The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-12-23
THE SPALPEENS.
nY MARY C. BARTLETT


Granny Welch was funny little Irish
woman, who wore plaid shaVl at all
times and seasons, and whose tlght-titting
hood could not-indeed, it did not attempt
to-conceal the broad white cap frill which
bodied up and down as she talked, which
was pretty often, l assure you.
Granny Welch hated boys, all but one;
and that was Mickey, the son of her dar-
lin" daughter, who had left her three
wears ago.
Mickey isn't jist but baby yet" she
would sometimes say, apologetically, to
neighbour" but if liver he grows into one
of them imperdint spalpeens beyant I'll
kill him."
Then the neighbor would laugh, and
Mickey would laugh, and finally Granny
Welch herself would laugh until her cap
trill shook and her bead like eyes twinkled
like couple of very small stars.
Time had dealt gently with the old lady.
He had given her no painful rheumatism.
no feeble limbs or stit1ened joints. He had
only bleached her hair and wrinkled her
face and shriveled her up, 80 that she grew
smaller and smaller, until it really seemed
as if she might blow away some day,
"whcn she'd grown old enough, as Frank
Wellington had said.
Frank remington Was Oue VI tne IVY
whom Granny WEIGH hated. She hated
him because he had asked her to lend
him the loan of her shawl one singing
winter dav; she hated his brother Tom
because he had said that Mickey looked like
a frog in the new jacket and pants which
She had worked so hard to make him but
more than all she hated them both because
they were veritable boys, or "spalpeens."
The words were synonymous with Granny
Welch.
1t was the day before Christmas, and
Mickey sat watching the stove and waiting
for his grandmother, who had gone to
church. He couldn't 60 out into the street,
for his toes were peeping through his lit
tie, worn shoes. "Granny'' had promised
him new pair "when her ship came in
til the harbor;' but he was almost tired
of waiting for that. Mickey knew very
little about Christmas. No one had told
him to hang up his stocking and he had
heard no hint of presents. He had q
vague idea that it must be good time,
because everybody in the court went to
church. That was all Mickey knew about
the dav to which most little people look
forward so eagerly. -,
He didn't like to sit in the kitchen all
alone Granny WEIGH had often boosted
that the room "fronted the coort and
there was great dale of things to be seen
from it." But Mickey found it lonesome
place now. The people who came by
walked very fast, and had their cloaks
drawn tightly about them, as if they were
cold The wind was blowing too. He
didn't like the wind; it made him think
of what Frank Wellington had said.
What if his grandmother should "grow
11ot
was coming, too, and he was hungry. He
began to cry. ,
man? This isn't him, sure. It's baby
we have here, intirely."
There she was-Granny WEIGH. Just 8
little old Irish woman-that was all bu,
to Mickey she was everything-fire and
light, and dinners and suppers, aye, and
Jacket and trousers, too. SO it was M
wonder that his face frightened as sh'
appeared.
Granny WEIGH always went along thu
streets with her eyes on the ground. l
she saw piece of weed large enough Il
make blaze, she picked it up. 1t really
seemed as if Santa Claus must hav'
strewn some nice bits in her way thi'
morning, her arms were so full. Amonl
others was bough of an old elm, which
seemed almost like tree itself, 1t was q
tall and had so many little branches
Mickey looked at it with longing eyes.
Are we wantin' it, Michael!"
81 am"
"On yer back?" inquired Cram,
Welch, with a fierce bobbing Of he
cap-border.
mo, SIR" replied irreverent Mickey.
There's where yell get 1t, thin"
Mickey laughed. He was very well &C
quainted with Granny WEIGH.
III take it from yer" he cried, glee
fully, suiting the action to the word.
Granny" caught him In her arms, ant
gravely administered . few sounding
slaps, which didn't hurt him Q bit.