The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-01

" IaA III T. AZ E'Ailr7 ~ IAN AASr-eaiA ?
MJjNAN dance tonight. I'm friend
W. w OF Hogan's II you think.
however, that your gcntler breeding makes
you one jot superior TO the kindly host, I'd
rather you'd stop at home. Proud in his
way is Dan. and the patronizing air willnot
do at all with him.
They're poor. these Hogans, but they We
big hearts in their breasts, ! tell you. If you
have narrow views of life, if The lessons OF
experience have taught you only that men Of
poor condItionare made of chcaperclay than
you. pray remain away. If, on the other
hand, you bring closer, fairer view of men,
there q sup and welcome for you.
The HOgans live on the second floor OF the
''Ship." the best rooms in The house. The
ship is well known ia the ward. Low,
old-fashionel, weather beaten, With its
gables and attic win lows, il crOuches At the
foot or q towering tenement and riots in the
shadows ola l5oiningones.
Come. VIII show you poverty; not the
poverty that one looks AT hClplcssly and
turns from. sicl, at heart; not the fifth and
sGualor OF the homeless tramp, drifting like
h dirty cork upon the waters; nor the fierce
struggle OF the Hester street goose market,
where images OF God haggle over the price
erty that is glad an that laughs, that is rich
In certain measure Of contentment, in
short. The poverty OF Dan Hogan's ship"
This is the ship"
Hello. Mike"
Hello, Dan. Where's your wife?"
Twas his wife that made a man of Dan.
Since the night he broke her head with the
ligHtel lamp he hasn't touched a drop
Women are great helpmates.
with The sick Sweic below answered
Dan. They say he'll be dead-rcst his
soul-agin the mornin'. Fill the pipe"
Mary Ellen. Dams daughter, is just six
teen ana Ellen, her mother. had sent little
Dan. the future prop ana alderman Of the
household. 10 ask the Heighbors' boys and
girls 10 Join in dance and toast in honor
OF the natal day.
They were coming, these lads and lasses
OF The shops ana mills, in tvos and threes,
some in their best ANA others in their work
ing clothes, like Marty Donahue in his
blue shirt and red suspenders, crying Any
lCr?'' as he entered the door. But all are
welcome, whatever duds they wear. There
are feather curriers' from Cohen's, slaveys
from the big mills across The way, pastors
from the paper box factory, and two or
three who never worked and who never
Will.
And the lads? Oh, there are nlatesand to
spare for the girls, with the stains OF the
dyrholSe still on the hands OF some Of them.
Red" McDermott Tommy Farrall. and
"Limpv," his younger brother, and 'Hen-
ny" too, the red-cheeked clerk in the Dutch
grocery on the corner, who sleeps in the
store, eats crackers and cheese. and saves
his money, has brought his Lena. Hobble-
de-hOys from the knditng wood factory,
with sa wdust in their ears and an elegant
thirst, caring not a copper whether Mary
Ellen was sixteen or SiXty-One, so there's
Il bead on the beer, came bounding up the
stairs.
And below? Life is so full OF contrasts,
and - pitiiess are they sometimes. Be
low a poor, frail, fair-haired Swede sits,
with her hands in her lap, and rocks and
means over her dying husband. From
above, through the open door, filling the
halls with whisky voice, comes the sing
Ing of Martha Donahue, while Mrs. Hogan,
always tender-hearted, crOOns the prayers
iur the sick below. The sob and the song
meet each other on the stairs. The song
finished, there fell upon the company in
.he room an indefinable ColdneSs and re-
Ieryc. There was lacking somehow that
fponlaneity OF feeling, that exuberance Of
Expression, that had been a matter Of
ruurse at Hogan's on many similar occa-
Eions Donahue, with his tongue hanging
uJi OF his cheek. sat silent and eXpectant.
McDermott in Imagination, wandered to
the Plug Hat on the corner and stood
with his foot on the iron rail and his
breast against The bar. The usual prelmi-
nary signs for chasing the gentle duck We're
missing, and all sat watching the move
ments % Dan and Mary Ellen. Not that
Dan was wanting in hospitality, for he was
famed for that; nor was Mary Ellen lncon-
sciUJs OF "A void, but because of Mrs. Ho-
cams absence on such an errand of mercy.
Dan waited for his wife TO give the word,
and Mary Ellen for her father, while the
rest protested in their hearts. True, the
coming funeral OF The Swede wasn't theirs
81 all, but under his flannel shirt Dan
concealed a wealth Of feeling. If he was
sick unto death himself he woaldn't like it.
bat if he were dead, h" thought, he might
enter fully into the spirit OF their reyelry.
Then up stood Tommy Farrell-tt's won
dcrfulhow occasion finds The nlan-aud said,
said he.
Danny for bucket Of beer?"
'Divil sup you'll have in thehouse uIthe
mans dead" said Mrs Hogan, entering as
she spoke the words. Give me The mustard
In hurry, Mary Ellen"
Thcmcertaintyof theevent stunned them,
but McDermot, conscious OF an outraged
right, stood up and without a word turned
Mrs Hugan's picture 10 the wall.
may have been Macs sense Of hunlor, but it
was the mistake OF his life. just the same
Bounding to his feet and throwing his pipe
on the floor Dan caught Mac under the arm
pits. CGrsing him, hc forced Mac out of the
door into The hall, and. amid the silrieks of
tie women ana The oatEs Of the men, he
threw theblackguard bodily down The stairs.
Al that moment tie palc-faCcd Swcde stag
gcred 10 Tie door, and sobbiGg, pleaded
Please, no more Ny husbands dead"
Silence feil upon the place, the boys and
girls gave way and Dan, forgetting in an in
slant the insult given him. 1ook Tire little
woman by the hand and led her Ia his wife
Thats Dan Hogan for you.
Did break his back? don't know"
said Dan, as he turned his wife's picture
from the wall.
You should have broke his eye" said
"Limpy' Farrell. who was a particular
friend OF Mac. He borrowed Reds"
trousers for the Pea Greens ball.
"or pushed IN his face" observed Dona-
hue, who saw Mary Ellen preparing for the
food. She felt, as did her father, that the
Hogans owed q certain duty 10 the living.
The dead was beyond r1can. Upon his dull
ears would fan alike the hopes and slrug-
giles, the Joys and sorrows. OF their daily
lives. Their religion had taught a rever-
ence for the dead, but I he poor cannot pick