The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-02-18
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HONORA'S FIRST BALL.

was lIonora, and the children loved her
with all their little innocent hearts, FOR
was she not kind, simple and devoted, and
did she not know nll the wonderful stories
about the fairies1 Real stories, true and
certain, because they were all marvellous
experiences OF certain relatives OF her own,
some of them cousins seventeen or eigh-
teen times removed, 1t is true, but still
quite nearly enough related to prove the
absolute verify to the believing children.
And then, too, who made such delicious
crullers as Honor and who but she would
ever take the pains she did to have crul-
lers or cookies and the strips OF bandages
and court plasters always ready to bind
up the cuts that seem part and parcel OF
childhood, and console the sufferer And
who else could sing such sweet, sad songs
with the rich, Irish melody In them'
songs that kept these dear little hearts
vibrating between JOY and pain till they
were running over with love for dear old
Honor
Not that Honor was old. She was but
"a, and she was strong and active, and ns
Mrs. Bacon said, ~ born worker" but
Honor looked much older than she was,
for her life before she crossed the ocean
to find home here had been very hard
one and fun Of sorrow.
Her mother had been blind for years
when her father, who had been farmer,
had died In great poverty and distress,
leaving his daughter and blind wife both
sick with smallpox, and before they were
fairly well the agent came for his rent,
witch they had not, and they were taken
out on their beds and left to live OF die
under tho hedge like beasts.
But grief and sickness do not always
kill, and these two forlorn ones lived, and
neighbors almost rs poor Ms themselves
saved them by dividing their own scanty
store, and taking turns In nursing the
houselcss women.
When IIonora was well again, she had
lost all that delicate bloom that had made
her the beauty of the county, and she
never regained her pretty color nor lily
skin, and one Of her lovely blue eyes had
turned to sightless white film, and her
once plump form was thin and stopped,
and even her gold red hair, that had curled
and twined in thousands OF glittering ten
drills had all fallen Off.
And worse than all Denis, who had
been her faithful lover, grew cold and
finally left her and began 10 pay atten-
tons TO silly little Kitty O'Bricn, so what
could poor ilonora do but leave her poor
blind mother with some friends and
conc away TO America, TO earn liyeli-
hood for both, and forget her gricfs.
The parish priest and the good sisters
gathered mp few pounds and few
clothes, and lIonorn left her old home,
the tears streaming down her Scared
and palld face, as she strained hor eyes
for a last glimpse OF the home she loved
40 well.
% Life has nothing more for me-"
thought Honor, as she sat on the little
box that held all her belongings, as the
great steamer slowly swept out into the
stream, but please God, ! can devote
myself TO others" and she il was who
cared for the crying babies, carried cool
drinks to sick mothers, prayed for the
dying and helped prepare the dead f0r
their ocean burial, for there was ship
fever aud many died; and she 1t was who
consoled the nlourncrs for their lost ones,
by the sincere and heartfelt sympathy
and religious teachings she had learned
10 we'll so that those who had at first
looked upon TINT poor SCARED face and
disfigurcd eye with loathing, came tt
regard her n an angel.
When the steamer reached New Yori
she went ON shore with the other lmmi
grants, waif and n stranger ia u strang,
hnd, with only n few shiilings. u pair Of
willing hands and humble trust In
Gods goodness between her and starva
ton.
She sat In the waiting room where thos,
who want help 20, among the crowd, ant
waited three days with patience for EN-
ployment; but she looked so weak and 81
almost repulsive that no one chose her
and her heart was very heavy and sh'
almost despairing, when lady lookin,
for help came through the crowd with ,
lovely little girl Of about 2 years. Sh
walked along, looking with keen scrutiny
but kind eyes, and they met those OF llo
nora, with q look of beseeching entreat,
In them that could not be withstood
"Do you want n placer" said she
ayes, ma'am, do" answered lionora
with her heart in her voice.
The lady Ind already noticed the ex
IRENE neatness of the dress, the hair AM
particularly the finger nails and whit
teeth, and she sat down on the hard benc
beside her, While the baby put out he
two chubby little arms to Honora, VIII
gathered the child TO her heart In spasn
of loneliness and love.
The two women talked then, and Honor
held the baby, hushing it instinctivel
with that gentle, motberly movement In
nate to those who love children, until tn
tired little eyes closed and the baby slep
on the lonely exile's breast. The mothe
noted the gentleness, the dizziness, an
the yelling tenderness In this poor girl