The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-10-15
Selert Nisrellang.
NYM CRLNKLE.
Bohemian Days.

When i was q poor bohemian 70
course, YOU understand that | am not {
poor Bohemian now) and lived on a thirC
floor front in Perkins row ("Chambers'
was what we named it them, there were
strange goings-On in the apartments
downstairs, which | now recall with ten
der reminiscent pleasure.
suppose there never lived a mar
whose whole soul went out in love to his
as did Barney McGinniss's. 1t was life
passion burning with a htful but un'
auenchable flame and shedding an un'
steady and ruddy glow upon the homely
and lowly lives of the McGinnisses. i
Bridget, his wife, coming home after 9
days scrubbing, was led (poor, Overwork'
ed thing to the use of stimulants-as
the best of us are sometimes compelled
to do when the exhaustion of fibre is toe
great-and. in one of those momentary
fits of dependency to which her sex Is
liable, broke the furniture and threw the
baby out of the window upon the dirty
canvas awning that was always Tapping
there, Barney, with his great heart GO
ing out to her in love and pity, would pull
her in off the window-sill by her legs
and with his brawny protecting hand
round her throat would choke her firmly
and surely back to reason and duty.
Many's the time l have heard his
strong, vibrating tones break in upon the
stiffness of the night, coming as they did
in gusts of emotion up that back Chin
ney.
1t was the urgent, almost passionate
protest of a stanch, incOrruptible nature
that took shape in these words:
"Brigit McGinniss, if you chuck the
baby out again I'll hit yer over the mob
with the table-leg, by allthe hOwly saints.
Mind thatw
How often in those old Bohemian
nights lay listening after this speech for
the soft thud of the falling bundle that
was sure to strike the awning a moment
later How well recall the confused
sounds that followed; the rattle of the
old sashet and the shake of the floor, as
if Mr.. and Mrs. McGinniss were dancing
agallopade the crack of the table-leg,
and then the sudden silence, undisturb-
ed save by the paternal efforts to fish the
offspring into the window and the almost
maternal efforts to pacify it afterward.
Barney McGinniss never in his normal
moments doubted the affection of his
wife. That love was deep and strong
and unassailable. 1t was one of those
placid passions, flowing on like great
stream, which no pebble of wifely humor
could more than ripple, certainly could
not dam or divert But Barney had his
abnormal moments. He often came
home with a red CLEAN in the corner OF
his eve, and half-humorOus, half-des-
perate look round his mouth, as if tempt
ed to try the luxury of throwing the
kid" out of the window himself. Besides,
Mrs. McGinniss was a good deal of CO.
quette. think she liked to flirt too well
to preserve the placidity Of her household
with anything like regularity. This much
| know, Dennis 0'Reilly was often sitting
on the stairs with her, passing the empty
Establishments and flattery OF society,
when Barney was away carrying the
peaceful hod in unsuspecting docility.
could see that for a matron she was too
much given to those little yanities OF
dress which catch the eye of designing
men. She lad "a voluptuOus trick Of trail
ing her red hair down her back when
she went out for pennyworth of milk
or dhrap Of whisky for the child; and
her habit Of wearing only one stocking,
and sometimes only one shoe, it struck
me then, in my callow, Bohemian days,
betrayed the artfulness of woman whose
sense of wifely duty had not obliterated
all the ingenuity of the virgin.
Perhaps Barney knew all this. Or per.
haps his occasionally stumbling over
Dennis O'Reilly, snoring loudly and odor.
Ously in his hallway with some suspicious
souvenir of Mrs. McGinniss's GENERALLY
cold potatO) in his hand, may have
aroused him to the exercise Of his hus-
bands prerogative. On such occasions
if doubts entered his breast, he had q
quiet, frank way of seizing the table-leg
could hear his voice very plainly, w.
ing there in my lonely Bohemian bed.
"AIrs. McGinniss, do you love me ?"
"Indade, you know lido, Barneyp
"Do you? Begorg, I'm not sure of i
meself"
Whack
In my silly Bohemian soul / used +
think harshly of Barney. On one occa
sion, remember, got up and put on
wrapper and shouted down the Gimme,
neighborly remonstrance, adding some
thing in my idiotic style about the maj
that lays his hand upon a woman saw
in the way Of kindness.
Whereupon Mrs. McGinniss intimatel
that was "scutmullion" and had bes
be minding my own business.
| have often thought Of those jolly oil
times, with their fresh, wholesome init
nations Of duty, and their revelations Q
human nature. Jolly days indeed, whe
the awful mysteries Of life were like q pa
geant, and when the relations of the sex
es could he equalized with a table-leS
But how little ! pro6ted by them Lk
every body else, 1 have drilled away fror
the plain essential truths that the Bar