The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-01-12
FlNNEGAN'S DAUGHTER.
Youths Companion.

Youths Companion.
The most important events Of our lives
sometimes occur when We are the least pre-.
pa ed for them. Eleven years ago, when
. girl OF ninetsen, stood on the doorstep
waving my handkerchief to my father ant
mother as they went down the ad,-they
were going to camp meeting; it was one o.
the few pleasures in their simple liyes,--l
had no premonition that it was the lasttime
should see them alive, and that the care
less, happy days Of my girlhood were for
ever ended.
SEQ them now as they passed out o.
sight, and their faces, beaming with gentle.
ness and love, can never be etfaced from
my memory. There was an accident or
the railroad train, caused by sCme man's
thoughtlessness, and they wore brought
home to me dead.
My father had never talked with mother
or with me about his affairs, and when the
administrator, appointed by the judge at
the suggestion of his creditors. came and
told me had only fifty dollars in the world;
that our home, furniture, everything be-
longed to my fathers creditors, the shock
was as terrible as it was unexpected.
had common school education. anG
fortunate ly my mothers cousin in Green.
field, two hundred miles away, wrote me
that through her husbands influence ]
cou Id be appointed teacher in the district
school there. SO I left the old home stead
poor, friendless and dazed with the sorrow,
and loneliness, and poverty that had fallen
upon me.
Greenfield was like most country villages
where there is no active mercantile or manu-
featuring business, and where the young
folks 60 to the city to find endowment as
soon as they are Of age. There Was no
public spirit in the town. The schol l-house
was weather. BEATEN forlorn, little shanty,
With tiny, 1ickety windows, q big chimney
that smoked, ana a big stove that smoked
When one stopped smoking the otuer took
it up afresh The walls of tho room were
dirty aud decked with balls OF cheweu pa
per, and the desks had been hacked by
generations Of idle scholars.
I was young and without training, and as
the scholars had been taugh by experienced
teachers. they had little respect for me, and
my term was failure. OF that. however,
will speak by-and-by. want now to ill.,
troduce to the reader one Of the scholars in
whom I became interested. Her name was
Bridget Ann.
She appeared In the school-room on the
second day Of school, and one or two Of
the scholars gave me her history. Her
mother Was dead. She lived with her faith :
er, two brothers, and several rough, di S.
eipated men with their wives, in an old ru-
med house just ont of the town.
The house went by the name of the Den
of Thieves" for it seemed to be filled with
the lowest andy sttenants to be found in the
whole region. 81 vernl nurderers had been
captured here while hiding from Justice.
Bridget AIMS father, I was told, was
Inct of o,,1 had TO- Io,
to live with MIN from the poorbouse, where
she had been since her mothers death.
belleve the town authorities forced him to
send the girl to school.
She came into the school, room with
bold, defiant manner, and threw herself in
to seat. Though it WAS p cold day, she
wore no shawl or cloak; only a tattered
straw hat and q calico drees. She was thin
and tall, about fourteen years Of age and
she loo ked half starved
She had mass Of coarse, black hair, large
orce black eyes, tawny skin-people said
her mother was gypsJ-and a large
mouth. Her manner made you thinl. Of a
Wild animal. She had {. habit Of holding
her head down and looking sideways under
her long lashes, and she watched me
all the time. She was like a porcupiue.
Everyone felt her quilts. They were nj
ways bristling.
No MARTYR ever suffered more than she
suffered, for both boys and girls treated
her cruelty. Yet she was able to defend
herself, as their bruises frequently bore
witness. She fought her battles fercely.
Occasionally grim despair took possession
of her and then she let her to,mentors do
their worst. she had once been put in
jail for throwing stones, and have no
doubt that she had ample provocation.
asked her what her name was after tbs
school had commenced. She gave NE a
searching look from under her eyelids
Chem gals ut the desk told 70 when I
come in, she snapped.
"That makes 40 difference" I said. II
want you to tell me-
Bridget Ann Finn eg an" she answered,
nurriedly.
The scholars Uttered She turned very
white, drawing IL her lips. There was az
expression in her eyes that vas positively
mllrderous.
"Wel, said I, looking s,ernly at the
scholars who bad laughed, FOR did not then
dare to rebuke them. suppose I enter it
on my book as Annie Finnegan? One
came is enough, and though Ann is a good
old fashioned name, We like it better now
adavs with ie added 10 it,
There was no lighting of the sullen face,
no lifting of the bowed head. She gave
sidelong glance, and the words, what's the
use?" came CURLY from her scornful lips.
I found that size was hopeIesslv dull, and
placed her in the lowest classes with girls
half her size; but she did not seem to care.
If l said anything to her to excite her am
glowered at me and said, "What's the use?"
The words chilled me, I never could an
swer them. What was the use when she
was Jailbird Finnegan's daughter7 had been
in the poornouse? was from the scum OF
the town, and an object Of dislike and sus-
picion everywhere?
She was always alone, and never had a
friend. She had one pet, poor, NANCY
kitten. Her brothers threw that into tub
of hot water and tortured it to death before
her eyes. That made her furious. She at
tackled them with hatchet, and was only
prevented from mischief by stunning blow
from her father.
Of all sad childhoods, there was mono like
hers. One recess 1 was looking out of the
window and saw her coming towards the
school house When she got half way up
the hill, party of boys stopped her, crying
out In haunting, sing-song tone,-
s'Bridget Ann
From Dublin county, Ireland
She burns her nose
Wherever che goes,
For she is such a firebrand.
The taunting dogerel had evidently been
often repeated and was we'll known by the
poor girl. She tried to pass them, her eyes
glowing and her hands clenched but they
would not allow her to do SO. One boy
threw mud on her dress, while another
caught hold of her hair.
ran to the door and spoke to them, and
when they were seated after the school had
been called to order, I rebuked them so
severely that they were angry, and went
home and told their parents thet made
"great fuss over Jailbird Finnegan's
daughter, and she was my favorite.' One
of the parents came to my school the next
day, and said that "this wasn't the way to
keep my place. Decent folk warn't goln'
ter hev their children druv. and iawed on
account of no Flnnagans, Wh1cn was culJcn
of the town, and would hev been cleared
out long ago lfGthe town officers warn't
afeared of havin' their houses set afre to. "
So lost favor with many Of the parents
of the district, and the girl seemed utterly