Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-17

This simple stone was erected by his Fellow Work
-tss.-.iI>. Ella men. IL ~ .f0,.. ,,.--s
These words you may read any day
upon white slab in a cemetery no
many miles from New York but yol
might read them hundred times with
out guessing at the little tragedy they
indicate. without knowing the humbl,
romance which ended with the placing
of that stoLe above the dust of one poo
and humble man. 4o..za
In his shabby frieze jacket and mud
laden brogans he was scarcely an at
tractlve object as he walked into Mr.
Bawn's great tin and hardware shop
one day, and presented himself at th,
counter with an
"I'ye been tould ye advertised fol
hands yer honor" -
Fully supplied. my man." said Mr.
Bawn, not lifting his head from his ac
count book ss9a lza g! 5a s
"I'd work faithful, sir, and take low
wages till i could do betther, and II
z learn laisy-I would that
fe Itwas an Irish brogue, and Mr.. Bawr
& always declared that he never would
/, employ an incompetent hand. Yet the
tone attracted him. He. turned briskly,
and, with his pen behind his ear, ad
dressed the man, who was only one oi
the fifty who had answered his advertise.
ment for four workmen that morning.
* "What makes you expect to learn
faster than other folks-are you any
smarter 2"
"I'll not say that" said the man, "but
I'd be, wishing to; that 'ud make it
aisyer." --,.-r--
''Are you used to the work %
1--we done bit of it,
"'Much %
mo, yer honor. I'll tell no lie. Tim
O'Toole hadn't the like of this place +;
but I know bit about tins
"You are too old for an apprentice and
you'd be in the way l calculate" said
Mr.. Bawn, looking at the brawny arms
and bright eyes that promised strength
and intelligence. "Besides, 1 know your
complementary, good-for-nothing fell
lows who never do their best. No, I've
been taken in by Irish hands before,
and [ won't have another"
"The Virgin will have to be bringing
'em over in her two arms, thin,' said the
man despairingly, "for I've tramped all
day for the last fortnight, and niver Job
can I get, and that's the last penny l
have; yer honor, and it's but half one"
As he spoke ne spread his palm open
with a half penny upon it. r.
"Bring whom over 2" asked Mr.. Bawn,
arrested by the odd speech, as he turned
upon his heel and turned back again.
''Jist Nora and Jamesy." 25
''Who are theyP
"The vans me wife. the other me
child" said the man. o, masther Just
try me. How'll 1 bring 'em over to me
if no one will give me job? I want to
be airning, and the whole big city seems
against it, and me with arms like them"
He barred his arms to the shoulder as
he spoke. and Mr.. Bawn looked at them,
and then at his face.
"Ill hire you for the week." he said,
"and now as it's noon, go down into the
kitchen and tell the girl to get you your
dinner-a hungry man can't work"
:, And, with a blessing, the new hand
obeyed, while Mr.. Bawn, untying his
apron, went up stairs TO his own meal.
{ Suspicious as he was of the new
hands integrity and ability, he was
agreeably disappointed. Connor work.
ed hard and actually learned fast. At
the end of the week he was engaged
permanently, and soon was the best
workman in the shop.
He was great talker, but not fond
of drink or wasting money. AS his
wages grew he boarded every penny,
and wore the same shabby clothes in
which he had made his first appearance.
"Beer costs money" he said one day,
"and livery clint spend puts off the
bringing Nora and Jamesy over; and as
for clothes them I have must do me-
betther no coat to me back thun no wife
and boy by me freside; and, anyhow,
it's slow work saving" ross eeT
1t was slow work, but he kept at it all
the same. Other men, thoughtless and
full of fun, 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. Con-
nor liked fun, liked companionship but
he would not delay that long looked for
bringing of Nora over. and was not
;" name enough" to accept favors of 9TH
ers.. He kept his way, martyr to his
one great wish-living on little, working
at night on any extra job he could earn
a few shillings by; running errands in
his noontide hours of rest, and talking
to any one who would listen of his one
great hope, and of Nora and little
Jamesy.
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 Connor, whose
= wild Irish" ways and verdancy were
indeed often laughable. But he won
their hearts at last, and when, one day,
workbench, he shook his
little bundle, wrapped in 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! I've got it!" all felt sympathy
in his joy. and each grasped his great
hand in cordial congratulations, and one
to treat all round, and drink
good voyage to Nora,
They parted in a merry cd. 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 ex.
nibited his handkerchief, with his hard
earned savings tied up in hard wad in
he middle, before he put it under his
pillow and fell asleep. When he waken-
ID in the morning, he found his treasure
gone. Some villain, more contemptible