Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-07-11
A Daughter of the West.

and teet might have been the envy Of
many young lord. so small and shapely
were they.
Their sister, kathleen, had the same
distinguishing characteristics. though to
an even greater degree. and traces of
them yet fingered about the withered
form OF old Mrs. Neville. who was alb
normally proud of them. and ascribed
the cause to the introduction into the
family OF a real French lady, noble
mans daughter, who had been a refugee
from Paris during the Reign of Terror.
and who had married Mrs. Neville's own
grandfather
In consequence of this aristocratic an
cestor, she rather despised her husband.
VINO merely came OF a good old Celtic
family, and often and often he was
heard TO observe that he wished the
french woman had stayed to have her
mead chopped off with the rest of her
family.
Seated around the table by the light of
the glowing peat fire, the Neyilles formed
a pleasing and picturesque group-the
old people with their white hair and
wrlnkled faces, goodly specimens of an
Irish Darby and Joan. the two handsome.
dark-taced lads, and their pretty sister;
the quaint farmhouse kitchen for a back
ground, with its earth floor. its open
hearth, and the dresser on which stood
the family ware that was Mrs. Neville's
pride and Joy, cleaning with its load of
blue and white crockery and shiny brass
pots and pans
Through the open half-door came the
cool summer breeze laden with the scent
OF hay and meadow-sweet from the fields
below, and the distant mooing of the
cows, mingled with the soft sound of the
Irish brogue in a musical refrain that
was the fitting accompaniment of those
surroundings
But, sweet and peaceful though the
scene was, it brought no comfort to the
soul OF one of those who sat around the
well-laden table.
Tonight Kathleen could not bring her.
self TO swallow the mouthfuls that
seemed as if they must choke her, and,
after few attempts to appear hungry,
she pushed away her plate with a depre-
eating glance at her father, and rising,
went to the door,
What's ailing you, Kathy?" asked
her brother Mike. Are You sick?"
She shook her head, and her mother
answered for her.
She's fretting after her boy, Mike!
An who do you think he'll be?
"Begorr' | couldn't say, mother
why, who but that great omadhaun
of Dinny Mahony, none else! Would
you believe it, she's as lonely after him
as young calf after its nanny! Shame
on her for demeanin' herself like that!''
An, leave her be, woman" old Neville
interrupted, impatiently.
Kathleen was his favorite child, and
he objected to her being bulhed.
Can't you see the girls taken up with
the young fellow, an sure what harm'iI
he do her? The MahOnys are as good
as the Neyilles, any day, though we've
none ON lis grand French relations"
AS usual, this sarcastic allusion to the
illustrious refugee led to a somewhat
heated argument between the husband
and wife. in the course of which Kath-
leen slipped out unperceived into the
boreen below, where she could be sure oil
few minutes peace, at least, beyond
the reach of her mothers taunts, before
she must 60 in and wash up the supper
plates.
Denis would be at the public house in
the village now, she thought, forgetting
his grief in one last pint of porther with
the boys before leaving the old place
where his lifesIad, so far been spent.
She saw him cracking his last Jokes
with Jamsey Tobin and Patsey and Tom
Whelan, singing his fayorite songs, and
perhaps-for Denis was always a gay
spark with the ladies-snatching a fare
well kiss from the lips of the fair Miss
Sullivan, the pubhcan's daughter
For, whatever he may say, he's not
caring like l ami" she sobbed. down on
her knees amongst the long grass and
fragrant meadowsweet. An oh! if he
forgets me, my heart'll just break in
two"