The Grange advance., 1874-09-02
TAKING IN A lOD6ER.

lucky man. He had begun his exist.
ence under peculiarly unfortunate cir
cumstances, and indeed he was accuS.
toned to say himself, that the most un.
lucky thing in his life happened to him
at its very beginning, and consisted in
his being bern. If Michael had been a
drinking man, Father O'Bricn would
have said that his intemperance had
proved his ruin; but Michael didn't
drink. If he had been lazy man, the
political economist would have cried,
t'Behold the results Of idleness!' But,
from superintendent to switchman,
there was not a more steady going,
faithful man on the Gridiron, Princeton
and Pan Handle Railroad, than was the
workman of Section No. 4. No! there
was not the least possible opportunity
for charging any of his misfortunes
upon the victim himself; and evon his
wife, Mary, understood and acknowl-
edged that, and set down the mishaps of
her life upon the proper side, and like
the true, good hearted woman that she
was, gave him credit for all the good,
and charged the Ill.luck with all that
was untoward.
s'Moike,'' said his wife, looking over
the earthen tea pot one evening as the
frugal supper was finished, "ncxt
Thursday is the rint.'
$50 it is, bad luck to it, answered
her spouse, gazing down into his cup,
as if he expected to see the money to
pay it at the bottom "But Thursdays
long time away yet:'
"Mother, mother,' piped Patrick,
''Tim Brady says they don't pay no
rint.''
Mrs. O'Raferty looked at her hus-
band, but said nothing, and the ques.
ton at issue was no nearer settlement
than before. Kind soul! she had no
heart to speak aloud what she knew t 30
we'll was passing in her husbands S
thoughts, nor to remind him that Tim
Brady's father and himself came from
the ':ould country by the same ship,
the one moved by the impulses of a
restless and rowing disposition, the
other urged by a vain and fruitless
effort to escape his ''luck." She did
not need to remind him that Brady had
only been common laborer when they
landed in America, nor how by shrewd
and unscrupulous efforts he had gradu-
ally risen to be city contractor, hav.
ing literally paved his way to fortune,
with inferior materials at first class
prices. All this and more Michael
saw in the bottom Of his tea cup where
the rent ought to have appeared. And
x,ok Nfrc 0spo A:orfxy xuoc mt on oorol
and sad it is to say that it is highly
probable had she counseled her hus-
band to enter upon the paving business
contrary to his subsequent decision,
she would not have hesitated to avail
herself Of this opportunity to WELD a
woman's privilege, and remind him of
his mistake.
1t was Mrs. O'Rafferty's voice that
broke the silence, and checked the cur
rent of Michael's bitter thoughts, al.
ready becoming too intense for control.
"I've just been thinking, Moike,'
said she, 'sthat belize we may do some-
thing for ourselves by takin' in lodger.
Michael O'Rafferty turned suddenly
towards his wife face that was a
bread, unqualified exclamation point !;
fumbled mechanically in his pocket for
his short pipe, and then hurst into a
laugh as hearty as it was Irish.
4'By all the Saints and what would
that be for =
"Oh, we'll, can hardly tell was
the smiling reply, *'unless because
there's luck in odd numbers as Rory
O'More used to sing. You see, Moike.
we are two, the childer, there's six o
them, so we're always even numbers.
Belike there might be difference if
there was another in the family
''But where would you put him, and
who would take care of him p cried the
incredulous Michael.
eve could find the place to put him
never fear" said his wife, ''and the
childer should help to take care OF
him.