The Butler weekly times., 1897-12-23
Mrs. MuIcrarv's Christmas Pig

HY0m Inc Outu NO"pebIOu
The feud between Widow Mul-
crsry and the railroad began on the
unfortunate day that Patsy stayed
At home from school to mind the
geese.
.'Patsy," she siad that morning;
IL have to 60 to Mrs. Gray's to do
washing the day, and I'm thinking
you will stay at home and mind the
geese while they feeda bit. There's
fine good grass in the field beyant,
and it's a shame to shut thin up
while it lasts. Jamsje, by, yell be
telling the t'acher."
"But what'il say, mithei?' asked
Jamsie.
Mrs. Mulcrary pondered a mo.
ment for speech that would be
sufficiently dignifed. Say, is it,"
she replied. "Just say that Mrs.
Mulcrary has the honor to presint
her complimints to Miss Wllliams;
that it is distasteful to her intirely,
but circumstan ces are such that
she's needing the services of her
SOD, Patrick for the one day, and
would she be so good as to oblige
her wid e1cusing that same"
The length of this and the ele-
gance of the language was too much
for Jamsie, bat he struggled man.
fully to repeat it. MRS. Mulcrary
presints her son Patrick to Miss
Williams. The services is distaste.
full to her intirely, and the compli'
ments are such-sure. mither, what
does it all maue?"
Mrs. Mulcrary was holding up
both hands in mingled amazement
and laughter at the strange jumble
into which Jamsie had thrown her
studied language. Ibid ye bear the
bosthoon!' she exclaimed. "Indade,
I don't know what that names mesilf.
Here, Jamsie, by, sit on my knee till
tell it tye again. Mrs. Mulcrary
presints her compliments" she re-
peated. But Jamsie could not mas
ter the large words, and finally the
mother kissed him and put him
down with. "There, laddie, don't ye
mind. Iudade, it's not the words
at all that matter. It's just thu
smile in yer eye whin ye say thin
Just tell her that Patsy has to helE
the mither the day"
+ So Jamsie repeating the message
to himself that he might not forge
it, trotted soberly to school; Mrs
Mulcrary, with parting injunction t
Patsy about the geese, went to he
work; and Patsy drove the grea
eander, Finn-ma-cool, and his focl
up into the meadow that stretched
from the house up to the railroa'
cut, through which trains sped roar
ing down the grade toward the city
Don't let thin stray awsy iron
ye, Patsy, avick," she had said; "an'
! have an eye for the pig, the crathel
he'll be coming fat now for tn
Christmas killing, and mistrus
he'll be getting on the track if b
can do that same, for sure the fenc
is that bad you could t'row feathe
pillows through it. Mind ye. Pats
now, if anything happens to the pi
we'll have no Christmas dinner"
The rowing habits of the Chris
mas pig were largely due to Ii
leniency of Mrs. Mulcrary. She ha
been but two years in America, an
\ she had been brought up in cou'
! try where thu pig, like the geese an
/ the chickens, had free run of tt
/ farm; so here it was her custom
allow him daily outing. This th
pig learned to expect, and if nj
N. loosed at the usual time would ofte
Y get out himself.
Il On the death of her husband IL
widow had pluckily taken up Il
battle OF life. She understood Il
management of geese and pigs, Il
planting Of potatoes, and all tt
little thrifts and economies that {
to make up Irish country life; 81
worked hard at washing; and 30 sl
kept the wolf from the door, ,
khouoh bo lurta1 povcr vorv