Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-01-10
PAT OONNOR.

slnple stohe was eIected Oy BIS Iel'
low workmeH." liia sa .Hsca-
These words you may read any
day, on white slab, in a cemetery
not many miles from New york; but
you might read them a hundred
times without guessing the little
tradegy they indicate, without
knowing the humble romance which.
ended with the placing of that
stone above the dust of one poor and
honest man. i5a'4a lll--1'i-l III.
! In his shabby frieze jacket and
mud laden brogans, he was scarcely
an attractive object, as he walked
into Mr. Bawn's great TIN and hard
ware shop one day and presented
himself at the counter with an 'a9y'e
been tould ye advertised for hands,
yer honor.
aFully supplied, my man" said
Mr.. Bawn, not lifting his head from
his account book. -.r--
I 'Td work faithfully, sir, and take
low wages till I conId do better, and
I'd learn stady-I would that" s'-
1t was an Irish brogue, and Mr..
Bawn always declared that he never
would employ incompetent hands
yet the tone attracted him. He
turned briskly, and with his pen be-
hind his ear, addressed the manyEho.
was one of the fifty who had an
swered his advertisement for four
hands that morning.
"What makes you expect to
learn faster than other folks? Are
you any smarter?" s5
s'Pll not say that" said the man2
''but Pll be wishin' to, that 'ud be
make it aisier.'
"Are you used to the workg''
'sI've done bit of It. /"
"Much?'' -.lJ 1.-.
''No yer honor. I'll tell no lie
Tim O'Tools hadn't place like
this, but Iknoy bit about tins"
a"You are too old for an apprent-
ice, and you'd be in the way, I cal
culate, said Mr.. BaBn, looking st
the brawny arms and bright eyes
that promised strength and intelli-
gence; "besides know your country
men are lazy, good for nothing fsl-
lows, who never do their best. No;
I've been taken In by Irish hands be-
fore, and Iwon't have another" "
''The Virgin Will have to be after
bringing" sem overm her two arms,
them" said the man, desParingly,
for Pve thramped all day for the last
fortnight, and niver job can Iget;
and that's the last penny I have yer
honor, and that's but a half one. %
As he spoke he spread bis palm
open with an English half penny
upon 1t. -.--..
'sBring whom overP" asked Mr..
Bawn, arrested by his speech, as he
turned supon his heels and turned
back again. asE.-s ~
"Jist Nora and Jamesy."
''Who are they?" 60.
ssThe ones me wife and the other
me child, said the man. go mas
lther jist try me. How'll I bring
Penn over to me, if no one. will give
me a Job? / want to be airning, and
the whole big city seems agin it,
and me with arms like them.
He barred his arms to the shoul-
der as he spoke, and Mr.. Bawn
looked at them and then at his
ace.
I'll hire you for a week, said he,
and it's noon, go down to the kitch-
EN- and tell the girl to get your din
lner. A hungry man can't work.
And with an Irishmsn's blessing
the new hand obeyed, while Mr.
Bawn, untying his apron, went up
stairs to his own meal.
Suspicious as he was of the new
hands integrity and ability, he was
!agreeably disappointed. Connor
worked hard, and actually learned
fast. AT the end of the week he
was engaged permanently, and soon
was the best workman in the shop.
He was great talker, but not fond.
of drink or wasting money. As his
wages grew he boarded every PEN
ny, and wore the same shabby
clothes in which he had first made
his appearance. Beer costs money,
he said one day, and livery cintI
spend puts off the bringing Nora and
Jamsey over; and as for clothes,
these I have must do me. Better
no coat to my back than no wife
and boy at my freside, and anyhow
its slow work saving.
It was slow work, but he kept at
ii all the same. Other men, Thought
less and full of fun, tried to make
him drink, made Jest of his saving
habits, cOaxed him to accompany
them to places or amusement, or to =
share in their Sunday frolics. All
in vain. Connor liked beer, liked
fun, liked eompanionship; but he
would not delay the long looked for
bringing of Nora over, and was not
''mane" enough to accept fayors Of
others. He Kept his way, martyr
to his own wish, living on little,
working at night on any extra job
he could earn a few shilliRgs byi
runRing errands in his nOontide.
hours of rest; talking to any one who
would listen to his great hope, Of
Nora and little Jamesy. e.' % '.-
At first the men, who prided
themselves on being al Americsns
and in turning out the, best work in
the city, made Connor sort OF . butt,
whose Irish ways and verdancy were
often indeed laaghable. But be
won their hearts at last, and when,
one day, mounting his workbench,
he shook his little bundle, wrapped
in red 'kerchief, before their eyes
and shouted
Look, boys; I've got the whole at
last, and am going to bring NoE9
and Jamesy oVerat last. Wharees
1 Trtlo c,,k g&f