Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-02-17
A sPRIG OF HOLLY.

1t must be-let me see-aye, It was nearly
forty years ago, that was travelling through
rather wild part of Ireland. Though I'm well
to do now, / was but q pig-jobbsr then. as my
father had been before me. earned fair Nv
ing, certainly, but had to work for it. bought
pigs at nearly all the fairs in Ireland, shipped
them for Liverpool, and made small profit on
each Investment.
It was somewhere about Christmas time, and
usually severe weather We had quite different
| Winters forty years ago to what We have now)
l was on my way to Cork to buy lot of forty
or fifty pigs, and the snow lay 80 thick on the
ground that the crossways were dangerous AMI
| was compelled to stop for day and night ct
n sort of hostelry, half sheebeen, half inn.
There wasn't human habtation about it fol a
circle Of four or five miles, except the wretchsd
huts of the peasantry II had the strange sign
Of the Garden of Eden, although it stood in
wilderness, surrounded by morassea filed with
dangerous boys and peat holes.
The landlords name was. Patrick 0'Fea, and he
was a widower, with one daughter who helped
him to retail his whiskey to such Of the wild
"boys" around AZ could furnish the halfpenoe for
it. Norah O'Fea was what some folks would
have called a downright pretty Colleen" But
I never faneied her. She was handsome certain
ly-strait and tall as poplar, with las nearly all
Irish women haye) very beautiful black hair.
However, there was cold, restless glitter in her
eyes that reminded me OF a snake. don't know
il you ever saw viper in peat-moss, gliding
disturbed it with stick. Well, that is exactly
the look that was in Nora OFea's eyes.
had arrived at the Garden Of Eden about six
o'clock in the day, but it might have been two
hours after when was sitting at meal Of bacon
and eggs in the parlor( they dignifed II by that
nancy Of the Sun. 0'Fea was absent ut wake
several miles Off, and not expected home till the
morrow or the day after that. So the whole
management of the business fell upon Norah.
The room was really rather good one, partly
fl1f
en-. 1t had a sanded floor, and several little
wooden tables stood in different parts OF it, each
with sptoon underneath it, and tobacco and
pipes ready on it-just, in fact as you may see in
the taproom Of any English country public
house.
At one end of the room was a large old
fashioned fireplace, at which Norah 0'Fea was
carrying on the culinary business. Besides my
self-l sat alone at one Of the little tables-there
were three or four customers at the other end OF
the room-some drinking whisky and smoking /.
others, like myself, making an evening meal
Theyiseemed to be Of the superior class Of ten
antry and one, fancied, was drover, also, as
well as |,
Well, had finished my supper, which must
say enjoyed heartily, and was taking Whit
Of my pipe, with an occasional sip OF downright
genuine Irish whiskey and water-wbiskey that
| brought the tears to your eyes, and almost took
| away your breath-when the door opened and in
camo a stout thick-set young fellow, with an en-
ormous shillelah, whoimmediately made himself
very much at home He had bullet-shaped
| head, and such deeply-set eyes, and there was
an extremely disagreeable overbearing way with
him, which reminded one of staggering prize
| tighter, for all prizehghter swaggers, you know
Norah o'Fea took no notice Of the newcomer,
who took seat at one OF the tables, and helped
himself to whiskey as if the whole place belong
| ed to him. Presently, when the young woman
had finished her cooking, she advanced toward
her yisitor-he was at the table next to mine,
and could hear all they sad-and wished him
| good evening and indeed ii was evident from
the manner of both that they were engaged
lovers.
Anything in our liner" he asked her at length.
| whist, Dennis, dear" she said casting a
side glance round. Sure, father told me be-
fore he went to give ye this"
She produced a large, square letter written
| IN Acrawling hand, OIL a coarse blue paper, and
| fastened with common red wafer,
The young man perusedit hastily, and CLEAN
OF satisfaction lit up his bull-like dog face. l
felt that he took a stealthy glance at me, but |
feigned to be busily engaged in mixing nv
whiskey ana water.
AT last, after few lover-hke passages be-
tween the pair-such a pair the young man
departed, and l. wearied out by the fatigues OF
the day desired to be shown up at once tC
where was to sleep. Much to my surprise
Norah O,Fea demanded payment for my supper
II will pay all together in the morning, sait
|, astonished at the request.
Dut 5le luSlsleut ana declared II was the rule
OF the inn that every customer should paw al
once for all he Lad. felt embarrassed as re-
membered that, except few copperH l had nc
small change. had fifty pounds in my pocket
book to pay for my pigs, but did not care about
exhibiting the bank notes in what l had now
right to consider questionable company How
ever the young woman persisted in so vixenisE
and determined amanner that there was no hell
for it. pulled out my pocket-book.
You may see said |, that have only bank
notes. so your reckoning is safe"
She coolly took out one of the notes examined
it, and finding it perfectly genuine, returned i
to me.
Very well, she remarked Now am salts
fed. Come this way"
And she led me to the apartment where wa
to sleep, and giving me light, left me.
1t was a loft rather than room but of smal
dimensions. Still it was not uncomfortable
and what pleased as well as surprised me was L
lind good fire burning l scarcely expected
that so much regard would be paid to the com
, fort Of chance customer. What did not appea
so comfortable to me was, that 10 the door o
the room-if room it could be ealled-there wa
a large cleft, as if it had had piece cut out b
hatchet, and through which fancied tho cold
could penetrate.
Lying in my small bed which faced this doc
l could see through the aperture OH to the stair
outside, at which stood large old fash
Toned clock, which kept up perpetual but no
unpleasant ticking 1t seemed at most like com
Pahl II lnat lolely plhcei Dut as lay IN bed
could distinctly watch the hands OF the cloc
slowly continuing their round, for the glow o
the peat fire shot light upon its face. Ina
. lain thus about an hour and had replenisbe
my fire from basket Of peats, which stood be
side the hearth, and crept back into bed. l ha,
not the least inclination to sleep. / experience,
that wakefulness which all Of you have propa
bly, experienced when in a strange place
While thus l lay musing, and watching til
4 hands of the clock-it was Just eleven O'clock
heard light stealthy step on the stairs, but a
most Immediately face presented itself al th
! aperture in my door. 1 had the presence Of min
) to feign sleep, but could see what was going O
i with my slightly opened eyelids.
: The face was the face Of Nora O'Fea,
q After she had looked, she applied her ear
: the gap in the door and listened intently. Sat
a lshed. apparently, by my regular breathing. tina
1 l was fast asleep she advanced to the clock. an
stuck before its face great branch of yew. The
a she departed.
4 felt as it must be dreaming. What coul
! bring young woman ont Of her bed in the mic
. die OF the night to ornament clock. My room
the room below, and the passage itself wer
\ | already garnished for Christmas with an abun(
/ ance OF evergreens holly, misletoe, hay ivy an
yew. Could she be walking in her sleep? TIL
thing appeared to me to be strange and if ha
feit little incl nation for sleep previously, no,
felt less than ever
: SO l lay on, watching the clock, and wonderip
: what all this might mean, when suddenly an /
restlstible impulse came upon me.
: You must know what it is to be seized occasion
j | ally by some strong impulse to do thing appa