Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-06-16
CRONIN'S DAUGHTER.

CTOnln drew UeT L8ayeu SnaWl closely
over her head and shoulders as she
closed the door softly and stepped out
intoAthe night. She was very tired,
for Che days work had been hard, and
her invalid mother had needed more
care than usual.
The dishes had been washed and
the table reset for breakfast, the pail
had been filled at the ice .encircled
spring Oh the mountain road, her
mothers cruel had been made, her
bed smoothed up, and Mary had sung
one tune after another, as she held
her mothers wasted hand, till sleep
came TO the sufferer.
The girl stood motfonless on the
door-stone and looked eagerly at all
the works. Through the windows
and doors OF the casting-rcom, which
we're open this December night, a
fiery CLEAN shone from the red hot
iron running through the molds.
Now and then came sharp explo-
sion, with a superb play OF fireworks
around the mouth Of the furnace.
The violet, orange, green and Grim
son stars did not attract Mary's at
tention. It was an old story 10 her,
and her heart was too heavy for her
eyes to see any beauty in it. She
looked above the casting room up tie
high brick chimney to the ''top-
house." which was perched on IA i'm
mense staging just at the mouth of
Her father was therefor it was
his night on-and he had been drink
ing when he came home TO supper.
Fortunately her mother was asleep,
and had been spared cruel anxiety.
MAry's heart stood still as her father
took his lunch can, without.hi usual
kiss or the Goodnight, Molly! take
good care Of your mother" which
made her happy every night. He
bad stumbled over the rag mat, and
uttered curse under his breath He
never did this unless he had been
drinking heavily.
Poor John Cronin! His appetite
for liquor and his weak will had
caused him to drift from one work
shop TO another, from city to city,
and from state TO state, CARRYING
with him his wife and only child.
The factory quarters Of st. Louis,
Pittsburg, Newark, and other manu-
featuring centers are wofully alike,
and had IL not been for her mothers
stories, Mary-the little girl-would
have believed the whole world paved
and cut into narrow, dirty streets,
with a streak OF sooty sky above,
crossed with clothes-lines.
Her mother came from the Catskill
Mountains region, and her nature re-
volted at the wretchcd places they
had called home. The sunny old
brick farmhouse, built in the Dutch
way, the fertile fields and crowded
barn-yard, grandmother's flower gar
den across the road, the mountains
framing the little vale, the peace, the
cleanliness, the stability-Mary knew
them all through her mothers words
and signs and tears.
A great resolve had crept into the
child's heart to try and reproduce
that peaceful life. "To be respect
able and stay in one place. was what
she lived for. IL only her father
would not drink
There came day TO the child when
she began TO see her way clear. A
letter arrived from man with whom
her father had worked before his
marriage, in q Penobscot logging
camp. He wrote of an opening for a
family at the Katahdin Iron Works, in
Maine-fair wages and comfortable
home were ready.
When John Cronin read the letter
all his old love for the woods came
back to him. He could feel the cold
steel OF the gun-barrel aud the supple
rod bend in his hand. Before long
the money was got together which
carried the family from Boston to
Bangor, and from there To the works,
sixty miles north.
Six months had gone, every day
brought new beauties TO KatIhdin.
Now and then the child left the
works, with its black, unsightly build
inys, hong row Of charcoal houses,
heaps Of purple-tinted Stag, tue refuse
Of the iron and acres of dead trees
from thesulphur fumes, and explored
Pleasant river, leaping from one fiat
stone to another, and gakbering in
the cardinal flowers along the bank.
She wandered beside Silver Lake,
which reflected OH Chairback and
Saddleback Mountain upon its poi
ished surface. Her mother would not
let her venture far. Two fierce bear
Cubs 81 rheir c..gee at the hotel told
what the woods 'contained.
Under Mrs. Oronin's touch the
plain wooden cottage grew into q
home. There were few pretty pict-
'ures and ornaments she had brought
with her--the remainder OF better
days, and Mary helped arrange them
In the bare living room. The cur
tains of the windows were coarse but
white, and the new stove shone re-
splendent with its silver plated orna-
mentation and lettering.
1.-THE Star OF the East, Bangor
Name" Mary read on the oven dod7
many times day.