Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-12-19

my heart beats Tor ye, but there IS
voice within me which calls me back to
the ocean. Every night hear the sum-
mons of my father soundin through the
noise Of wind an waters. Believe me, I
must go, but before I leave ye choose
some keepsake Or token which will re-
mind ye Of her that was your kings
wife Then the people began cosherin
together, but for the life of them they
could not think Of anything to ask of her
as token.
cat last, achorra, up spoke neat
young gossoon, an he says, Let us ask
her for a lock of that beautiful green
hair Of hers. 'Twasn't such bad idea
So the good people asked her for the
hair accordingly. An, bein woman,
though only sea woman, the princess
was nightly pleased at the compliment
tary way they put the request.
"She smiled sweeter nor ever before,
an says she: 1t will be done as ye say.
But to reward your kindness, an in or
der that ye may find some use in my
gift, I will add something to the pres
emit.
"Then, acushla, she took her eldest
sons sharp sword an cut off big lock of
her hair. Beckonin to the people, she
began to walk up to the cliffs and along
the top, till she came to quiet spot
something like this.
"What dye think she did next?
Stoopin down over the cliff. she planted
the lovely green hair in little Granny
of the rock, an filed up the Granny with
loose earth. Then she said something in
the sea language, an waved her golden
wand over the hair as it foated on the
wind. The hair seemed to change the
minute she did So It shriveled up an
became just the moral of this piece Of
Carrigeen moss in my hand. Now, ,
says the princess, there is token that
will last ye forever. When the cruel
famine strikes We and food runs short,
this green plant will always be found
growing among the rocks. Eat it, my
children. 1t will sustain ye when all
else fails. The last words were hardly
out of her pretty mouth when she took
one tremendous jump an plunged from
the top of the rocks into the sea. The
people saw just one flash of her golden
wand and one CLEAN of her long green
hair before she vanished in big white
wave and was gone from their eyes for
ever.
'.But, sure enough, Noreen achanie,
the Carrigeen moss still remains grow
in in the rocks, an, as said afore, It's
a very good food-when ye can't get
nothin else. Eyah, but my dhudeen' S
could, an tits time to open that red
Handkerchief an see what's good inside y
Little Noreen took the bunch of Car
rigeen moss and regarded it thought
fully.
$50 this was once a sea princess
hairs" she said.
"Aye, avic," answered old Meehaul
CAT least that's the story"
:" Twas mighty kind Of that sea
princess. I wonder, gran father, if she's
livin yet?'
Sure, she is, arooneen. Them fairies
never die at all, at all"
Deity Noreen extracted from her
pocket miniature scissors, and deftly
she clipped off tress Of her own "bon-
ME brown hair" Then standing upon
the cliff before her grandfather well
knew what she did, she cast the curly
lock with all her strength toward the
water.
There's keepsake for the sea prin-
cess" she cried gleefully, ''in return
for her Carrigeen moss. Take it, with
Noreen s love, sea princess, avourneen. y
The feather light curl wavered for a
second in air, only to be caught by a
great clustering breeze that came ramp
ing down the cliffs through tho thistles
and sand grass. Out to sea, over the
breakers and seething foam, the rough
wind bore its tender burden, and as
Noreens keen eyes were strained to their
utmost tension she fancied she saw the
tress Of hair sink into the embrace of a
big wave that rose to receive this dainty
present to the princess.
Just then the sun came out in all his
glory, and there flashed golden, gilt
tering radiance across the sea.
"Eyah, gran 'father!" cried Noreen,
her eyes dancing with excitement. "The
princess is pleased. See how she smiles
at me.
But old Meehaul, the sheannachie,
was not unwisely eating brown bread
and drinking buttermilk. = Gerald
Brennan in Atlanta Constitution.