The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-12-20

rs lot ClOLneS, Il0lH nave HluSG 10 Hlo
-betther no coat to me back than no
wife and boy by me fireside; and any
how, it's slow work saving
I 1t was slow work, but he kept on all
the same. Other men, thoughtless and
full of fun, tried to make him drink
made a Jest of his saving habits, coaxed
him to, accompany them to places Of
amusement or to share in their Sunday
frolics. All in vain. Connor liked
beer, liked fun, fixed companionship;
but he would not delay that long look
Ied-for bringing of Nora over, and was
not 'mane enough to accept favors of
Others. He kept his way martyr
to his one great wish-iying on little,
working at night on any extra job he
could earn few shillings by; running
errands in his noontide hours Of rest,
and talking to any one who would lis
ten of his one great hope, and of Nora
and little Jamesy.
t At first the men, who prided them
selves on being all Americans, and on
turning out the best work in the city,
made a sort of butt of Conner, whose
wild Irish ways and verdancy were in
deed often laughable. But he. won
their hearts at last, and when one day
mounting a workbench, he shook his
little bundle, wrapped in a red kerchief,
before their eyes, and shouted, Look,
boys, I've got the whole at last! Pm
goin' to bring Nora and Jamesy over at
last! Whroo! I've got it p all felt a
sympathy in his joy, and each grasped
his great hand in cordial congratula-
tions, and one proposed to treat all
round, and drink good voyage to
Nora.
They parted in a merry mood, most
of the men going to comfortable homes.
But poor Connor's resting place was a
poor lodging house, where he shared a
crazy garret with four other men, and
in the Joy of his heart the poor fellow
exhibited his handkerchief, with his
hard earned savings tied up in hard
wad in the middle, before he put it un-
der his pillow and fell asleep. When
he awakened in the morning, he found
his treasure gone. Some william, more
contemplate than most bad men are,
had robbed him.
At first Connor could not even be-
lieve it lost. He searched every corner
of the room, shook his quilt and blank
cts, and begged those about him to
quit joking and give it back
But at last he realized the truth.
is any man that bad that it's thaved
from meP he asked, in breathless
way. Boys, is any man that badl'
And some one answered.
NO doubt of it, Connor. It's sthole.
Then Connor put his head down on
his hands and lifted up his voice and
wept. 1t was one of those sights which
men never forget. Tt seemed more
than he could bears, to have Nora and
his child put as he expressed it,
months away from him again
But when he went to work that day
it seemed to all who saw him that he
had picked up a new determination.
His face seemed to say, Pll have Nora
with me yet At noon he scratched
out letter, biotted and very strangely
scrawled, telling Nora what had happen
ed and those who observed him, no.
ticed that he had no meat with his din
ner. Indeed, from that moment he
lived on bread, potatoes and cold water,
and worked as few men ever-worked
before. 1t grew TO be the talk of the
shop, and now that sympathy was ex-
cited, every one wanted to help Connor.
Jobs were thrown In his way, kind
words and friendly wishes helped him
nightly; but no power could make him
share the food or drink of any other
workman.
That seemed a sort of charity to him.
Still he was helped along. A present
from Mr.. Bawn, at pay day, set Nora,
he said, "a week nearer and this and
that and the other added to the little
hoard. 1t grew faster than the first,
and Connor's burden was not so heavy.
At last, before he hoped it, he was once
more able to say, Pm going to bring
them over, and to show his handker-
chief, in which, as before, he tied up
his earnings; this time, however, only |
to his friends. Cautious among strang-
ers, he hid the treasure, and kept his
vest buttoned over it night and day un-
til the tickets were bought and sent.
Then every man, woman and Child,
capable of hearing or understanding,
knew that Nora and her baby were
coming.
There was John Jones, who had more
of the brute in. his composition than
usually falls to the lot of man-even ne,
who had coolly hurled his hammer at
an offenders head, missing him by a
hairs breadth, would spend ten min
utes in the noon hour in reading the |
Irish news to Connor. There was Tom
Barker, the meanest man among tile |
number, who had never been known
to give anything to any one before, alb
solutely bartered an old Jacket for a
pair of gilt vases which a peddler
brought in his basket to the shop, and
presented them to Connor for his Nora's
mantel-piece. And here was idle Dick.
the apprentice, who actually worked
two hours on Connor's work, when i'll
ness kept the Irishman at home one
day. Connor felt this kindness, and re-
turned it whenever it was in his power,
and the days flew by and brought at
last letter from his wife. f
She would start as he desired, and
she was well and so was the boy, and
might the Lord bring them safely to
each other's arms and bless those which
had been 50 kind to him That was
the substance OF the epistle which Con-
nor proudly assured his fellow-work
men Nora wrote herself. She had
lived at service, as girl, with certain
good old lady, who had given her an
the items of which Connor
told upon his fingers, The radin',
that's one, and the writin', that's two,
and moreover, she knows all that wo-
man can.' Then he looked up at his fel-
low workmen with tears in bis eyes,
and asked
DO We wondher the time seems long
between me an her, hpye?'
So it was-Nora at the dawn of day