West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-04-30

IN Iearl alley, II rs little wonder the
children like TO pcrpetuate the festivity
I'M their play.
Patsy Flynn liked il best of all the
games, chiefly because he invariably
played the corpse, and il was easy and
pleasant TO lie quite still. with his
hands folded, while the other BOYS
marched and shouted and jumped
about him. Patsy was not
very strong, children somehow
did not thrive in Pearl alley.
and hc liked to be quiet Patsy
lived alone with his grandmother.
There had been mother once, ol
course, and Patsy remembered her
well, too. Occasionally now his frame
trembled as il ho still felt the weight
OF her heavy hand, which, guided in
drunken fury. had so often rained
blows of crushing force upon him. and
once in awhile it seemed as if he heard
her loud, coarse voice shOwcring oaths
and imprecations after him rs he fled
from her terrible presence. But he did
not, for it was quite two years since
the night she and the man who occa-
>iOnally came TO their wrctchcd home
quarrcled 50 iicrccly. and when the
Orfcf bitter fight was over the woman
lay dead on the floor and the man stag
gered sullen and mutteEing from tn
place lie never came again, and the
wake which followed was another
thing Patsy remembered well Since
then he and his grandmother had
shared together, unmolcstcd, the
gloomy cellar room which was what he
called home.
Big Granny" as this ancestral rel
alive of his was called, was at once the
pride and terror of the alley. She was
old, nobody knew how old, but so old
that had she walked she would have
tottercd with the weight of years; mas
much, however, rs she always stag
gered from the burden of liquor she
was carrying, the iniirmity of age was
unnohced. Her hair was white and
thin, and struggled i'm neglected dis
order away from hes temples, the long
or locks twisted in wispy coil i'm the
nape of her neck. Summer and win
ter she went unbonneted, her one outer
garment Gotten wrapper that hung in
ShapclesS drapery abort her tall. lean
hgurc. Her face was scanned and
brown and whithcred Ike the skin of a
baked apple, and on bnr long throat.
which the loose fit of her dress barred
hung i'm tlabby folds There was no
voice in the alley more shrin and
piercing than hers, no speech more
foul, and no ribald wit so quick and
Scathing as that which fell from her
toothlcss lips.
A curious pair they were, the pale,
starved child, weak and puny, and the
gaunt' weather-beaten woman, but i'm
their way they got on. Mig GRANNY did
not beat Patsy. She let i'm alone, and
I'm return his was the one voice of al!
the children i'm the alley which was still
when the old woman shuffled and stag
gered through the street for her daily
portion OF stimulant. Hoots and ieers.
SCOTS and howls the other urchins
hurled at her and after her as she
walked, but Patsy never joined this
juvenile mob. He did not take up cud-
gels in her defense; that would have
been useless; he simply responded 10
an intangible sense of family obliUa-
ton which he felt without recognizing
and refrained from offensive measures
Ana Big Granny in her sober moments
felt so much affection for the boy AS
her capabilities permitted and i'm her
drunken moments never abused him.
80, as has been said, they got on.
In general, that is On one particu-
lar morning, raw, damp day of recent
date, there was not the usual entente
cordtdfe between them. Big Granny
felt the east wind in her old bones
doubtless, and was ayers" TO the tramp
outside for beer She tade Patsy po
to the corner for her, which the child,
covering over the few Goals i'm the
81 "a . 4
always alert wrath Of the old woman.
and she poured forth a volley of Bill
lingsgate and vituperation friohtful 10
near, but which seemed to fall upon
deaf ears, so passive did the child sit
under 1t. Then she took the broken
nosed pitcher herself and started i'm a
burst OF savage anger for the mecca of
all her pilgrimagcs.
Patsy crouched closer to the smolder-
ing fire as the door opened and drew
his ragged jacket tighter about his
shivering form. He Fad felt i'll and
miserable for two or three DAYS. but
there was neither medicine nor doctors
I'm Pearl alley and the healing of the
sick vas not considered i'm the ethics of
the community. This morning his
head and throat ached and thrObbed
with pain. his tongue was dry. and his
lips were parched and hot A curious
fancy possessed him, too. Every once
IN while the little rusty stove with its
Of Goals wide1ed into great
blazing with heat. and he
saw long room with rows Of white.
downy beds, cvert one of which
seemed TO invite his tired and aching
frame 20 rest within IT, 1t was an old
memory. revived i'm the scmi-delirium
OF the fever which was upon him. of "A
visit long before to q hospital. why or
with whom he could not recall. While
Doe pOndercd the vision faded and the
drcary reality was before him again
The cold. dark room the brcakfastless
table. and the bundle Of rags in the
corner which made his minvitino bed
suddenly he heard a din in the street
ana he know that Big Granny was
close at hand Dreadirg somehow the
clash and clamor Of her noisy entrance
ne dipped through The dark passa0c-
way md out into the narrow court or
yard boz the rear of Oh tenement 4
group of children were PLAYING there
tnd hi- advent was greeted with
shout. Come along Wid So, Patsy.
.t- wake we're havin" piped one
WcHiu Patsy looked at them DULY.
1ut did not stir from the threshold
near which ho stood
Come ou sid So. " they cried again
''git up. MiCky shannon. and lave
N.#