The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-12-12
The Sailor and His Sisters.

| lows ana Il NOOueil pDICl. the tilllDe1S
Of which are twined with ivy. A
smooth, gravel walk runs from one end
Of the cottage to the other. This walk
Dan calls his quarterback. 1t is an
evening in May, and Dan stands OUT
side the porch, pipe in mouth and his
hand thrust deep into the pockets of his
pilot coat. | may remark that Dan
wears a pilot coat with black wooden
ganzy winter and summer. He is a
stout, middle-sized man, clean shaven
with large. square jaws and bold chin.
The eyes are SMALL gray and half
closed. but capable of seeing farther
and judging more accurately objects at
a distance than any other eye in the
village. He would see a nudge mile
away" was the popular expression in
regard to Dams sight. Dan was no milk
and water seaman, for he served with
the Baltic fleet during the Crimean war,
and afterward in the Chinese war I'M
der Admiral Seymour. he took part in
the reduction of the Tal5u forts A 81
lent man was Dan. and he spoke gen.
orally in monosyllables. He seemed to
be continually in reverie, living in the
olden days. His two sisters. Mary and
Eliza, lived with him. and he was re
garded by them as the greatest cham
pion of this age or any other. Mary
was small in size and about 60 years of
age. but she looked far older on ac-
count of her wrinlxled face and puck
cred eyes that We're continually blink
ing. Her hair, the little she had, was
coiled in a knot just above her fore
head. Eliza was younger than Mary,
and larger, with gaunt. high cheek
bones and somewhat wide mouth with
just one long tooth showing through
the always open lips.
mo man" Dan would say. has two
better sisters. They are an example to
the cillage, they keep to themselves and
don't go sadding and gossiping about
an Whfn man wants a good bit an a
clane shirt he has it. I'm proud of them
that's what | am, and, moreover. they
are Temperance womin. A."
'Oh, yes, Dan, acushla," Mary would
answer, rubbing the dresser with the
dishcloth, me an Eliza took the pledge
from Father Matthew, an what is
more, we got the grace TO keep it. And.
then. laying down the diShcloth, Mary
grasped the Father Matthew medal
which hung around her neck murmur-
ing at the same time with heroic look
at Dan: This is me tower ov stringth."
Eliza had her medal, too. and was just
as snowy and as eloquent about it as
y
just two in the village, who when Dan
mentioned his sisters names as exam
pies of temperance. used always smile
and say nothing. and there were Joe
Murphy, the publican, and his daughter,
Julia.
"A glass ov yer best" whispered
many time Mary to Joe Murphy, Tn
bad agfn wud rumaticks, an put me
where none will see me
"A glass ov the tin-year-ould, Miss
Julia" said Eliza. Il feel a cowld
down me back, it's the influ-
enza. an put me where I'll be safe from
observashun." This was the usual
method of procedure with Mary and
Eliza many times a week. all unknown
to Dan, and all unknown to each other.
Miss Julia Murphy resolved to have
good joke one day. Mary called into
Murphy's shop one morning with the
usual requeFt for d glass of the best
and quiet place, and Miss Julia ush-
cred her into a dark room under the
stairs. Soon after Eliza came to cure
the shivering down her back, and Miss
Julia ushered her into-oh, where-to
the very same dark room where Mary
was. Mary, seeing Eliza, nearly col
lapsed and let the glass fall, and Eliza
was just as bad, but, recovering her
self, she said:
Mary, l came for yeh. and it's sorry
| am to see yeh violatin' the pledge, an
not only that, bud decaiving me an
Dan an spending his hard-earned
ooh. Eliza, iewil!'' exclaimed Mary
its the rumaticks that were at me an
here Mary stopped dumbfounded
when she saw Julia Murphy bring in
tray on which was deposited a glass of
and hand it to Eliza with the
words: Here, Eliza, drink it up, it's
just the very best in the house"
"Oh, laws, miss. it can't be for me-"
answered Eliza. ''it must be for some
wan in the kitchen. cudn't think
ov-'
Nonsense, Eliza, it's for you, didn't
you order
"Oh, bud it's you are the sweet honey,
Miss Julia. Oh, think ov her goodness.
Mary. alannah. She saw / had cowld
whin I came across for a hap
perth ov lacings for Dan, an she towld
me to come in here, an she'd get me
to warm me-"
'Oh, the good crather' re-echoed
Mary, ''the very thing she said to me
when she saw I had the rumaticks
Och, Eliza, bud it will cure yer shiver-
in an shure we might as well have an
other whin we're at it,
we might as well, Mary. jewil, but
it wudn't do to tell Dan"
No, Eliza, we mustn't tell Dan, bud
he might smell it ov us"
He won't, Mary. for I have the
names ov previntin' him producing
small packet of tea).
An / have the names, too" said
Eliza. producing a similar packet to
Mary's. "a few cranes ov the tay in
yer mouth an We'll be safe from dis
covery"
Dan Reid dearly loved the sea. and
every day. wet or dry, sunshine or
storm, he took his walk down to the
shore and surveyed the passing ships
by aid of a telescope, which the curate
gave him as a Christmas present. Many
q time have stood beside him on the
beach and listened to him with wonder
In my eyes, as he described for me the
passing ships, their machinery and all
about them, and when a stately man
1f-war came along belching smoke and
with the long grim guns,
Dams hands would grip the telescope
tighter and the tear would appear in
the eyes, and those words would burst
from his lips:
'All. lad, here she is. Once my home
was on board such one as that and