St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-07-30
CRONIN'S DAUGHTER.

the heart of the Maine woods. Mary
Cronin drew her frayed shawl closely
over her head and shoulders as she
closed the door softly and stepped out
into the night She was very tired,
for the 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 on 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 motionless on the
door-stone and looked eagerly at all
the works. Through the windows
and doors Of the casting-room, which
were 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 fire works
around the mouth Of the furnace.
The violet, orange, green and Grim
son stars did not attract Mary's at
tention. 1t 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 the
high brick chimney to the stop
house. which was perched on an i'm
mense staging just at the mouth Of
the chimney.
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 his usual
kiss or the ''Good-night, Molly take
good care Of your mother" which
made her happy every night. He
had stumbled over the rag mat, and
uttered a 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, carving
with him his wife and only child.
The factory quarters of ST. Louis,
Plttsburg, Newark, and other manu-
featuring centers are Wofully alike,
and had it 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 wretched places thew
had called home. The sunny old
brick farmhouse, built in the Dutch
way, the fertile fields and crowded
Darn-yard, grandmother's flower gar
len across the road, the mountains
framing the little vale, the peace, the |
cleanliness, the stability-Nfary knew
hem all through her mothers words .
md signs and tears.
A great resolve had crept into the
'hild's heart to try and reproduce !
hat peaceful life. "To be respect
lble and stay in one place. was what |
he lived for. If only her father
would not drink!
There came day to the child when
he began to see her way clear. A
etter arrived from Il man with whom
Ter father had worked before his
marriage, in a Penobscot logging
amp. He wrote of an opening for a
amily at the katahdin Iron Works. in
lalne-iair wages and a comfortable
lome were ready.
When John Cronin read the letter
ii his old love for the woods came
ack to him. He could feel the cold
teel Of the gun barrel aud the supple
Cd bend in his hand. Before long
ne money was got together which
arrled the family from Boston to
'angor, and from there to the works,
lxty miles north.
Six months had gone, every day
rought new beauties to Katahdin,
'ow and then the child left the
orks, with its black, unsightly build
lSs, long row of charcoal houses.
caps of purple-tinted Stag, the refuse
the iron and acres of dead trees
ON the sulphur fumes, and explored
leasant river, leaping from one fat
one to another, and gathering in I
le cardinal flowers along the bank.
be wandered beside Silver Lake, {
hich reflected old Chairback and t
addleback Mountain upon it's pol ,
he'd surface. Her mother would not t
It her venture far. Two fierce bear
abs in their cages at the hotel told
hat the woods contained.
Under Mrs. Cronin's touch the {
ain wooden cottage grew into a (
ONE. There were few pretty pict- t
res and ornaments she had brought $
18th her-the remainder Of better /
avs, and Mary helped arrange them $
the bare living room. The cur t
inns Of the windows were coarse but t
hite, and the new stove shone re- {
'lendent with its silver plated orna-
entation and lettering. t
:" The Star Of the East, Bangor. +
.alne," Mary read on the oven door t
any times day. s