The Portland daily press., 1888-04-14
MccRATH's BAD NIGHT.
An Ottawa River Story.
YOUTHS Companion.l
BY e. W. THOMSON.

"The youngest first" remarked Mrs Nc
Grath, and ladled out portion of the boiled
cornmeal to each of the deplorable boys and
girls. Before they had reached the stools
from which they had sprung up, or squatted
again on the rough floor, they all burned
their mouths in tasting the mush too eagerly.
Then there they sat, blowing into their
bowls, glaring into them, lifting their loaded
itonsspoons occasionally to taste cautiously,
till the mush had somewhat cooled.
Then, e-gobble-de-gobble, it was
all gonel Though they had neither sugar
nor milk nor butter to it, they found it a
remarkably excellent sample of mush, and
wished only that ia quantity, 1t had been
something more.
Peter McGrath sat close beside the cook
ing stove, holding Number Ten, girl baby,
who was asleep, and rocking Number Eleven.
who was trying to wake up in the low, un-
painted wooden cradle. He never took his
eyes off Number Eleven; he could not bear
to look around and see the nine devouring
the cornmeal so hungrily. Perhaps Nc
Grath could not, and certainly he would not
he was so obstitate-have told why he felt
so reproached by the scene. He had felt
very guilty for many weeks.
Twenty, yes, a hundred. times day he
looked in dazed way at his big hands, and
they reproached him too that they had no
work.
asked the fingers, "and why did not the wide
chips fiy?"
He was ashamed too, every time he rose
up, so tall and strong, with nothing to do,
and eleven children and his wife next door
to starvation; but il he had been asked to
describe his feelings, he would merely have
growled out angrily something against John
Pontiac.
You'll take your sup now, Peter?" asked
Mrs McGrath, offering him the biggest Of
the yellow bowls He looked up then, first
at her forlorn face, then at the pot. Number
Nine was diligently sclaping off some streaks
of mush that had run down the outside !;
Number Eight, Seven, Six and Five were
looking respectfully into the pot; Numbers
FoHr, Three, Two and One were watching
the pot, the steaming bowl and their father
at the same time. Peter McGrath was very
hungry.
yourself had better eat, Mary Ann" he
said. "Pll be having mine after it's cooler"
Mrs. McGrath dipped more than third Of
the bowlful back into the pot, and ate the
rest with much satisfaction. The numerals
watched her anxiouSly but resignedly.
''Sure It'll be cold entirely, Peter dear,"
she said, land the warmth Is so comforting.
Give me lettle Norah now, the darlint and
be after eating your supper"
She had ladled out the last of the mush,
and the pot was being scraped inside earn
esny by Nine, Eight, Seven and Six. Peter
took the bowl, aud looked at his children.
The earlier numbers were observing him
with peculiar sympathy, putting themselves
In Misplace, as it were, possessing the bowlful
In Imagination; the others now moved their
spoons absent-mindedly around in the pot,
brought them empty to their mouths. me-
chanically, now and again, sucked them
more or less, and still glared steadily at their
father
His inner walls felt glued together. yet
indescribably hollow; the smell Of the mush
went up into his nostris and pungently pro-
yoked his palate and throat. He was FAM
ishing.
'Troth. then, Mary Ann, !" he said. 'there's
no hunger in me tonight. Sure, wish the
childer wouldn't leave me the trouble Of eat
ing it. Come then, all of We"
The nine came promptly to his call. There
were just twenty-five large spoonsful in the
bowl; each child received two; the remain
ing four went to the four youngest. Then
the bowl was skilfully seraped by Number
Nine, after which Number Seven took it,
whirled cup of water artfully round its
interior, and with this put finish on his
meal
Peter McGrath then searched thoughtfully
In his trousers pocket, turning their corners
up, getting pinches of dust out of their re-
hottest recesses; he put his blouse pocket
through a similar process. He found no
pockets in his well patched oyercoat when
he took it down. but pursued the dust into
its lining and separated it carefully from
little dabs of wool. Then he put the col
lection into an extremely old, black clay
pipe, lifted coal in with his fingers and
took his supper
1t would be absurd to assert that ON this
continent strong man could be So poor rs
Peter unless he had done something very
wrong OF very foolish. Peter McGrath was.
In truth, out of work because he had COM
mitted an outrage ON economics. He had
peen guilty of the enormous error OF misun-
Outstanding, and trying to set at naught in
his own person, the immutable law of sup
ply and demand.
Fancying that first-class newer In tim
Der shanty mad an inalienabe right to re-
ceiye at least thirty dollars month, when
!. demand was only strong enough to yield
him twenty-five dollars a month. Peter had
refused to engage at the beginning Of the
winter.
snow, Mr.. McGrath, you're making mis-
take" said his usual employer. old John
Pontiac. "Tm offering you the best wages
going. mind that. There's mighty little
quared timber coming out this winter"
Pm ready and willing to work. b, IS, but
I'm fit to arm thirty dollars, surely"
$50 you are, so you are in good times,
neighbor, and I'd be glad If mems wages
were forty. That could only be with trade
active, and fine season for all of us; but /
couldn't take out raft this winter and pay
what you ask"
.Pd work extra hard; I'm not afeard Of
work"
mot you, Peter. There never was a lazy
bone in your body. Don't know that well?
But look now: III were to pay you thirty,
Ishould have to pay all the other hemers
thirty, and that's not all. Scorers and team
sters and road-cutters are used to getting
wages In proportion to hewers Why, It
would cost me thousand dollars month to
give You thirtyi Go along now, that's a
good fellow. and tell your wife that you've
hired with mel"
But Peter did not go back. Ppm bound to
have my rights, so am" he said sulkily. to
Mary Ann when he reached his cabin. 1.-THE
old boss is getting too hard like, and too set
on money. Twenty-Five dollars! No! I'll
gOinto Stambrook and hire" ~
Mary Ann knew that she might as well try
TO convince saw-log that its proper course
was up stream as to protest against Peters
obstinacy. Moreover, she did think the
offered wages very low, and had some hope
he might better himself but when he came
back from Stambrook, she saw trouble ahead
He did not tell her that there, where his
merits were not known, he had been offered
only twenty dollars, but she surmised his
disappointment.
"You'd hpttar he after seeing the boss