Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1896-01-03
JUST RETRIBUTION.

1t did not seem as if the Widow Mahoney
had much to be thankful for, for it had
been year of sorrow and bitterness with
her. EARLY In the spring her husband
Timothy, honest man, had been run down
by a switch engine and instantly killed
An attorney for the railway company had
called upon her and offered to allow her
$1,000 If she would release all claims upon
the company, and she, filled with indig-
nation, refused to take penny in payment
for poor Tins life. Then Il real nice gen.
tlemun called and told her it was Il duty to
the dead and to society to make the rail
road do something handsome. They would
have to- pay her $4,000 at least, and that
would make u fine nest egg for the bring
ing up of her three children. Hewould
get this little fortune for half interest in
it and not charge her cent for the trou
BILE.
The lawyers tongue was oily, and in
short time he left with papers for institut-
ing a damage suit and also with con.
tract to show that the widow owed him
81, 500. Mrs. Mahoney did not understand
but the nice gentleman said it was all
right. Suit was~brought, and the evidence
of tho departed Timothy, but the jury out
of sympathy awarded her ST. 600, and the
company did not care to appeal. Then the
nice gentleman became very stern gen.
tloman. He took the 81, 900 and demand
ed 81, 500 more for his able services in be-
half of the widow and the fatherless, and
as he was armed with undisputed evidence
Of debt the Widow Mahoney and her three
''uhilder" were set outin the street. Their
comfortable cottage went on the nice gen.
tlemans rent roll.
Other hearts might have quailed before
the awful change, but Bridget Mahoney
was a true Celt Her back was broad, and
her arms were sturdy. A sunny but val
iant soul looked through her eyes of tender
Irish blue. =, She took her little ones to a
dingy room in tho top of a tenement block
and bent her back to the washtub to earn
their bread. A plan had been proposed in
tho school where little Tim, Mary and
Nora attended that the pupils assist the
poor in their own way at Thanksgiving
time.
Those who were able to do so were asked
to bring anything they might choose that
could be of benefit to the poor, but it was
expressly stated that those whose parents
were in moderate circumstances should
not pinch themselves or feel compelled to
aid the cause; And so it was that the
three little Mahoneys came home with rue
full faces that night They were as proud
as the rich Cameron children, who camO
to school in a carriage, but what could
they do for the poor?
The mothers sympathetic heart was
touched when thoy confessed their trou-
BILE, but she laughed to cheer them up.
''Bliss yer innocent hairts," she said,
''we're not rich mebbe, but no more arc
we poor. There's coal for a week in tho
box and nigh peck o petaties in the bag,
to say nothin of the flour, that might last
a fortnight if we're savin. Ye can take
yer bit contribushin to the poor jist like
other folks
Her words tickled the little ones so that
they laughed with glee, and next morning
the Mahoney family organized itself into
relief expedition for the poor of the city.
Their mother chose out nine of the largest
potatoes Of her scapty stock and washed
them with care, Three packages weru
made up in three bits of newspaper, and
each of the little Mahoneys strutted to
school as proud as a peacock with the
thought that they were helping out the
poor. 1t made them forget the keen wind
that searched their sCanty garments When
they handed the poor contribution to the
teacher she thanked them as heartily as If
the potatoes had been nuggets of gold, but
her eyes were moist as she turned to add
the potatoes to the pyramid Of other pota-
toes, apples, grocery packages, turkeys,
chickens and other comforts that were to
cheer hundreds Of hearts next day. When
the Cameron children came with their
loads of provisions and cast off clothing
the teacher took them aside and told them
what the little MahOneys had done. They
wanted to go right home and tell their
mother, and permission was granted.
Two hours later Mrs. Cameron had
climbed the dingy stairs to find Mrs. Ma
honey looming up in cloud of steam like
"A rudy checked ghost. She was bending
over the washtub, and her strong arms,
spangled with freCkles, were rubbing
away while she crooned the air of a wild,
old country tune. She was frightened
when the richly dressed lady spoke to her,
and she saw that all the doors in the tene-
ment had their quota of protruding heads.
Her pitiful story was told to the visitor,
but without complaint from the brave
heart that was battling against Odds
Mrs. Cameron was satisfied that n wrong
had been done, and she drove to her hus-
bands Office Mr.. Cameron was too busy
TO attend to anything, but he was dragged
to the top of the tenement, and Mrs. Cam
eron left him there listening to. the sad
story.
"I'm not that bad to complain, sure, ("
said Mrs. Mahoney. "Me HART is light,
and me arm is strong, glory be to God,
and many's the poor HART that is breakin
wild thrubblo that hasn't the strength to
fight the wurruld." -,
Mr.. Cameron's language was not patient
nor biblical. On the contrary, he boiled
and fumed under the surface as the simple
hearted creature told how she had been
robbed and when ne learned the name of
tie shark who had stolen her home no
broke out in a storm of imDrecations that
81 have found Hoods Pills to be the
best that have ever taken. " Mrs. F. L.
DrOvrp uo,Fnuvtl1a