The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-10-12
THE YANKEE NIECE.
A Story With a Useful Moral.


You say he is always drunk" said
the Yankee niece, looking hard at her
aunt through the turf-smoke that
filled the roomy. but untidy kitchen.
Always" snapped the latter.
And you never tried anything to
cure him Of it?"
Tried? Heaven bless you, 1
haven't left a stone unturned."
What on earth is the use of turn
ing stones?" asked the niece, who
had a habit of taking things literally.
Haven't you ever tried anything sem
sible-naking the home attractive to
him."
"Wisha!" Ghis scornfully), Isn't
it he wants the attractin'?
wouldn't a body think we were young
sweethearts, instead of being an ould
couple and done for these dozen
years"
Il don't see what difference that
makes, aunt When you were young
sweethearts, did you ever put on
fresh ribbon or anything dainty so as
to look sweeter than others in his
eyes? Having chosen to live your
life beside him, is it not worth your
while to brighten his home and make
it more attractive to him than any
other place in the World-make 1t so
that during his working hours, his
thoughts will return to you and make
the day long till he sits beside you at
the well-prepared meal or opposite
you in the light of the peat fire on
the clean, bright hearth?"
Mrs. Carey's eyes were moist. and
a lump rose in her throat. Ashamed
of the temporary weakness. she pulled
herself together and answered roughly:
"Hoity-toity! You've been readin' too
many of them novels, Eileen. If your
mother was alive. it would be the sor-
rowful day to her. Maxim the home
attractive for Maurice Carey, when
he turns in dead drunk! 'Twould be
well in my wayi"
II haven't read many novels. aunt.
and none that my mother would not
approve of God give her rest this
dayD My ideas of life are taken
from her example. She always dressed
neatly, and had the table spread as
daintily as if she were a duchess when
father came home, and-aunt, he never
came home drunk We hadn't much
money, as you know, but father and
mother were extremely happy. l only
wish. if 1 ever marry, that l may be
half as happy"
Tut, tut, child. You have high
falutin notions, 1 can see. The SOONER
you get rid of them, the better When
you have spent a month or two here,
you'll have different views of Maurice
Carey an attractive homes"
81 hope not. aunt / don't believe
uncle is so bad. Is he not my dear
fathers own brother? There cannot
be so great a difference between them.
Anyway, l shall never believe that it
isn't in the power of every good
woman to make her home and COM
pany more attractive to her husband
than an evil-smelling, draughty public
bar"
"Hoity-toity! Try it. You are going
to remain with us six months, are you
not?"
Il shall stay till I've cured Uncle
Maurice" answered the girl gaily, as
she tripped out of the smoke, through
the yard and down a boreen, against
a man who was walking unsteadily to-
wards her, holding a scythe in peril
Gus position.
Uncle Maurice, let me carry the
scythe. You don't seem very well this
evening"" she said.
The man flushed and put down the
scythe by an adjacent fence, saying,
1T will do there
Its a pity you don't fill up the
ruts in this avenue" she went on, I'M
needing. "A man and yourself would
do it in half day
Wed do many things only for
ifs" he answered sullenly.
THERE told you So began Mrs.
Carey, as they entered the snoke-filled
kitchen.
Would you not mind not talking
too much while l am with you, aunt?"
said the girl Your voice reminds
me so much of mother, and 4 want to
cry when l hear it" she added, by way
of explanation.
"Humph! Hoity-toity,'' muttered
Mrs. Carey, under her breath, as she
proceeded with the cooking Of the
evening meal.
Meanwhile Eileen was clearing the
untidy kitchen and setting the table
while she talked affably to her uncle
about the kind father who waited for
her return on the far side of the At
lantic. the sanity mother who rested
in the sunny churchyard in the heart
of the western world; the order,
method. neatness. trimness, etc, of
the women there; their help in the
building up of the great western en-
pire; the purpose. determination and
grit of the men, and so on. Maurice
listened attentively, gave his opinion
every now and then, and, when supper
was over, sat down the fire (Which Eli
leen had caused to burn brightly by
the addition of some sticks OF wood
instead of taking his usual journey to
the crossroads.
Eileen smiled to herself, put the
children early to bed, much against