The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-05-27
KATY THE FLASH.

aDoI sec life Is It! We'll, hesitatingly,
W Taught say do. Yes. A good few sorts and
..,dtons Of people como under my ken here"
~, must no awfully interesting. Mrs. Smith.
,,onc who has nm eye to character rs you have
"Choracterr echoed the prison matron. " In
ana sense Of that word II Is microscope-bless
snn, sonl--and not an eye shall have. It's
.ory little Of that sort Of character Is to DO
Nd in Tho Grange oh. dear! oh. dear!
an ME. she sighed, pulling large gray stock
ng on, of her pocket. " fairly tell you am
sa,cr bu, pulled between laughing and crying
with them.
-rrlson. which is situated on the north side
=, rmblin. n tall handsome woman. between
"A and ~ wears OF age. The habit OF command
-.. dis,i, city 10 be read in her comely benevo-
lon, face and her largo gray eyes expressed In
almost ca,,a, proportions a keen sense Of hui
r,or and a quick sympathy. The nno classic
shane OF her head. with its masses OF grizzcd
hair was not altogether concealed by her cap:
and A elosc-iliting black dress, with snowy col
lar and cuffs, gave her u quasi clerical look
The cyos wcrc perfectly wonderful: one would
n;ck on, Mr. Smiths facc among thousands
lar III, eyes alone and the extraordinary power
r,'tb which they seemed to DO endowed She
hal been mA.ron for II long time Of the -
nrson. and was devoted to her work. 1t was
currently said and believed that shc had n
spccal si't in the way OF subduing and man
eriny IN, most violent and abandoned of the
bnLtuss of The Grange" as tho prison was
,irknamed by them. That she had deep and
tborouph knowcdlr Of human nature amount
Ip.. almost to livinntior, was universally con-
Alal She was u widow and chidiess and
had held her present position for upward OF
,irh,cen years. from choice rather than neces-
sity as sho possessed small confidence of
her own.
They are extremely witty and amusing
know" remarked tho visitor / very often
read tho pole" reports"
The nolice reports!" said Mrs. Smith rails
ipg her large eyes from the knitting needles
which hcr skilled fingers were making to click
rapidly All my dear, They are nothing in
comparison with the people themselves! What
reporter could describe their faces. and the
humors Of thcmf | would not give a half
hour OF them. us 500 and hear them in this
place for a burrowful Of reports Tell me. did
see you since young Katy died? It's a
couple of months since
No. you did not. never heard OF young
Katy. What about her Mrs. Smith p
wonder II / have time to tell you before
the suptcrs? 2" questioned the mutron. CHANGING
Of the clock on her sitting room chimneypiece.
"Oh. yes. plenty. We'll. let mo sec. it was
either in the end of March or the early days of
April that one Monday I was down as usual TO
TIE 'front.' 10 meet Black Maria as they call the
prison van. | was specializing TO myself how
many Old acquai ntances 1t would bring in.
They are what ike best are old friends, es-
pecialiy when they arrive by way Of the Black
Maria. lam not AT all fond of seeing fresh
faces. least of all young ones. coming here 10y
that conveyance"
II SUPPOSE You do, meet tho same people
Just wal, ii | toll you. 1t was the bl,terest
east " nd blowing ever felt in all my life. and
t t mi,erSoic dozen Of wretehes that got out Of
hearts with it. Ana when l tell you that
all OF them were old acuuaintanccs for that
matter, the two Kntties were sent in for their
hundred AMI lftieth time-you may Imagine
We weren't very shy with one another. You
may vel wonder. Old Katy aud young Katy
would have been hard to. tell Which Of them n
Vas the biggest drunkarl or had the worst
tongue were up for the hundred and iiitieth
time for the same offence
What was that. pray
Drunk and dis?rderly. profanc language.
and beating he police" answered the mntron,
Sf2ns s fh%sSs SHee DRUNK fesssEs 81
but !hcy hardly eyer YER 20 quietly The young
died. she was not above four-and-twenty; every
bit Ms bad rs the mother, regular Dublin ones !
can't say It's true. that neither Of them ever
crossed the river lifrey in her life. don't think
q1 fS 'G %si hs ra@
morning TO night in the streets, crouch in some
archway or entry; or maybe in night refuge
Perhaps friend gives them shelter in n room,
that is 10 say, their own length on the floor.
But food! They earn nothing; how do the,
"Oh they do-you mistakc--thcse are baske,
xomcn, and perfectly respectable women. too
women OF, Of good character, They hawk orange.
OF ANYTHING that chances 70 be in season ant
that gives them an excuse for stopping people
live in reality 10y biackmail. they terrify tn,
servants by their awful language and threni.
oiyiocnce and rs they are VIGOROUSLY witty
heir smart answers. 4 witty tongua is a for
tune IN ns sSHn1y FeHps will G1svc
back to the two Katties-food was of small con,
Sequence to them. Drink was what they lived
s And "p on rRs wss the " speak
attIeth time they were convicted. Well, there
day nisht-cod and shivering and sober. bu,
a. gay as larks Notwithstanding, Young
Aatty, was coughing irightfnlIy. worse h. thu,
speak for r" il. I Poor thing, The mother had d
basket with bunch of dead rhqbarb In it
one could hardly tell what, it was 60 wthered
She dashed un to me the moment she saw me
MA am, Mrs. Smit. rllc glad am 70 see ~
Do well with a grin as II she were delighted
That's more than AIN to see you. katty.
replied very stiIy l never could endure tina
9ld, woman. Your daughters cough Is very
bal, see.
Ay. isn't she wrctched. ma'am? Horrible
80 tits. Then without even changing her tone
q voice Mrs. Smit maam. buy the taste, o
thuba fro me, ma'am will you. ma'amf An
iucR at here. ma am: she Indicating hel
Daughter by n backward twist OF her head
haIn two rags on her. ma'am: throw her ar
oWid skirt or u pedecoat aGai INST we be goin
out this day four weeks. ma'am. Dye heal
!hat. she yelled NIL OF u sudden to the gatenan
olpoiy bones wild the kays there, this day fouI
Week. III BE- shut ov you
Whist. ye ovid carrion; shut yer head this
mint. lourg Katy said this coughing be
tween nearly every word.
Buy the bit q watergrass. too. Mrs. Smit
ma am, went on the incorrieible old woman
Yer s,c2rrection there's a lady, do; III lave
yam now for eight pence, m, that will JUS
e"t ne up again wild n tew thritles. an goin
out en- mann.
w. Wei said l. give me your basket, Katy
lou sihll have the eight pence. l dare say H.
~ an 10 md some old clothes for your daugh
YET i, though Indeed YOU cant pretend tina
Wiuhcrrl rhnFHrb is of any use. may have
ssHm'lhlGE ready in my own garden by thu
Hin' you go out that can give you.'
81, lhahk We, ina am. Goddess ye! said tht
~ Wnnan. and then she turned to that dcccn
MwlHh. Mary DowI, the head wardswoman
WI. cam" I" take them to be bathed and gc