The Princeton union., 1896-10-22
A Fairy THORN.

SottitSe Ill 1IeI;luu. LIE. was uOC quite
alone either, for before his son sailed
he had sent home very small boy,
saying in brief note that the little
fellows name was also Shaun and that
if his father did not want to keep
him he should send him back. Young
Shaun would wait two weeks to re-
-ceive him. 1t the youngster did not
appear within that time his father
would understand that his grandfather
zmeant to keep him and would emigrate
without further delay. The boys
mother was dead. From these State
;ments it will be inferred that the old
lnan and his son were not ''on terms" :"
In fact there had been quarrel, but
that had nothing more to do with this
story. The grandfather did not send
the boy back and no more was heard
of young Shaun for fifteen years.
Shaun, the youngest, grew up duti-
was spirited, but he had none Of his
fathers wildness, and the old man
and he were, like Pip and Joe Gargery,
lever the best OF friends.'
The old Shaun talked to him often
9about his father, and naturally the boy
thought much Of the father he had
never seen. He was thinking Of him
one morning in the course of one Of
mis- habitual strolls about the neigh
borhood when his meditations were
Broken in upon by hearty voice hail
Eing him from across the dyke. He
hooked up to see a tall, sturdy man,
edressed in what seemed to young
Shaun very fine clothes indeed; and
:Sporting brilliant gold watch chain
across the somewhat broad eNpanse Of
lhiS Waistcoat. Shaun liked the man
:ins tinctively. He had an honest, good
J'lmored face, and his eyes twinkled
a trrily under their twin thatches Of
Ejushy hair.
God save you,' said the stranger,
a. which young Shaun answered in the
quaint delightful Irish fashion, "GOd
save ye kindly"
Then the stranger asked for old
Shaun, and, on being told that he was
at the fair, stepped over the dyke and
engaged the lad in conversation. He
was a most entertaining man, this gor-
xeously dressed wayfarer; and, almost
before he knew it young Shaun was
eagerly condding in him all his small
trials and tribulations. The big man
laughed peculiarly over the longing of
his boy friend to explore the valley;
but he looked grave enough when told
of old Shaun's sorrow, and how the
aged farmer pined for his lost son.
Presently he smiled again and asked
the boy why his grandfather had never
visited the ''Tree Of the Lost Chill
.dren.''
Young Shaun started. He had never
heard Of any ''Tree of the Lost Chill
~dren"
"What!' exclaimed the stranger.
Sand you a Slievecarney boy! Never
heard tell Of the famous tree?"
Young Shaun shook his head. "Tell
me about it," he whispered eagerly.
"Why,' said his new friend, sitting
beside the listening lad, "'tis an old,
old story * The tree is fairy
blackthorn; and it stands on the very
top of the hills beyond where the
fairy rath is. They say that Saint
Patrick blessed it, and promised that
If ever son OF daughter came to be car
ried off to Fairyland or leave their
parents roof tree that tree should be
their trysting place. For, if the sOr-
rowing father or mother should make
q voyage to the tree at the full Of the
moon and call three times upon the
missing child the lost would straight
way be fond.
In old times many and many
a lost child was found at the fairy
blackthorn; but people are getting for
Eetful in Ireland nowadays, and sup
bose even your grandfather has forgot
ten the Tree Of the Lost Children
II will tell him. cried young Shaun.
%I'll make him go there when he comes
back-this very night he'll go there"
"Aye, avick; do so," said the stran-
ger; and it was noticeable that the
more he talked the more his accents
lost the polish Of travel and became
instinct with the brogue of Ireland.
Young Shaun insisted upon having
full particulars regarding the exact po-
sition of the fairy tree, and would
doubtless have kept his kindly inform
ant by the dyke-side all the afternoon
had not the latter's keen eyes discern
ed the figure of man toiling up the
hill road.
ais not that your grandfather?" he
asked, and young Shaun recognizing
the bent back and blue coat, answered
that it was Then the stranger rose,
saying that he must perforce continue
his journey, and left the lame boy in
q condition half of joy and half Of
doubt.
No sooner were he and his grand
father seated over their dinner than
young Shaun plunged into the great
news Of the day.
"Gran'dad," he asked, ''have ye ever
heard tell O. the Tree O the Lost Chill
iren?'"
The old man started slightly. AVE."
he mumbled. "'Tis an ould wife's
story. I had forgot, I'm thinkin.'"
'There was a gentleman here to-day,
then," continued young Shaun, volu-
bly,, ''that knew all about it. =
He tould me to tell you that if you
went there and called out my dads
name three times, the lost would be
found, an dad would come back to us
again"
Old Shaun had risen and was trem-
bling, his lack-luster eyes fixed upon
the boy.
s'Will ye go to the fairy tree, gram
dad"' demanded the boy.
For minute the farmers face
.seemed to light up; then the old gloom
tesettled upon it, and he sank back
upon the oaken settee.
'"Tis an ould wife's tale, avick," he
said + eyer father is gone for
over I'm afeared''