Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-11-13

4
could earn few shillings by: running
errands in the noontide hours of rest
and talking to any who would listen tt
his one great hope and Nora ant
Jamesy.
At first the men, who prided them
selves on being all Americans, ant
turning out the best work in the city
made sort of butt of Connor, who's
"wild Irish" ways and verdancy wer'
indeed often laughable. But he wor
their hearts at last, and when one day
mounting a workbench he shook hi
little bundle, wrapped in a red hand
kerchief, before their eyes, and shouted
'Look, boys; I've got the whole Al
last! I'm going to bring Nora ant
Jamesy over at last! Whoroo! I've
got it! all felt sympathy in his joy, and
each grasped his great hand in cordial
congratulations, and one proposed to
treat all around, and drink good voy-
age to Nora.
They parted in merry mood, most
of the men going to comfortable homes
But poor Connor's resting place was q
mean lodging house, where he shared
a crazy garret with four other men, and
in the joy of his heart the poor fellow
exhibited his handkerchief with his
hard earned savings tied up in a hard
wad in the middle before he put it un-
der his pillow and fell asleep. When
he awakened in the morning he found
his treasure gone. Some villain, more
contemplate than most bad men are,
had robbed him.
At first Connor could not even be-
lieve it lost. He searched every corner
of the room, shook his quilt and blan-
kets and begged those about him to
quit joking and give it back.
But at last he realized the truth.
"Is any man that bad that he's thiev-
ed from me?" he asked in a breathless
way. "Boys, is any man that bad ?"
And some one answered.
"No doubt of it Connor. It's stole -
Then Conner put his head down on
his hands and lifted up his voice and
wept. 1t was one Of those sights which
men never forget. 1t seemed more than
he could bear, to have Nora and his
child "put," as he expressed it, months
away from him again.
But when he went to work that day
it did seem to all who saw him that he
had picked up a new determination.
His hands were never idle. His face
seemed to say, "I'll have Nora with me
yet"
At noon he scratched out letter,
blotted and very strangely scrawled,
telling Nora what had happened; and
those who observed him noticed that he
had no meat with his dinner. Indeed,
from that moment, he lived on bread,
potatoes and cold water, and worked as
few men ever worked before. 1t grew
to be the talk of the shop, and now that
sympathy was excited, every one want
ed to help Connor. Jobs were thrown
in his way, kind words, friendly wishes
helped him nightly, but no power
could make him share the food or drink
Of any other workman.
That seemed sort of charity to him.
Still, he was helped along. A present
from Mr.. Bawn, at pay day, got Nora,
he said, "a week nearer" and this and
that and the other, added to the little
horde. 1t grew faster than the first,
and Connor's burden was not so heavy.
At last, before he hoped it, he was once
more able to say, 81 am going to bring
them over, and to show his handker-
chief, in which as before, he tied up his
earnings; this time, however, only to
his friends. Cautious among strangers,
he hid the treasure, and kept his vest
buttoned over it night and day, and the
tickets were bought and sent. Then
every man, woman and child, capable
of hearing or understanding, knew
that Nora and her baby were coming.
There was John jones, who had more
of the brute in his composition than
usually falls to the lot of man-even he,
who had coolly hurled his hammer at
an offenders head, missing him by
hairs bredth, would spend 10 minutes
in the noon hour reading the Irish news
to Connor. There was Tom Barker,
the meanest man among the number,
who was never known to give anything
to any one before, absolutely bartered
an old jacket for pair of gilt vases
which q peddler brought in his basket
to the shop, and presented them to Con-
nor for his Nora's mantlepiece. And
here was idle Dick, the apprentice, who
actually worked two hours on Connor's
wsrk, when illness kept the Irishman
at home one day. Connor felt this kind
ness and returned it whenever in his
power, and the days flew by and brought
at last letter from his wife.
She would start as he desired, and
she was well and SO was the boy, and
might the Lord bring them safely to
each others arms, and bless those who
had been so kind to him.
That was the substance of the epistle
which Connor assured his fellow work
men Nora wrote herself. She had liv-
ed at service, as girl, with certain
old lady who had given her an educa-
ton, the item of which Connor told up
on his fingers. "The reading is one;
the writing is tWA; and, moreover, she
knows all that woman can." Then he
looked up at his fellow workmen with
tears in his eyes, and asked.
"De you wonder the time seems long
between me and her boys?"
So it was Nora at the dawn Of day
Nora at nson-Nora at night-until the
news came that the Stormy Petrol had
come to port, and Connor breathless
and pale with excitement, flung his cap
in the air and shouted.
1t happened on a holiday afternoon,
and half dozen of men were ready to
go with Connor to the steamer and give
his wife a greeting. Her little home
was ready; Mr.. Bawn's own servant
had put it in order, and Connor took
one peep at it before he started.
"She hadn't the like of it in the old
country" he said. "But she knows
how to keep it tidy"