Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-07-19
PATSY.

the street, everybody. He may hav,
been christened Patrick, after the mo
Their countrys patron saint when ht
was tiny child, but the abbre yiatior
held good, and Patsy he was to every
body. His father and mother dice
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 he had six gray eyed little
roysterers OF his own to care for and
Aunt Margaret said he ate more than
two grown men and 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 mur.
muir as Patsy did, and what boy would
have handed over every cent of a
weeks earnings in the nursery with
out sneaking enough to buy himself
some hot roasted peanuts from the
Eyetalian on the corner2
Patsy didn't have much schooling.
He could read and write and he could
count 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. It was sufficient that a
part OF the family were learned.
If Patsy couldn't count straight he
could place bud on tree in the MUIR
sery SO that it could grow we'll and
straight, and he 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 one 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 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 moving came
Patsy was three miles down the creek
hunting watercresses when the bells
rung for mass, and Father Knight on
his way to the mission that afternoon
met him coming home, barefoot, tan
ned and dirty. The priest was tempted
to stop and give him 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 and getting ready to twist
the bit OF Eastwood shaving around it
70 mold it snugly in place, dark shad
ow fell across the row, and he became
suddenly aware that tall figure was
standing beside him. He felt in his
heart who it was, and lss went right
On with his work, pretending not to
see the priest until the latter spoke.
Are you Patsy Flanagan"
Yes, sir" He expected that it was
coming now, but instead of the words
ne expected the priest said:
Mr.. Bidwell said you might come
and transplant some shrubs that l
nave just bought for my garden. He
minks you know how they should be
treated"
Yes, sir"
You may come right along with
me- want to show you where to put
Shades of Erin's green isle, was he
70 walk though the street with the ele-
CANT looking man beside himf He
guessed he was, for Father Knight had
sala SO, and he was almost positive
uat such a nice looking man wouldn't
nny anything he did not mean, so
ttasy picked up his ragged jacket
nom the row and away he trotted af-
Ter the priest.
no, now 1t came about Patsy never
anew, but before he was aware of it
T Te was chattering away to Father
AAuignt as he would have talked to
, nant Margaret, and the priest was lis
@a Mg interestedly to it all.
-, How would you like to go to school
anu oecomea scholar, Patsya"
n falth, wouldn't like it at all, sir.
rather work in the nursery"
ri les Father Knight guessed on the
Iuoie that Patsy would do better in
S nursery, but he talked with the
ivy; ivy uhtll he found that there was an
s sbblaie wit and shrewdness in him that
'nould be cultivated, and which if left
a a.ent would rob the world of a man
'b ss was needed, SO before Patsy got
Eough with his days work Father
h. had induced him to say that
sn1 would come to church on Sunday,
Aue 10 the night school.
ths ~ al the day long Patsy worked in
do Az nursery. Every morning he went
hva III. .le lane, past the Maginnis cot
hilos WASTING like lark asst mounts
OOs o m1dair. Maggie Maginnis would
hvma her sleepy blue eyes and hear
omgo by, and at night when he came