The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-04-29
THE STORY OF ANN.
BY RrBscca HARDING pAvrs,

Londonderry 10 see her or board the ship.
To do this they had walked for two days
and night, barring lift OF an hour or
two, which peddler gave Mrs. FurlOng
in his cart. 1t was a long journey for a
woman OF her are; but, God help her
she must see tine last of Ann
Tom. AIMS oldest brofhcr,tiid not go
down TO Londonderry He did not even
bid her good by; but went on drunken
bout to the village the day before she
started. Since his father died, two years
before, Tom had seldom been sober. 1t
took all that Ann or Der mother could
earn, by working in the fields in summer
or by lace-making for the manufacturers
in winter. 10 keep him and themselves
from starvation.
Then came. .rany. cold summer. and
AIMS .'dindle Ia her side, rs she called
it- grew, worse. phe was 3 fi;tchested,
high shOnldered girl, clear skinned and
req haired; ''the Sort DR.. Furlong said,
''wbo could thole pain the longest" Bat
she dropped in the burrows like one dead
while she was hoeing, ere day. The next
morning she went about her work-She
was washing-without talking, as was her
habit when she was -'thinking a thing
out.n Her mother watched her with a
sick heart. She guessed the thing she
was thinking out" to-day.
Mother" she said at last, sit will have
to come. One of Us must 60 to America" :"
Yes. Ann" ~rra=.-9
There was dead silence after that.
Both knew what was coming. and there
was deep affection between tbs, two. DIFF
ferent from that of most mothers and
daughters. EE -
Its that'll 90 mother"
"NO, NOT cri, d Mrs. Furlong sharply.
I" 1t must be Tom. | can't spare you.
Tts - -.
self"
The Scotch-Irish are never demonstra-
tive. 1t Is but seldom that tears can be
wrung from them. which only, il may be,
makes their hearts ache the harder.
The mother and daughter, now that this
turning-pOint in life had come when they
were TO be torn asunder, did not weep. or
kiss. or talk out their sorrow. but went on
rubbing and rinsing over the tubs. looking
at each other askant, their faces growing
harder the while.
Nanny" said Ann, at last, gently
the only gentle trait about the girl was
peculiarly soft, pathetic voice" nanny,
hear till reason, won't ye? Poor Tom
wild do nothing theie for himself or us.
But if | can make two bounds a month. as
hear ken. it'll be but a short time till |
bring you all over. You'll need to keep
Tom beside you to hold him from the
dsink, you know"
"Yes. Teen the water into the pail,
Ann"
She dared not look up at her. as she held
the pail, and her cid hands shook so that
it well nigh fell. Ann took it from her.
and went out TO hang the clothes on the
bushes.
When she was gone, the old woman
stood still, watching her. She WAS moth
an a nIapn
woman 10 any body else, but TO her mother
she was all of the good or pleasure or
hope there was in this world. She stood,
her bOny hands leaning on the table, look
ing out of the window, her old body tot
tering and cold. She thought of how Ann
was her first-born, how the baby used to
lie upon her breast.
40 Godr' she cried, g let me keep Ann
only let me keep Ann! I've had such
hard life ~ t ~
But when Ann came i'm she said nothing
at all, only began to bestir herself feebly,
TO get ready the tea.
''Let me hang the kettle, nanny"
said Ann, taking it from her. Sit you
down."
Even then her mother told her nothing,
as some mothers would have done, of how
dear she was, and how she was her first
born, and all that sne had in life.
when yon're gone, Ann. III miss
SEEM YOU around, was all that she said.
That morning, in reality, was worse
thaBIhe day when they parted at London
derry, for as Ann set foot on the deck OF
the ship a sort of CAV, hopeful humor
seized her, just as we are told of the young
men i'm the stories who set out to seek their
fortunes. Two pounds wages a month
was such an enormous fortune, and was
so sure and near 49, f.s.-.-e- \
1t was natural it should seem sure to
Ann, for she had good deaf of tough
courage in her character; and she was a
young girl, after all, and light-hearted.
If it had not been for Tom they would
have led a merry life in the old cottage in
Donegal. AS il was, she felt sure all was
going to turn out right now.
The ship was crowded with emigrants,
and they all soon became friends together,
after the Irish habit Every body had
CHEEKY, encouraging word for Ana and
her mother. This old mans passage had
been paid by his son, gone out before;
this wite's by her husband; a whole tami-
ly had been sent for by two young girls.
Nothing was easier than to make money
in America, they said. Half of Iceland
had been brought over by the savings of
poor servant-girls or labOrers.
Why, it'll be no time at al till we're
all with me- said Ann, hugging little
Dan, and sitting close beside her mother,
on her chest. "a
When she bade them oood-by it seemed
as though il were but for week or two,
and the broad ocean. darkening In the
evening. was but narrow brook, TO be
stepped over any day.
When the ship weighed anchor her
mother and little Dan were clearly to be
seen in The crowd on the pier. although
the twilight was gathering. She could
Z. see Dams red kerchief waving, Just unde-
Won lamp, and her mothers pale face be-
hind. Er- - g N.Y.
There was a great cheer from the shore
which they tried to answer from the ship.
I but that cheer broke down, and they did
not try again.
Ann's throat grew dry. She put her
hand 20 her side. II was the old pain,
What IL? But no. She would not think
of that. Ii would be but little while un-
Ill shewo have mother and Dan. never
to lose sight of them again.
The voyage was long, as she went In
sailing vessel; but she heard nothing. but
golden promises, and built plenty of plans
on them. Money was % be had f0r-little
work. and dlandfor asking. Ann mesntto
work hard She could bring oyer her moth
er and Dan by the fall, and they would start
8 little dairy farm. She thought Flor
ida would be the State she would choose,
IS they told her it was always summer
there. and that the air was good for lung
diseases Sitting on the deck she planned,
many times over, the cabin they would
build.
When Ann landed in New York she
was very fortunate in finding a place at
once ss clamber-maid in thet WI house.
ofa Mr. Deems. wealthy barker. The
housekeeper EMPLOYED her without refer
enee. :. Her neat dress and honest blue
eyes spoke for themselves, I, she fola Mrs
Deems, who wa tSslienloie Woiha, ,i..sl "a
in health. that troubled herse 4 very little
about The affsirs ofher Household
asFhereafter no one noticed Ann, fartheF
than to look whether she busted and swept