The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-12-31

Again she is reused. A piercing light
burns in her dark eyes, and her nostrile
culver. The pauper girls are coming low.
She raises herself upon her her hands as II
she were about to spring forward. II is
IL il poor NoTah's yellow haiIl She doea
spring forward. She seized the child by
the shoulders, and, holding her at arms
length stares into a face that never wore a
smile: no, never-since the day she was
born. But it is not poor Norah, and Sally
Cavanagh appears turned into stone asthe
procession OF pauper girls moves past.
But is il not q sight TO make one shud-
der? is there moi something horrible in
tho bare idea Of many hundreds of chill
dfen's faces without one smile among them?
Yet we assure the reader we have seen this
unnatural sight.
Another thought smotc upon the heart
Of Sally Cavanagh, and she was reused
again.
She sees two men placing collins upon q
cor. There is a child's coffin among them
and as the men stoop to lift II from the
ground they are pushed violently aside
She tears off the lid, and the bright rays
Of the setting sun fall upon the ghustly
corpse. But il is not her child. Tho priest,
who was coming from the hospital approach
cd and spoke soothingly to tho poor dis
tracted mother.
''where are they ?" she asked.
'In Heaven-with the saintsin Heaven, "
replied the priest
'Norah-an' Corney-and Tommy and
Nickey?-and the youngest little boy?-are
they al dead?'
''Ycs; they're all dead"
"And buried?'-she added, with n bewil-
cred look.
'And buIied-and gone to a better
world, said tho priest.
She looked distractedly about her, till
her eyes rested on a blue mountain, ten
miles away. She bent n a long piercing
guzo upon the mountain. And then utter
ing a wild shrek that rang through every
corner Of the ''palace OF poverty" and
made the good priest turn pale, the broken
hearted woman rushed through the gate
her hands stretched out towards the noun
tain.
Sally Cavanagh was a maniac.
The demented mother now wanders mp
and down the neighborhood returning al
ways at night TO an old burying ground,
where side by side she has raised five little
mounds, the "~untenanted graves" In her
disturbed imagination she fancies her chi.
dren are there, and that under the tender
starlight the youngest comes down and
nestles in her bosom. Meanwhile the hus-
band returns from America. and is taken
by his friend, Brian Purcell, TO the bury
ing-ground. Connor Shea stands a little
apart, concealed by q wall, while Brian goes
up TO Sally, who has promised to tell him
on this occasion a secret.
''Well, every night when the stars do be
sbinin'-but you won't tell, or they might
lake him from mef"
mo, Sally, l will not tell"
She placed her hand upon his shoulder,
and with her mouth close to his ear. while
a child-liko smile lighted up her face, whis-
pered: 'He comes down when the stars
do be shinin', and / have him in my arms
all the night"
who, Sally Cavanagh? Who comes
DOWN.
'Ah, you wouldn't guess! Well Ill tell
you, the youngest of %all-poor Willie with
the blue eyes. An l have him here all
night here" she repeated, pressing both
her hands against her bosom.
Mr., Brian Purcell was almost affected to
tears.
"Here is Norah outside" said she. kneel.
ing down anG laying her hand on one OF
the mounds. An sure you'd aisy know
Corney, for he was nearly as tall as Norah.
An any one'd know the little one entirely.
But who on'y myself could guess these
twop" She looked mp at Brian as II expect
ing a reply. 'No," she contained, you'd
never be able to guess; but I'll tell YOU
This is Tom-the little fat bruckish; and
this is Mickey. Bat will nobody tell inc
where is Neddy, poor Connoi's own brave
boy2"
At this moment the wicked landlord,
Grindem, appears on the scene, with Ave
oonstables, and a man with q shovel and
spade whom he has brought to level the
'~'untenanted graves, " at the same time that
the constables are to arrest Sally. the
poor lunatic feebly ~reBists the arrest, aud
clutches at the bride rein of Grindem's
horse. The wretch cuts her across the face
with his horsewhip, and Just at the instant
that Conner Shea ls about to send a bullet
through his brain, the horse rears up and
throws Grindem, breaking his neck against
the wall. Conner then rushes to his wife's
rescue.
ooh, save me-saye mel" she cried, in
an imploring voice.
'lll ave you; yes, I'll save YOU, Bot
OH Sally, don't you know me2"
ale comes down every night, when the
stars do be shinin'," she whispered, ''and
now they went 10 take meaway."
ooh! Sally, look up look up and say
you know me-" he sobbed. And as he
raised her face from his bosom, he kissed
her wan cheek ~passionately.
They're dead" she murmured, sal
dead. Poor Norah, an Corney, an Tom,
my, II Mickey, and little Willie with tht
blue ey0s-au' ALL"
But don't you remember me, Sally
your own husband2 Thry, Sally ana re-
member Guild times?"
But there was no meaning in her smile
"My GOdl my Godl' cried the distract
ed man, "what did / ever do TO deserve
this2 Sure / was mad a while ago, when
thought TO take his life. o, Heavenly Faith
erl restore her sinses, an a thought of re
yenge I'll never let enther my heart again
Holy Mary, Mother of God, intercede 70,
her, - he exclaimed aloud in a voice of tht
most intense entreaty.
'Look at me again, sally-A gradh gsa
mo orOidkei"
He felt her start slightly, and hold hi
cheek close TO hers, repeated the words
"a gradh CLEAN mo crOtdhe."
She raised her hand, and bent her head
in a listening attitude, like one trying q
catch some distant sound. Again he muir
INJURED the words into her ear. "My OWL
poor Sally gradh glsam mo croidhs,"
She covered her face with her hand and
sobbed.
IF We were all together" she murmur.
cd, what harm If we were all together"
He remembered these were the very
words she used when he babe ''God be
with her" the night Of his departure for
America. Looking upon them as an indi,
cation OF returning reason, he knelt down