American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-01-04


Perhaps the reader is willing to take
another point of view.
As the group stood there, talking over
the riot as Mrs. MacNeil called it. as
John Flagg tried to make Alice laugh by
bringing her a hllf-piece of frosted pound
cake, and proving to her that it had not
been on the flOor.-as she said, her eyes
streaming with tears. II tell you, John !!
| am Il fool, and | know | am. and nobody
but a fool would have started such Il row"
As all this happened, Patrick Crehore came
back for his little sisters orange which he
had wrapped in her handkerchief and lett
on one Of the bOok-ra in the room.
P.trick was alone now. and was there
fore sheepish enough, and got hims, II
and his orange out OF the room as soon as
he we'll could. But he was sharp enough
note the whole position ard keen
enough to catch Alice's words as she
spoke to Mr.. Flagg. Indeed the general
look of disappointment and chagrin in
the room. and the contrast between this
filthy ruin and tn pretty elegance of half
an hour ago were distinct enough to be
observed by a much more stupid boy than
Patrick Crehore. He went down stairs
and found Bridget waiting. and walked
home with the little toddler, meditating
rather more than was his wont on Alice's
phrase. . tell you. I'm a fool.' Med
itatiny on it, he hauled Bridget up five
flights OF stairs and broke in on the little
room where a table spread with plenti-
tul supply of tea, bakers bread, butter.
cheese. and cabbage waited their return.
Jerry Crehore, his father, sat smoking, and
his mother was tidying up the room.
And had ye good time, me darling:
And we've brought home your orange,
and a doll too, and mittens too. And
what did you have. Pat?'
So Pat explained, almost sulkily, that
ha hnI .,nn Of
checker-men, which he produced; but he
put them by as if he hated the sight of
them, aad, for Il minute. dropped the sub
ject, while he helped little BidJy to cab
bagc. He ate something himself, drank
some tea, and then delivered his rage
with much JUNCTION, little profanity,
great Interchangeable to his own 70
lief.
Its a mean thing it is, all of it, said
he, ..Til be hanged but it is! dunno
who the lady is, bur we've made Der cry
bad, know that, and the boys acted like
Nick. They knew that as well as 1 do.
The man there had TO knock one of the
fellows down, bedad, and served him
right, too, say. The fellows fought, ant;
hollared. and stole, and sure ye'd thought
We was driving pigs down the Eighth Az
enue, and | was as bad as the worst OF
'em That; what the boys did when a
lady asked 'em to Christmas"
That was mean thing to DO said
Jerry. taking his pipe from his mouth for
"a longer speech than he had ever been
known to make while smoking.
Mrs. Crehore stopped in her dish-wip
ing, sat Gown, and gave her opinion. She
did not know what Christmas tree was,
having never seed one nor heared of one.
Rut she did know that those who went to
see Il lady should show manners and be-
have like jintlemen, or not 90 at all. She
eXpresse her conviction that Tom Multi
gan was rightly served, and her regret
that he had not two black eyes instead Of
one. She "ould have been glad, indeed,
if certain Floys, and SulivanS. and Fla
hertys with whose names of Baptism she
was better acquainted than l am, had
shared a similar fate.
This Grafton, an the oracle OF his father.
still more, appeased Pat somewhat, and
when his supper was finished, after long
silence, he said, even give her II Christ
mas present. We will. Tom Mulligan,
and Bill Floyd and l will give it. The
others sha'nt know. | know what wen
give her. I'll tell Bill Floyd that We made
her cry