The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-03-31
EBENsBURG, PA. THURSDAY MARCH 81, 1870


you talk yourself into passion; it will
do no good; none in the world. 1 am
sure you love me, and / confess before my
brother it will be the delight Of my heart
to return that love, and make myself wor-
thy of you, if you will only break yourself
of that one habit, which you qualify
to your own nndoing, by fancying. be-
cause the least taste IN life makes you
what you ought not to be, that you may
still take it''
'FI'll take an oath against the whisky,
if that will phase ye, till Christmas"
"And when Christmas comes, get twice
as tipsy as ever, with joy to think your
oath is out-no ?"
''fll sware anything you plase."
81 don't want you to sware at all
there is no use in a mans taking an oath
he is anxious of having chance of break
ing. L want your reasons to be con-
vinced"
''My darling Ellen, all the reason l
ever had in my life is convinced
''Prove it by abstaining from taking
even drop, even the least drop in life, if
that drop can make you ashamed to look
your poor Ellen in the face.''
81 will give it up altogether
81 hope you will one of these days,
from conviction that it is really bad in
every way bot not from cowardice, not
because you darn't trust yourself
''Elien, I'm sure ye've some English
blood in yer veins, yer such reasoner.
Irish women don't often throw a boy off
because of drop if they did, it's not
many marriage dues his Reverence would
have, winter or summer
''Listen to me, Larry, and believe, that
though | spake this way, l regard you
truly and if did not, I'd not take the
trouble to tell you my mind"
''Like Mick Brady's wife, who, when
ever she thrashed him, cried over the
blows, and said they were all for his own
good" observed her brother slyly.
''Nonsense-listen to me, | say, and
I'll tell you why 1 am SO resolute. It's
many a long day since, going to school,
! used to meet Michael minds her too,
I'm sure-an old bent woman they used
to call her the Witch of Ballaghton.-
Stacy was, as l have said, very old en-
tireiy, withered and white-headed, bent
nearly double with age, and she used to
be ever and always muddling about the
streams and bitches, gathering herbs and
plants, the girls said to work charms with,
and at first they used to watch, rather far
off, and if they thought they had a good
chance of escaping her tongue and the
stones she flung at them, they'd call her
an i'll name or two, and sometimes, old as
she was, she'd make a spring at them
side ways like crab, and howl, and hoot,
and scream, and then they'd be off like a
flock of pigeons from a hawk, and she'd
60 on disturbing the green coated waters
with her crooked stick, and muttering
words which none, if they heard, could un-
| derstand. Stacy had been a well-reared
| woman, and knew dale more than any
| of US when not tormented by the chill
| dren, she was mighty we'll spoken, and
tie gentry thought dale about her more
than she did about them, tor she'd say
| there wasn't one in the country fit to tie
her shoe, and tell them so, too, if they'd
call her anything but Lady Stacy, which
the rate gentry of the place all humored
her in but the UPSTAIRS, who think that
every civil word to an inferior is a pulling
down of their own dignity, would turn up
their noses as they passed her, and maybe
she didn't bless them for it.
Gone day Mike had gone home before
me, and coming down the back bohreen,
who should see moving along but Lady
Stacy and on she came muttering and
mumbling to herself till she GO: near me,
and as she did, heard Master Nixon's
(the dog man's*) hound in full cry, and
saw him al her heels, and he over the
hedge encouraging the baste to tear her
in pieces The dog soon was up with
her, and then she kept him off as well as
she could with her crutch, cursing the en-
tire time, and | was very frightened, but
darted to her side, and, with waffle
pulled out of the hedge, did my best to
keep him off her.
"Master Nixon cursed at me with all
his heart, but l wasn't to be turned of
that way. Stacy, herself, laid about with
her staff, but the ugly brute would have
finished her only for me. don't suppose
Nixon meant that, but the dog was saw
age, and some men, like him, delight in
cruelty. Well, beat the dog off and
then bad to help the poor fainting wo-
man, for she was beth faint and hurt.
didn't like much bringing her here, fol
the people said she wasn't lucky how
ever, she wanted help, and / gave it.
When got her on the floor, thought ;
drop of whisky would revive her, and, ac
cordingly, l offered her a glass. l shall
never forget the venom with which sh,
dashed it to the ground.
"sDo you want to poison me- sh
shouted, 'after saving my life? Whel
she came to herself little, she made m
! sit down by her side, and fixing her larg
, gray eyes upon my face, she kept rockin
, her body backwards and forwards, Will
, she spoke, as well as l can remember