The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-03-16

As on Joe's strong heart bowed my head,
knowing that father said might
-HGrper'S Weekly.
ATALE OF A BLUNDERBU>S.
The writer of this was born in house
in the far west of Ireland. My father
was what was then called a surveyor
now heightened, | believe, into civil en-
gineer His employment was to me mys-
terious and delightful. While | and my
brothers were cooped up at home, learn
ing our lessons, getting into scrapes and
being whipped, he rode gaily off to " the
office" in town. How pleasant it was to
be man! No learning Of lessons, no
whippings or tears, no getting into scrapes
nothing to do but to please ones self;
and yet, strangely enough, father often
seemed to me as pale, and careworn, and
weary as if he had but just finished " get
ting OFF, fifty verses, and was afraid the
strap would be his reward.
AS grew bigger, the desire to know
more of the great town, lying so near
and yet so far, became so strong that |
was ever dining it into my fathers ears.
Why could l not go to town as he did?
| Why could l not at least go with him
| Just once or twice? If he would only let
me go / would be so good would give
him no trouble of any kind. could ride
behind him on the pony, and would not
| bother him so much rs even to sec that
I sat safely. l would attend to all that
myself.
Great was my joy when he one day at
last consented to my wish. Yes, rather
than be worried by me any longer, |
might accompany him to town. And as
he had given in, the sooner he was over
with the job the better. SO tomorrow,
the market-day, the one chief day Of all
the seven, was to be the day in which Twas
to make my entry into that world OF
which | had dreamed such wondrous
| dreams.
Though longing 50 much for the great
world, was yet child enough to leap on my
| fathers knee and kiss him with delight at
the glorious news. Then ran of to bed
there to lie awake half the night pictur-
| ing to myself the wonders | should be
hold on the morrow, in the other half
dreaming that was already an actor in
the enchanting scenes that must ever be
passing before the eyes of the dwellers in
great cities.
BY eight next morning Mick o. Hara
was standing with the pony at the front
door, and father was just about to mount.
But long before that time | had gulped
down my breakfast, and was walking i'm
| patiently up and down the gravel path.
When Mick and the pony appeared l
glanced at him reproachfully, for what
seemed his long delay, but when he
hoisted me up behind my father, and |
felt we were at last moving on the long
looked-for journey, my yexation vanished,
and sang out cheerily:
"Good-hy, old Mick! I'll bring you
something home from the town"
"Good- bye, and thank ye, Master Dick.
An the Lord sem you home agin' safe an
SCUM" ..
"Not much fear of that" replied my
father, as he touched the pony, and we
began to canter quietly over the lawn to-
wards the gate.
e hope not, sir-l hope not, Sir" re,
piled Mick, while he ran alongside. But
these is ticklish times, sir, an many O
dacent 'sponsible gcntleman's bin bate
about these roads of late. There was Mr.
Purcell last week. an Mr.. Doran the week
afore. Aye, an last night there was"
Nonsense, Nick" laughed my father,
as hequickened the pony's pace. "They'd
enemies, but I've none. There isn't q
man in all Sligo county would hurt hail
of my head"
| And the next minute we were out on
road, and Mick was turning slowly up
again toward the house
Whether Or not | enjoyed the town aftel
reaching there, | cannot say. My CHIEF
feeling was, l believe, one of bewilder
ment The houses were SO high, tho
streets so narrow and crowded, that | fel
choked as it were. was delighted, anc
full of wonder, of course: but when, JUS
at dusk, the pony was brought to the
office door, I was almost as ready to re
turn home as | had been to leave it a few
hours before.
The day had been long one at the of
fee, and looking in my fathers face
ould see that he was not in humor tt
ak, so scrambled up behind him in ST
lencc and we were about to start, when /
voice of cntreaiya little behind stayed US
"Hold hard, sir-hold hard, SIR" came
the cry. "Hcre's the instrumint, sir.n
Looking back, saw a little man hur
rying along the center Of the road towart
us, and holding in his hand and waving
up and down a something that shon'
bright in the fast departing light.
"Oh, ah, the blunderbuss," said my
father. "I had forgotten it. Thank you
Connolly; you needn't have followed MT
with it. could have had it on Monday.
81 promised it fur to-day, sir" repliee
the old man, pantingly, as he reached th
pony's side, and held up the weapon, ''an
| always like to keep me word. Here i
is, sir"
"Thank you, Connolly. Good-by," re
turned my father; good-by, boys all
| Get along, Dolly"
Next moment we were Gathering ava,
down the street that looked toward hom'
at great rate.
When we were well clear of the tow
we slackened somewhat, for the road hat
grown dark. Then my father turned Il
me little.
"Well, Dick" he said, " how hav
you enjoyed yourself, and how did yo'
like the town."
"Oh, papa, it was lovely" replied, a
/ squeezed his arm; land you're so goo'
for letting me come with you"
Lovely, was it," he murmured, witt
laugh which was half sigh. "I'n
afraid one day you'll see as little beaut
in it as l do, and be as tired of it as
am"