North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-04-15
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THE WITCHC OF MERs
CY O'MORE.
AN IRISH STORY.

A breathing creature was Mercy O'More.
From the Giants Cauesway to the Cape
Clear, from Connemara to the Hill of Howth,
you would not meet with another such dear,
delightful, clever, captivating darling. All
the boys of high estate, rich and poor, ac-
Rnowledged the fascinatlons of Miss Mercy,
and no one was ever known to be thrown in
to any other than an ecstatic state when
Miss Mercy favored him with smile of that
dear. delightful. dimpled face of hers Oh,
it was quite enchanting to have such a smile
never was ray from that glorious Iuminary
that fell so warm upon the heart ofcreated
man as smile from the face of Mercy o.
More. There was man who declared that
upon his heart Miss Mercy had made no i'm
preston and people said, in consequence,
that he had no heart at all, but he had, and
a pretty good one, too, as the sequel will
show. 1t happened, too, that this very iden-
tical young gentleman with hard heart, or
heart with low covering, was the only
one whom Mercy herself had fallen in love
with.
"Well, Florence, darling" said Sir Mau-
rice O'More, one day to Mercy's sister, and
so you believe that our beauty is fast caught
in love and in love, too, with that unloving
Englisher, Harry Perceval"
81 do, indeed was the reply.
"And what makes you think so 2"
u can interpret downcast eyes and gen.
tie sighs, warrant. Sister, said to-day,
sweet sister, what think you of the gay
young bachelor, our visitor ? "A goodly
man enough said she ard then 'heigho!
heighop she sighed. Do you mark that =
That goodly man. said /, will make some
pretty maden's heart ache! 1 do not
doubt he wll,' she straight replied, and then
she turned the leaves of many books, but
nothing pleased her there she tried her pen
Gil, too, but after making many crooked lines,
and nothing else, she blamed the unskillful
maker of the crayon, and snapped it in pet;
her gay guitar, she said, was out of tune 5
and then her harp, alas She swept her fin
gers over the strings, but the only music
they made was the echo of her sigh
''And from this,' said Sir Maurice, " you
infer that she loves WeIi-well, time will
show"
1t is possible that Harry Perceval may
have felt the soft passion creeping upon him,
aud not wishing to become Benedict, he
resolved upon flying from the dangerous
neighbQrhood Of Mercy o'More. Certain it
is that he called to him his man, Barney, a
gentleman, who oficiated in various capaci
ties, valet included, and ordered him to pack
up all his traps" for" said he, Barney,
we leave this place tomorrow morning"
"Sure you went" said Barney.
" Sure | will responded Harry Perceval.
"They want to persuade me that I'm in love
with Mercy O'More."
"And you could do worse than be in love
with her." said Barney.
:" Gould | 2" said his master, " but don't
happen to be in the mind just at present to
do anything so desperate. Pm not to be
NdISIb Win llSL DCddGlAIA Olb vi lllC DldAu
"Don't you be talking of the blarney,
masther," replied the faithful Domestic
"Mayhap, you haven't been rubbed upon
the blarney stone yourself! By my con-
science, I've heard you whispering such
things into the ears of the English girl, that
st. Patrick himself couldn't beat, with the
oarney- stone, at the back of him."
Hush, Barney; no tale-telling out of
school,"
Say fe to yourself, asther. Isn't it
yourself that's liboliDg the red cheeks and
bright eyes BLESSINGS on 'em) of Miss Mer-
cy? All, masther whenever | catch a
twinkle of those eyes, l feel a great coat
warmer all the day after. Och, such eyes
such diamonds ~
" Irish diamonds, eh ?" said his master.
No, sir, the genuine Then such cheeks
Red and white, laid on by the hands of La
dy Nature herself, round about, like the
cher7 ybinrs heads at church. Then her lips
Och her lips that's motheratlon!"
3" You are romantic, Barney" said his mas
ter.
"You may say that" was the reply )" Pm
just the boy for that same"
Well," calculated Perceyal, suppressing
smile, {" by this time tomorrow, Barney,
you and will be on the high road"-
"To matrimony, sir?"
No, sirrah, to England
You'd better be merclul and lead Mer-
cy to the altar"
And tie myselfup in halter, afterwards.
No, no, Pm not bound for the gulf OF matri-
mony yet"
Thus saying, Harry turned round, and per-
ceiye6 tall and lanthron-vsaged young
gentleman, whom he heard breathe heavy
sigh, hanging down his head.
Halloo !" cried Harry, {" who are you ?''