Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-12-24

| in the wall as she lighted match and looked
4 in terror toward the straw bed with its ragged
| cover Nothing there. Not even the little
I heap Of white bones which Mrs. Malopey had
| assured her she would find there some dav
/ when the rats got hungry. What could she
/ do? In the room below, with their extra sup
! per and drop Of something to warm their
| hearts, they were getting quite merry, but
/ just as Pat DonOho was in the midst of his
finest song pale, frightened face looked in
| at the door.
/ Have you seen the children, Biddy Ma
/ loney?"
Sorra bit" said Biddy; land are they
missing the night?"
| But the mother did not stav to answer. She
rushed away on her frantic search, and was
/ just coming home, weary and discouraged,
| when hack drove up the dirty street, and
! the minister himself came to bring the chill
| dren back. The minister looked around the
| comfortless room as well as he could by the
/ light OF the smoky little candle, while the
mother Rugged her babies and laughed and
cried over them, very much as your mother
would if YOU had been lost on a cold Christ
mas Eve
| Why did you leave them to freeze and
| starye?' asked the minister, severely, though
| he was feeling for his handkerchief all the
| time.
/ What could do, sir? There's them that's
poorer than l. and would never stop from
stealing the cover from the bed, let alone the
straw"
Now Mistress Maloney having dismissed
her boarders, and sitting snug and happy
over the fire, wanted nothing but bit of
row to make her entirely comfortable. So,
hearing the noise and the strange voice, she
made up her mind to put in an appearance.
It's one of thin beggarly agents afther the
rint, shure; and it's mesiH'n sit him down the
stairs"
So, as the poor mother finished her meek
| appeal, big, red face glowed over the min
ister's shoulder, and a high key voice de-
manded:
The sthraw from the bid and the shmau
bit Of cover, is it, yc'd be takin' away from the
| childer, We thafe O. the world?"
MY good woman" began the minister.
! Hould yer barney, and Git along wild We:
its mesil7il defnd the wildly and the father
less"
Couldn't you pick up something to make
fire." asked the minister, turning away from
Biddy
" Pick up, is it? An where wad she find bit
of firm the size of hins tooth? Pick up is
| it? And when ye get yer desarts yen find
things isn't to be had for the pickin' up"
Biddy came nearer, and looked so very big
and stout that the minister took step to-
ward the door as he asked:
Are you often away SO late?"
Mt ,f4o, -, ~.
! people like to get their moneys worth, and
then sometimes they haven't the change BY
them these hard times"
The more shame to 'em," burst in Biddy.
mind how it is since l was gulrl and
worked out for me livin' It's a savin' wild
wan hand and spindin' wild the other. An
| didn't the mishtress come into me kitchen,
an says she, Biddy', says she, Pm obliged to
coot down yer wages, count of hard times,
and eyerything's so dare An saws |, very
well, mum, thin I gives We notice on
| the spot An says she, Biddy, We
must sthay yer wake out An says /, ID We
J think I'll sthav to be trimpled on be a
| little jiggetty thing widout the maxim
| of lady in YEP An says she, 'Biddy, it's
no character yen git An says I, I'D not
take character from ye. Faith an wad
have dacent folks know I'd been sthoppfn'
wild ye at ahl' An whilst we was consootin,'
himself comes home, an says he, Marry,
an says she, What? Coon up here says
he. And oop she whit"
Here the minister succeeded in making him
self heard:
II must go now, but here is my address on
this card. If you will come to the house
tomorrow I will see what can be done for
you" But as he spoke he sighed to think
how many more were just as badly off
God bless you," said the children's
mother, and all the rest who have been so
good to u.s.;
Shy little Molly, hugging her precious doll
in one arm, looked lovingly into the minis
ters face, and Ted frowned threateningly at
Biddy, saying:
Get along with you, blagardin' the
praste."
can is it praste ye are, hiritic praste9 p
said Biddy, suddenly overcome; q AK yer
riyerence's pardon, but l made sure We were
afther the rint."
All down the black staircase she followed |
him with her blessings, and the last he heard |
as he gained the sidewalk was a bark from |
Towser, quickly changed into a yelp as his |
mistress kicked him from the step, saying:
Bad luck to We, We il-mannered haste, to |
bark at his reverence behind his back"
Now if this were a fairy story, what beau
tiful ending we could give it! The minister
should 90 home and send out the ringers to
ring the great bells, and the trumpeters to
blow the trumpets 3and call the people |
together. And when they crowded wonder
ing into the church he should stand up with
tears in his eyes, and burning words upon his
lips, to tell them of the strange and dread
full thing. That right there, among the
splendid marts of business, and in sight of
their comfortable homes, two fearful ogres,
called cold and hunger, were prowling about,
and devouring alive scores Of men and
women and helpless little children.
And he would call upon them for the love
of God to come without an instant's delay to
fight these cruel beasts and drive them out
of the land. And all the people should shud-