The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-03

We were standinE-Dan Wilson and
--on the bridge thai spans the plat
forms of clogheen station, just leaning
IDLY upon a parapet and passing duh
time. 1t was chill. wet day in De-
Gerber. one OF the last days of the year
1889. Twilight was faIIi-.g rapidly
through the mists. Above US the roof
stretched black and grim; below the
platforms lay cherries and deserted,
with the rails cleaning between them
out and away to the shivering fields.
There seemed no i.Spe in the world,
just then. no light and no cheer; one
telt, standing there. as If shut within
prlsoA bars away from all bounty OF
life.
In = while the street door slammed
behind us, feet sounded on the flags,
f-nd two figures passed out below the
bridge and slowly went UP the plat
form; a man carrying a rude bundle,
woman carrying a child and bas-
ket- They were the only figures OF the
platform and naturally ones eyes fol-
lowed them as they went. Dan, be
side me. grunted ekpressively, pulled
his soft hat over his eyes, and leaning
his chin upon the parapet, watched
them keeniy
DO you know them?" said I.
II do" came back. keep an eye
their way"
It wanted yet some ten minutes or
so minutes are of small account on
Irish railways) of the up trains time;
and discovering this by means of the
station clock, the two put down bundle
and basket and stood waiting by the
bOokstall, the man with his back to-
ward US. the woman facing us in the
lamplight. Distinctly now one had
view of them and of all their doings.
The man was q tall. upright fellow
of the farming class, dressed in tweeds.
patched OvercCat. peaked cap and
heavy boots, his trousers heavy with
mud, his back splasbed TO the collar,
clay pipe in his mouth and a switch in
his hand. His face one could not see,
but the wOman's stood out clear below
her fimsy hat-and the sight of it was
not inspiriting. 1t was pale and drawn,
with a bruise showing upon one cheek,
overlooking with grief or suffering, the
eyes heavy as with weeping, the lips
tight and quivering. In the sunshine
maybe il had been winsOme; now in
the gloom and glare It looked tragic.
Her whole bearing was lis cless and
weary; she seemed stricken of hope
lessncss and she rocked This way and
that, as il hushing the child. with the
ceaseless monotory of one fearing de-
spair. She seldom spoke. hardly once
looked her companion in the face: just
waiting and suffering. she seemed TO
stand, listening and watching. count
ing precious minutes Of time But the
man stood impressive before her; stolid,
you might think as an OK.
Suddenly a bell tinkled somewhere,
a signal dropped heavily, the station
master. in his silk hat and braided coat,
stalked out on the platform; two car
drivers, a porter and a policeman
strOlled into the gloom, and with that
the woman stepped nearer to the man.
so that her arms touched his, and
looked up in his face. She was crying,
one could see; speaking passionately.
one could guess. What was she say
ingI Why was she weeping What
had she done, or what was in store,
that she should act so. should plead
so. should strip the shawl frora her
child and passionateIy kiss its face,
should waste her tears on that OK of
yOkel? Hastily. and touched with
much pity. l turned to Dan. question
ing HIM eagerly. Who was she?
asked. What had she done? What
was going to happen2 And for answer
came the thunder of the train below
our feet and the grinding of it up along
the platform.
All was now confusion down there
for litt'~ while. the porter calling the
policeman stalking, the car drivers
shouting, a passenger or two hurrying
in ana out. and clearly above the hiss
Of stem and tramp of feet one heard
the sound of wailing, that bitter sound
WhicF goes up 50 often among Irish
hills. "Ah, goodby, James" came the
voice, clear and broken, piteOus and
stricken. "GoOdby. EoOdby. Ye forgive
me. don't We? An. say We dot" Through
the gloon one had sight of the two
the man standing with his bundle by
an open carriage door. the woman
clinging to him with one arm and hold
ing her child with the other. James"
she cried. 4 may never see We again.
All, say We dOi' Her voice came plead
ing and wailing. From the windows
curious faces looked toward her, anu a
little group behind her whispered and
nodded. But the man stood impressive.
one foot raised. a hand on the carriage
GoOr. his head bent-then, even as the
guard raised his whistle. flung in his
bundle turned and spread his arms.
All, goodby, James God bless ye-
God bless YET"
"Goodby Mary. goOdby-"
Just a moment they stood silent; then
a bang and a shrek. a frantic wave of
the hand and shout from the window;
and Mary stood alone in the gloom.
For a while Dan and / were silent
upon the parapet. Then said 1, care
lessly as I might:
An emigrant, I suppose
No. a reservist.
"Ohi OF 10 join his regiment. Poor
fellow" said l. and with the words
Dan turned quickly.
Poor fellow Arrah. what about
him? Dye imagine 1 care button for
his feelin's2 Net mot l. is herself,
said Dan. nOdding toward the lonely
figure that still stood looking through
the mists. "Ah. God help he~. / pity
her wi all my heart. He'll forget soon
enough. The worst that can come to
him is q friendly bullet But she'll
never forget. AMI it's the pains Of death
she'll suffer every day. Think OF what
she'll endure from this minute on and
on waftin' an watchin' dreadin' an
hopfn'. torturing herself with a thou
sand farcies, seem him drowned on
the sea. or killed in the var, or lynn
wounded in foreign LANDS. Think of
what she's endured this last week, ever
since word came TO James. Think of
what she did 10 keep him.
Dan paused; stood a while in thought;
then beckoned rle toward the refresh
rnent rooms. Come till 1 tell We,
said he: come away till L tell We"
cover there" said Dan, as We sat
smoking in a corner, his words as faith
fully as I can reproduce. them, being
Just these: over there beyond Clog
heen on the way to Bum. "ye3i find
two houses in the tOwplfnd of Giant
standing nearly side by SIDE on. the face
of hill. They're decent lit-le places in
.i.eir way, with a share Of bad land to
each and q ctSre of turbary, and no
stint CT fresh air ~sistling through the
doors. AS long as I mind, the same fam
flies have lived in them. just struggling
Tor life and bread, and making their
way through the worlo; and about the
same time, some seven and twenty