Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1868-09-02

handsome Jimmy Me parents, | spoze
was proud of me, and they let me have my
own wild way too much-shure Miss Issy,
L was like a colt that's never broken or
trained. and like such creeter, I've done
my mount o mischief But the Lord bis
sed be His name, knows me hearts been
right afore Him these many years. 'Twere
Il long time atore | got married. Miss Issy
L We're thirty when first saw Mary Mac
Donough. Her father were agent for one O.
the lngish Lords that oppress the poor Irish
to this day-the rich spalpeens and would MT
a no more noticed me than the dirt undher
his feet. But Mary took to me from the
time she first saw me, an that was at the
gran weddin in a great church in Cork |
was nigh her. and her swate face-or the
look in it-went clear to me heart, and there
it staid iVer since-come Christmas forty
one years Afther that | managed to see
her agin, and as | had decent situation as
head gardener for the Aarl O'Conner, be-
gin to save me wages and grow careful, for
the sake of that swate face. To make short
on it-I got little house ready, and thin |
made bodid to ask her father might | have
his daughter. Och to see the rage on him!
He called me bastly names, and all but put
his fut to me to kick me out ov the house.
1t were tarrible to hear the oaths that he
took and how he thriteped me my life if
so much as come past the place any more.
Well, [ bore it quietly for Marys sake,
though | shook inside till my heart felt
loose but | made VOW, too, that have
the girl-an' kiptit. I've been sorry since,
but the Lord knows how | were punished
till put me hand to me mouth and me
mouthin the dust, and cried out in me suf
FERNS that it were more than [ could bear.
well, Miss Issy, [ married her, AMI I'll
only say to We that her father didn't know
it, and whin he did he put his curse upon
us both. Well, little | cared for it at that
time, for | were prosperin' but me poor
Mary-poor girl, she took it hard. She
grew pale and spipdlin' like, aud secretly
worritted about her father curse. But she
was nate housekeeper. was my Mary, and
me little cabin always looked clane and
swate. was happier nor king, and work
ed hard, arly and late, for the sake of show
ing her proud father how well | could sup
port the woman he grudged to me- When
her pale cheeks would worrit me, shurely,
[ used to say, she'll be all right when the
bright spring comes.
so by that time little Elsie were born.
o it made me betther man to see the
, innicen. little face, and the wee bit hands
J SC helpless If | d niver loved the flowers
for their own Sakes before, | loved EN- for
hers, now. | was as tinder of the bit bud
as if it were my nurslill' most. 1t seemed
e a. if / i flower at home-a new bud with
the dew Ov the morn of its life upon it, | d
/ niver done watchin' and tindn' it. o I'd
fly TO me home like IA bird let loose out ov
0 lis cage.
1T seemed to me. Mary grew a little
t betther after this There did color come
V to her pale checks, and light into her eyes,
and niver loved her 50 well. Besides that,
2 [ was a layin' up of money, and felt as
f if ID be land owner meself if | KEEP on at
e the rate [ were gojn.
0 ME little Elsie, she jlst growed beauty.
/ I'd sit an wonder if the deficit crathure be-
Il
Issy, what large sparklin' eyes she had, and
the white of her skin och think that
e lily hanging yondher look dark to it. Peo-
pie said that it couldn' be that she were well,
Y an so white and even the very ladies would
stop to look at her, and wondher at her
e beauty Then she had the curls for We, Miss
II Issy; don't say as they were handsomel
o than your'n, but they were such tiny things,
r FIVE rings of yellow light shining in the sun
J. like bits of gold Many the time I've kissed
and called 'em my best guinees.
c Sometimes we'd hear from Mary father
d but never no good. Oncet | met her mother
It when had the child. She minded TO turn
st off and 60 across, bu the woman's heart il
a her give way, an she all but knet down
5, and kissed the little darlin,' though she
o never so much as noticed me. But never
is cared. Wasn't the child mine? wasn't Mary
mine?'
- Elsie were just turned Of four whin the
s faver come 1t was stcalthy enough at first
J. ONLY a case here, an a few cases there that
II when people harked they didn't care much
n but the hot summer came on, and the rains
IN every day. an the mists by night, and the
e copper sky, that looked as if it would hiss
if shower came, always at the nightfall-
g and oh the woe There begun to be many
Or processons-then the rich and the grea
er folks, they hurried from the cities, then the
lie shopkeepers, an so one afther another al
ut left but the poor an the midlin', an few
IN of the good gentry as WASH ateard. Pretty
il, soon, Miss IsSy. it come marching along.
Y, We'd hear of it in the street near by-anC
to thin it d be in the next house, and L wer,
all but crazy for fear ov me wife an child
it ketchin ov it. AT last it come news tina
III Mary's father were sick, and the poor cir
wint to see him. | hadn't the heart TO "a,
" no, though wish had, for his last word
OF were bitter, bitter. So she come away faith
RS erless and motherless-for the pestilenee ha,
is taken both ov them. o but that awfu
er time! went to and fro to me work, but