The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-10-17
THE WORTH OF NJ
BY NORMAN GARSTIN.

In spite of his half century of year
he was still Patsey Hennessy. Age had
no power to lengthen out the diminu-
tive of his name; it might have been
thought that he would at least have at
tanned the moderate dignity of Pat,
which, though familiar, does not be-
little the owner. Butno: all the neigh
bors spoke of him as Patsey, and this
was the more strange, because there
was nothing youthful or sportive about
him. He was a tall, grave man, with a
slight stoop and a rather sad express
sion in his gray eyes. With this mourn
full look he would scan over the sly and
appraise the probable value of the
little slip of a pig" against the fair
day of Cashel, or sit on the ditch" at
the cross roads on Sunday discussing
his ~riv'rence's views OF the Land League
with a knot of other "boys"-all more
or less detected and supine-looking.
Good morning, Patsey," said l, as 1
passed, or would have passed, had 1
not felt that perhaps half an hour with
Patsey might he profitable to me. and I
knew that it would not deprive him
of much.
Good morning to your honor" said
Patsey, abandoning the semblance of
digging potatoes; and leaning against
his spade he gazed at me with court
euus inaction, as if to say: ITO work,
sir, while you are by, would be an i'm
p~oliteness."
Fine growing weather, Patsey," ]
said, cheerfully.
The grandest at all, sor, glory TO
God" said Patsey enthusiastically. then
relapsing into his native gloom. he add
ed: But the praties are all black with
the blight, bad scrant to it,"
Not good this year?" I hazarded.
80. the divil a worst / ever see. sor.
When we put the pot out on the table at
dinner tonne, yer honor-'tis the truth
I'm telling ye-the pig, the crater just
lets a squeak out of her and darts out
of the house, and be the same token it
takes n dale to brighten a pig from
her vittles at male tonne"
Dear me-" 1 said, rather inadequate
ly, that is very sad"
Sad" said Patsey. Faith, your
honor may well say so! Wild the fair
day in Cashel next Thursday week, and
herself widout an ounce of fat on her
bones, and the rint overdue, and the
praties like sloes, tits cruel tonne for a
man wild a family. Here, Biddy," he
said sorrowfully, to a little dark-haired
girl, pick up them few p~raties, ashore,
and bring them in to the woman agin
the dinner"
Very soon the small person had
picked up a ~pinaforeful of the i'll o
toned potatoes, and trotted off on her
little bare notified legs to the cabin.
WELL" 1 said, en~couragingly, ANY
how, you have a pretty child"
"Arrah! the divil sweep all the beauty
in Munster! I'd rather the pig had a
stone more fat on her than all the chill
der were Vanuses!" said Patsey with
what seemed to me undue heat.
Butt said, dispassionately. beauty
has its price in the world as well rs fat,
and pretty children are as cheap to
rear as ugly ones"
Look here, yer honor" said Patsey,
disposing of the balance of his body
against the spade more restfully. II
wonst was a great admoirer of beauty
intoirely; the divil such an oye for
beauty was to be found in the county
Tipperary as Patsey Hennessy's. When
/ was a young man every Sunday l
was dancin' at the crossroads wild all
the beautifullest gurls in the barony;
I'd go miles, l tell yer honor, for to step
a heel and toe wild one of EN-. Only she
must be purity; the ugly ones had no
chance wild me at all at all. Many's the
tonne I've seen gurls wild big fortunes
cows and pigs-and ven Mary Han
ton, whose father owned a threshin'
machine, perkin' themselves up and
smirkin' to intoice me to dance wild 'em.
All. do you think I'd demane myself?