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

1t took him to think Of himself and himself
only all the time; forget Ireland, it's Pat
ricks days an its poverty. ! did that. And
so signs on 1t, Myles Mcguire, the poor del
icate child that then jumped onto quay
at the foot Of New York with his belong
ms under his arm and twenty-five shillin's
and sixpence ha-penny in his pocket, Is
now Mr.. Myles Mcguire, contractor and
builder. honored and respected, and wan Of
the leadin' men in his line in New York
city. with several hundred men In his en-
ploy and bank account that I'll say
nothin' of bekase I'm not boastin' man.
Gaytgan, there's an example for yer foolish
Irish to copy afther. What do We SEE to
that. Gavigan?'
Johnnie as he stroked his beard did
not reply audibly, but he was thinking
am only poor clerk myself, worth
just SIG week, and with a wife and fam
lily and struggle with the wurrr always
on me hands-yet Myles Mcguire, with the
big bank account and no wan In the wurrl'
to fret about but yerseif / would cry bit
theriy II 1 was compelled to swap places
with you. an have to take over your heart
into the bargain
Johnnie Gavisan was. of course, one of
the foolish Irish.
"A gloryus day. this, for the procession,
sir" Myles Mcguire was standing on the
rear platform of Broadway car, and by
way of reply to the remark scowled Sc
verely at the conductor who made It, and
scowled at the bunch of shamrocks he
sported In his cap. The conductor, quite
disconnected. whistled up God Save Ire
land" and repeated the remark to the next
turn on 14th street the conductor sang out,
Hold fast!' after Mr.. Mcguire had only
just saved himself from being thrown or
the car, Mr.. Mcguire felt he would like to
with his little bunch in his hand coming
on the car. here raised his hat to the sham
rock. whereat Mr.. Mcguire muttered some
thing tmpolite and fumed inwardly az If
personal insult had been flung In his face
And maybe" he added to himself, that
poor fool hasn't the second quarter to rub
against the first" A few blocks farther
an old woman. who had been helped on by
a policeman, fixing her eyes on the sham
rock, muttered a prayer in Gaelic. The
conductor plucked from his hat a sprig of
the shamrock Though 1t cost him a pang)
and presented 1t to the old woman who
kissed it passionately. Mr. Mcguire. dis
daining even to convey an order to the
conductor himself pulled the cord and
bounced POI from on, the car at the next corner
D-n yez alli he said I'll walk IT." He
did walk 1t. But the reverence of that poor
workingman and the passionate love of that
old woman for a bit Of a green weed preyed
upon ms mlnd.preyed upon it. Here am
L, Myles Mcguire. contractor and builder.
and rich man. without either time or incl,
nation for this-this-d-d nonsense. ana
there's people as poor as God made them.
they-O- On II air. Flung out from win
dows were green flags, to which the burIv
DRIVERS OF two wagons raised their hats as
| tney passed. their eyes dancing with some
sleerul remembrance. Most of the wagon
ers mad stuck upon their horses harness
Httie green hags each of which represented
Two schooners Of lager beer foregone Ho-
iel waters. motormen, hundreds of hurry.
ing loot passengers, sported some niaca ri
\ sIeeh-a very Few, with pardonable pride
| Iispiayed the shamrock. The brightness nj
| me morning seemed, in the eyes of ali
\ .nsse. 70 piend with the brightness of heart
| IN shone out. And, strangely, the very
\ poorest seemed to sport as bright a faca nc
/ the most well-to-do.
| Mr.. Myles Mcguire. contractor and build.
| er. and rich man. could not help seeing this
| though he would like to have shut botf
! his eyes and his heart to 1t all. Myies re-
| membered how poor devil with whom he
| worked ages ago used to excite his sarcas
| tic laughter by declaring that haIf-an
| ounce of happiness was worth a wagon-loat
| of gold. And now here were many poo,
| devils with nought but their bare hands be-
| tween them land starvation, and the sur
| was on their faces and in their hearts: We
/ here was he, with his money bags and fol
/ twenty-five years he had not known how
| to smile! Evidently these people were In.
| boring under the delusion that money diS
not mean everything, and was not the ain
| and end Of existence. Somewhere there wa.
J something radically wrong, Myies Maguir,
| confessed to himself.
AT the Victor building on 23d street anf
4th avenue, which sported the sign "Myle
| Mcguire, contractor and builder" the mel
| had momentariiy stopped work to shy cent
and nickels and couple OF dimes at q dirt,