The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-12-20
SIMPLE JACK.

SAAL JAIN.
When the Irish peasants meet by the
turf fires in the winter evenings they
tell strange tales of luck and adven-
ture. Some of the peasants have great
wisdom, and 1 often heard them say
that one should never despise or look
down upon simple country youth. 1t
is unwise to do so, and who knows but
he may attain to position of greatness
in after life? If you are still doubtful
upon this point they will relate The
strange story of simple Jack, the wi
dow's son.
This is how they tell it:
If it is day it is hundred years
since there lived at the heel end of the
Donegal mountains a widow woman
and her son Jack. The woman was
fond of the lad, and thought that it was
upon his curly head that the sun rose
and set; and it used to give her annoy
ance and pain when the neighbors
would address him as Simple Jack"
So she said to herself that some foul
weather, come fair she would teach him
wisdom, and make him as clever. as the
next
With this object in view she sent him
to the village to purchase a sewing
needle. He bought the needle well
enough, for she had given him all d.
rections for doing so, but being a simple
lad, he did not know how to carry it
home.
Just then he say hay cart pass by
the way and he said to himself that it
would be a wise plan to put the needle
in the middle of one of the bundles. No
sooner said than done, and as he strobe
! behind the cart, he was very proud of
! his cleverness.
But when he tried to get the needle
out of the hay, he could not find it.
! The carter said that nobody but fool
would carry a needle in such a way,
and the boy was very angry with him
self.
His mother cried and scolded- when
she heard what had happened. and She
said he would never be good for either
king or country.
And how would carry it, mother?"
said the boy.
Why, in the corner of your coat"
she replied
The lad wondered why he had not
thought of that before, and promised
to be wiser for the future.
Next day she sent him to the village
to purchase a meskin of butter. and
she gave him so many directions that
1t was the wonder of the parish when
he made a mistake.
When he got the butter he was at
loss to know how to carry it home: hut
remembering his mothers advice on
the loss of the needle, he decided that
he would carry it away in the corner
Of his coat. 1t was a sultry day in sum
mer, and with the heat of the sun added
I to the warmth of Jacks body, the. but
ter quickly melted away; and when he
reached home he had nothing to show
but coat very much soiled where the
butter rested.
The mother cried and regretted the
day that she could be the mother of
lad that could be so stupid.
And how in the world could carry
it said the boy
I'm cabbage leaf" she replied, "for
the cabbage leaf would have kept it
clean and COOL
Jack wondered why he had never
thought of that, and promised to be
wiser for the future
Next morning she sent him to the
well for. water, and the errand being
such a simple one. she did not consider
1T necessary ito give him any instruc
tions.
He Travelled on till he came to the
well, and then. began to. bedate with
himself how he was to carry the wafer
4
of butter came to him, and he filled the
water in cabbage leaf.
But my share ofthe worldi when he
reached home he hadn't as much water
as would give a drink to a bee.
His mother scolded him for his sim
plicity and said that he wasn't fit for
anything she knew of, from tailor to
a king.
The neighbors laughed at him more
thar, oft
went folks made merry at his folly
One day when he could stand their
affronts and jeers no longer, he packed
all his worldly belongings into a little
parcel, and hosting it upon his Shout
ders, he started out to push his fas |
tune and learn wisdom
He had not Travelled very far when
he came 70 where an old-fashioned
marble statue stood in the center of a
grove. 1t was the figure of an old
man in a flowing robe, and. as il was
raining heavily at the time. Jack said |
it was the pity of the world to see an
OLD man in the rain with so little cloth |
ing. The boy had never. seen ANYTHING
OF the kind before, and he was a good |
natured lad.
He opened the little parcel that he
carried and took out his best coat. |
1hen, gong over to the statue, he
gravely proceeded to clothe it.
In doing so he slipped and had to |
clutch at the figure to prevent himself |
falling. The statue was very old and |
much worn by the rains, and with the /
weight of Jacks body it toppIed over. |
The boy barely escaping being crushed |
by its fall, but judge of his surprise |
When hs found imbedded in a hollow, at |
the broken part. as many gold sover- |
eigns as would buy townlande They |
had been hidden away there by an old |
miser in other days.
Jack knew well enough the value of |
his find, for his mother once had a |
bright gold sovereign when she sold
the cow, and he said the wealth would |
come in mighty handy for her now
With that he turned back home, and
his mother was more than glad TO see
him. That night they sat long by the