor and plenty of it, supplies his daily wants
and the animal necessities of five or six small Pats
who look for all the world like chips oil the old block.
IL needs no ." ghost from the grave" to tell lis
whence came Patrick McDray the thing sjukes for
Itself, by Il brogue as unerring as the pointing of
the needle to the pole. True he has some idea of
becoming native, as he says, of this country see
ing he likes it well but it is enough for orr
present purpose to acqiaint you, reader that Pat
rick patroniZed the 6 Green Isle of the Ocean
when he came hounderng, like a great calf, INTO
this round world of trouble where
There nonght but every hand
In every hour that passes, o.
In his own swae'' land he had endured the
lrowns OF an inaured world for many Years, and it
was one of the blessed chances which occasionally
visit The likes of Patrick McDray that brought him
safe and sound upon dry land on this side of the
Waher
+ But not only in the matter Of mate and drink
and clothes Paddy made fortunate possessor
OF virtue, liberty and independence and all
natural right and consequence breathing the bless
ed air that blows through the wales and the hills
OF our rIghliul land-but Pat, by his change of soil
and climate, became a sturdy patriot at the drawing
nigh of the election.
Well, we may trace Patrick Me Dray up one side
and down the other from his birth and birth place
in the 'swae lsle,'' which is TO the millions,
Z" swate y only in the uses of adversely - we
may follow him. we say, from plain Pat all the
way up to his present improved condition of Mr.
Patrick McDray, who owns his own team and
drives it like gentleman 1t is remarkable
thing howa man will pick up. little by little; only
give him plenty of work and sure pay and indus
Try united to VIRTUE, liberty and independence -"
will do the balance. But Paddy was otherwise
united than to the three Twin sisters speak Of
Paddy had a wife, and Bridget was her name
Ii wond he exceedingly unbecoming to invade
the sanctity of the domestic circle and we prefer
to depict Paddy he is, either in his daily charac-
ter drayman, or in lis occasional duty at the
polls but picture would scarce be complete
without one peep at Bridget, for at home she was
the very ''sowl of the Cause
20 NATURE all thy shows and forms
10 teelingr pensive hearts have charms!
Whether the summer kindly warns,
WI life and light,
Or winter SHOWS IN gusty storms,
the long dark night
An unsophistocated child of nature was Bridget
McDray, sure enough. She was a mixture of this
same kindly summer " and "glsty winter,' be-
ing all brightness and sunshine and good humor |
when things went well but on the other hand |
with storms, gusty enough when
ills prevailed. A strange compound was Brdget's
extreme of good nature and hon
est fralnkness there, and yet vexations
abundant i'll this " world of care and abundant
too in proportion to yielding to their sway,
there was To be in her yisage the trace of
A moral storm where furious passion had ragged and
left It's lines in her brow and in the drawing down
The corners of her mouth. Naturally frank to a |
fault, yet, notwithstanding. they do say" when |
her Irish gets up" Bridget is g rae i'pperary -
over again and can flourish Il broomstick or her |
tongue with equal rapidity and violence. but |
she's Jewel oi n wife, is Bridget when " she gets
IN one of her wavs.''
Patrick :hrives well he pays his day and way
ike an honest man, and takes good of his
horse Cashel, and this shows him to be a gentle
nan. He puts on his Sunday clothes when Sun
lay comes, and takes walk upon the Levee by
way of variety, and when his wife Bridget 8 gets
ugh he just drops quietly ont of the way and
waits till the breeze has blown over and this shows
lin to be u man of wisdom, for in the case a
Multitude of words would only have " darkened
counsel, while giving Bridget the whole house to
lersef peace speedily declared, there being no
nemy to encounter.
We take our leave of Patrick McDray, wishing
i'm success in life and heap of it.