Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-10-02
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10 FAIRY @A&9
E @+A
John and Pszsy Dusas n
D0oish n0unaain, u : FEsisa
ana sfsfw- Fzr dowa bfA0# f9zs
fpu4h. ssmtnnon1ed il tsNz
bills. nnd a5ose an ArsniIa s.z6
nile 81 msuntain--aerss q h|
~ grosse innumerable iAi<kN&
droves of shsep ard eAtsle esaas
hleheights. knoWn only ap l'ss
be- wild hFood-
ponneI Nns dzaEs<. az
&, IS 49, -
them when htsehe8 ~ Hns - eSinibrtabiy
on, and his Sostage was ven bnIIs and thatched.
He found no difficulty in paying bis rsnl 20 the
day, and had always abnndancs ol such simple
food and clothing - sslisaed hisd desires. Itwas
November night of st0rin and faia The gusts
thundcred At the door, tossing the bare arms o.
the few stnntea sycamores that grew near the
house; they had swept along mountain deaIes
and across the gray waters Of the Iough, and
now shricked and howIed madiy round the ga
bic. An occasional IaIl in the storm brought
the eIamor Of seagnll and err ofpIOver 70 Dom
nel's ear he locked the door, stuffed = wisp Of
straw under IL to keep Sus the cold wind aud sat
down opposite Peggy in The ample chimney cor
ner.
''God send the cattle has found shelter The
nightr' said he, shaking the ashes ont Of his
pipe.
Peggy was spinning. She stopped her wheel
suddenly to ask, ''Did Jon not hear something,
John, dear7''
"Aye, Peggy, heard The sough O the wind. =
"whist. whist, honey the=e II was again; IL
wasna like the wind"
'iSure il was the seeguII an the plover," re-
Piled her husband, careInssly.
Just then another blast q hurricane swept
across the lake and thunde=ed ct tie door, tos-
sing the carefully arranged wisp Of straw into
the middle Of the kitchen.
sit was pitifal cry; but Il wasna the birds,
let alone the wind, !" said Peggy, listening in
tently.
"wha wad come t0we'er door the nightT'
asked John, impatiently. ssYou're aye talking
fooIischness since that villain, that thief o. the
world, Tim 0'Brien, went ava"
Two days previously the servant had taken his
departure without giving wavning, or letting bis
master and mistress hare the slightest linking Of
his intention. They had both been overwOrked
since then, and The consequence was that one
was cross and the other tired and uervsus.
Agaia ne whiAlline. raeins hlssl. Mrs. Don
! mel shivercd, and muttered prayer for sailors
and wanderers as she threw more turf upon the
blazing hearth. There was stfange cry al that
very moment. She went 70 the door and un-
locked ii, and while the wind hurst in resist
lessly, Il brought something like : human figure
in along with it.
'swomanl woman l'' screamed the outraged
husband, jumping up with An oath to reshut and
| lock the door.
As the cloud ofturfashes began to settle again,
the figure, the gift Of the storm, was more dis
tinctly seen. A miserable, stnnted boy, thinly
clad, without cap or shoesor stockings, crouehed
over the FIRE, holding bis pcrished hands TO the
warmth. He had red hair, large blue eyes, and
gentle, intelligent face. Peggy Donnel felt her
heart drawn toward him at once.
''Poor wean; but YOU'RE kit wi the wet an
cold. Did yOu come Ear the daf - she as'.ed.
The poor boy lifted his large, son eyes to her
iace without speaking.
''Be seated an warm yonFsel; the gude man
makes you welcome"
The boy sat down on the stool she PLACED foS
him before the Ere, and smiled at her in silence
''who had the heart TO lsf the likes o. yOu
travel the night? What do they call you, my
| poor wee man? p
No answer. 'sE declare he's "a dummy, John, "
cried she; 'the poor wean r.
The storm ragged on; but the wanderer wal
safe and happy. He stretched out his bare fee'
on the warm fagstone, and the steam rose from
bis rags, which had been soaked through with
the rain. Meanwhile Peggy set hack her wheel
lifted the pot from the crook and filled . woodeu
bowl with mealy potatoes The boy eyed them
bungrily, and when she spread handful Of salt
on stool, aud put tin of milk into his hand,
he required no farther invitation.
John Donnel,s III temper vanished IS he
watched the child eat bis supper and heard hiI
sighs Of conientment.
'swhere shall be sisep1 TIm o'Brisn's beds
no made yet.''
sf'n shake the straw In % Corner here neal
the Ere" replied Peggy. 'an' tAiow wheeu
sacks over him. He u sleep rightly Fllwarrani
him"
aAy, itll be better nor the back o. adike, I'm
thinking" returned John.
The poor creature was nov quite dry and warn;
he lay down on The straw w'that the kind woman
prepared for him, but he irst caught bold og hel
hard hand and pressed his lips upon il.
'Iool, John, look I" Grid she, with iears iu
her eyes; sidid you ever see the Ike q thatT'
II was twenty years since child had sIepl
under that roof; full twcnsx years since small
black coffin had been carEied down the NOUN
tain, containing Peggy Dunners son, and mors
than half her heart. She dreansd of her dead
son that night as she had not dreamed tor vefy
long time. She fancied thes he came 10 her bed
side, and begged hsr 10 be good 70 the friendIez
child for his sake.
The storm lulled before dawn, and hy Che simr
the Donnels got up 70 their work the stranges
was up also When Peegy took her milkpsil,
| prepared 20 60 out &c tie byre, he sprsng for
ward and fOok II from her hard. Emilingly she
1 - IL a<F..s