The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-02-16


lin. Another cheep from ye an III
shake my feet at ye all. Connie Roe.
indeed! Connie Roe for nine an twen-
ty 4ha'pence! Who wants Connie Roe?"
"Iveryone!" came the roar.
"Then," said Phelim, and pointed
down at his old beaver, rattle in few
more O. the brown boys; make them
forty all told, an start. Come! who's
first? Quick ROW! Ho, no! there
they 60. Keep ut 1t, boys-one after
another, like Paddy's ducks. Och! pity
the poor blind! That's the way! Hur-
roo! Make it fifty and I'll shout me-
self hosrse. What! all done? Well,
WE'LL" he moaned, and stopped for the
beaver, hope may die in ditch
an niyer see the workhouse! Sure me
jaynius won't save me. Will what's
there make the number, I wonder?" he
said as he CROPPED among the coins and
dropped them through his fingers. Il
childer, I'll trust ye."
Very skillfully he poured the coins
into his wallet; then drew himself up.
ran his fingers through his hair, and
in measured sing-song Qntoning you
might say began:
1.-The sorry word flew round the coun-
try side that poor ould Connie Roe was
dead and zone, dead and gone-gons
home. Big wi years was she-peace
to ne- soul!-wi' years O. poverty, an
care an woe. Light lie her bones! All
through the weary years she passed
as one whose tongue dropped wisdom,
whose life was pure, whose hand was
ever stretched to give, when glvin'
meant the stintin' of herself. Her end
was peace. Kind willin' hands were
by to soothe her passin' an send her
softly on her way. Peace to her SOUL"
The old man bowed his head for a
moment in the silence of the market
place; then quicker, less mournful, the
chant went en-:
AN now her neighbor come WI will
lin hearts to sit an smoke, an sing
sad songs, to yell an howl, an glori-
fy the dead wi hideous mockery of the
awe of death. see them now. Theer
in the 'mud-walled room-its rafters
black VII smoke, the floor of clay, 1.-The
single window small an dark, the
gloom an smoke-there on chairs, on
stools, on bots of turf, set men an
women, old and young, speakin' tender
O. the dead, now loud an wild an free,
now hushed an STILL
And in the middle o. the room is set
loft 40
is the portion of the poor. The hur-
dies stand; rough wood lies loose on
top, rough wood below; above, the
candles feebly burn; see how they flare
an gutter in the smoke, an throw
their glimmer through the flickerin'
gloom on throngs of livin' ghosts! See
how the weird light falls on shinin'
tins all sparklin' round the walls The
kettle Kisses there; the fire jumps and
falls, jumps and falls-ah! jumps an
shows that gruesome thing stretched
out between the candles an the floor
thing all shrouded up, all stark an
grim. All, ali! that senseless shape,
that poor ould face SO calmly restin'
there an peepin' up so still an cold
SO cold! Whisht! the fire falls. Back,
back thou gruesome thing! Whisht!
comes once more the merry laugh, the
sharp debate, the horrid wall. See
there again the needless groups that
give no thought to life or death, cen
in the haunt of Death
The old man paused; the ring
pressed closer; silence held the market
place; quicker the chant went on:
t'The wake was nearly done; the
pipes were out, the talk grown fat an
of love; ould men were fast asleep, the
young a-noddin' as they sat; no more
the bags gave up their wall, but wag-
ged their hairy chins in senseless talk
"The wake was done; and yet none
liked to go, for out OF doors the night
was dark and wild. At last one rose
and kicking DER his stool, cried out
Here goes!' then. started for the door;
but goin' stumbled, Slipped, and wi a
| helpless crash fell on the bier The
candles fell; up rose the dead: quick
like flash, the shroud and head-dress
blazed-blazed up, flared out, an6
| showed to all a shape that sprang like
life, all wrapped in flame sprang up
then fell and rolled out on the floor
And all were sure that Connie Roe ha6
come to life to warn them >of thei1
sins''
Quicker, sharper, went the. old mans
voice:
"Then came scene. A panic seizee
them all. With shrieks, an yells, an
curses fierce an loud, half blind wi
fear, half mad wi dread, the walk
made. for the door. Look, there the!
co.! Like beasts they go-brute beast!
and trample one another down. Th'
door is shut, fast shut. Hear now thu
cries of fear turn quick to yells o
pain. Quick, cravens, quick! One fran
tic rush There, there! the wall goe
down-the beasts are free! . LIE
then tho flames mount high and Civ
dead Connie Roe a. martyrs burial
| All, heavens, not yet! Back, era
vens,> back" The roof is down, is al
ablaze. Hear there that shriek!-i