The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-21

RAvENING JAWS.
afterwards she came rushing back ut
tering terrified lamentations, whereof
the burden seemed TO be: "It's n tiger
sheep" Her report could no longer
be disregarded, and the rest of the FAM
lily were presently grouped round the
low wall Of the little lean-to shed,
which did really contain an inmate of
extraordinary aspect. Its form was
that of newly-shorn sheep, long
legged and lank-bodied like others OF
its race, but in colorlng altogether ex-
ceptional. Boldly marked stripes OF
black and tawny yellow alternated all
over it, with a brilliant symmetry not
surpassed by the natural history
chromograph which famed on the wall
OF Rathfesh national school, and which
now required TO little Molly's mind in
conjunction with the fact that the
wearer of the striated skin "was a cruel
savage, wicked baste, that would be
swallyin' all before it," whereupon she
had shrieked: "Iigcr-sheep!" and fed
from ravening jaws.
Her parents and grandparents, on the
contrary, stood and surveyed the phe-
nomenon with almost unutterable
wrath. Traces Of human hand in its
production were plain enough, for the
beast had been fastened into the stye
by rope round her neck. which was
further ornamented with long braclen-
fronds and tufts OF curiously colored
wool, studiously grotesque. In fact,
had she been mercilessly endowed with
"the giftie," she would no doubt have
suffered from a modification as acute
as was that Of her owners, instead of
trotting off quite satisfied, when once
she was released and at liberty to re-
sumo her fastidious nibbling among
the dewy tussocks.
That's some divilment of the O'Far-
rells, and the back of me hand TO the
whole Of them!" said Neil McNeill.
with clenched eyebrows. Themselves
and their blamed impidence, and their
stinkin' brashes! The old woman's
niver done boilin' them up for her wool.
It's slung about her head, I wish they
were, sooner than TO be used for mis-
thratin' other peoples dacint bastes."
"Deed, now, thrue for you," said his
mother. "Sure wasn't she tcllin' mo
herself yesterday evenin' she'd been
busy all day gettin' her yarn dyed agin
che would be knittin' the boys their
socks? Gad'rin the sut she said she
was this good while. That's the way
they done it--och the vagabonds."
"It's bad job" said old Joe McNeill.
shaking his despondent white head.
'T wouldn't ever ha' thought II of
them" said Mrs. Neil. "On'y them
boys is that terrible wild. goodness for
give them, there's no dcmented notion
they mayn't take into their heads. But
shat at all could we do for the mis-
sJrt'nit crathur? Sure it's distressful
80 see her goin' about that scandalous
figure. I can't abide the sight of her"
Our bogland dyes, however, are very
fast, and for many n day that summer
Mrs. Neil had TO endure the apparition
cs the O'Farrell's victim. who. of course,
Ncame a painfully conspicuous object
on the hillside. where she roamed bliss
fully unaware Of how her owners eyes
followed her with gloomy resentment
and Of how their neighbor's children.
catching up Molly's cry. shouted one
20 another. derisively: "Och. look at
McNcills' tiger Sheep" But long and
long after the parti-colored fleece had
vanished for good and all, the enccts
of the outrage continued to make them
selves felt in the social life of Meena-
clure. where il must bc owned that the
inhabitants are rather prone TO keep
their grudges in the same time-proof
wallet with their gratitudcs. And the
grudges, somehow, often seem 10 tic
atop. In this case, moreover, the IN
jury had an especial bitterness. because
the McNeills came OF an old sheep
keeping class. whose little flock was nm
inheritance handed down, dwindling,
through many generations; and whose
main interests and activities had time
out Of mind turned upon wool. so that
everything connected with 70 had ac-
qurcd in their eyes the peculiar sane
tty with which we often invest
the materials and implements belong
inr 10 our own craft. A chimney sweep
has probably some feeling Of disinter-
csted regard for his bags and brushes
Accordingly sheep were TO them n se-
rious, almost solemn subject, alto
gethcr- unsnitable for Q prSctical joke.