Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-05-16

l.a'
My lover they slew, and they tore my lamb
They pierced the hearts core Of poor poo Moinal
As the last words fell from her trem.
ulous lips, and the echoes Of the sweet
voice faded far away across the sea, the
boat gliding gently on run her bow
into the sand, and !, leaping out, came
suddenly face to face with the loveliest
vision had ever beheld,
/" Is il mermaidP' asked myself
again, for surely thought no human
being could be half so lovely.
1 saw pale madonna-like face set in
a wreath of golden hair, on which the
moonlight frightened and darkened
like the shadows on wind-swept sea.
Large lustrous eyes which gazed ear
ncstly seaward, then filled with a
strange, wondering, far-off look as they
turned TO my face. A young girl, clad
in peasants dress, with her bare feet
washed reverently by the signing sea;
her half-parted lips kissed by the breeze
which travelled slowly shoreward; her
cheeks and neck were pale as alabaster,
so were the little hands which were still
clasped half nervously behind her; and
as she stood, with her eyes wandering
restlessly first to my face, then to the
dim line of the horizon, the moon,
Frightening with sudden splendor,
wrapt her from head to foot in man
tie of shimmering snow.
| For q moment she stood gazing with
a peculiar, far-away look into my face;
then, with a sigh, she turned away,
with her face still turned oceanward,
her hands still clasped behind her,
wandering slowly along the moonlit
sands.
AS she went, fading like a spirit amid
the shadows, | heard again the low,
sweet sound of the plaintive voice which
had come to me across the ocean, but
soon it grew fainter and fainter until
only the echoes were heard.
l turned to my boatman, who now
stood waiting for me to depart.
"Well, Shawn, is it mermaidP" |
asked, smiling.
He gravely shook his head.
mo, yer honor; tbs only poor Col
leen wild broken heart"
turned and looked questioningly at
him, but he was gazing at the spot
whence the figure of the girl had disap-
peared.
"God Almighty, risht the deadr' he
said, reverently raising his hat, &" but
him that brought such luck to Norah
OConnell deserved his curse, God
knowsp
This incident, coupled with the
strange manner of my man, interested
me, and began to question him as to
the story of the girl whose lovely face
util vi, n,,t e.,
some reason or other he seemed to shun
the subject, so for a time too held my
peace. But as soon as | found myself
comfortably seated in the cozy parlor
of the lodge, with a bright turf fire blaz-
ing before me and hot punch steaming
on the table at my side, summoned
my henchman to my presence.
"Now, Shawn" said. holding forth
a streaming goblet which made his
eyes sparkle like two stars, "close the
door, draw your chair up to the fire,
drink off this, and tell me the story of
the lovely Colleen whom we saw to-
night"
"Would yer honor really like to
hearp"
81 would; it will give me something
thinking too much of her beautiful
face"
Shawn smiled gravely.
Yer honor thinks her prettyP Well,
then, yell believe me when | tell We
that if ye was to search the country
at the present moment We couldn't find
a Colleen to match Norah O'Connell.
When she was born the neighbors
thought she must be fairy child, she
was so pretty and small and white; and
when she got older, there wasn't boy
in Storport but would lay down his life
for her. Boys wild fortunes and boys
widout fortunes tried to get her; and,
begging yer honor's pardon, went
myself in wild the rest. But it went
one way wild us all; Norah just smiled
and said she did not want to marry
But one day, two years ago now come
this Serapht, that lazy shaugrhaun
Miles Doughty (God rest his soulD
came over from Ballygally, and going
straight to Norah, widout making up
any match at all, asked her to marry
him."
"Wellp"
"Well, yer honor, this time Norah
frightened up, and though she we'll
knew that Miles was a dirty black
guard widout a penny in de world
though the old people said no, and
there was plenty fortunes in Storpoft
waitin' on her-she just went against
every one of them and said she must
marry Miles. The old people pulled
against her at first, but at last Norah,
with her smiles and pretty ways, won
over Father Tom-who won over the
old people, till at last they said that if
Miles would go for while to the black
pits of Pennsylvania and earn the
money and buy home and a bit of
land, he should marry her."
He paused, and for time there was
silence. Shawn looked thoughtfully
into the fire; l lay back in my easy
chair and carelessly watched the smoke
which curled from my cigar, and as
did so l seemed to hear again the wild
ly plaintive voice of the girl as | had
heard it before that night:
have called my love but he still sleeps on,
And his lips are as cold as clay;
and as the words of the song passed
through my mind, they seemed to tell
me the sequel of the story.
"Another case of disastrous true
love-" said, turning to Shawn, and
when he looked puzzled, added, "He
died, and she is mourning himP"
Eyes, ye honor, he died, but if that
was all he did we would forgive him.
But what broke the poor Colleen's heart
was that he should forget her when he
got to the strange land, and marry an
other Colleen at the time he should
have married her. After that il was
but right that he should die"
"Did he write and tell her he was
marriedP"
"Did he write? diyil the bit, nor to
tell that he was dead neither. Here
was the poor Colleen watching and wait
ing for him for two whole years, and