The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-09-04

put tin of milk into his hand, he re-
qJlired no further invitation.
John Donnel's i'll temper vanished as
he watched the child eat his supper, and
heard his sighs of contentment-
''Where shall he sleep? Tim O Brien's
beds no made YET"
s'Ill shake straw in the corner there
near the fire, " replied Peggy, San throw
a wheen sacks over him. He'll sleep
rightly, I'll warrant him.
SAY; 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.
ssLook, John, look - cried she, with
tears in her eyes; did you ever see the
like o that ?"
It was twenty years since 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
for very long time. She faneied 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
Peggy took her milk pail, prepared to
go out to the byre, he sprang forward,
and took it frcm her haud. Smilingly
she consented TO let him help her milk
Motley and Buttercup, and strain up the
milk; then while she made breakfast, 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 hun
dred helpful things during the day.
Hes a sight better than Tim O'Brien.
Let us keep him, an he'll be as good
boy as we could get, ;" said John Donnel
that evening.
'What name shall we call him p asked
Peggy quite pleased at her husbands
proposal.
"Niel wad be good enough name, "
thought John.
So the dumb boy was called Mel, was
given a suit of gray freize, and shoes
and socks, and became the servant III
stead of the truant, Tim O'Brien.
A season Of extraordinary prosperity
began for the Donnels from the day Mel
came to them. No accident happened
to the cattle that winter and spring; the
hens laid diligently, 50 that Peggy made
quantities of money by selling eggs; the
churn was always so fuil OF butter tnat
the staff would hardly move in it; and
butter was bringing eighteen pence per
pound in Letterlzenny market. If Don
mel sold, he gained more than his neigh
bors, if lie bought everything was cheap
for him.
eve did weel to shelter the boy" he
was wont to remark, when any striking
instance Of Neil's industry or cieyerness
came under his observation; but some
times to his wife's anger and disgust,
he would animadvert upon the large ap-
petite of his little servant.
Mel gained the good will of the few
neighbors who lived on the mountain;
but, what was more remarkable, he
seemed to have strong attraction for
all birds and animals. The mice sang in
corners of the house, the cock and 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; aud the sea-gulls from their island
in the lough flew to pick up insects at
his feet. An indescribable sense of
peace and well being hovered over the
dwilling OF which he was an inmate.
The very night after his arrival he
made handsome bow, and each eve
ming while Peggy sat at her spinning
wheel he made arrows, tossing them, as
he finished them. up to the loft. There
was a large sheaf of arrows lying beside
the bow, but he never shot single one.
"Why, but you take your bow an ar
rows out bye an play yourself wee,
| Mel dear 2" asked Mrs. DonneI, when
the bright spling evenings came; but no
answer of any description was forthcom-
| ing. 1t was n real vexation to her that
she had 70 means of knowing why he
made the bow and went on making SO
many arrows.
When May eve arrived, and flames
leaped up from fires on every hin, and
dark figures moved around the blaze;
when the glow was reflected in the lough
and the gulls flew screaming in q thick
white cloud from their island, disturbed
by the unusual noise; and the snipe
whirred by, bleating their astonishment
ON that most enchanting night of all
the year, Mrs. Donnel's dumb servant
was greatly agitated. More than once
he went to the door to gaze at the fair
scene without, and returning as if with q
strong effort, to his kind mistress's side
kissed her ha nd-his favorite mode oi
showing his affection.
''He's crying, the erathur, " said Peggy
on one OF these occasions. @Maybe it S
because you scoided him this morning,
John, for just naething, ava.
| John, whose temper was very hasty,
had spoken sharply to the boy in Peggy
| boo,;Dr