The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-09-26

| infants. She kissed II, and laid u be-
side her on the pillow
my heart warmed 10 Il, Molly
| Rooney dear; that's my ain child. Now
| gle me the wee rascal that's come 10 this
house for no good end"
4 She took the second babe and stretched
out her shaking hand for the knife, pre-
pared 10 ct,t its throat; Int 1t that very
instant there was noise heard over
head, and a small. beautifully dressed,
and very pretty lady came down the
wide chimney, using the chain Of the
crook as a ladder. She bounded over
the fire, across the room, and stood be-
side the bed.
In one second she had snatched the
child out Of Grace's hands, and ran back
10 the Fireplace, turning to shake II
furiously at her, as she cried. t" You'll
rue the day you tried to hurt my child"
She sprang upon the hoo, put her
tiny dainty feet into the links Of the
chain one after another, mounted them
rs a staircase, and was out OF sight like
q whirlwind.
"Oh, my poor wean," sobbed the ex-
hausted mother, sinking back upon her
pillow, I" she'll haze We yeti"
!" Ma, na, Grace" said Mrs. Rooney,
in soothing tones, she'll no get your
wean but it'll tax you to watch it weel,
an never leave it its lane in the house
unless you put the tongs across the era
die. But sure you ha' plenty O. childer
to watch it,
Joseph McDonagh was spending the
night in q neighbours cabin, and the
women were really afraid to venture out
Of doors to cali him; besides, what good
could he have done had he been thercP
They sat on, telling quaint and strange
stories about the wee folk, some Of
which had been told them by their par
ents. and others that had come under
their own observation; but all agreed
that 80 strange circumstance as that
lust witnessed was bad thing for the
ncighborhood, and especially for the
McDonagh family.
~ never affrontcd the gentry to
my knowledge" sighed the poor moth
err, "but Joe helped Mr.. Todd : garden
err to cut down the old hawthorn tree on
the lawn Friday was eight days; an
there's them that says it's very bad
thing to do. / fieechcd him not TO
touch it, but the master offered him six
shillings If he'd help wi the job, for
the other men refused" She sighed
again and shut her eyes.
!" That's the way Of it," whispered
the croncs over their pipes and poteen !;
"that's just it. The guide man has had
the i'll luck to displeasure the gentry,
an there'll be trouble in this house
yet"
Grace did not hear these cheerful
prophecies, for she had dropped
asleep.
Weeks passed and the augury had not
been fulfilled. Little Eliza throve apace,
but her mother never lost sight Of her
for q moment.
She lay fast asleep in her cradle near
the fire one day, while Grace, standing
mt the dresser, was occupied in cutting
up vegetables with the large knife. All
at once tumult Of the elements arose.
A rush Of cold wind hurried up the
mountain, and whirled round the house.
Grace was startled at the sudden
sound, and dropped the knife in
terror. The door burst open, and
the hurricane dashed into the kitchen,
, overturning the cradle, and driving II
: bottom upward across the floor. Grace
become Of the baby. The little crea.
tirc was crying, and both her pretty,
straight ankles were twisted and hel
feet turned inward. 1t was long before
she ceased to scream.
The storm subsidized as suddenly as il
had arisen, but the mysterious evil i
! had brought the child did not end. Sht
became sickly and very fretful, and ths
! other children grew weary Of. nursing
her. They had been very fond Of Eliza
7 hut they now began to dislike her, and
the poor overworked mother could hard
ly ever lay her out Of her arms.
! Weeks, months, years went by. Elizs
! was five years old, but looked like {
! child Of rs months, sc small and shrun
I ken was she. She still fitted into thu
I cradle, and therein spent most Of thu
4 day. She had been very s0rrowfu
! burden to her mother all these years
! and her cross, fretful temper had driver
4 Joy and contentment far from the cabin
!. The healthy, rosy elder children wer'
! sometimes 70 provoked with their wall
! ing sister that they would have hurt her |
their mother had not watched them yer.
! carefully. But though 80 sickly, Eliz'
\ was much cleverer than any Of he
I strong brothers and sisters. She sale
4 extraordinary things, that were repeated
! from house to house in the neighbor
4 hood.
\ Mrs. Rooney, happening to pay Grac
!. McDonagh visit one day, saw Matt, tn
= eldest brother, give Eliza u wicked pine
4 as he passed the cradle; and when tn
unfortunate childfs howl had littl