The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-04-17

lngs, especially the day that we took halt
a dozen eggs from under the batching hen,
to play "Blind Tom" with, she'd interfere
for us and say: "Tim aledgh don't touch
,hem; Ills only arch they are; they'll GET
more sense in time" And then. after he
was gone out, she'd advise us for our good
so pleasantly, that thunder-cloud itself
couldn'. look black at her. She did won
ders, too, about the house and garden
They were both dirty and neglected enough
when she first camo over them; for was
too young and foolish, and my father too
busy with his outdoor work and the old
woman that lived with us in service too fee.
BILE and too blind to keep the place either
clean or decent, but my mother got The
floor raised, and the green pool in iron,
drained, and a parcel Of roses and honey
suckles planted there instead. The neigh
bors' wives used TO say that it was pride
and upse,,ing folly TO keep The kitchen floor
swept clean, and to put the potatoes on
dish, instead Of emp,ying them on po, 10.
to the middle of,he table; besides, twas a
cruel unnatural thing, they said, to to take
away the pool from the ducks, lha, they
we're always used to paddle in so happy
But my mother was always too busy and
too happy to heed what they said; aud, be-
sides, she was always ready to do kind
turn for any them, that out OF pure shame,
they had At last TO leave of abusing her
sine English ways"
Ipoet oco.. ho,.a H. .t
stony piece Of ground, where, within the
memory Of man. nothing ever grew but net
ties and thistles. One Monday. when
Richard and myself came in from school,
my mother told US to set about weeding il,
and 10 bring in some basketfn!s Of good clay
from the banks ofthe river; she said that it
we worked we'll a, it until Saturday. she'd
bring me new froek, and Dick . JACKET,
from the next market-town, and encouraged
by this, we set 10 work with right good
will, and did not leave Oft I'LL supper time.
The mex. day We did the same; and by de.
grees, when we saw the heap of weeds and
stones that we got out growing big, and the
ground looking nice and smooth, and red
and rich, we got quite anxious about it our
selves, and we built nice little fence
abou, j. TO keep ou, the pigs. When it was
mannred, my mother planted cabbage, par
SHIPS, and onions, in it, enough to make us
many nice supper Of vegetables stewed
with pepper, and n small taste ofthe bacon
or red herring. Besides, she sold iD 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 the country
could show at mass. Through means Of
my fathers industry and mothers good
management, We were, with the blessings
Of God, as snug md comfortable poor fam
lily as in Munster. We paid small rent
and we always had plenty Of potatoes to
eat, good clothes to wear, and cleanliness
ano decency 10 and about our little cabin
Five years passed on this way, and at last
little Mary was born. She was delicate
fairy thing. with that look, even from the
first, in her blue ewes. which is seldom seen
except where the shadow Of the grave dark
ems the cradle. She was fond Of her father
and Of Richard, aud Of myself, and would
laugh and crow when she saw us, but The
love in the core Of her heart was for ber
mother. No matter how tired, or sleepy,
or cross the baby might be, one word from
her would set the bright eyes dancing and
and the little rosy mouth smiling, and the
tiny limbs quiverng. as il walking or run.
ming couldn't content her, but she must fly
to her mothers arms. And how the moth
er doated on the very ground she trod!-
often thought the Queen in her state car
riage, with her son, God bless him! along
side Of her, dressed ont in gold and jewels,
was not o bit happier than my mother, when
she sat under the shade Of the mountain ash
near the door. in ,bc hush Of the summers S
evening, singing aod crOnaching her only
one TO sleep in her arms. In the month Of
October, lS45, Mary was four years old
That WAS the bitter time, when first the
food of earth was turned TO poison; when
the gardens that used to be 80 bright and
sweet, covered with the purple and white
blossoms, became in one night black and
offensive, as if fire had come down from
heaven to burn them up. Twas a hear,
breaking thing to see the laboring men, the
cra,hers! that had only one half acre 10
feed their families. going out after work, in
the evenings, to dig their snppers from un
der the black stalks. Spadeful after spade
fni would be turned up, and long piece
Of ridge dug through, before they'd get
small dishfiII Of such withered crohanees
(small potatoes as in other years, would
be hardly counted fit for the pigs.
II was some time before the distress
reached us. for ihcrs was trifc of money
in the savings bank, that lped US in meal
while the neiohbors were next door in
starvation. As long rs my father and moth
er had il they shared il freely with them
that we're worse ofthan themselves; but al
las, the little penny Of money was all spent
the price Of -four vas raised; and. TO make
matters worse. the farmer that my father
worked for, at a poor eight-pence q day,