The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-11-21
THE WORTH OF NJ
BY NORMAN GARsT1N.

-
IN spite of his half century of years
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
tained 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
fnl look he would scen over the sly and
appraise the probable value Of "the
little slip Of a pig against the fair
day Of CasheI, or sit on the "ditcho at
the ross roads on sunduy discussing
Observation-Disclosures Buyg-=aT more
pr less detected and supine-looking.
Good morning, Patsey," SAID /, as I
passed, or would have passed, had 1
not felt that perhaps half an hour with
Patsey might be profitable to me, and 1
knew that it would not deprive him
81 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
eOus inaction, as if to say: s'To work,
sir, while you are by, would be an inn
p~oliteness."
Fine growing weather, Patsey,' /
said, ~cheerfully.
THE grandest at all, sor, glory to
God" said Patsey, enthusiastically then
reiapsing into his native gloom, he add
ed: But the praties are ali black with
4he blight, bad scrant to it!''
@Not good this year?" I hazarded.
70, the divil a worst I ever see, sor.
When we put the pot out on the table at
dinner tonne, yer honor-'tis the truth
Tn 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 q dale to brighten a pig from
her vittles at male tonne"
Dear me-" I said, rather inadequate
", shat 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 IN 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 praties, ashore,
and bring them in to the woman agin
the dinner"
Very soon the small person had
picked up a pinaforeful of the ilLcondi-
stoned potatoes, and trotted off on her
little bare notified legs to the cabin.
Well" I said, encouragingIy, "any-
how, you have a pretty child"
"Arrahi the diyil sweep all the beauty
Ia Munsteri I'd rather the pig had a
STONE more int on her than all the chill
der were Vanusesl" said Patsey with
what seemed to me undue heat.
But, : I said, dispassionately, beauty
4sas its price in the world as well as fat.
and pretty children are as cheap to
ea as ugly ones"
Look here, yer honor" said Patsey,
rispcsing Of the balance of his body
against the spade more restfully. Il
wopst was q great admoirer OF beauty
1ntoirelys the diyil such an ' for
beauty was to be found in the county
1ippetary as Patsey Heunessy's. When
4 was 9 young man every Sunday /
FFas daucin' at the crossroads wild all
she beautifullest gurls in the barony;
I'd 60 miles, I tell yer honor, for to step
q heel and toe wild one Of EN-. Only She
suat be purtyf the ugly ones had no
chance sid me at all at all. Many's the
feine I've seen garIs wild big fortunes
ZcoN and pi-and even Mary Ham
M whose father owned a threshin
MAeasnes perkin themselves up and
nl4kip to intoice me to dance wild EN-.
Az, 90 Jon think ia aemane myself