North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-03-09

around. How many stories had che lis
tened to by the winter hearth, of children
stolen by the fairies, at nightfall, in lionel,
places! With this fear she knew hel
mother was haunted.
No one in the country round gathered
her little aock about her SO early as thi'
frightened widow, and no door sin tht
seven parishes" was barred so early.
| Sufficiently fearful, as all yeung people
in that part Of the world are of such
dreaded and subtle agents, Nell was even
more than usually afraid of them, for he,
terrors were infected and rcdoubled by
her mothers. She was looking towards
Lisnavoura in trance offear, and crossed
herself again and again, and whispered
prayer after prayer. She was interrupted
by her mothers voice on the read calling
her loudly. She answered, and ran round
to the front of the cabin, where she found
her standing.
Sand where in the worlds the craytl,.
urs-did ye see sight O. them anywhere
cried Mrs. Ryan, as the girl came over the
stile
"Arrah mother, it's only what they re
run down the road bit. Well see them
this minute, coming back. It's like goats
they are, climbin' here and runnin' there;
an if had them here, in my hand, may
be l wouldn't give them hiding all
round.'
"May the Lord forgive you, Nell the
childhers gone. They're took, and not a
soul near US, and father Tom three miles
away! And what'li l do, or who's to
help US this night? Oh, wirristhru,
wirristhru The craythurs is gone -
Whisht, mother, be aisy don't y. see
them comm up?'
And then she shouted in menacing ac-
cents, waving her arm, and beckoning the
children, who were seen approaching on
the road, which some little way IF made
a slight dip, which had concealed them
They were approaching from the west
ward, and from the direction of the dread
ed hill of Lisnavoura.
But there were only two of the children
and one Of them, the little girl, was cry
ing. Their mother and sister hurried
forward to meet them, more alarmed than
ever.
"Where is Billy-where is hep cried
the mother, nearly breathless, as soon as
she was within hearing.
He's gone-they took him away but
they said he'll come back again." answer
ed little Con, with the dark brown hair.
"IIe's gone away with the grand ladies'"
blubhered the little girl.
| "What ladies-where? Oh, Leum,
asthora! My darlin', are you gone away
at last? Where is he? Who took him ?
What ladies are you talkin' about? What
way did he go?' she cried in distraction.
II couldn't see where he went, mother ;
twas like as if he was going to I.sna-
voura."
With a wild exclamation the distracted
woman ran on toward the hill alone, clap
ping her hands, and crying aloud the name
of her lost child.
Scared and horri6ed, Nell, not daring
to follow, gazed after her, and burst into
tears and the other children raised high
their lamentations in shrilly rivalry.
Twilight was deepening. 1t was long
past the time when they were usually bar
red securely within their habitation. Nell
led the younger children into the cabin,
and made them sit down by the turf fire,
while she stood in the open door, watch'
ing in great fear for the return of her
mother.
After a long while they did see their
mother return. She came in and sat down
by the fire, and cried as if her heart
would break.
"Will l bar the doore, mother?" asked
Nell.
"Ay, do-didn't I lose enough, this
night, without LAWN the doore open, for
more O. yez to go? but first take an
sprinkle dust O the holy waters over ye,
acuishla, and bring it here till l throw a
taste iv it over myself and the craythurs
an l wondher, Nell, you'd forgot to do
the like yourself, lettin' the craythurs out
so near nightfall. Come here and sit on
my knees, asthora, come to me, mavour-
neen, and hould me fast, in the name O.
God, and I'll hould you fast that none can
take yez from me, and tell me all about it,
and what it was-the Lord between US and
harm-an' how it happened, and who was
in it,"
And the door being barred, the two
children, sometimes speaking together
often interrupting one another, often in
terrupted by their mother, managed to
tell this strange story, which had better
relate connectedly and in nay own Ian.
guage.
The Widow Ryan's three children were
playing, as have said, upon the narrow
old road in front of her door. Little Bill
or Leum, about Eve years old, with golden
hair AID large blue eyes, was very
pretty boy, with all the clear tints of
healthy childhood, and that gaze Of earn,
est simplicity which belongs not to town
children of the same age. His little sister
Peg, about a year elder, and his brother
Con, little more than year elder than
she, made up the little group.
Under the great old ash-trees, whose