American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-07-26

tney Il all gone OH, ana pleaSeu q
have been for that. But, no; there was &
bit of fire in the corner, and in the dark
ness l could just see some people crouch
ing down, and the old grandmother sitting
in her chair by the peat fire.
God save all hcre.' | said as | walked
| in.
Save We kindly!" replied gruf voice
| from the corner.
And with that 1 sat down on the old
kish that had been filled with turf, and
pulled out my pipe and began to smoke
1 could distinguish objects now in the
| gloom. There was just Il heap of children
in the corner, with an old rag covering
| them, sleeping just as swcetly, too, as II
| they'd been wrapped in down; and there
was the mother of them with the babe at
her breast, and Terence lying doubled up
| with his head in his bosom; but never
another soul in the hut.
"Take draw of a pipe, mon," said /;
''and don't be down-heartcd"
| | gave him my bag of tobacco, and he
found pipe in the corner, and began TO
| smoke
yell no have wee drap whisky in
| the house?'' said.
'Niver drop your hammers left u.s."
said the man dryly.
| seTake pull at nv flask, then" said l.
And Terence took it and drank. Some
how felt more comfortable then. | was
| safe as long as | was inside the cabin.
81 suppose you know what I've come
here for Terence?" l said after awhile.
As though this had been the precon-
| certed signal, the wife here burst out with
oud lamentations; the old grandmother
| raised feeble 'Wirra, wirran rocking
herself backward and forward in her
chair; the children in the corner, aroused
by the noise, began to wall and cry; and
the little babe at the breast howled dis
mally in concert.
ssWhisht! WHIST" shouted Terence,
angrily; ''wOuld We take all the heart out
of me- and bring me to shame before his
hanncr?"
"Oh, what will we do, what will we do.
Oh, Terry, Terry, will We leave the chill
dren to starve and the babe that hangs to
Inc breast? Oh, hone, Oh, honc!"
"Whisht, woman, dye hear? Mayhap
il isn't so bad as we think. Mayhap his
hammer will give us Il week or two, while
the praties come out of the ground and
| shook my head.
81 can't do it, Terence; it's Queens
job, you know"
"Nnd if the Queen were spoken to, yer
hanper," said the woman-"shc's had
babes of her own-shc wouldn't take the
husband away from me, that wasn't to
blame at all, except with being too good
natured with those two black villains
"Hold your tongue, Bridget!' shouted
Terence, interrupting her.
ssThere is a way" / said. "If Terence
will show me the road to the still up
among the boys, he'll be let off his i'm
prisonment. and happen get twenty
pounds in the bargain
ooh, Terence, darling, do you hear
that? Do you hear what his hammer tells
you? Go to your knees, Terence, and
thank his hanncr"
But | saw Terence was not TO be shak-
en-; he thrust away from, him the clinging
arms of his wife.
"Do YOU know that it's an informer he
wants me to be? I'm ready to GO he
said, getting up and coming toward me.
Come along, yer hammer, afOre my heart
breaks entirely
"All right, Terence; we must walk
across to where the Dublin road crosses
the tail of the bog. We shall have plenty
of time to catch the coach"
as it the coach I'll have to go by?
Won't it cost power of money!"
Seventeen shillings the fare, two shil-
lings the cOachman, a shilling Tor refresh
ment; you'll cost the country a pound al
together, Terence"
IA pound, your hammer! whole
pound! golden sovereign to take the
likes of me to prison? On, your
hanner,' said Terence, his face
lighting up all of a sudden,
'if ye'd only give the pound to the mis-
thress, to keep the childer and the babes
while 1 lie in the Jail, I'd run by the side,
yer hammer; We should never take your
eyes off me. All, I'd bless your hammer
all the days of my life, and the childer
should learn to pray for you and the old
mother that's almost in the grave shall
entreat the Queen of Heaven for your
sOul''
1 was young and soft-hearted then; l
couldn't withstand the sight of so much
distress. gave him the sovereign, which
he handed over to his wife. 'Now, Ter
ence,' said, Il shall trust to your honor.
BY ten O'Clock tomorrow morning you
must be at Dublin Castle gate; if you
fail me, am ruined by my kindness to
you"
'I'll be there, your hammer, by the holy
cross" said Terence, crossing himself de-
voutly, to give effect to his words.
l didn't feel comfortable either, but l
wouldn't go back from my word; SO |
made my way across the heath Terence
showed me my route till we came in
sight of the Dublin road, white streak
in the darkness, and then he went Looping
on his way by some inScrutable tracks
across the hills
After I'd waited some time, the coach
came up; the front seats were full, and |
took my place behind, where there was
nobody but an old woman, who was fast
asleep, proppcd up by some boxes. l
seated myself beside the old woman, and
went To sleep too. The coach stopped at
Montmellick to change, and that reused
me, and then ! heard my own name
called.
''McAlistcr! Saunders McAlister, are
you thereof
enough nm, )" saitl, jumpin:.
up and rubbing my eyes; ''who wants mc?"
A man clambered up to the roof of the
coach with dark lantern in his hand,
which he flashed full upon me and the
old woman-still asleep.
" You've got your prisoner all right,
them" said the man.
"What do you know about prisoners?"
said | sulkily; land what do you mean by
routing fellow about just us he's com
fortably settlcd?"
"Ohl' says he loftily; no Aatrs with me
Pm your new supervisor"
Now I'd written just note To our SUI
pcrvisor, old Blathcry, II decent old fellow
AS ever lived: 'Dcar Bladder-I'm go
ing to take Il prisoner to Dublin tonight,
and as | come back I'll come and see you,
and We'll have gey willie waught for
auld lang sync."
Yes" said the man, a tallow-c candle
looking kind of "A chap, with big teeth,
that made quite a shine, as you may say,
yes, I'm your new supervisor, and I'm
astonishcd that you should make so free
with your superior officers as to write
such Il letter to him rs that | got tonight.
But I'm glad to see you've got your pris-
oner all right I'm going up to Dublin