Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-01-01

~ MARY C FAIRNAS.

49, 49, a y aAA
married. rambling old farm.
house, from the high narrow win.
dOWs Of which little Mrs. Fentou
looked in vain for a human habiia.
don. Nothing met her gaze but
the orchards and grain fields,
bounded By dark ridges Of wood
land.
At first she was very lonely and
"hOmesick' when Harry was not IN
the house, and used to wish, du.
ring the long summer fOrenoons,
that she could carry all the kitchen
furniture into the fields, and work
beside her brOwn-eyed, CHEEKY
young husband, the great, silent
rooms seemed so dark aud shadow.
haunted.
The afternoons were more pleas
ant, for then she could take her
sewing aud sit under some shady
tree, where, if Harry was not al
ways near enough to converse with
her, she could, at least, keep him
In sight.
What though the kisses of the
sun made her pretty face a shade
or Two darker! They brought a
brighter glow TO her cheeks, anil
that thrilling, exlllant joyOusness
that springs from high health to
her heart ; and she knew, too, that
Harry loved the red. checked little
wife better even than he had the
delicAte-lOOking milllner girl.
By-and.by baby came, and then
there were no more lonely hours,
even in Harry's absence. Baby's
mother had no time TO think of be.
Ing lonely or timid and so she
came to think she had grown very
brave, because she no longer feared
the long, dark rooms, or the dreary
old woods.
One day, when the little fellow
was almost q year old, she aston
ished her husband by consenting
that he should stay in the city
overnight
He was going 10 the afternoon
with some of the produce Of bis
farm, and It would be much more
convenient for him to stay until
next day.
II was a dreary afternoon, late in
tbs autumn, and, just Is the sun Was
setting, Mrs. FentOn spread her lit
tie tea-table. She could not sup.
press a sigh as she glanced at the
vacant chair opposite her own, but
said c%heerfully, as she arranged her
child III his high chair:
"Never mind, baby ; papa will
come home early in the morning"
A rap at the door made her turn
suddenly, with u fast beating heart
and a very white face, for she was
a sad little coward, for all her
Boosting.
STOOD evening, num- said a
gnf voice and a ragged. dirty,
wrinklcd, greasy lrislman, with a
flGcElcd face, a nose that turned up
and spread out in Il manner per.
fectly wonderful, with little, twink
ling gray eyes and bushy red hair
aud beard, entered nnlnvited.
Its meself, mum, that's sorry to
he after dishturbln' We at yer tay,"
he said, us he hObblcd to the steve
aud spread his hands over its pol
ishel surface. "YOu e num- he
added, Il works tor Layman in the
woods just fOrninst here aud I've
jist cut the fut of me wild the divil
OF an axe he gin ME this lnornin',
and I'll not be 1T 10 go home this
blessed night 50 for the love"
''C'ut your foot of?
Faith an 1 have" aud he rcmOv-
ed his shoe, showing a deep cut in
one Stockingless foot.
ado you mind that" lie said
mOurniully, taking hold Of the in
jured member with 10th hands.
"Be the Howly Virgin and all the
Saints, Pat Galligdn will niver
warR in the wood another winter
aftlcr The wan. The last WHITTIER
that ever was | froze me fingers till
they were fit TO drop off me, and
nose and ears were just humps
OF ice"
Mrs. FcntOn was bcncYoleuce
itself, aud she quite forgot her
fright in sympathy for Pats mis-
fortune, and brought him wafer
and bandagcs and healing salves
ted him with cold meat, pickles,
biscuits aud preserves until his
warm Irish heart was OVERLOOKING
with gratitude, and he had invoked
for her the blessing OF every saint
in the calendar. lie mingled with
his proiuse thanks the history Of
his dead wife, OF his son, who was
wounded at Yorktown and thrown
q barn, where he had 10th
ing ITO cat for seven days but rum
and w%ater;' Of little Kate, who
took the measles" and died, aud OF
the year "when there was frost on
The ground livery blessed mOrnim',
and the farmers got no corun at all, I
only banCs," until he was inter.
by u wailing voice at the
door, crying, "Have compassion on.
me, good people, and Oper. your
lOspitable door,
Before they could reply, the
door was pushed open and II Wild
cooking woman entered. She wore
/ calico dress, a faded shawl and -,
/ ragged hood, which she threw
back tho moment she entered, !
showing u coarse, unprep0ssessing ,
lace. Her short hair, standing al.
most erect, gave her a strange look, I
md that worst Of all disilgurements
IN a woman's face, u slight NOUS
ache, covered her upper lip. :
"Scnd ME L"t away, D, lady I
she plead, sinking on her
inees at Mrs. FentOn's feet. 81 am
,oor and unfortunate. All, did you :
49, -