The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-04-30
The Story of fO.DOnnegall.

The Story of fO'DOnnegall.
To be blooming politician, had ever
been the ideal wish of Larry @. O'Donne.
gall.
Fourteen weeks before. he had left the
b0nny shores of Erin and landed in ST.
Paul soul completely lost-insofar as
everything material was concerned at any
rate-but nevertheless, all judgment to the
winds, he yet indulged his fondest dream
i. e.: to be politician.
But how to ''get there!" All, there was
the rub. He had often heard OF obscure
people being elevated to political af1u-
ence;" but, alas. he wot not of the .'eleva-
tor" For, note you. gentle reader-and in
this respect quite unlike many of his coun-
trymen-he had no already-well- established
cousin to fall back on. He was a solitary
stranger in cold and cruel city; and if he
had anything to gain. he must gain it by his
own eXertiOns. Yet, because of this, he
did not succumb; but quite instead, bent all
his mind toward fathoming this elevator" :"
Indeed, so intent and set was he on this
pet purpose, that, no sooner had he landed
land comparatively comfortably escOnsed
himself in Wabasha street attic chamber)
than, with part of his little hoard. he
bought himself all manner of books and pa
pers on the subject, and proceeded with
might and main to conquer.
Twas very common thing for him to
sit up till twelve and one O'Clock by the
light of his little candle, pOring over such
of our current works as, ''HOw to Become
POlitician:" politics for Young Men,"
''POlitics-lns. and Outs'' ('twas the .Ins"
Larry was looking for more than the "Outs"
just at this present time); 1.-THE Ups and
Downs of Politics" Larry wanted the"U ps"
-''Divil bit av tn Downs Oi fwant at all,
at all; it do be the Ups Ord mitch loike a
tashte av, jest at tn prisint moment"-as
he was wont to express it in solloquy);
1.-The Political Career of John Smith," and
so on. and so on; but, sad to state. twas
very little headway that he made. Whether
the fault lay in the books, or in the facul-
ties of Larry @. O'Donnegall, 'twere not of
need to say; but, at any rate, at the end of
fourteen weeks he found himself apparently
just as far as ever from his hearts desire.
And what was more, his little savings were
dwindling fast
"Arragh. this is tough!" said he one
morning, realizing this; 'Oi thought fer.
ninst tn prisint moment Ord be a pOliti-
clan; and now!-" "Yez'll how to hustle
for living;;" said still. small voice from
within.
The poor young man ill fancied the OBJ.
trusiveness of this small whisper; but, yet,
he realized the business of it.
"Oi wull. "he sadly acquiesced; ''Oi wull.
But fwhat am Oi to dO-Oive no thrade.
OF dunnO?"
'Jest rest aisy. me by; rest aisy. Yell
Er,G 81 bo
alar med" ;"again the STILL small voice. ''Ye
noight shtrike BERTH on tn section!"
This latter, suggestively.
"Oh. divil bit, at all. at ALL" Larry
repudiated this. deprecatOrily; ''Thry wanst
mure."
''Or-yez'd mex foine coachman!'
On this, he hesitated somewhat. Indeed,
before the inOrdinate wish to be politician
had taken SO firmly root in his heart, he
had often looked with longing glances on
the handsome liveries of his native. and the
English Jehus But. with the newborn
craving, these longing glances ceased; and
now there remained but little, If any, at
traction in the life for him.
"N.no," he answered measuredly; ''thot
fwOn't do naythur. There was tn time whin
Olive still hundred dollars left, remember;
an Oi think Ord ought to shtart in business
on my own responsibility"
"Then shtart grocery!" said the voice.
"A grocery? Oh. no; the Fates save me
from a grocery"
''rhen. say, fruit stand!" persisted the
voice.
"Glang. D. y tex me for an Eyetalian"
was Larry's hot retOrt hereto. Besides.
OF fwould MT know tn difference betwane
banana an an orange"
How'd saloon dO?"
O'Donnegall sat speechless for a moment
at this-so forcibly had the new idea struck
him. But finally he regained his equanim
ity. and answered: