The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-03-31

I
! will ye I! there's the sound of Larry's foot
| steps in the bawn-hand me the needles,
Mike"
She braided back her hair with both
hands, arranged the red ribbon that con-
| fined its luxuriance, in the little glass that
hung upon nail on the dresser, and after.
composing her arch laughing features into
an expression of great gravity, sat down
and applied herself with singular industry
TO take up the stitches her brother had
dropped, and put on look of right maid
emily astonishment when the door opened,
and Larry's good humored face entered
with the salutation of "God save all here. :"
He popped his head in first, and after ga
zing round, presented his goodly person to
their view; and a pleasant view it was,
for he was of genuine Irish bearing and
beauty-frahk and manly, and fearless
looking, Ellen, the wicked one, looked
up with well>feigned astonishment and ex-
claimed, 90 Larry is it you, and who
would have thought of seeing you this
blessed night ?-ye're lucky-just in time
Cor bit of supper after your walk across
| the moor. | cannot think what in the
world makes you walk over that moor SO
often; you'll get wet feet and your moths
er'll be forced to nurse you. Of all the
walks in the country, the walk aoross that
moor's the dreariest, and yet ye're always
going it l wonder you havn't better
sense ye're not such chicken now"
''Well," interrupted Mike, Sits the
women that bates the world for dcsaving.
Sure she heard yer step when nobody else
could its echo struck on her heart, Lar
ry, let her deny il she'll make shove
off if she can she'll twist you and turn
| you about so that you won't know whether
It's ON your head or heels ye're standing.
| She'll tossicate yer brains in no time, and
be as composed herself as a dove on her
nest in storm. But ask her, Larry, the
straight forward question whether she
heard you or not. She'll tell no Ee-she
never does"
Ellen shook her head at her brother,
and laughed. And Immediately after, the
happy trio sat down to a cheerful supper.
Larry was a good tradesman, blythe,
and "well>to- do' in the world; and had
it not been for the one great fault-an in
| clination to take the ''least taste in life
more when he had already taken quite
enough-there could not have been found
better match for good, excellent Ellen
| Murphy, in the whole kingdom of Ireland.
! When supper was finished, the everlasting
whiskey bottle was produced, and Ellen
resumed knitting. After time, Larry
pressed his suit to Michael for the indus
trious hand of his sister, thinking, doubt
less, with the natural self conceit of all
mankind, that he was perfectly secure
with Ellen; but though Ellen loved like
all my fair countrywomen, ,ceR she loved,
am sorry to say, snlike the generality of
my fair countrywomen, a0isely, and re-
minded her lover that she had seen him in
toxicated at the last fair at Rathcooln.
"Dear Ellen!" he exclaimed, sit was
only drop, the least taste in life that
overcame me. 1t overlook me anknownst,
quite against my will"
''Who poured it down your throat,
Larry ?''
''Who poured it down my throat, is
it? why myself. to be sure; but are you
going to put me to q three months pen
ance for that 2"
''Larry, will you listen to me, and re-
member that the man l marry must be
converted before we stand before the
| priest. / have no faith whatever in con-
versions after"
''Oh, Ellen T. interrupted her lover.
t'It's no use oh Ellening me-" she an
swered quickly; 81 have made my reso-
luton, and I'll stick to it,
ohek..
said her brother. "There's no use in at
tempting to contradict her; she always
has had her own way"
s'Its very cruel of you, Ellen, not tc
listen to reason. tell you table spoon.
ful will often upset me-"
''If you know that, Larry, why do you
take the tablespoonful i''
Larry could not reply to this question
He could only plead that the drop got the
better of him, and the temptation, and the
orerconangness of the thing, and it was
very hard to be at him SO about a trihe
81 can never think a thing trife," she
observed, s'that makes you so unlike
yourself; | should wish to respect you al
ways, Larry, and in my heart | believ'
no woman ever could respect drunkard
l don't want to make you angry; Coo
forbid you should ever be one, and knou
you are not one yet but sin grows might.
strong upon US without our knowledge
And no matter what indulgence leads t
bad ; we've right to think anything tha
does lead to it sinful in the prospect, if no
at the present"
'sYou'd have made fine priest, Ellen,
said the young man, determined, if b
| could not reason, to laugh her out of he
t resolve.
} 81 don't think" she replied, archly, s'
| I was priest, that either of you woul
: have liked to come to me to confession
s'But, Ellen, dear Ellen, sure it's not i
positive downright earnest you are yo