The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-12-14

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/ niue stream that ran st the bottom
OF the garden ioated 10 me across
helds OF waving gold. had been
reading The Idylls OF the King" and
their beauty had sunk deep into my
heart. making a sweet content.
| watched Mike moving the lawn
pityinsly.
Poor Mike" thought |, with ne
idylls 10 comfort him. no poetry TO
delight his fancy, no beautiful books
10 stimulate his intellect mere
machine" oh, wise woman, Mike"
! called, a. the old mans methodical
moving began To irritats what i'm
agined 10 he my poetic appreciation
would YOU like me 10 lend you some
| books?
Mike put down the moving ma
chine with great care and precision,
and came over 10 me. | remember
the sun set full on his quiet old face,
with its deep set childish eyes. and
on the lines OF care so deeply marked
on the prominent forehead.
And what books may they be. yer
| ladyship?" (We are all ladyships"
10 Mike, and he had begun, during
the last few days, To think that some
good might come out or England
His honor has given me a grand
library, and the new ones they are,
severely, the diyil, begging your
pardon, my lady"
What do YOU read. Nike" |
asked, patronizingly.
"Ah, well, my lady, have all Mr..
! Carlyle's works. and the grand Scotch
gentleman Sir Walter Scott: then
her honor last Christmas gave me
William Shakespeare in a foine ie-
CANT cover OF green and gold. And
have Tennyson and Moore and
Robbie Burns and Longfellow and
Wordsworth and Shelley and Cowper
! and"
Good gracious, Mike" ex-
claimed, sitting up and putting my
! hat straight, do YOU mean you have
read all these-Carlyle, l mean, and
Shakespeare?
II have, my lady" said Mike, sim
ply. Then he went on TO tell me that
! Colonel O'Callaghan, a neighbor, had
a valuable library and had given
Mike permission TO use it whenever
he wished.
discovered that there was no
standard work Of any note that Mike
had not read.
1t was one OF the mysteries OF
Ballyknockshannon as to when Mike
did read, and how and when he had
acquired the extraordinary all around
knowledge he undoubtedly possessed >,
for he was thoroughly employed dur
ing the day; in the evening we often
heard him playing the violin, and out
of his sixty-five odd years he had
hardly spent one out of Ballyknock-
shannon.
1t was borne in upon me gradually
that Mike was in himself CD phil
osopher, (2) literary critic, (3) a
! poet, 60 a musician, (5) horticul-
| turist, 60 an amateur jockey, CD a
local time table, tS) a calendar, (9)
a Whitaker's Almanack, CO) an
army list, G1) a complete peerage!
Ny brain reels when | think OF
Mixes practical knowledge, and
whenever ] wished for useful advice
! or an unbiased opinion OF a horse,
a book. a flower, | went TO Mike.
On one Of these occasions remem-
/ her | hurt the old man in his most
: sensitive part, namely, his pride. He
had given up a considerable portion
/ OF his time to constructing a wooden
stand for my bicycle U forgot 10 say
he was a carpenter in addition to his
other accomplishments, and I made
the egregious mistake OF slipping a
! sovereign into his hand.
Up 10 that moment ! must confess
that the expression filthy lucre" had
seemed TO me a mere facon de parler,
! but felt the force OF IL then. Mike
I gave me one look OF indignant scorn.
put the money down with the air Of
dropping a black beetleJ. and turne-l
on his heel and left mestanding there
very much ashamed % myself, with
! eyes askanCe.
The mistress OF Ballyknockshan-
! non followed me TO my room that
evening. My dear Janet" she be-
gan, mournfully. what have YOU
been saying TO Mike lie il in a
right royal rage; I know the mood
and | feel working me up 20 the
awful climax feel we shall have
the Battle o. the Bowl at dinner"
/ confessed my sin. OF course. and
was implored neysr to offer Nike
money again.
Not when 90 away" I cried, in
credulous
NO, for Heavens sake, don't
Why, do you know, I have known
Nike make point OF hiding himself
IL he thinks any departing guest is
going TO Zip him.
/ gasped, remembering sundry
English country houses and their de-
msnds on my slender purse.
One morning. just before my de-
/ parture, my hostess came into the