Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-27
PHILOSOPHER PUSH.
An Irish Tale.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
: IT's a long story, Miss Maria, but,
fence yer agreeable t. listen to it, why it
'ud i'll become me t say no." Shure his
name wasn't Push at all, but Tom Hen
nessey-that was name that was put an
him by raisOn av his havin' " Push" wrote
upan the half-dOOr av his shop. His
father was as warm hearted an kind a
crachur as ivir dhrew tn breath O. life :;
but he was mortal fond av tn dhrOp; an
throth he was sorry han'ful; an heart
break t. his wife. God be wild the time
[ often heerd me mother say whin was
girsha that it 'ud make the heart 'ithin
yeh stand still an stop batin' wild the
soreness for t see poor Mrs. Hennessey
wild her five chlldhre an sometimes not d
bit t put in their mouths, an all along o.
the drink. Bedad, it was near the ruin
alton ay thin all. Shure whin three av
the childhre died wan desperate hard win
ther the docther sed it was for the most
part in regard av tn want of attn an
dhrinkin' But, anyhow, av some was
tuck thin that was left med up for it, for
better childhre nor Biddy an Tom Hen
nessey-that's Push, misS-never stepped
Bid whit + sarvice an often used t sind
the mother home some money, anti She
got married, an the crachur died soon
afther. But it's Tom that was the boy
Aho0! wasn't he? He was ALWAYS IN
dustherin' at somethin or other The
poor boy seen what the dhrink done for
his father, an the sorra dhrop he'd liver
touch, but used t. savehis money-the lit
tie he had, God help him-an' he bought
a boat wild it, an used : have it an Der
ravarragh Lake; an whin gintlemin ud
come down from Dublin t. fish Tom used
t go wild thin an get ped for his time an
for the boat.
An it's he that vas tn schollard, too.
He had a whole shelf av tn dhresser full
av tn splindidist books yeh ivir clapped
yer two good-lookin' eyes an; an well
able to- read out ay iyiry wan av thin he
was
Whin Push was fine, good lookin' boy
ay three-an twenty, tn ould father-God
rest his sowl died; and throth it's often
an often me mother used to make us
screech wild tn laughin' whin she'd be
tellin' av' til legacy he left Tom.
Tom, " SEE tn ould father, an at that
time he was near a past spakin'-''T Tom, !"
SEE he, hayn't much t. lave yeh.''
Thrue for yeh, father" seq Tom.
KNOWN in his own mind that it all whit
in tn drink; but we all have our faiIin's,
God help w! as well as poor ould Tom.
" Anyhow, I'll lave yeh me blessin', av
yeh think it's worth havin'," seq he.
"Av coorse do, father, he seq; ''but
don't be thinkin' av me at all; fix yer mind
an where yer goin' to-"
/ will, avick," SEE the ould father
but before l go want t. give yeh bit
av advice that'lI be as good as legacy in
goold Z yeh'
Let US hear it, father" seq Tom; an
me mother used t. say that tn all gother
roun' tn bed to listen t what he had t.
say.
Tom, SEE he, my advice t yeh is
this, an see that yeh mind it, for it often
stud me in good sted, l can tell yeh.
Whiniyir yeh get into the middle av
fight, don'tkeep lookin' about, but sthrike
tn first head that comes in yer way-it
n1dyn't be the right head, but sthrike il
any way, on chance. It'll relieve yer
feelin's, ma b0uchdI."
As said afore, me mother used often e
make us laugh whin she'd be tellin' the
story; for 1t was just wan av the Quare
foolish things ye'd expect ould Hennessey
t say. Anyhow, Push didn't mind tn
advice, for he was a mortal quite boy,
an afther tn ould father died, shure, be
1Oad, he tux the little slated house at the
crossroads an opened a little giniral shop
for til mother an himself. At first they
didn't sell tay an tobacca-onlv besoms
an stay-laces, an turf, an shugar-sticks,
an cotton balls, an thin sort ay things
antil tn saved money enough t buy a
licence. Thin, ME jewil! what dye
think? but Tom got grand counter put
up, an scales an weights, an he had
Push" wrote on the half-doore. An
from that day t this he nivir was called
nothin' but 4" Push"
The house was raal dacint. an there
was nate little bit O land that whit wild
It, an that Push used t. pillow an harra'
himself, wild sometimes half days help
from a willin' nabour Me own poor
husoand-the high heavens be his bed
thls blessed day!-many's tn time gev
him help, for iviry wan liked Push, he
was that good t tn ould mother.
Push was dom weu-so he was-for
in tn fishin' saison he used t. have gintle-