Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1884-03-15

per ov a lad that can earn 80 shill-
| ings week at his home, and has a
cottage and garden, and foine
old fayther beside. / know rs taxed
her dale. Now I'll let her alone
intirely, l wull, and see hoo she likes
that 7"
The winter had come again. Mon.
lea felt the comforting effect of time
on her heart. But she still missed
her mother. She had very little COM
pany now. Her grandmother was
always busy with her cottage work,
or in looking after her fowls. And
her grandfather pounded his lapstone
and hummed old Irish airs all day.
When Monica had finished her
task at knitting or sewing, she hard
ly knew how to amuse herself. The
| cottage was poor in books and of pa
pers and magazines, the humble peo-
pie of Ireland rarely get glimpse.
1t is not strange, then, that this
shy young girl was overjoyed at an
invitation to a wedding. The game
keepers daughter--a school friend
was to be married to the shepherds
son. The lady of the castle had Civ
en- the wedding gown, and consented
to let her servants join in the dance.
The schoolmaster was the gentle
man in this stratum of society; and
he was wag and merry maker with
al. No festival was of any account
which was not planned and carried
out to make her wedding great
success.
Granny Blaney also laid herself
out to sdress Monica as we'll as one
of those serving maids from the hall,
who held their heads SO high above
honest poor folk" So she had got
ten her white gown, and knots of
blue ribbon to pin on at very avail
able spot, and to show off her lovely
white skin and pink cheeks.
Her effort was success, too. AS
the old cobbler planted his wax.be-
grimed hands on his leather apron
and stood and gazed on Monica, he
exclaimed:
Faith, thin, an the old Duke
would give his right hand if he could
maxi his rid-hidded and freckled
yoong lady as lovely as that! If she
warn't such a shy goose ov a thing,
as will niver look body in the eye,
I'd be that proud ov her, that I'd
think she was the foinest girl in the
world"
A gayer party never assembled.
The charm of the entertainment was
in the unique dancing Four school
boys danced a cotillion on their
hands, with their heels in the air,
and their hats on their feet.
A one-legged man danced a Jig in
a wash tub, with hump-back girl,
in another tub for partner.
On an awning, which he had
stretched from one end Of the long
kitchen to the other. tire schoo]mas-
ter invited "the ladies and jintle-
| min" to waltz, saying.
"You may take my word for it as
a man Of honor, that this awning is
as safe as terra frma'-that same
is the Latin for solid ground. / in
terpret this for your sakes who are
not Latin scholars. / hope those
o. ye who are--the same havin' been
to school to me-will take no offense
at my translatin', as if there were
any need of it for thin. do it
'probono publico,' which names in
plain English, for the good o. the
public"
| All was going on "as merry as
marriage bell," when Mon lea was
Il
startled by seeing Larry O'Moore
walk in, in his best clothes, and look
ing as happy as if she had allowed
him to whisper to her" as often as
he pleased.
| And she said, in her heart:
Hes an ungrateful lad, thin, af-
4
ther all his mither did for my dear
nither, to 60 an be laughin' and as
happy as if he'd seen me livery week
in this six months! He hasn't look
ed at me no more'n if l wasn't here
at ALL"
Larry danced on the awning. He
sang funny songs, and he told Irish
stories till the rafters of the game
keepers cottage rang with the laugh