The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-01-11
" A Thing to Cry Over"
BY REV. JOHN HALL, D. D.

ford on bright day, with the great white
ferry-boats, TO which Europe has no par
allel, on their several tracks, the pert
little tugs darling through among them,
and screaming every now and then like
impudent boys in crowd, while the dig
nihed ocean steamers hold the middle of
the stream or repose at their wharves on
either shore. Liverpool docks are greater,
but for variety and vivacity New York
within "The Narrows" is unique.
was taking in part of this most ami
mating scene from'the end of river-boat
when my attention was drawn to we'll
dressed young man, reeling in his gait,
loose in his speech, and all unwittingly
making himself disgracefully ridiculous.
He was tipsy, and many of the passen-
gers were heartlessly enjoying his wretch
ed follies. Beside me stood a man in
middle life, of decent, but not fashionable
dress or address. looking at the spectacle
with such sad and plying eyes that he
could not escape notice.
They should hardly laugh at the poor
fellow" I ventured
ut is thing to cry over" he said
with inexpressible feeling. If the silly
youth had been his son he could not have
put more emotion into his simple words.
A few sentences were exchanged. His
accent soon satisfied me that my compan-
ion was north of Ireland man, at least
by birth, and religious man; and as we
were going up the Hudson together it
was natural to ask and answer questions,
to identify places and people known to
both of us, and to feel that interest
which only the very bad or the very
shallow can be without-in country
man met in another land.
The exhibition which had led to our
introduction had turned his thoughts to
his own past in way that spoiled the
pleasure of his trip. In vain I pointed
out the places as they came in view
named to him the points of interest in the
receding city; drew his attention to the
palisades walling up the rivers western
bank for a score of miles, the rich-colored
wood covering the debris which ages had
brought down to the base of the long
precipices. Handsome villas, with slop-
ing green terraces dividing them from
the eastern bank, bright and busy towns
on either side, Nyack creeping in at a
breach in the great wall, as if Rockland
county, with its waters and pastures,
wanted to get one peep at the noble Hud-
son, and the free expanse of Tappanzee,
where the stream widens among It's hills
into the loveliest of lakes-all these ap-
pealed to him in vain. The scenes Of his
own life, wildly recalled, banished the
loneliness from his view. In spite of my
reluctance to draw out what was per
sonal and obviously painful, he went on
bit BY bit, as if it were relief to him, to
tell me what made the poor tipsy simple
ton to him " a thing to cry over"
He was born and bred-I use almost
his language-on a farm in Ulster Ire
land, of that class which, while its mem
bers are but tenants have held by a ten
ure so secure that they feel as indepen-
dent as freeholders. He had little taste
for farming disliked the irksomeness of
work and of watching little things; and
this he saw was the only way to live on
farm. If it We're not that the families
generally did the work within themselves,
and worked hard at that, they could not
live.
He married wife, nice girl, who had
served her time in - to a dress-maker.
and who shared his feeling, and they set
up little business. 1t was in the mar
ket town close by his own place.
My people, said he, "were respecta-
Die, and got credit to start with but
did not know the ways of the trade. Ny
old neighbors used to drop in, and my
wife and myself wished to be kindly, and
we had deal of treating, and this cost
money, and we soon ran behind in rent,
In our bills, in every way.
g could not bear to 90 down there,
and we managed to sell out, pay part,
and promise the rest, for our creditors
knew who we were, and we moved to
Glasgow. We're you ever in Glasgow"
Eyes" I said, a know Glasgow very
we'll" Q
"Then you know how many mills, and
works, and shops it has, and how crowded
the people are together. You may think
the change it was to us to 90 into two
rooms in the High Street-you may mind
the High Strickland have nothing but
these to ourselves. But necessity has no
law. I got work, and we paid a little Of
our debt and was getting a rise in
wages, and we had two nice children.
They have in Glasgow what they cali
the Fair every July; for week little
work is done, pleasure is the only thing
and oh it is too often pleasure like that
poor fellows drinkipo-roep ond ,,oroo,,