Bisbee daily review., 1903-04-09
THE TASK OF FLAX

TCcpyright. 1901. by seunas MacManus.J There was once mother wbo had a very ugly and bad daughter of her own that she was very fond of ani very beautiful and good stepdaughter that she hated and wanted to get rid of. bu' She didn't know how in the world sh, could get rid of her, so she went and asked the hen wife's advice.
 The hen wife says: I'll tell you how you can get rid of her. There's an old church below, and no one ever yet spent the night in it and came out of It alive. You order your stepdaughter to go and sit up in it all night. working flax, and she'll surely be dead in the morning"
 Home the mother went, and she or. 6ered her stepdaughter to get ready and go on that night to work a task of fax in the old church. and for fear that she might escape whatever should hap pen to her in the church during the night she put a very great task of flax before her that fifty women couldn't do in one night and threatened 10 have her life in the morning if she did not have it done.
 The poor girl took her wheel and all with her that night and went or to the church and sat down and began her work.
 rrx rh ett 1r hk,F work when she heard great noise. and in there came a great. wild looking ghost, and he sat down on the seat be side her and said that he wanted his feet washed and his hair combed, for they hadn't been washed or it hadn't been combed for 700 years.
 "Oh, then, poor fellow" she says, -Tm sorry for you. and I'll surely help you all can"
 So she laid her fax aside. and she washed his feet and combed his hair very, very nicely indeed
 And when she had finished the ghost said: "ln 70o years I've never met as good girl as you. Can do anything for you?"
 "Wen,- said she, "I'ye a stepmotber who isn't good to me and has put be fore me this night a task that fifty women couldn't do, but I don't know whether or not you can help me. I've sll that flax you see there to work and have woven into cloth before morning"
 "Sit down at your ease there" says the ghost says he, "and I'll soon dc this task for you"
 So be took breaker that was seven miles long and broke the flax; he then took a scratching handle seven miles IoEg aud block seven miles wide and kcutched 1t: he then took a ciove that was seven miles long and cloved 1t, and be took a hacker that was seven miles long and hackled it, and wheel that was seven miles high and spun il, and a reel that was seven miles round and reeIed it and loom that was seven miles wide and wove it into cloth
 And when be had all this done be gave her comb that every time she should put II into her hair would comb g bag of gold dust out of it-
 In the morning early, when the moth CT came to the church to see if she was dead, she was astonished to find her there alive and well, with all of her task done and all the fax made into cloth, and to see her with this comb, combing a bag of gold dust out of her hair.
 She asked her how she had worked all the fax and how she had coIne by the comb, and she told the stepmother that 6 ghost came and worked the hax for her and presented her with the comb.
 When the stepmother heard and saw this, she said she would give her own daughter a chance in the church that night, so that she might get such val uable comb too So on the next night abe sent her own daughter to the church with a task of fax.
 The daughter hadn't been long sit ting at her work when the wild big ghost came in and sat down beside her and asked her to wash his feet sH3 comb bis hair. for it hadn't beau done for 100 years before.
 But she told him ts<t she was n' scullion 10 wash Sis feet or comb his hair and that she would be very SOFT! to do ii, and the ghost struck her down .<th his hand. and she was dead
 When the mother came before day had dawned in the morning 10 md a she had done her work and got the golden comb, the ghost WAS there wait ing for her and struck her down wfh bis hand and left her dead beside be' daughter.
 But the good girl who had been kind 10 him thriyed and prospered from thai day, and it wasn't long till she married a handsome and beautiful young prince and lived happy ever after
 SEUMAS MACMASUS.
 Ux4tts 1fNyED aA