Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-03-18
PATSY.

They all called him Patsy. Uncle
Michael, Aunt Margaret, the boys in
the street. everybody. He may have
been chrislened Patrick, after the mo-
ther country's patron saint when he
was a tiny child, but the Authorization
held good. and Patsy he was TO every
body. His father and mother died
when he was very small and Uncle
Michael, who earned his living by
working in the nursery near by,
grumbled at the extra mouth he had
TO feed, for lie had six gray eyed little
roysterers of his own TO care for, and
Aunt Margaret said he ate more than
two grown men ami did nothing in
the wide world but tear his clothes.
And yet Aunt Margaret would have
been awfully lonely without Patsy.
Who would have trotted to market
with her and have carried home the
big basket Of truck without a muir.
muir as Patsy did. am what boy would
have handed over every zen of a
weeks earnings in the nursery with
out sneaking enough TO buy himself
some hot roasted peanuts from the
Eyetalian on the C rert
Patsy didn't have much schooling.
He could Had ano write and he could
count a row of trees by walking along
the furrow and touching each one and
then walking back and counting them
all over again The two counts did
not always tally, but Patsy wasn't to
blame. Uncle and aunt could read.
Uncle knew all about how Napoleon
fought and died, and aunt could tell
stories about the great Alexander that
would make Patsy's brown unkempt
hair literally stand on end. He did
not feel very sorry about not having
an education. II was sufficient that a
part of the family were learned.
II Patsy couldn't count straight he
could place a bud on a tree in the nur-
sery SO that il could grow well and
straight, and lie knew all about Gle
mats and roses, and he could trans
plant cabbages in Aunt Margaret's gar
den so the hottest summer sun would
not wilt them. He knew where the
first arbutus grew in the woods that
sheltered the nursery on m side, and
where the honeysuckles, as he called
the wild columbines, lungs their bells
in June time.
Father knight, the village priest,
looked upon Patsy as something not
far short Of a little heather. He did
not know him very well, for Patsy
never went to church when he was
not positively obliged to. Father
Knight talked rather sharply TO Uncle
Michael about Patsy once, and
Michael promised to send him to
church twice ON Sunday thereafter.
But he reckoned without his host for
when the next Sunday morning came
Patsy was three miles down the creek
hunting w~atercresses when the bells
rung for mass, and Father Knight on
his way Ia the mission that afternoon
met him coming home, barefoot. tan
ned and dirty. The priest was tempted
TO stop and give him "A talking TO, but
the laughing blue eyes that looked up
at him AS he passed. the frank smile
that was ON the straight red mouth
melted him and he passed on. Patsy's
heart just quaked within him, for he
was awfully afraid Of that dignified
looking man. but there was too much
of the fearless Irish spirit in him to
sneak by. His hand had gone up 10
his cap at the first glance and Father
Knight was bound TO recognize him.
The next day, as Patsy was fitting a
bud into the soft bark of an early
Crawford aud getting ready TO twist
the bit Of Eastwood shaving around it
to hold it snugly in place, a dark shad-
ow fell across the row, and he became
suddenly aware that a tall figure was
standing beside him. He felt in his
heart who it was, and he went right
on with his work, pretending not to
see the priest until the latter spoke.
Are you Patsy Flanagan
Eyes, sir" He expected hat it was
coming now, but instead of the words
he expected the priest said:
Mr.. Bidwell said you might come
and transplant some shrubs that |
have just bought for my garden. He
thinks you know how they should be
treated
''Yes, sir"
you may come right along with
me. want to show you where to put
them"
Shades of Erin's green isle, was he
TO walk though the street with the ele-
giant looking maj beside himi He
guessed he was, for Father Knight had
said so, aud lie was almost positive
that such. a nice looking man wouldn't
say anything he did not mean, so
Patsy picked up his ragged jacket
from the row and away he trotted af-
ter the priest.
How IL came about Patsy never
knew, but before he was aware Of it
he was chattering away TO Father
Knight as he would have talked TO
Aunt Margaret, and the priest was lis
tsning interestedly TO Il all.
How would you like 10 go 10 school
and becomes scholar, Patsy"
Faith, ! wouldn't like II at adj, sir.
I'd rather work in the nursery"
Yes, Father knight guessed on the
whole that Patsy would do better In
Ne nursery, but be talked with the
boy until be found that there was an
innate wit and shrewdness in him thss
should be cultivated, and which II Left