Connecticut western news., 1893-07-20

Pray Tor me that my feet may gain whittier.
 BETSY'S SLIPPERS.
 Twas travelling in Ireland with some
 friends. We were in the southeastern
 part of the island and were traversing
 Oonnemars, the poorest part of that
 poor country. If anything can give 8
 horrible impression of drought and
 misery it certainly is Connemara. A profound dolor seems to rest upon
 that corner of the earth. Low plains
 destitute of verdure extend at the right to a chain of mountains, which are bare,
 as though they had been ravaged by fire. These immense spaces are without will lage, often without even Q single dwell
 ing.
 The few which we pass at long inter-
 vals consist only of four stone walls piled up without cement, and with 8 black roof. From the back of these dreary cabins issues thin thread of blue smoke.
 In front of them one sees children from Ave to twelve years old with naked feet, sun scorchsd skins and ragged
 clothing. They utter uncouth sounds in a language which is partly Irish, partly English. They usually run after the carriage for several miles. With 8
 supplicating hand they extend to you some sort of rude merchandise; it may be roughly hewn wooden shoes; it may 1ex sf0 fao f1a bunch of flowers plucked from the mountain side. They run shouting.
 hurrying, hustling each other. Penny, please! penny, pleasep they repeat over and over. A penny is finally cast to them.
 Immediately there Is brawhng, strug- gling and fist pounding. The conquerer deserts the ranks of our followers, but the others still pursue the carriage. One by one the small flock drop away. First the youngest become exhausted
 and stop. At last there are only three then two-then only one, who in his turn rolls in the dust raised by the wheels, uttering last Penny, pleasep
 with labored and painting breath. About II o'clock we arrived at Ougterard, near Lake Corrib. This lake Is said to contain as many islands and also as many inhabitants as there are days in the year. Here we took | rskfast.
 For long time little girl of about twelve followed our carriage. She alone had persisted of five or six children, the
 rest of whom had dropped away as we passed along. Tall and slender for her age, she had charming face of the true Irish type of beauty. Her com plexion was darkly Drowned and she had
 large blue eyes. Her long run had put
 roses into her cheeks; her parted lips showed her brilliant teeth. A ragged brown linen waist and skirt composed her costume. Her naked feet, which were remarkably small and pretty, seemed to fly through the dust. Poor little onel Our hearts ached to look at heri
 Suddenly she uttered 8 cry, extended her arms and fell forward. We stopped the carriage, but fortunately nothing serious had befallen her. A projecting stone had slightly cut her foot, which hled little. We asked her who she was and from whence she came. She called herself Betsy and said that she lived at Ougterard. We told her to cNub into the carriage and we would carry her to her home. She looked at us in bewilderment. as though she could not understand what we were saying We repeated our offer. She blushed with pleasure and gave us look which, although full of inquiry and wonder, was yet most grateful. She seemed to be overjoyed at riding in carriage. It was her first experience of that kind. Ten minutes later we were in Oug- tersrd, poor village of forty houses. | We gave two shillings to the child as 8 | parting present. She looked at it as ! though she could not believe her eyes. | It occurred to me that the wound in her foot might be infiamed by a walk in the dust I therefore entered shoemaker's
 shop, the only one the place afforded, and bought pair of slippers for the | poor child.
 Betsy watched this operation in pro- found perplexity. When I extended the slippers toward her, saying they were | for her, she was dumfounded, intox- | icated, daxxled. She dared not take | them.
 Finally, as I firmly insisted that the | slippers were for her and her alone, she | seized them and fed with bound of joy, and without even saying Thank | your
 Little savagep thought I; "she does | not even know how to thank anybody" l" Irejoined my companions, who were Y tod tha table, and we had soon finished our
 breakfast and were about to climb into
 our carriage, when I felt a little hand
 within mine which sought to detain me.
 Come, sirl' she said, '.comep'
 "And where do you wish to lead me?'
 "To our house. It is very near" | followed her. My companions were
 not little puzzled. She led me to the
 bottom of 8 narrow street. There we paused before humble cottage She pushed the door open and we entered.
 The interior consisted of single room.
 It was without 8 floor and contained
 scarcely any furniture. It was dimly
 lighted by the feeble rays which entered
 through paper covered window, near
 which sat an old woman spinning. She
 was Betsy's grandmother. At our en-
 trance three little black pigs scampered
 under her bench grunting. In the cor
 ner stood the lowly bed of the grand.
 mother; at its side the little cot of the
 child. Just above her pillow Betsy
 showed me kind of rough staging lean
 ing against the wall. Upon the middle
 board covered with very white linen
 cloth. beneath an image of St. Patrick
 and between two punches of white
 flowers, perceived-the little slippers!
 The poor child looked at her shrine oi
 beauty with admiration and even with
 religious awe, as upon precious relic. \ 1put vo,1 shOuld mt the aliDDAra ar