Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-03-11
LOST AT THE FLAX MILL.
All the Year Round.

In the beautiful district of Fannet,
on the coast OF Donegal, near Tough
SwiIIy - the Lake of Shadows - lived
two poor families, celebrated far and
wide as the best neighbors ever known
or heard of If Martin wanted hand
with his harvest DOnnelIy was ready
to give it and ask no wages, and the
kindness was returned when the po-
tato digging came on. Their wives
also lived in the greatest harmony,
and they were such close neighbors
that they met continually, for one roof
covered the two houses.
This long cabin, or rather range OF
cabins, stood on the banks of Mulroy
an inlet of the Atlantic, so landlocked
as to look like lake. Behind tower
ed gigantic heather crowned noun
tains; in front lay the high road lead
ing from the sea to milford, the near
est market town, a winding road,
hard and white from limestone, now
dipping down into a valley, now
mounting up a sharp hill, and always
keeping close to the blue waters Of
Mulroy, divided from it by q shelving
banks festOoned with wOodbine. Null
roy was studded with many islands
islands sacred to the "wee folks" isl
ands in possession of the sea birds; ISL
ands where sleepy, brown-eyed seals
basked on warm evenings. Beyond
Mulr0y rose more mountains, the
nearer hills cultivated to their sum-
mits, the more distant so pale and in
distinct that they were like smoke
colored pbantoms against the sky.
Errigal, a cone-shaped mountain, the
last point of Irish earth seen by the
emigrants as they sailed to America,
and Muckish, the pigs back, were
most prominent in tie range.
The Martins and DonnelIeys did not
know that they were looking at one
OF the lovliest landscapes in the world.
They thought Mulroy a wild, desolate
place.
Sometimes the deep silence of the
place was broken by the keening of
mourners or chant of priests, and then
the children in the cabins would run
out to the road, and look up and
down.
A long procession wound from the
Seacoast on it's way to y0nder burial
ground beneath the chapel at the edge
of the lake-a holy spot marked by
forest of black wooden crosses. The
priest walked first; then came the cot
tin, followed by motely company
men IN long gray stockings, knee
bree ches and brOgues, mounted on
shaggy ponies, and women seated be-
hind til en- dressed in homespun and
scarlet headgear. The keening woke
the mountain echoes, the fairy glen
throwing back the sound to the fax
mill that stood, gaunt and grim, by the
roadside; then the crying and chant
ing died away, and fiocks of curlew
and plover circuling overhead sang a
shrill requiem. Two of the children
were wont to follow the procession
league Martin and Mary Donnelly.
They were inseparable, toddling hand
in hand to school, hand in hand to
Chapel, playing together, herding the
COWS together on the knowes. They
wonld follow the procession as far as
the fax mill, mile from their own
doors, and would stay there to play.
The gOssips of the county remarked
the tender friendship Of the children,
and foretold that it would end in
matrimony.
The first separation of those little
friends took place when tkey were
thirteen years, old, anu league was
hired TO farm Mary moped and
fretted when he was gone, wandering
sadly to the fax mill, their old play
place, and then wandering back again
with her head hanging down. But
she fpnnd some consolation in knit
ting his socks, washing his clothes
and carrying the little bundle to him
on Saturday at the farm house.
Things did not turn out as the
neighbors expected. The friends did
not become lovers; they remained de-
voted friends, but they married strang-
ers. Years went by. The old Martins
and Donnellys were gathered to
their fathers" and Mary and her hus-
band and league and his wife lived
on in the old cabins. sin under the
roof VII other" and the good neigh
borhood was the same as ever. Time
passed; they grew middle aged, then
old: the days when they had played
at the fax mill were very far away.
One day Mary was taken very ill
so i'll that the priest was sent for. She
received the last rites of the church,
and then she asked for league. He
was at a distance-gone to Milford
with cattle to sell-would not return
home till late. Mary watched the
door as long as her sight lasted.
SIS there 40 word Of leagues" was
her constant question. His name was
the last upon her lips.
4 woeful man was league when he
found his old friend gone. He walk
ed beside her husband after the coffin
and saw he laid low in the church.
ard mold, and then he came back to