Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-05-27

Z pdHiplls. ilcit WAS haty iHotuei. u slhi-
/ wart Irishwoman clad in the blanket.
I shawl and alpaca hood dear to the moth
I crs of Erin. She was Offering good advice
I 10 a friend suffering from ''cowld" aud Civ
/ ing the rules for making posselt, which
/ she called "tile day" As il was Mrs
4 Brice's panacea for most bodily ills, and
/ had been advised for my taking many
/ times. | recognized the delectabe COM
/ pound as white whey.
Katy herself was bright and neat in a
green stuff dress that had been dedicated
TO St Patrick a few months before. Her
hair, "done by the drisser'' in multitude
of puiiugs and frizzlings, was surmounted
by white tinSel wreath that glittered in
the light of one gas jet. and did its best to
spoil the looks of our little maid, who. in
her plain print dress and natural wavy
hair always looked refined and pretty.
The party of the first part was sitting in
dark corner with two or three of his
fIicud>, aud could not make him out clear
~ until we were summoned to await his
reverence at the altar, and it was too late
to snatch Katy from her doom. He was
by no means young "boy," being at least
fifteen years beyond our twenty ythree-yeaI
old Katy, He was coarse and stupid and
shamc-faced, with his hair plastered down
almost TO his red-rimmed. sheepish eyes,
and with an upper lip so short that his
teeth were always in view. Indeed, in ev-
cry way and altogether bad subject. |
looked on and listened in half-dazei way
TO the very brief service that gave Katy
her sentence for life. Once before | had
Witnessed a marriage in 81. Mary's. Then
il was a matter of daylight and candles
flowers and incense, gorgeous ycstments
and many priests aud much ceremony
M. hAEe1 i4v nbsaEpinn-
through the wide, front doorway. But we
were poor folks, and this was another af
fair. One impatient priest. anxious TO get
through the bother and return to his
guests, was accounted sufficient for US.
The good father had evidently been hav-
ing "A JoVial time over his dinner. and
wasted but little OF il on rs. As u matter
of habit he gave a brief preachment Of
good advice aiter the ceremony. culminat-
in. 'and If you have children God grant
You may > mind your duty To the Church. =
etc. After which n haSiy blessing. the
lights turned ont. and We groped our way
back through the dark passage as We came
in.
! rccro>>ed the street with heavy heart
the wedding train slowly filing down the
basement steps 10 eat the pink and green
su@arcd cake. the mncc-pe for the
u
pitcher OF beer from the ''widdy's." in the
next street. contributiOnirom a thought
iul guest toward the general hilarity.
The reloicingS were Of a quiet and ord
erly sort, a> they were likely TO be with
Mother Brice the fore; and at ten o'clock
Katy came up stairs 10 say goodbye. and,
with tears and smiles mingling, took moth
er'S lecture, consisting OF equal parts OF
good advice and solemn warning.
"Oh. you foolish girl how do you cx.
pect ever to get along with that great
lazy-looking fellow: am disappointed in
you, Katy. But 90 along; be good natured
keep your house clean. and remember we
are your friends"
II e. III. said Katy. '.Inank ,r, mama
Indeed, feel as il isswas goin' from home
! am. God keep We In good health, Miss
Mary aud haiy vanished from our sight.
Tie reNelers below followed, and We
could hear the laughing and chatting that
| broke IN upon the quietness of the night as
they followed Mr.. aud Mrs. Burke TO their
new home.
We saw but little of Katy during the
year following her marriage. and the wear
and tear OF one trying To make good her
place in the household had. fear. harden
, cd my heart toward all OF her Kind. and
nearly blottcd out all remembrance of our
bright little Irish girl, when modest
knock Al the sitting-room door one morn
ing was followed, in response TO my invita-
ton to come by what seemed TO be /
ghost Of our Katy. Ii was not only the
change, but the character of it, that shock
ed me. The beautiful hair, that seems to
thrive best under neglect ct-the wavy. CLOS
" IRISH hair. 80 long and abundant was
uncombed and twisted IN rouge ball on
the back OF her neck. with locks strag-
Cling 70 her waist. But worse than all else
was the peryadlng and reckless untidness
OF her dress aud person, The inevitable
blanke ket->hawl wa, secured by a hair-pin
aud the whole toilet finished oil by a soil
ed woolcn hood. Father Rooneys pous
nnptial wish had been fulfilled. aud Katy :
misery was crowned with baby in every
way a repetition OF its mothers UNIV hole
ness and >qualor. Before | could give ex-
PRECISION to my a>toni,hment, katy's sweet
voice, which had alone escaped the gener-
al wreck. broke in with.
An how have We been since. Miss
/ Mary
You may we'll say since YOU poor
child, for You look as il every thing gone
! before might be blotted out, said |. And
now tell me the trouble"
We'll. ye see. miss. Jerry i, out of work
/ because of the strikes, an he have been
mostly since. Men are 50 wake. We know.
miss. An then it wasn't pleasant an
/ warm most times when he'd come hnIue,
an wild me sick and poorly, We culu't eX-
| pect but he'd rather stay at the corner
where hi friends made him welcome. an it
| was light an cheerful like. The boys all
! like Jerry. an treated him finely An We
! cudn't blame him for stayin' cud We miss =
you mean he i, a poor shiftless fellow,
| who drinks up all he earns, aud leaves YOU
and the baby to freeze and starve. That's
| about the English of it. isn't it, Katy:"
Jerry don't mean to be bad, Miss Mary
But oh. men are so quare. An | came to
see if you or the mistress cudnt do some
thin for the poor lad. They are putting
men TO work at the Cintral PARK. an |
/ hear. if can git letter to one ofthe own
! ers maybe Ia cit a job for Jerry I'm dc.
| in it unbenownst. for don't want him to
be disappointed if | fail. Cud We git me a
| line from one of yer friends, do We think ?
| le see. I'm not strong. an I've sich an im-
| prission about me heart, An OH, Miss
Mary, I'm so tired wild waitin' an hopin',''
And poor Katy utterly broke down. and
sobbed as hysterically as fine lady.
took the baby with IA shudder | could
scarcely hide. and seating its mother in the
big Shaker chair, called for something to
strengthen and revive the poor girl. max
Ing an effort at the same time to turn her
mind from her troubles.
What is the baby's name, Katy?'
asked.
"Anastasa. Do We like it, Miss Mary
wanted to call her for you. but, We see,
she fell on st. Anastasia's Day. an Father
Rooney said it would bring her good luck
Poor baby? 1t is big name for a little
one; but | can call her 'Stasa We know.
But will ye git me the letter. if We please.
miss. Maybe if Jerry cud git work he d be
pleasanter and stay at home more don't
think he means to be bad; but men can't
bear trouble
Mother. who had administered a warm
and comforting drink to Katy, had re.
Trained from any reference to her own fore
sight, although knew the trouble she had
to keep quiet, for II knew how it would
turn out" and Il said so at the time, you
remember" are my dear mothers weak
points. She did permit herself to fire this
small shot.