The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-08-02

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when Murphy. longshoreman. had
enough TO do 10 keep his family In
bread. Yet the ugly duckling that he
had taken Ia got as good rs tho
Murphys did. The warm heart Of Mrs.
Murphy went out TO the little forlorn
cripple. and she treated him as though
he had been her own child.
Nor was Jim ungrateful. He de-
veloped a variety OF talents that
brought many penny into the
treasury Of the Murphys. He was
errand boy for most Of the Patch. and
spite his crutch could perform mission
more quickly than most other boys and
with more intelligence. He also picked
up somehow the art of writing In a
queer spider-likc fashion. and wrote
letters for those denizens of the Patch
who could not write themselves.
There is formula followed in writing
such letters as these. for the writer
always starts out with the rather super
fluous announcement that he takes
his pen in hand" and always ends by
wishing this will find YOU in good
health as II leaves me ut present" re-
CARELESS of his actual condition OF
health. This formula is as immovable
as were the laws Of the Modes and Per-
slams. and by his fidelity TO it little
jim added TO his popularity and his in
come.
Then Jim had little. cracked voice,
with just little sweetness in it, and he
sang two or three songs in manner
that the people of the Patch considered
as being extremely artistic. Jim's
"Only Picture" and warbled about
the Scotch lad Geordic, who left his
Jean To fight with the Scotch brigade
and never came back, and he sang
about letter that some one had re-
ceiyed from Ireland. In addition he
somehow learned TO play several airs
ON an old accordion that belonged TO
, the Murphy family.
/ All last summer Jim used his ac-
complishmcnt in various directions and
picked up good many dollars. Most
of these went into the Murphy treasury.
but one day in rummaging about his
bed Mrs. Murphy found an old hand
kerchief. and tied up in il were several
/ dollars in small silver.
Lord love the boy, It's savin' up for
somethin he is said good-natured
Mrs Murphy. Aud she tied up the
money and placed it where she had
found IL. She said nothing to Jim
about IL. but afterward came to the con-
clusion that bit by bit jim was adding
to his hoard.
One day jim. who seemed to have
something on his mind. surprised the
good woman by abruptly asking;
Where do the people in the Patch
be buried when they dep"
"Arrah, jim, what's the matterP
What questions are YOU askin'P" said
the astonished woman.
II asked you where people that dies
around here are buried said Jim
sturtlily.
Where. sure. but in the cimitery."
responded Mrs. Murphy.
'And il died where would / be-
buriedPn said the persistent Jim.
The Lord forbid We should die, jim;
but If We did the ould man an mesilf
has wan lot in the cimitery where our
weeny vans is buried and We should
lay there. jim"
Jim looked both relieved and
thoughtful, and left the house without
asking any more quest rs. Mrs.
Murphy, in her perplexity, told her
husband of her conversation.
IL dunno Mary" said the long
shoreman thoughtfully, they say
children can look ahead. an the bye Is
too KNOWN to live. That cough nv
his, too. is bad. But don't borry
trouble
IL was certain when the winter
opened that Jim was getting thinner.
aud that he had painful cough, which
was growing worse. The people OF
the Patch had enough 10 do TO live,
and yet there was not a house in II
where Jim was not welcome TO what
ever there was. His conversation with
Mrs. Murphy about burial had been
quietly circulated. and among these
simple supcrstitious people 1t Invested
him with new interest. Another thing
about jim that caused much comment
was the manner in which, Jim hung
constantly about the shop OF the good
natured freshman who buried most o.
the persons who died In the Patch
One day the latter was astonished or
entering the shop TO find Jim following
nj his heels and making mysterioul
signs to him. Drawing him to one en-,
OF the counter Jim produced small
bundle from his coat. Untying IL, h,
dumped out pile of silver
"Iiow much is a funeralpn he de
manded sententiously
why. Jim. what do you meanp'
asked the astonished undertaken.
How much is funeralP" Jim agar
demanded.
well. that depends on who II Is for,
said the undertaken hoping to draw