Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-11-12

~ put his hand on the
-& load, and, looking
~ down on n G
~9 ground, as the cart
~ moved up the hill,
held his whip over his right shoulder
"Poor john" he said to himself
$50 I'll never see you agrin!' He
was thinking of his oldest son who,
five years before, had left home for
Australia, and last night came the
news of his death. And Thomas, too,
the youngest, who had gone to
America, the ct of his father and
mother, but ungrateful, hadtaken the
price of two fat bullocks that he
sold ut the fair, the day he left, aud
never returned even to say good-by
The thought of child's ingratitude
always hurts u fathers heart, aud
Michael was thinking of this when he
came to the top of the hill, and, sod
of turf falling, he stopped the horse
to throw it up OH the load. AS he
reached down for the sod the light of
the public house across the way
flashed ont into the road, the publican,
Martin Haney, just lighting his lights.
"nere WAS time in his yong days
when Michael O'Neil drank hard
but he had changed. and not tasted
spirits for twenty years. never, Sine.
the day he walked fifteen miles to
Moate, to take the pledge from the
hands of Father Mathew, had he
drunk ~ drop OF strong drink. So
much OF Il dislike had Michael for u
puo!ic house where drink was sold
,ha; he would not now, not for the
VOID, have stopped the horse; even
for u sod of turf, before the doc. OF
Martin Haney. 1t is a, ways good to
break from bad habit, but better not
to fall into one, for road once walked
on is easy to tread again, especially
if it was traversed at first when
we were young. And so with
Michael O'Neil now. For score
of years lie had not been tempt
ed, but this night he had been feeling
bad, aud could ne not go in aud drown
his sorrow III ut least one glass? As
he thought OF this he put his hand
into his pocket for the money to buy
the dram. But there was none there.
lie was walking up to the door while
doing this. aud was near the step
when he found himself pulled from
behind. Three down jerks Of his coat
made him look around, and he found
that his horse and load OF turf were
gone. He had heard no noise, and it
was all done in moment.
Michael was startled. He did net
know what to do. He stepped few
PAGES further on and climbed up big
rock on the side of the road that was
ON the top of the hill. the light of
Martin Haney's windows all the time
upon him. 1t was now very dark,
and the bog land below and the Hill OF
Hart beyond were quite lost to his
sight.
.Ie stood there looking into the
night for moment, when there came
bright light from out of the sky that
lit up all the scene---the bog of An
Len, the River Doun aud the Hill Of
Hart 1t was blazing star that came
down from the sky, and shooting to
the centre Of the bog beside the dead
wafer made from the digging en- the
peat, where was his horse and cart,
the whole bog was alive with fairies.
They were running for the cart. as the
star lighted them, and it falling, rest
ed dazzling thing OF light on the
load of turf. As it did 30 the heavens
darhened again, but the star kept
bright the bog. Now the fairy king,
sitting upon his little horse, cried to
his men. ut must be done quickly,
before the moon rises" And with
that he jumped from his horses back
right into the centre of the star. As
ne did SO, there was less light, and
now Michael thought it was time to
run for his cart and horse.
Down the steep hill and across the
hog at full speed he went, the light of
the star all the time growing less and
less, and the fairy king growing
smaller and smaller. until, as he
reached the cart and the bright edge
vi tut ChhC oNCI thC NH, ~ iit
only small piece of silver on the top
SOL Of turf--perhaps the very sod
that Michael had flung up when at the
top of the hill. He stood on the
wheel, aud reaching for it, found it
very hot in his hand. Tossing it
from one palm to the other, however,
while it cooled, he found it was II
crown, and, putting it in his pocket,
thought again of the drink. For now
had he not the money to buy it?
1t was we'll known to Michael-his
mother had told him of it when he
was learning to walk--that the FAIRIES
never did anything that was wrong;
that the name given them long ago,
"s.he good people," was given in
"lirnist," and no one ever yet was
hurt. or led astray or to do IL wrong
nc. oy fairy.
So now, when he felt him self helped
mp on tae cart and the reins put into
his hands, and the horse was moving
slowly along to the road without q
word from him-when he saw all this
ne felt tina. the fairies were doing il
Tor good purpose.
Why tae horse should go 50 easy
over tle bog surprised him, until he
looked back and saw that there were,
perhaps, u hundred little men push
ing at the cart--the first against the
cart and the rest against HIM. At the
road voice came out OF the thicket
xvIy q