Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-10

great deal blacker and sterner. He read 1t
again aloud for the benefit of little old
Johnnie Gavigan. his clerk, and his tone
was cuttingiy sarcastic:
Dear Mr.. Mcguire: Next Thursday, you
will remember, is Patrick's day. The men
are pressing me for a holiday. or at least
a half holiday. Two-thirds of them belong
to societies that take part in the process
sion. and some of the men are expected to
be there officially. 1 would like to give
them their wish. Won't you please approve?
We have progressed so well with the build
ing since the beginning of February that
We can easily afford it. There is now no
doubt but that we will have it finished cas-
fly before the expiration of the contract
time. Please reply at once, saying that /
have your approval. Faithfully,
PATRICK ALOTSIUS OROURKE."
"Gavigan. Pathrfck A1oysius O'Rourke
il too id impudent to have the nose on
him to ask such a thing. And he thinks,
too l can't see through him. He's thrans-
parent as a dry goods wnda to me. The
scoundrel means that he wants to sthrad-
die to some old crate of horse. the leav-
irgs of livery stable, and wave a square
yard of green calico alongside that pro-
cession on Pathrick's day. What do you
think of such mortal impudence, Gavigan?"
Poor Johnnie curled up within himself,
for he had been done the immortal honor of
being named marshal for that day; he
had put past enough money to hire horse,
and he had been trying to muster up
enough courage to ask Mr.. Mcguire for the
holiday He shrunk in his shell and did
not reply.
Write ORourke at once these words
and sen them be a messenger: I'd see you
and the two-thirds of the men who are
big fools as yourself id first. 1 am
going up there myself on Thursday to see
how many men will be dismissed to the
for al inc hair xx-nr
Have You that down? If that procession
of out-Cf-works. lazy devils and tom-fools
goes along 23d street, and If one of your
men lifts the tail of their eye to look at
them Ill be there to order you give him
his dismissal Let Pathrick Aloysius
put that in his pipe and smoke it"
Johnnie Gayigan sighed deeply, but soft
'.211 Broadway, Tuesday Morning.
Dear Mr. O'Rourke-Much as l should
wish 1t otherwise, l regret extremely that
1 cannot possibly afford to let the men get
a holiday on the occasion of the coming
festival which. as Irishmen, we all honor.
/ sincerely trust the good men and true
who on that day turn out to do honor to
ST. Patr.ck and ireland will be favored with
glorious weather and that the procession
will surpass-if that be possfble-those of
former years in numbers, responsibility,
order and general eciat.
Very sincerely yours,
'.MYLES MAGJTRE.'
Mr. Mcguire. contractor and builder. had
Deem knitting MS DTOWS ever dnpIneT letter
while Johnnie Gavfgan was, with clamor-
Gus pen, scratching the foregoing.
''Cavigan," said he, the wurrf is going
mad
might have been expected by this piece of
amazing inteIiigen"e-and for the good rea-
son that his master had been springing 1t
on him every morning for the last twenty
five years.
just read that
Johnnie took over the documentary evil
dence, first impressions from which only
tended 10 prove that the world was going
tnkv and going smoky. Where blobs of ink
did not conceal it, the paper displayed that
rich yellow coating which IS only to be OBJ
tanned by careful seasoning In g. caoln
where a considerable quantity of the turf
smoke, instead Of going out as Intended by
the chimney craWls and creeps and curls,
with loving fondness, around the household
gods before making its exit by the de-
ficiency at the door head. The "Reminiscences
that from the document penetrated john
MES nostriIs brought big tear into MS
eve: the roar of Broadway died suddenly,
Myles Maguire's Office melted away, and
Johnnie a gossoon, barefoot, ragged ana
happy, was a siostOg of straw by turf fre
in little smoky cabin on an lrish hllislae,
and n clear-skinned, bright-faced woman
in a linen cap was spinning and grooming
scft song in Gaelic. All
''Gavigan, wake up or what the dlVll are
ye dhreamin aboutF asked Se W ieao
Johnrie started And he read with some
difhculty. the caIigraphy was certainly i'm
nature:
"Corraclamp Upper,
Meenadhring z. o.,
County of Tyrone,
June the 8, 1893.
.Daar JTnckte Myles-I take up my pen
IN write YOU these few lines, hoping II will
find YOU as thank God it leevs US at present
in the best of helth except wee Jamie
has the hOop-and-coff. Unckle Myles l
20 to school to Master Rainey every
Gay in my l!fe and he says l am
notorayus scollar and that L was born to
be a priest, which 1 want to be very bad.
But. Of course, my poor father he has not
the rnuney to spare TO make a priest out OF
me Michael Burns Of Tullvalt that was
fn America 10 yeers and five in PencilVainy,
saws it is far cheeper to be priest In the
states So as every one comes home tells
how rich Unckle Miles Is. l thought l
would ask you to lay my passage out
there and would then soone erh ehousn
Of money to get priested. and | would say
my first mass then for you and l would pay
back my passage muney very soone. Dear
Unckle wont you please too send me IT,
tha parish priest of New York some day
please God. My father he cant give me my
passage rnuney for you know he has a
hard struggil and the spotty COW the one
we called the Master bckase she had a
prowd walk with her just like Master Raj
ney she got elfshot on the hill a month
agoe and died. and we have only Horny
left. My mother she uSt always say Wneh
Was Wee that she would like to see
her wee Denoch a priest, but she stopt
tockfng of ii now this many years she
doesn't kno / am writing to you for my
passage or she wouldn't let me, for asked
her 10 let ne write to you for the lone OF
some muney 10 buy another cow and to
buy her dress and she got very angry
with me and then bust into crying. and
she went down to the room and cried q long
time with the dore shut. ] will be IL yeers
next bonfire night. and l a. able big
fellow and able work hard in America
send you all our loves and my mothers
love. for ! kno she would send 1t for she
always gives out a prair for you every
night when we are AT the Rosary, for God
10 guard. guide and prosper unckle Myles,
and keep his heart right Write soone. AND
! Law down my pen and ink and remain.
Your affectionit nefew.
''Donoch McAteer.
'P. S-PIease write soon"
When Johnnie Gavigan laid down the let
ter he inserted knuckle under each glass
of his spectacIes, and forced something out
o. his clinking eyes. though his employer
glared fercely at him.
Sir" said he with bold courage that
estounded Myles Mcguire, what answe,
will / give? Or. suppose you prefer &c
answer that yourself? Can l get you 6
draft?'
"Gavigan'-and all of poor Johnnie's i'm.