The Portland daily press., 1871-06-10
SELECTED STORY.
A May Blossom

claim his place. But, big and little. they were
all alike good humored, broadly Irish, and i'm
pfovident. The wee-est of all the wee ones
would take the bread from his mouth to teed
a hungry playmate or a starved cat; and Ire
parental OkOOneys content to fling them
selves and their progeny on the general pub
nc Tor support in every tight pinch, never mes,
itated Tor moment to unlatch their door anu
share their crust with any one more forlnih
than themselves. "Sure, what's enough Tor
nlle Is enough Tor ten" was Their philosophy.
"We'll get through somehow" And they al
ways did.
Their departure from any given quarter
was usually accelerated by notice to quit
by some long-sufferlng landlord. With each
removal they might be said to burn their
bridge behind them, and to be presumably
certain not TO turn up again in that parlicu-
lar spot. This was no grief TO them. Life
would have seemed duh without this gentle
perennial excitement. se
"The cray Their is afther his rint again, Mrs
ORoohey would tell her husband, cheerully !;
"Pay or clare out" he says-small' blame to
him. And where'll we go next, Tim?"
well" Tim would perhaps reply, "thore's
fiure 10 Godfrey street we've n'ver thried at
all at ALL We might go there. It's two dol
lars week, and pump handy"
lis it opposite tho bake house, you name ?"
Mrs. O'ROoney would rejOin, with Joyous
Irish screech. "Think OF the convanance
of that, now! It's likely they'll give credit
for month or more"
duds and belongings would be hastily collect
ed. Cheerful and chatty as a flock OF crows,
the O'Rooneys would rise en- n,asse, fit hall
mile or SO, and settle in new Lest, which
twenty-four hours would make as dsordeIly,
as shittleSs, and as cheerful as the one they
had just quilted.
1t was from Godfrey street that they were
now preparing to move. The shake house,
having long since recognized and shut its
doors against them, there was the less to re-
greet in departure. 1-s
snow, boys, tumble up, and on w,d your
Clothes" cried the mother. "There's wurrld
to do this day. See there, now Norry shames
you. She's dressed afore you ALL"
Norry, aged four, was the Only girl among
the nine. This fact Mrs. O'Rooney was won't
to lament on occasions of hurry and pressure.
"Boys is well enough" she would aver; shut
they're all tear and no mend, and all soil and
no scour. Girls for my money! But this
munifcent offer Notwithstanding, Norry re-
manned the only one. On this particular
May morning, however, the lack was felt less
than usual, Tor little Mary O'Rourke was "to
the FORE" and it would have been hard to
ful little maid than Mary.
This small stranger within the O'Rooney
gates had come to them straight from hos
pital. where she had half died OF ship fever.
Homesick, feeble, friendless, the poor gill
would not have known where to lay her six
teen year-old head except for the attic in God
frey street which opened iis kindly door to
take her in. The debt thus incurred she re-
paid with the whole devotion of her warm
heart and helpful hands. Night and day she
labored in the service of these friends in
need" She scrubbed, she cobbled, she swept,
she busted, she polished the stoves and the
boys faces. The domicile was never so clean,
or the family SO comfortable before. Her
presence had grown necessary TO them, and,
hard as 1t sometimes was to find food for this
additional mouth, no one ever thought of
sending Mary away 10 shit for herself. No,
inc eed. They'd pull through, somehow, Mrs.
ORooney said; they always did; and any
how, "there'd be no living without Mary at
all at ALL"
She was a pretty, tidy-looking creature
this "angel unawares" OF the O'RoOneys, with
the blue eyes and glossy black hair OF her ma
tive Ireland, and lips so ripe and blooming as
10 truly suggest the poets image of
Strawberries smothered in cramen
Beauty probably bole its share in the influ-
ence she exerted over the boys, who, accord
ing to their mother, were "soOd bows, as bows
60, but obstinate as pigs when they'd mind
TO-" Certain it is that Teddy was never so
amenable, or Pat-second in size and aee-so
chivalrous to any ono before; that Tim and
Barney followed her about as under charm !;
that the smaller ones submitted to hair
brushing as at no other; and the baby was al
ways crying TO be taken into her arms. She
was 'as oliver as raIe fairy" the elder Tim
asserted, and all the O'Rooney family bore
him out in the opinion.
A 'rale fairy" was needed for the Job on
hand this May.day morning. Breakfast to
prepare; beds to uncord and pack; clothes to
sort and tie in bundles; tins, kitchen utensils,
what not to collect and tasten up; stove TO
take DOWNFALL amidst the dances and vhoops
OF nine excited children, is no easy task.
Mrs. ORooney's ordinary method OF proceed.
ure was irregular as an Ojibbeway's. Things
lnstlnctvely came out OF her hands hind side
before-wrong end foremost; but under
Mary's influence something like order was in.
FUSED INTO the chaos. The boys We're collect
ed, loaded with articles suited to their strength
and sent of at full trOt toward the new IOde-
ings, with Teddy at their head. It was
while marshaling this nruIy host down the
stairs that Mary became aware of a counter.
proce ssiQn ON its way up.
fffss came youngish man, carrying big
bundle, and springng lightly along, two
sleps at time, Notwithstanding the apparent
weight OF his burden. A frank-Iooking tel-
low he was, with wavy HAIR and KIND brown
eyes-a little sad-such eyes as women like.
After him toiled two children, each laden
with something-tiny children, boys, the older
los more than six. The brown eyes met
Mary's as the young man came up She
blushed, and, confused, she knew not why,
retreated to her eyrie. To her surprise, the
party followed.
SIS it here we're to gop" inquired the man,
in unmistakable brogue.
II Gon'r know" replied Mary, opening her
eyes wider. "We're leaving, ourselves. It's
he O'Rooneys we are"
what's it," said the stranger, pulling bit
IT paper from his pocket and consulting it
that's the name. We've rinted the room
,ou're lavng, miss, and were bringing up our
nlngs, being turned out of our own bit OF q
'lace. But perhaps it's in your way we'll
"Oh, we haven't any 'wayp" said Mary
,ughing,
Then, If it's no Inconvenience, we'll fetch
mem up, Tor it's at the saYeet-dure they are;
nd perhaps we eau lind you a hand at the
anne time"
Wits very polite you are, Pm sure" said
Ass ONourke, and she gave pretty blush.
such pair of cheeks haven't init my eyes
efore since l left Irelandw thought the
Dung man; but he said:
"Oh, niver spake Of it, miss James Con-
ellis my nance and I'd be proud to assist
gu, being my countrynaan."
20 Mary made room for him TO pass; and
half an hour the ORooneys and : the Con-
ell's were on the footing Oe old acuuaint-
nee, and the children were cIinging about |
larry as if they had known her always. They
ere pretty rOgues, with clean, well.scrubbed |
ices; but their clothes were shabby and d. /
apidated, and there were singular attempts at |
Atching, which told of clumsy male fingers.
It's had work man makes trying to be /
ather and mother BOTH" James said, His
Dung wife had died two years before, on
heir passage over from Ireland, he told them;
nd Mrs. ORooney's motherly heart warmed
t once to the little ones and their father.
Most hearts would have warmed to Cornell, |
e was so wonderfully helpful and handy, and |
o full of good will. His time and strength /
1ere applied to the porteraee of Mrs. O'Roon-
US valuabes as cheerfnlly as to his own. He
nd Tim shouldered each others stove-pipes
nd bedsteads indifferently, and the meeting
esolved itself into "bee" of mutual aid and
ervice. So it came to pass that when, at
loon, Tim and the boys departed from the
premises, bearing the last bundles, Mrs. o.
.ooney and Mary fingered. To their woman
apprehens.ons "a lone man., who couldn't
now now to set himself to rights, was a sorry
Pectacle; and, after a whispered consultation
hey frankly offered to stay an hour or two
md Xix up" "Ye'l be the better for if all
ummer," Mrs. O'Rooney told him. "A mans
little worth for getting things Slaughtered.
, tut TT my Mary there's a rale fairy for the like
cornell had excellent wages, and his furoi-
nre was good and substantial-far better than
ne scanty plenllshng it replaced. But the
toVe was dull' me cherry table stained and
Weakened, every thlng lacked its shine. This