The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-10-15


is the pearl we love-"
l moved over beside Billy, whose
eyes We're following Mrs. Mavor as she
went to speak to Mr.. Craig.
Well" said, you all seem to have
a high opinion Of her"
"An ign hopinionv' he replied in
deep scorn. "An Ugh hopinion, you
calls itr'
What would you call it?' asked,
wishing to draw him out"
"Oi don't call it nothink," he replied,
spreading out his rough hands.
"Shc seems very NICE I said indif-
ferently.
He drew his eyes away from Mrs.
Mavor and gave attention to me for
the first time.
Nicer he repeated, with fine con-
tempt, and then he added impressive
ly, Them as don't know shouldn't say
nothink."
"You are right" l answered earnest
ly, land I am quite Of your opinion"
He gave me quick glance out OF his
little, deepset, dark blue eyes and open
cd his heart to me. He told me in his
quaint speech how again and again
she had taken him in and nursed him
and encouraged him and sent him out
with a new heart for his battle until,
for very shame's sake at his own mis-
erable weakness, be had kept out OF
her way for many months, going stead
lily down.
Now, Oh hain't got no grip, but when
she says to me tonight, says she, ON,
Bnly'-she calls me Billy to myself"
(this with a touch Of pride) -" oh,
Billy says she, we must ave a total
habstinence league tonight, and Ol
want you to 'elpr and she keeps a-look-
in at me with those heyes o hern I'LL,
:" -~u believe me, sir" lowering his
= to an emphatic whisper, though
owed Oh couldn't 'eip none, afore
u, knowed OF promised 'er Oi would.
It's 'er heyes. When them heyes says
do hup you steps and does"
remember my first look into her
eyes, and I could quite understand
Billy's submission. Just as she began
to sing went over to Geordie and took
my seat beside him. She began with
an English slumber song, 'sSleep, Ba-
by. Sleep" one Of Barry CornwalPs, l
think, and then sang love song with
the refrain, Love once again" but no
thrills came to me, and began to Won
der if her spell over me was broken.
Geordie, who had been listening some
what indifferently, encouraged me,
however, by saying: "She's just pittin'
aft time with the feckless sangs. Man,
there's nae grup till them" But when,
after q few minutes pause, she began
'Aly Ain Fireside' Geordie gave a
sigh of satisfaction, "Aye, that's some
thin like and when she finished the
first verse he gave me dig in the ribs
with his elbow that took my breath
away, saying in a whisper, "Man, hear
till yon. wull ye?" And again found
the spell upon me. 1t was not the
voice, after all, but the great soul be-
hind, that thrilled and compelled. She
was seeing, feeling, living. what she
sang, and her voice showed US her
heart. The cozy fireside, with its bon
ny, blithe blink, where no care could
abide. but only peace and love, was
vividly present to her, and as she sang
we saw it too When she came to the
last verse:
when draw in my stool
On my cozy hearthstane.
My heart loups sac LIGHT
scarce kent for my ain"
there was q feeling Of tears in the flow
ing song, and we knew the words had
brought her picture Of the freside
that would always seem empty. I felt
the tears in my eyes, and, wondering
at myself, I cast stealthy glance at
the men about me, and saw that they,
too, were looking through their hearts
windows upon fresides and ingle hooks
that cleaned from far.
And then she sang "The Aud Hoose,"
and Geordie, giving me another poke,
said, That's my ain sang" and when
1 asked him what he meant he whis-
pered fercely, "Wheesht mon! and
did, for his face looked dangerous.
In pause between the verses I heard
Geordie saying to himself, "Aye, I maun
gle it up, doot."
"What" ventured-
'Naethin' ava" And then he added
impatiently, Mon, but yere an in
queesitive buddie," after which sub
sided into silence.
Immediately upon the meeting being
called to order Mr.. Craig made his
speech, and it was q fine bit Of work.
Beginning with a clear statement Of
the object in view he set in contrast
the two kinds Of leagues proposed-one
q league Of men who would take Whis-
Ky in moderation, the other league OF
men who were pledged to drink none
themselves and to prevent in every
honorable way others from drinking.
There was no long argument, but he
spoke at white heat, and as he appeal
ed to the men to think, each not OF
himself alone, but Of the others as well,
the yearnlnS born or ms long nontnS
of desire and toll vibrated in his voice
and reached TO the heart Many men
looked uncomfortable and uncertain,
and even the manager looked none too
cheerful.
At this critical moment the crowd got
a shock. Billy Breen shufled out to
the front and, in voice shaking with
nervousness and emotion, began to
speak, his large, coarse hands wander
ing TREMENDOUSLY about:
"Oi hairt no bloomin' Temperance
horator, and mayhap Oh hain't no right
to speak 'ere; but Oh got somethin' to
saigh, and Orm a-goin' to,saigh it.
"Parson, e says, is it wisky or no
wisky in this 'ere club?' If ye hask
me, wich ye don't, then no wisky, says
n md jf hocl- vvhv link of mel