The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-09-18

]
I'm shake straw in the corner there
near the fire." replied Peggy, "an'
throw a wheen sacks over him. He'll
sleep rightly, I'll warrant him.
"Ay; it'll be better nor the back o.
dixie, I'm thinking returned John.
The poor creature was now quite dry
and warm; he lay down on the straw
that the kind woman prepared for him,
but he first caught hold OF her hard
hand, and pressed his lips upon it.
"Look, John, look!'' cried she, with
tears in her eyes; "did you ever see the
the like o. thatP''
1t was twenty years since a child had
slept under that roof, full twenty years
since a small black coffin had been car
ried down the mountain, containing
Peggy Donnel's son, and more than half
her heart. She dreamed of her dead
son that night as she had not dreamed
far very long time. She fancied that
he came TO her bedside, and begged her
to be good to the friendless child for his
sake.
The storm lulled before dawn, and by
the time the Donnels got up to their
work the stranger was up also. When
]
go out to the byre, he sprang forward,
and took it from her hand. Smilingly
she consented to let him help her milk
Motley and Buttercup, and strain up the
the milk; then, while she made break
fast, he signed to John that it was his
wish to assist him also. Very useful he
was in finding the cattle, and driving
them TO fresh grazing ground; and he
did hundred helpful things during the
day.
Hes sight better than Tim o 'Brien.
Let us keep him and he'll be as good a
boy as we could get''' said John Donnel
that evening.
"What name shall we call him?" asked
Peggy, quite pleased at her husbands
proposal.
"Niel wad be a good enough name"
thought John.
So the dumb boy was called 4" Mel, -"
was given a suit of gray freize, and shoes
and socks, and became the servant in
stead of the truant, Tim O'Brien.
A season of extraordinary prosperity
began for the Donnels from the time
Mel came to them. No accident hap
pened to the cattle that winter or spring !;
the hens laid diligently, so that Peggy
made quantities of money by selling
eggs; the churn was always SO full of
butter that the staff would hardly move
, ! in it; and butter was bringing eighteen
I pence per pound in Letterkenny market.
if Donnel sold, he gained more than his
neighbors; if he bought, every thing
, was cheap for him.
- We did weel to shelter the boy" he
was wont to remark, when any striking
instance of Niel's industry or cleverness
came under his observation; but some
times, to his wife's anger and disgust, he
; would animadvert upon the large appe-
tite of his little servant.
Mel gained the goodwill of the few
neiohbors who lived ON the mountain
but, what was more remarkable, he
, seemed to have a strong attraction for
, all birds and animals. The mice sang
, in corners of the house; the cock and
s hens loved to roOst on the rail at the foot
of his bed; the cattle lowed and horses
neighed when he appeared; the singing
birds alighted on his shoulder in the
, field; and the sea-gulls from their island
!. in the Tough flew to pick up insects at
his feet. An indescribable sense of
peace and well-being lowered over the
dwelling of which he was an inmate.
The very night after his arrival he
made a handsome bow, and each even
, inc while Peggy sat at her spinning
: wheel he made arrows, tossing them, as
{ he finished them, up to the loft. There
, twas a large sheaf of arrows lying beside
the bow, but he never shot a single one.
Why, but you TAX your bow an ar
, rows Out-bye an play yourself a wee,
Mel, dear?' asked Mrs. Donnel, when
the bright spring evenings came; but no
} answer of any description was fOrthcom7
ing. 1t was real veXation to her that
3 she had no means of discovering why he
had made the bow and went on making
: 50 many arrows.
When MAY eve arrived, and flames
e leaped up from fires on every hill,
: and dark figures moved round the
blaze; when the glow was reflected in
e the Tough, and the gulls flew screaming
t in thick white cloud from their island,
| disturbed by the unusual noise; and the
e snipe whirred by, bleating their aston
ishment-on that most enchanting night
e of all the year, Mrs. Donne's dumb
=, servant was greatly agitated. More
than once he went to the door to gaze
e at the fair scene without, and returning,
p. as if with a strong effort, to his kind
e mistress's side, kissed her hand-his IA
4 vorite mode of showing his affection.
" He's crying, the crathur," said Peg
l gv on one of these occasions. "Maybe
It's because YOU scolded him this morn
5 ing, John, for just naething, ava"
John, whose temper was very hasty,
had spoken very sharply to the boy in
! Peggy's hearing.
Things went on thus throughout the
summer and autumn; but when Hal
lowe'en approached, Mel grew restless
! again. The dry benweeds shook their
withered yellow heads in the cold
breeze; there they stood in their ugli-
ness, spread over many field, ready
!, when Halloween came to turn into fairy
Steeds, each one ridden by an elfin rider.
Mel went out in the moonlight on the
mysterious night, but returned in time to
smile his good night TO Peggy before "
inc down on his humble bed, and he
was not able to tell her whether he had
caught a glimpse of the fairy troop OF
not.
One November morning, a year after
Niel's arrival, John DOnnel came into
the kitchen pale with grief and dismay.
1.-The cattle are all away!" he cried
sail driven off the mountain in the
night. Thieves! robbers! Oh, Mel
ayick! Oh, Peggy mavourneen, what I'LL
l do, any way?"
"Gone? Stolen?'' exclaimed Peggy,