The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-02-21
From Mrs Halls stoIies Of IrIsh Peasontry.
"It's Only a Drop !"

cottage where Ellen and Micha. the two suryiv
ing children Of old Ben Murphy, lived, wac al.
ways neat and comfortable, still there was 4
cloud over the brow of both brother and sister,
Us they sat before the cheerful fire; il had ohyi-
ously been spread not by anger, but BY sorrow.
I The silence had continued long, though it was
not bitter. AT last Michael drew away from hi.
sisters eyes the checked apron she had applied
/ 10 them and taking her hand dilectionatcly with
/ ia his own, said, 1T isn't for my own sake, Ellen,
| though the Lord knows that | shall he lUnesome
enough the long winter nights and the long sum
mer days without your wise saying, and your
sweet song, aud your merry laugh, that can so
well remember-ay, since the time when our
/ poor mother used to set us on the new rick, and
then, in the inuocent pride Of her heart, call our
father to look at u, aud preach TO Va against be-
| ing copceitcd, at the very time -le was making
us rs proud as peacocks by calling Us her bios
SONS Of beauty and her hearts blood, and her
king and queen
God and the blessed Virgin make her bed in
heaven now aud for cyermore amen said Ellen,
at the same time drawing out her beads and re
| peatIng an ave with inconcciyable rapdity Ah,
/ Mike she added that was the mother, and
| the father too, lull Of grace and goodness
! True for yc, Ellen but thats not what I'm
| altler now, a. YOU well know, you blushng little
| rogue Of the world aud surra a word III say
agiust il in the end, though IT. lonesome III be
on me own hearthstune, with no one to keep me
! company bat the ould black cat, that cant see,
| let alone hear. the oraylhureH
! Now, sjd Ellen, wiping her cyes and smiling
her bright smile lave on; ye'cr just like all the
men, puuCnding TO one thing, whn they name
another; there's dale Of dosate about them
tall-eycry one of thcm--and so my mother often
said. Now, you'd better have done, or maybe
I'll say something that will bring, if not the color
to your brown check dale more warmth to yer
warm heart than would be conyaneut, just by
tie mention OF one Mary-Aiary what purity
name Alary it is, isn't iti-it's a common name
too ard yet you Ike it none the worse for that
Do you mind the ould rhyme'-
Mary, Mary. quite contrary
We'll I'm not going to say she's contrary-lm
,ure shes anything but that to you, any way
trother Mike Can't you 1T still, and don't be
pulling the hairs out Of pusheen cats tail, j.
l,u't many there's in it ; and I'd thank you not
to unrayc the beautiful English cotton stocking
I'm knitting lave of your tricks, or I'll make
common talk Of it, will, and be more than even
with you, my fne fellow Indeed poor ould
pu,heen' she continued addressing the cat with
=
Lc las no notion to make you either head or tail
TO the house not be- he won't let YOU be without
a mi-thress to give you yer sup o milk, or yeI
bit Of sop; he won't let You be lonesome, my
poor pu-, he's glad enough to swop an Ellen
for Mary, 80 be is; but that's a sacret, ayoar.
ncen: don't tell it to any one
Anything for yonr happiness replied her
brother, .Omew hat sulsily; but your bachaloI
las a worse fault than ever | had, notwi,h,tand
Ing all the Iec,uring YOU kept on me- he las a
turn for tie dfop, Ellen; you know he has
How sptcfully YOU said that, replied Ellen
and II isn't gnerous To spake of 1t when he
uot here to defend himself
You'll not let i word go agan-; him. said Nj
chacl
No, she said Il will never let i'll be spoken
Of an absent tIi,nd know lie has q turn for tie
! drop but III cure him
After he's mmrad,' observed McLac not
very good naturcdy
No, she answered, before. think n gill;
shance Of happiness is not worth much who tru-,s
20 after marriage reformation | wont. Didn't
reform YOU, Mike, Of the shocl,n' habit You had
Of putting every Thing off to the last ani ailhcr
returning brother, who knows what | inay DO
] with lover, Do YOU think that Iarry'- heart
is harder iLan yours, Nike Look what fine
vegetables We have IN our gardeunow, all plant,
ed 10y yer own hands when you come home from
wur---paated during the very time which YOU
( used to spend IN leaning against the door check
Or smoking your pipe, or sleeping over The irc
lr"s at the money You got from the Agricultural
SocisY'
That's yours, Ellen SAID the generous hearted
Nike; III never touch penny II IL: but ~
you never should have had It; III never
touch it,
You never shall, she answered I've laid il
every penny out. SO that when the Young bride
comes home. ,Lcll have such house Of comforts
a. are not to be found in the pari,h-whtc table.
cloth. for SUNDAY, a llt,Ic store II tay aud sugar
soap candles, starch, every thing good and plenty
, OF IT,
Ny own dear generous sister " exclaimed tie
young man.
! shah ever hc your sister she replied, and
he's too. She's good colleen, and worthy my
own Mike, and thais more than | would say tu
cen another in the parish, ! wasn't in caiucst
when sa,d you'd he glad To get rid of ne, sc
put the pouch, every hlt Of it, uR yer handsome
face. And hush l--Hhisltl will vel there's the
sound OF Ls,ry's footstcp IN the btwu hand ne
the needles, Nike She badci back her hair
with bu'h hands, arranged the red r,hb,n that
confined its luxurjaucc, in the little g,a,s tlat
hung upon 4 nail ou the dresser and, after com
posing her arch laughing features into al ,xpres
sion ui great gravity 81, down, and applied her.
self wi'h singular industry 10 take up the stitch
her brother had dropped. and put uH an look ui
right mIdruly astuni-hmrnt when the door open.
ed, and Larrys gooi.humored face entered with
the salulstlun Of God save all heteN lie pop
ed his head in first, and after gazing around,
presented his goodly person to their view aud a
pleasant view It was, ior he was ofgcrGinc lri,h
bearing aud bcauly-frank, aud mNuly, ai fear
less looking. Ellen, the wicket one, looked up
/ with wrllipgned aaton.hment aud exclaimed, ,
Oh Larry, is it you, aud who would have Thought
/ of seeing yuu this blessed night l--yc'ic lucky
just in time for a bit uf supper nfther your walk
across the moor | cannot think what in the
world makes YOU walk over tie moor 50 often
you'll get we, feet, aud yer mother III bc forced
| To nurse YOU. OF all the walks in the county,
/ the walk across the moors the drcaricst, and yet
yere always going it wonder you haven't bet.
/ ter sense; yerc not such chicken now
Well interrupted Mike, it's the women that
bates the world for dc,a,ing, Sure she heard
yer step when nobody else could; IT. echo struck
On her heart, Larry--let her deny 1t, she'll make
n shove or it she can; .ho twist YOU and tvIrl
you, and turn you about, 40 that YOU wont know
whether it's on your head or your heels ycrc
standing. Shell tosscate yer brains In no time,
and be as composed herself 50 dove on her nest
in storm. But ask her, Larry, the straight
forward question whether sho heard YOU or not
She'll tell no lie--shc never does
Ellen shook her head at her brother, and laugh
od. And Immediately after, tho happy THO sat
down to chcsrfl supper
LHrry was was a good tradcsman, blythe, and
r,li l., Ia, la a., ,u.tll nd l,l Al NAT h,pu