Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-10-02
AN EVICTION.

Harriet Prescott Spoford.


"Mary, Mary do you hear what the
neighbors say-that we're all goin to be
evicted2" cried Denis Connor, entering
his cabin one evening towards the end
of October, and sitting down deiectedly;
while Mary his wife looked up from her
work in blank dismay.
"What do you mean, Dentist" she
asked. "Sure, we don't owe penny of
rent, and if the Lord spares us our
health, we'll remain So"
It's too true, I'm afraid. o Molly,
til break my heart to leave the old
place and whatll you and Oona do2"
and the old man rocked himself to and
fro, and moaned bitterly.
"Whist, Denis DEAR" Mary said,
gently placing her hand on her husbands
shoulder; "there's some mistake, ye
may be certain. His honor could not
mean to turn us out, for sure there's no
decenter poor people on all the property
than the neighbors. 1t isn't like as if
we were living entirely on the land, and
couldn't pay the rent. His honor
couldn't mean to evict as, Denis !"
But his honor did mean to evict them,
as they learned formally few days after;
the entire village of Cloonabeg was to
be swept away.
1t was wild, bleak spot on the west
coast of Ireland, not many miles from
the ancient Cite of the Tribes" The
village consisted of long, struggling
row of cabins, on the edge of common,
and within stone's-throw of the sea.
The inhabitants of Cloonabeg were fish
ermen, poor, simple, honest, hard work
ing people, who had been born in the
cabins they dwelt in, and their fathers
and grandfathers before them, and knew
little of the world beyond. They all had
the right of the common-on the other
side of which stood the village of Cloona-
more, a much more important place,
which boasted of a police barrack, a
chapel, and national school. There
was little intimacy between the inhabi
tants of the two villages. The Cloona-
more people were farmers, comfortable
as farmers go in the west of Ireland,
where they have to toll, and toll con-
tinually, to make the wretched land pro-
duce anything. They were very jealous
of their neighbors down by the seaside,
who paid far less rent, and on the whole
seemed not only to work less, but to be
more comfortable.
The fishermen were quiet, proud, re-
served people, who lived entirely to
themselves, helping each other in diff
Guilty, consoling each other in trouble,
and taking little interest in anything save
the coming and going of the shoals of
fish.
They spent their evenings, when not
out on the bay, with their wives; and it
was pleasant to see them sitting outside
their cabin doors, smoking their pipes,
or mending their nets and sails-the
men in their rough home-knit blue
guernseys, the women in their scarlet
jackets. They were very poor, but then
their wants were few, and they were
contented and happy in their simple
way.
Dennis Connor was considered the
most comfortable man in Cloonabeg.
He had son in America, who often
sent him money and daughter mar
ried to fishmonger in Hallway, who was
considered almost a merchant. One
other child he had, Oona, pretty golden
haired girl, the pet of the whole vii
lage.
In the next cabin to Denis Connor's
lived very old woman, named Merrick;
poor Judy she was called, for she had
many troubles in her lifetime. Her hus-
band and only son were drowned twenty
years before, trying to save the crew ol
brig which struck on "Marguerite's
rock" Young Merrick left wife, who
died few months after, and one sickly
little boy. Poor Judy took the child
and managed to bring him up and keel
roof overhead by constant hard work
She assisted the neighborsin their house
work, who paid her in kind and made
and mended nets for any of the mel
who could afford to pay her a trife just
sufficient to pay the rent. For fiftee1
years Judy toiled late and early, ant
then her grandson Willie was old enough
to take his fathers boat and nets ant
earn his living, and support his grand
mother. A fine, handsome, manly laC
was Willie Merrick, full-chested, clea
eyed and supple, sinewed like the ma
jority of the hardy sons of the sea
coast.
In the market every one liked to bu
his mackerel and haddocks, not only be
cause they could depend on whatever b
offered for sale being generally good an
moderate in price, but they liked tn
look of his honest face and clear haze
eyes, and the sound of his hearty voice.
Mrs. Merrick was proud of her grant