Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-12-05
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From Dickens Household Wol
LITTLE MARY.
A TALE OF THE IRISH FAMINE.


| That was pleasant place where l wa
born, though twas only matched cabiI
by the side of a mountain stream, where the
country was so lonely that in the summer
time the wild ducks used to bring thei
young ones to feed on the bog within
hundred yards of our door; and you coule
not stoop over the bank to raise pitcher
full of water, without frightening shoal o
beautiful speckeled trout. Well tits no,
long since my brother Richard THAT'S nov
grown fine clever man. God BIS him =
Rsstmyself. used to set of tosetkSs Up the
'mouniaIn, to pick punches Of the cotton
plant and the bog myrtle, and to look foI
birds and wild bees nests. IT'S long age
and though I'm happy and well off now
living III the big house as own maid TO the
young ladies', who, on account Of my being
foster-sister to poor darling Miss Ellen
that died Of decline, treat me more like
their equal than their servant, and give me
the means to improve myself; still, at diff.
serent times, especially when James Swee-
Dey, decent boy oftbe neighbours and my
self, are taking walk through the fields
III the cool and quiet Of a summers evening,
can't help thinking of the times that are
passed, aud talking about them TO James
with sort of peaceful sadness, more happy.
may be, than five we're laughing aloud.
Every evening, before say my prayers, |
read chapter in the bible that Miss Ellen
gave me; and last night felt my tears drop
ping for ever so long over one verse. ." And
God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes and there shall be no more death,
surrow, nor crying, neither shall there be
any more pain; for the former things are
passed away" The words make me think of
them that are gone-oi my father, and his
wife that was true, fond mother to me and,
above all, of my lntle sister Mary, the elur-
cen 6d,Cn (whlte dove) that nestled in Der
bosom.
| was wild slip of girl, ten years of
age, aud my brother Richard about two
years older, when my father brought home
his second wife. She was the daughter of
farmer up at Lackabawn, and was reared
with care aud decency but her father held
his ground at rack-rent, and the middIeman
that was between him and the head land
lord did not pay his own, go the place was
eJected, and the farmer collected every pen
ny he had, and set off with his family to
America. My father had liking for the
youngest daughter, and well become hlm to
have IT, for a sweeter creature never drew
the breath ollie; but while her father pass
ed tor strong (rich) farmer, he was tmor-
Gus like about asking her to share his lit
tie cabin; however, when he found out how
matters stood, he didn'l lose much time in
finding out that she was willing to be his
wife, and mother to his boy and GIRL
That she was, patient, and loving one
Oh 1t often sticks me like a knife, when !
think how often frelted her with nv fool
ishness and idle way, aud how twas long
time before I'D call her mother Often.
when my father would be going to chastlse
Richard and myself for our provoking do
iugs, especially the day that we took haIi-a-
dozen eggs from under the Matching hen, to
play Bind Tom with them, she d interfere
for us. aud say, Tim ateagh, don't touch
them; sure It's only arch they are; they'll II
get more sense IL time And then, after he
was gone out, she'd advise US SO pleasantly,
that thundercloud stseIf couldn't look
black at her. She did wonders. toe, about
the house and garden. They we're both
dirty and neglected when she first came o.
yer them; for was too young and foolish,
and my father too busy with his outdoor
work, and the old woman who lived with
us IN service too feeble and too blind to
keep the place either clean or decent; but
my mother got the floor raised, and the
green pool IN front drained, and parcel of
roses and briar planted there instead. The
neighbors' wives used to say, twas all pride
and upselting folly to keep the kitchen
floor swept clean, and to put the potatoes
on dish, instead OF emptying them out Of
the pot into the middle of .he table; besides.
twas cruel, unnatural thing, they said, To
take away the pool from the ducks, that
they we're used to paddle in so handy But
my mother was always too busy and too hap
py to heed what they said and besides,
she was always so ready TO do kind turn
for them, that, out of pure shame, they had
at last to leave off abusing her fine English
ways
West of our home there was struggling,
stony piece of ground, where, within the
memory of man, nothing ever grew hut net
ties, docks and thistIes. One Monday,
when Richard and myself came in from
school, my mother told us to set about weed
ing it, and to bring in some baskeifuls of
G 'od clay from the banks of the river; she
said that if we worked well at it until. Sat
urday, she'd bring me new frock, and
Dick jacket, from the next market town !;
and, encouraged by this, we SET to work
with RICH; good will, and didn't leave off ill
supper time. The next day we did the
same; and, by degrees, when we saw the
heaps of weeds and stones that we got
out growing big, and the ground looking
nice and smooth, and red, aud rich, we got
quite anxious about it ourselves, and we
built a nice little fence round it to keep
out the pigs. When it was manurcd, my
mother planted cabbage, parsnips and on
ions in it and, 10 be sure, she got fine
crop out of ii, enough to make US many a
nice supper Of vegetables stewed with pep
per, and small taste Of bacon, or red
herring. Besides, she sold in the market
as much as bought sunday coat for my
father, gown FOR herself, fine pair of shoes
for DICK and as pretty shawl for myself as
e'er colleen in this country could show at
,p.ee Thros,rh ,,,a,os &c mn c.sha.s. -,