Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-05
At the Ball.

NN'eiie-a flNai ORGANIZATION OF the
same ward-and the Soup Greens
considerable interest had been taken
In the aifair. Now the Spare Ribs had
held their reception on the previous
week, and the Soup Greens set out to-
night to close their rivals eye. This
is how they did Il.
But first let me toll you who were
there, There was Slattly. He was the
president, a good fellow enough, but
the way his neck ran up the back of
his head. you wouldn't like him, And
McDermott he was first vlce-president.
| never liked Mac myself but his
friends said, that in spite Of his ahlfty
eyes. he was honest, And Delehnnty,
ne was second vice-president, The re-
manning members were all vlce-presl-
dents, with the exception OF the SER
geant-at-arms. That office was given
10 Dutchman as matter of form.
ana 10 hold the German vote, | say
as matter OF form, for given the op-
portunity and every man OF them was
sergeant-at-arms In au instant.
These warm-bloodcd genial Irish!
And the Soup Green's lady firms? All,
what dun fellows we are without the
women.
There was Katie Reilly. pretty girl
that Bug" Corners called his rag"
and Maggie Hogan, laughing Maggie.
who was happy when her lover spoke
| of her as his pig"
SO sincerely do these gentle savages
make love.
But understand, my friend. these were
good girls Make no mistake about
this, They were daughters OF honest
| parents.
Theirs was not a dollhouse virtue.
| Their hard lives had only strengthened
hot laaH NF.sa -.
| had not been running to the Dutch
| grocery on the corner for two ounces
Of tea and bundle OF wood. without
| learning something on the way, but
| Mary Ellen had held fast her treasure
Notwithstanding.
But I'm getting dopey. Who else
were there2 There were feather curl
ers from Cohen's, handsome girls all
of them. one especially No. not the
one with the dark eyes and the tilted
| nose, but the one with the nuny hair,
flirting with 'Jamesy" Corrigan. And
two charming girls from Division
street, members OF the Lady Burker's
1 Association. some one said. As these
passed In one Of the gang called out.
two nice young girls-l don't think"
Women appreciate gallantryl
And the girls from the jute mills.
and the papeI-boN factory, all laughing
and talking, knowing the foreman
Woulu Vull lHeIn uoNn IN tne morning
| for coming late. Never you mind
what he says. Mary Alice. II he calls
us down Wen go out, Won't we, girls2'
| Fletcher llfe!" Bless these women!
And last and best OF all was Mary
| Ellen Clancy. She was there, And
Mary Ellen had just been TO confession.
too. Her conscience chided her-for a
moment. Just this once" she said TO
herself Just this once" Poor girl.
| ana she 70 young, too.
And what shall l say OF their es-
cortsP Their duck-chasing, frce-living
escorts? Fellows OF excellent faoul-
ties, mentally and physically equipped
their youth In idleness.
There was MARTY Donahoe-poor,
| generous, miNed-ale Marty. who got
his bronze from the wintry winds. and
his broad shoulders on the Htriug-piece
| OF Market street dock, as he slept
through the sweet summer days. Now
II MARTY had his due he'd be wear
| ing llfe-saver'R medal. But the boy
never thinks Of that himself, and--nh.
well, no one cares for MARTY" but his
brother Dan. lie works. That is, he
| works In summer when the Ice busi-
ness Is good. Nobody buys ice in win
ter; OF course he don't work IN winter.
How can he2 Poor lad, like others
| with more pretentlons. Danny fools
himself. But In summcrl All, In sum
merl In his blue shirt and rcd SUE
penders, Kicking the Kids off the back
of the wagon-and workin. Yes, Dan
was there, and "dc lads" from Hoes In
| Grand street, and "Batty" Tehan.
whose mother sold "bolivars" to de-
fenceless children opposite No. IS school
and owned n house. BAT" was there
and "Slobsy" Cullen, Poor "Slob!"
| He was Mary Ellen Clancy's STEADY
but her mother swore she'd break his
| back II he ever put his nose inside her
door. Dear Mrs Clancy.
Now, before the trouble begins
want you to know Mrs, Clancy.
On Erris Head. within roar OF the
wild Atlantic. they raise her kind. A
great big tender-hearted Irlshwoman,
fearing nothing but God and the priest
As for Clancy himself, he had not been
doing right OF late years. He was a
'divil" In his cups, and there were
many conflicts. This was n little king
dom. The wife resisted first the abuse
| OF the husbands authority, and passed
naturally to insisting upon her own.
She demanded her way with war
and the "old man" the boss" let her
have It for the sake of peace. So day
by day Clancy found himself n cipher
| IN the house and no longer had word
| to throw at dog. The breadwlnner,
| tool It's the Clancys that awoke the
| New Woman" But Mary Ellen was
| the apple OF her mothers eye. She
| lived for her daughter, shaved for her
| The home was n pleasant one, very
pleasant for girl OF her prospects In
| life. There was n French" clock-that
never kept the time-rugs and pretty
pictures-all on the instalment plan,
| but as no one would ever think TINT
| II the nelghbors didn't see the collector
10 In every Monday morning. There
was a red plush album that was an
| inexhaustlble source of entertainment
| 10 inoffendlng friends. God Bless Our
| Home" picked In cardboard by Mary
| Ellen's own hands, hung upon the
wall. And last Of all, a plano. that
| the house threatened every month to
| take away, but never meant 10, for
back payments For Mary Ellen was
taking music lessons at so cents a
lesson from n Delaney street trombone
player. Every Sunday night the neigh
bors' boys and girls would gather at
Mrs. Clancy's and sing Her Eyes Don't
! Shine Like Diamonds" and other
mother" songs. 10 their hearts content
and the annoyance OF the crank" up
| stairs. Obi the priceless treasure Of
youth SO you see Mrs. Clancy was
perfectly willing that her daughter
should enjoy herself-but always under
the mothers eye. She was determined
that Mary Ellen should grow up good
woman and marry something better
than "Slob" Cullen at least SO when
"SIob" asked Mrs. Clancy II he might
take Mary Ellen to the Soup Green's
hall. IL was then she told him she'd
break every bone In his body II he ever
nut his nose inside her door. All this
In Mary Ellen's hearing, mind you.
The girl cried, Of course, but when
and there resolved to go anyhow. But