New Ulm weekly review., 1886-08-18
BARNEY'S MOTHER.
RY HrRpERr ". co111NGwoop.

1000, DS MCOttAiO.J
Far up IN Northern Michigan, where tive
roads meet in a desert of sand, stands
tall pine tree. It lifts its proud head
the great area Of blackened stumps and
scrub oaks.
Alone in It's strength! Last of the grand
army of noble fellows that, years ago, held
the storm at bay There is no defense pos.
sible now. No great branches. rugged with
life and strength, to defy the north wind and
tear groan from his throat No friendly
pines to bend down over the lumber camp
and whisper its secrets to the Others. This
wind sweeps sayagely over the place. This
snow drifts and whiris over the stumps and
legs The victory Of the storm is complete.
The old lumber camp has fallen. and is now
only great heap of logs and rotten timber
A dense mass of briers in summer, and a
snow drift in winter, alone mark the build
ing places.
The sturdy old pine stands on guard. II
has grewn thick and twisted in it's struggle.
The top is heavy. The trunk has bent lit
tie under the great weight it has carried so
bravely It shakes itself like grim old
tighter at every signal of danger. The
woodmanssa has never touched it, The
savage forest fires have left it unblackened
What inspiration has nerved it for such
conflict? What does it protect, that it fights
with such desperate earnestness?
At the foot of the tree some ak has re-
| moved portion of the bark and wood On
! the rough tablet thus formed is cut rude
cross, and underneath, in wide, struggling
| letters, the word Barney" This is the Sc
cret that the stern cd monarch guards. One
tapda, story, parvos # for hott1
| An old lumbernlan told me the story one
! stormy night in camp He spoke between
the whitfs from his pipe. The lantern just
lighted the lower part of his face, leaving
the upper portion in the shadow. Now and
then, as the wind blew louder blast, he
paused to listen, while we drew closer about
the stove.
| Years and years before this wild tract had
! that now lies in RUNS was new.
Barney" came wandering into camp one
night, carrying his entire fortune in can
vas bag, little, freckled-faced Irishman, as
green as the pine needles No one knew
where he came from-no one cared. He was
stout, and hands were needed. That was
enough. He was as awkward as an OK. The
ak would slip out of his hands, and no one
could tell where his blows would fall It
is wonder that he did not kill himself His
bright good nature kept him in camp. 1t
did no good to threaten him. He always
looked up with smile, and said with his
twisted tongue:
sIts meself that's little out of the work,
/ sor. I'll get me hand in yet-only give me
time"-and he did get his @hand in" after a
/ fashion, at last
newcomers through a rough initiation Bar
! ney came in for his share, but he took it all
good -naturedly. It seemed impossible to
make him angry or induce him to fight He
took all the hard jobs uncomplainingly. At
last, one night, they made him angry, and
his anger was SO terrible, like the fury of all
! good natured men, that the boys were act
ually frightened
twas noticed that Barney kept his bag OF
clothing carefully tied up Every night the
boys saw him fnmbllng about in the bag as
ii to assure himself that some valuable art
| icle was safe within.
Once they caught a glimpse of it Barney
lay in his bunk with his back to them, but
| the light revealed some shining object He
studied away at it, keeping it's form con-
cealed as far as possible by his great hand
After time he put it carefully back and
| tied tie bag as before.
One night when Barney went out to work
at the stable. Jack Mutt went to the bunk
/; and opened the bag He shook the contents
| over the blankets From the scant collec-
ton Of clothing little gilt-framed picture
| fell 20 the floor. Barney's treasure evidently
held high sentimental value.
Brought to the light, the picture proved
! to be ar old-fashioned tin-type of an old
woman. Her face was wrinkled out of all
! beauty. The dress was coarse and ill-ftting
all punches and wrinkles. Two great
hands. work-worr into defor.nity, were
! clasped in front so that they drew the atten-
| tlon. white cap with ribbon of some
! cright color, with gray knots of hair strag-
| Cling beneath it, covered the head, which
was bent forward as if some heavy hand had
| pushed the neck out of it's regular curve
Jack held the picture UP with a laugh.
| "How's that fer cal, eh boys? Don't
! that beat all the old hags? Look at them
hands, will ye?"
! Before he could say any more the door
| opened. and Barney walked in. He started
in surprise at the disorder in his bunk, and
his eyes wandered back to Jack. AS he
caught sight of the little picture, he sprang
like tiger, caught Jack and threw him to
Ihe floor. The picture fell from Jacks hand
Barney thrust it into his pocket and caught
Jacks throat in Q terrible grip.
| The boys pulled him away. He put the
clothes Back into the bag, and after a short
study, got out his needle and thread, and
proceeded to sew great pocket on the in
side OF his vest The boys watched him in
silence, while Jack crawied into bunk,
where he lay bathing his throat with kero-
6e1le OIL G0e gleab cuIe-all OF Cne camp
Barney's anger passed away IS easily as it
came. He looked up from his work at last
with bright smile. Its me mother, b'ys"
he said, as he held the picture up to the
light
Ee went on to tell about the old lady. She
| was very Old and childish. he said She had
worked all her life and now she was waiting
down in some little town in Clio for him to
! make home fo- her. 'lt's meseif that
| thinks I'll bring her up here !" said Barney at
last Land is very chape here, an there's
the very bist of society"
This little compliment made matters all
right again, Even Jack muttered some sort
OF rude apology. Barney put the picture in
his new pocket where it might be safe.
At the first sign OF spring Barney made
most surprising bargain. he bought five,
acres of stump land near the camp. Bar
| ney paid twice the value of the land. but
that did not trouble him at all As soon as
the patches of bare ground began to show
through the snow he began his household
preparations.
The boys laughed at first, but at last they
began to help him, and one Sunday they all
turned out and gave hlm the whole day.
That was great day for Barney. At night
he found a good log stump fence
around his lot, and the little cabin all ready.