Connecticut western news., 1890-04-30

row and buttercups and daisies that he had picked along the fence.
 Patsy rather liked Maggie. and that Maggie liked Patsy was an evident fact. They used to play together in the days before Patsy had to work, and now Patsy would tell her all about his experiences at the night school, and how kind Father Knight was to him. ..5y
 "Why, will ye be thinkin' of it, Meg, he took me right into his parlor today and played the organ for me-" accompanying his assertions with sev- eral convincing mods of his head.
 ''Now you don't be tellin' me, and with those boots?''
 ''The very same, an they was all covered with mud I stood on the mat by the door and he said Come right in, my child,' just as clever as could be-"
 And what did he play?" ,@.ft
 .'Oh, he played lot of things, an l sung Eileen Aroon' for him."
 "You sing2 You, Patsy2" and little Meg danced a pas seul around the boy. "You sing for Father Knight2 What did he say2" E
 ''He said, Very we'll done come in again tomorrow"
 And Patsy did go on the morrow and for many morrows, ,sand at last Fa- ther Knight taught him the rudiments of music, so that he could sit down at the organ himself and in slow mi nor way accompany his own treble voice. And Patsy was learning at the night school, too. And one day MT. Bidwen sent for him and told him that he would let him try the position of superintendent over the other men, and Patsy, never daunted at anything, took it. For three years he held that position, and he kept up the school, though he began to cultivate a mus tache, and the girls said they thought it was time such big boy quit going to school But they did not know the ambition that was in Patsy's heart. How could they2 None but Meg. She rather guessed at it, though she and Patsy had drifted apart since they were grown up. She was a school teacher and was away most of the time, but she had always understood Patsy better than any one else.
 Then Patsy was promoted again. This time to the city office, for his ed ucation permitted of that now, and Patsy's heart was glad. There was no little regret at leaving his native town. All people who go forth into the world have that regret, and the home of their birth and the place that holds the loved ones, is always the dearest spot on earth.
 Aunt Margaret cried until her ging- ham apron was wet with tears, and Uncle Michael stood at the gate a long time before he went in the house, and he didn't have as good relish for his supper as he usually had.
 Word would come back from time to time that Patsy was doing well. The village papers would contain no tices like this:
 MT. P. Flanagan, of -, spent Sunday in town. Or, aa+
 Mr. Flanagan, of the firm of Bidwen, Flanagan & Co.,, came home toseat his Christmas dinner.
 Yes, Patsy became partner, and he studied, studied all the time, though he once declared to Father Knight that he would not like it at all But learning is like money, the more you have the more you want, and one day he was admitted to the bar.
 All this time little blue eyed Meg was working away at her school work. Patsy had not seen her for a long time, but he had not forgotten her. Oul first childish impressions are the ones we cherish and save until they are dispelled by later ones, to some ex- tent, and so he always remembered Meg as she used to lean out of the window as he went by, lean so far out that she was in danger of falling on her curly head into the pansy bed be. low. He would have been glad to have seen Meg when he went home, but she was always away. So time went on, and Patsy, entirely against his will, was almost forced into politics. He had no taste for pol itics, but all through his life it was g noticeable fact that those things he ut terly refused to have anything to dc with were the ones that he finally en tered into heart and soul, and so 1t was with politics And he served his con stituents so we'll that they were not | satisfied to let him remain a mere loca. I politician, they must needs elect him tc congress, and one day Patsy took his | place among the representatives of the | people. Aunt Margaret was there and so was | Uncle Michael Proud? Well, they were! Two prouder old souls never l lived, and for days after their return home did they repeat again and again to their neighbors the story of it all How grand he looked there among al those big men, and he wearing whis kers as we'll as the best Of them, ano their own boy, their Patsy.
 People sometimes wondered why Congressman Flanagan did not mar ry. He was rich and lived in elegan style, and more than one of the capi tal's belles would have been proud tt have presided over his handsome home, but he never looked twice at any girl. They used to accuse him of no caring for anything but just busines | and politics, they said he was who'll worldly, but under the dress coat o the handsome congressman beat tn, same true heart that throbbed unde the nursery boys jacket.
 It was a very busy season lnaW Wash ington and Congressman Flanagan was deep in political work.
 'sMr. Liscombe cannot come dowl soday; he is ill," was the word tha came over the telephone to the con gressman as he reached his desk on' morning. Now Hf Iiscombe wa his prl, ate secretary, and how was tn work to go on without him7
 "What shall do2" he asked bro ther politician.
 'Send out and find stenographer There are some to be found. Ther is girl has an office just around tn corner. She takes in work, and
 have no doubt would come over her for the day" So a messenger boy wen around the corner, and came back wit
 the young lady. 4E.