Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-05-06
ONLY AN IRISH G1kL
or it, onlv an Irish girl I"

IS oh. Its only al 1Iish gu
famed into wrath far too intense for
restraint. My whole soul rose up and
cried out against the Deacon's wife. 1
.Trne. "A small thingi But are lies
and murder small things, Mrs. Adams
Murderers, and whatsoever loveth AID
maketh lie, are to be lett outside OF the
heavenly city. And, Mrs. Adams, sup
pose is should appear that q woman OF
high reepecfability, moving Ia the best So
ciety. and most excellent housekeeper,
has both those two tickets for hellz Do
you remember the Others that make up
that horrible company in the last chapter
Of Revelatfons9 Mrs. Adams, the gsTI IS
DEADl
The Deacon's wife's hard face had
blazsd instantly into passionate scarlet
But cared not for her, nor for man nor
woman. For the words SAID Themselves,
and thrilled and sounded fearful TO me
also they hurt me; they burnt from 10
tongue as melted iron might; and, scarce
ly knowing it, rose up and emphasized
with my forefnger. And her face, a.
those last tour words, turned stony and
Witty gray, like corpse. thought she
would die. Oh, it was awful to think SO,
and to feel that she deserved it For
did. l do now. For, reason as will, l
cannot help feeling as if tiDge of the
poor helpless child's blood was upon my
own garments. / do well to be angry. 1t
is not that desire any personal revenge.
Bat have q teeling-net pleasure, il is
almost all pity and paln-but yet feeling
that sudden death or lingering death
would be small satisfaction OF justice upon
her for what she rendered to another.
Her strong, hard, cruel nature fought IL
gerishly up again from the horrible blow
OF my news. She was frightened almost
to swooning at the thing tbat l told and
my denpnciation, and the deep answering
stab Of her own conscience. But her en-
ary iron will rallied with an >-fort which
must have been agony her lace became
human again, and, looking straight and
4efantly ct me, she said, yet with dlfl-
Gully
.'Ahl I'll see if my husband Ii hev sech
things said to me! That's ALL"
And she turned and went straightway
out of house, erect and steady as ever.
1t may seem a trifiing story, and its les
son a trihing one. But it is not so,-
neither trifiiDg nor needless
1t is rare thing, indeed, for q woman
children. The only two women whom |
know in this large town who do, are Mrs.
O'Reiily, the mother OF poor Bridget, and
one more.
Poor old Mrs. O'Reilly She came to
me this morning, and sat in ny kitchen,
and cried SO b!sterIy, and talked in her
strong Corkonian brogue, aud rocked her,
self backwards and forwards, and shook
abroad the great lambens banners of her
cap border,-a grotesque old woman, but
sacred in her tender motherhood and her
great grief. Her first coming was TO ped
die blackberries in the summer I asked
her if she picked them herself.
"Ooh thin and shure I've the childher
to do that saaln," said she. And what
wonderful music must the voice of her
youth have been 1t was deep OF lnton-
alton and HEARTFELT, rich and smooth and
thrilling yet, after fifty years of poverty
and toll. "And ids enough of thin that's
in i'd" she added, with curious air OF
satisfaction and ret1ectlveness.
How many children have you % in
quired. ....
She laughed and blushed, old woman
though she was ana pride and deep de
light and love shone in her large, clear
gray eyes.
spve fourteen darlins, thank God foI
livery wan of thin! And it's purity
partly they arel"
"Fourteenr' exclaimed" bow love
ly!" | stopped short and Dlushed. My
heart had spoken. "but howl stop
ped again. . ss-.
The old blackberry woman answered.
me with tears and smiles. What deep
rich, loving heart was covered out OF sigh
in her squalid life 1t makes me proaC
that felt my heart and my love in SOM
measure like hers; and she saw il, too.
"An' it's yerself, Main, that has thu
mothers own heart in yez, to be sure !
An can see it in your eyes, Main Blu
it's the thruth it's mighty scarce intirely
do be SEEM the ladies that's not glad a
all for the dear childher that's STINT 'em
and sure it's strange, MANI Indate, i
was with the Joy did be cryin' over ivr,
wan O. me babies; and could aisy laugl
at the pain, Main! And shure now il
cryin' am betimes because I'll have NJ
more!"
The dear, beautiful, dirty old woman
/ cried and laughed with her, and bough
ten times as many blackberries as | reall,
wanted and Mrs. O'Reiily and | wer
fast friends.
She and hers, her "ould man." her son
and her daughters, were thenceforth on
ready and devoted retaiHers, dexterou
and efficient in all manner of service, gen
erous in acknowledging any return tina
we could make them I; respectful and self
respectful; true men and women in thei
place, not unfit for higher, and shown.
the same By demeanor in low one
They came in and went out among u
for long time, in casual employmeuts
until, with elaborate pretaces and doubt
full apologize circumlocutions, shyly an,
hesitatingly, Mrs. O'Reilly managed {,
prefer her petition that her youngest girl
Bridget, by name,-there were few ia
Nor boys,-might be taken into my fami
~ as servant. asked the-old woman
few questions about her daughters's expe
riences and attsinments, in the housenol,
grace and economies could not remem
Der her; thought l had seen all the chill
dher;" found that she had been ~livin;
with Mrs. Deacon Adams, and had no
been at my house. 1t was only for form
sake that | catechised Bridget came, @
course.
She was such maiden as her mothe
must have been, one OF Natures own la
dies, bet more refined in type, texture al,
form, as the American atmosphere an,
food and WAYS snd lite sluaps rat;pa th