Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-01-07
THE WEE PRIEST.

to any one If he could avoid 1t and seemed
to care for companionship but that of
his pet goa. One day however, he made
a friend.
In front O. the weo priests whitewasbed
cottage was n bit of garden, containing
two fuchsia bushes and some cabbages,
and outside the garden was strip of com
mon land. 1t was here that he kept his
pet and took his daily exercise. 1t was
here, too, that he first met his friend.
One day he was walking on the COM
mon, with his eyes fixed on the ground
and his thoughts in heaven, as was usual
with him Heaven is long way from
Ballycrook, and thoughts that wander
there are loath to return; so 1t happened
that the wee priest was quite unconscious
Of q little figure that stood In his path
until he found himself on the point Of up
setting it. He then realized that it had
been waiting for him. 1t was the kind of
little figure that had not hitherto entered
very notably into his life. 1t had curly
hair and big, blue eyes, and 1t was about
s years old. This was Ely, the daughter
of the colonel
cite my shoe" said ELY, lifting up a
tiny foot
The wee priest hesitated. He was al
ways slow to take in u new idea
"Tie my shoe!' repeated Ely imperious.
", waving her foot in the air to draw at
tention to 1t and nearly tumbling into "a
whin bush. The priest looked around for
help in his extremity, but there was no
one in sight. His chubby face grew GRIM
son with embarrassment, for tying the
shoestrings of colonies daughters had not
come into the curriculum of his college,
but he bravely knelt down and did as he
was hidden 1t took him some time and
made him Wy warm, but he rose with
sense of achievement. Eily's nurse cut
the string later in the day.
Presently the wee priest found himself
walking along the common with n little
pink hand clasping one of his fingers. 1t
felt very odd but he had heard of such
things being done, and the blue eyes that
looked up at him appeared quite calm, as
though there was nothing abnormal In tne
situation. SO he introduced her to the
goat and gave her sprig of fuchsa.
81 likes 90 4" said Ely when she was
going away TIE cumming adam. "
If you please said the priest politely.
1t was fully an hour before his thoughts
went buck to heaven.
Ely came aeain often The children of
BaAycrook W neither rich or poor, are early
independent, Tor they are among friends,
and so the culun,l's daughter left her
,,o;,tod ~ .ba, nriro INV, ,.ro Che ,,1;,,l,.
h,,,,,o,, 80 ,nnot uor,isi., ~ ,ho ,r,,i,,
,rasha,, cn,tano ~, NO c,,,,,,,or boc,r,a Tho
49,, ;,t,i,,,,,,,,t ,,ni.,i ~ H.
1iI.ae ava 1iz1ilos zero 1T, nos. a ,o,h;.
irteros,s lilo h,a , fir+ ra,,i,isc.pco of
a,,ir,, e,,,,,+s ri. cbiIdbool o,,d MI,
-, H." ta,,t. s1,a -, ,ha,.i,,a
sbor, ava fa,,,d ,Go,x,,orj,na,t s,,coos,f,,
xiv had :, ,ye.lross for hri,ht coIors so
10 5,,c,, h;s h,,as.os I'D H., ,,,od ,.au
80, o,'i p =, - I,;i ,..a.,ra,
r., a,d ,,ic,-ad tha,, She also fod tho
r..,, ,,'ith ,ho roo rries,,s di,,er
All the autnmn their friendsbin f,eenen.
ed. They never si,oks very much Int
Whenever The priest walked ON the common
Ely trotted mt his side and tho mink fist
was onite at home now doubled nm inside
,ns band Blu, he
were confined ia Quick constitution,l
under suneryisjon. and the wee nrjest wait.
ed in vain for his friend till his face grew
wistful When The snow came. he gave nm
hoping. But he reckoped without his
pnest who WAS person of resourcs
He WAS sitting alone one day tbouuht.
fnI1v striking a woollv lamb on whc.ls
which he and Eily used sometimes tn ,]raw
sound tho ,.rd.n by n stripo ~ honra
sbufflina noise on the doors,ep and Ei,v
herself walked in She was cbnckl;no
"I'ze ranned AWAY. she said beamino
Then she stated her business.
"Make n snow man "
The wee nriest shudde,ed Ie xvou,d
have nreferr,, pIaviny with the vooI,v
lamb by the flreside. But he had come far
since the dav tbot he was dannted bv 81
shoestrinp. and experjepce had tangbt him
nromnt ohedienco So be fetcbed Lis srada
meekiy
Here" said ELY standing In front NJ
the door, "We,u have him inst hare
fink. where he can sea 20 froo the win.
dow For n mom.nt tho Woo ,r;ost Y,o,
staggered Public oninion is strong In