The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-03-09
From Chambers Journal.
THE S0FTIE'S DREAM
CHAPTER |

In the fertile valley of the river Suck
Just where, some years ago, such conster,
nation was created by portion of the
Bog of Allen showing an inclination to
settle for good, there stood many farm
house of rather a better class than any of
those in the immediate neighborhood, or
indeed in any of the adjacent villages.
The house stood little off the high road
from Castlerea TO Loughlinn, and few
people who passed failed to observe its
well-to-do, comfortable appearance and
snug" haggard (steadingl. Its oc-
cupier, Owen kearney, was very hard
working, sober man, who not only mind
ed his own business, but let his neigh
bors' affairs alone. He was never in
arrears with his rent, had his turf cut a
year in advance, and got his crops down
first and in earliest; so that it was not
without some reason that people said he
was the most comfortable farmer in the
village Of Glenmadda. Added to being
the most Industrious Owen Kearney
was (what few tenant-farmers in the
west OF Ireland were thirty years ago.
something of specu lator. He did not
tie his savings up in an old stocking and
hide 1t in the thatch of the barn or cow
house, as the majority of his neighbors,
who had any savings, usually did; but
despite the repeated warnings of Shaun
More Morris, the philosopher and wise
acre Of the village, invested in new and
improved farming implements and in
horses, of which he was not unjustly con-
sidered the best Judge in the county Ros-
common. As he did all his business
when he was perfectly sober, he seldom
had any cause to complain of his bar
gain; and the !" luck-penny," instead of
spending in the pubhc-house, he made a
rule of giving to the priest for the poor
of the parish.
Not being in the habit of gossipine
either about his own or his neigh.
bors' affairs, no one could form any cor.
rect idea of how rich Owen kearney
really was; but it was generally known
that he kept his money at the bank, as
on fair and market days he went into
that building with his pockets well filled
and came out with them empty, and
mounting his cob, rode home quietly,
long before the fun or the faction fights
commenced.
Not SO, however, the younger of his
TWO sons, Larry, wild, restless lad of
seventeen, on whom neither the precepts
nor example of his father and brother
seemed to have the least influence.
Martin, the eldest, was steady and
thoughtful like his father; but Larry.
with his boisterous laugh and ready
joke, dancing blue eyes and faxen hair,
never spent a minute thinking during
his life. While he worked, which was
not often, he was as good as two. his
father used to say; and, "when he took
ms divarsion he was the divil at it,
Martin used to add good-naturedly. In
Vulnerable were the scrapes Larry got
INTO, and miraculous were the methods
by which he managed to extricate him.
sell. There was not wake, wedding or
christening for miles round that he was
not to be found at. No merry-gathering
or fair was complete without him. and
il was proverb that Larry Kearnev
was the last to sit down wherever there
was dance, and the first to shake a
shillelah wherever there was a shindy.
OF course, he was his mothers favorite
such boys invariably are. She shut her
eyes to his faults, supplied him with
money without any questions, and being
very religious woman, or what in that
part OF Ireland is termed a voteen, she
atoned for all his shortcomings
There was another member of Owen
kearneys family as full of fun and mis-
chief IN her way as Larry. This was
Dora Costello, the farmers orphan niece
Little Dora, everybody called her, be-
cause, when she lost her own father and
mother and went to live with her uncle
and aunt, she was little toddling thing
of three years old. At the time this
story tells of she was fine girl of seven
teen, tall, finely formed, and as graceful
rs willow. A fine specimen of an Irish