The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-07-17
(Continued.l


youth Ned had a hard struggle to keep
the roof over his head. Bad times and
eXorbitant rents kept Ned's nose to the
grindstone, but the dogged perseverance
and industry of the man succeeded In
his struggle Ned had a great helper in
MS Wife, Mary, and now, thanks to the
work of both, they had a comfortable
home, and their old age was cheered by
the love and affection of a sturdy son.
Tom, and a graceful. amiable girl
Mary. 1t is with the son, Tom Lynch,
my sketch is concerned. 1t is the char
acteristic of, / may say. all Irish farm
ers to love n good horse and TO keep
one where their means permitted. Horse
breeding was and is a great source of
revenue to them, and the noted horses,
especially the hunting and steeplechase
ones that have won name throughout
the world, were as a general rule bred
by the Irish farmer. Ned Lynch was
no exception to the rule. He loved TO
have a good horse, and he was con-
Sidered one of the best men to go with
hounds i'm the country. His son Tom
inherited the fathers love for horse
flesh and his spare moments he spent
in the saddle. A fine fellow Tom was,
and the darling of the village. He was
loved by everybody, and especially the
poor, and nobody ever wanted q meal
most in the cricket and footboll field,
and captained all the matches for the
village in these games. The old men
called him their son, and Jim Scully,
with all the philosophy in his character,
and there was good deal in it, declared
oftentimes that after his priests and
the DOCTORS young Tom Lynch held the
next place in his heart, and his verdict
was:
ffVGFtncr will no n to, as
anything he takes up"
1t was the wish of Toms father that
he would embrace the law as a profess
sion, and with this end in view he sent
Tom to college, but Tom was not con-
tent there. He lOnged for the country
life, the cricket and football and es-
pecially the wild excitement of career
ing over the country on the back of a
good horse Tom, as l have stated,
loved everybody in the village, but he
had a special regard for Tom Nolan,
the horse trainer, and it was from the
latter that Tom learned the fine points |
of horsemanship. Ii is a morning in |
the beginning of April and young Tom |
Lynch enters Tom Nolans yard. The |
latter is busily engaged saddling a |
horse, but looking over his shoulder he |
salutes young Lynch with:
''Goor morning, youngster, I'm !
gray you will find in No. (meaning the |
stalD and come out and have a good |
school with me"
Il don't feel inclined this morning.
Mr. Nolan, thank ye." and Tom turns
away his head
What is the matter with you, young
ster. has your father whipped you or
your mother, God bless her, told Father
Tom that you are not attending to your
boooks?"
mo. Mr. Nolan" and Tom laughs.
but my father has denied me the dear
est wish of my heart. You know, Mr.
Nolan" Tom continues, that my faith
or has a horse entered for the farmers
race in NJ, and / asked him to LET
me ride, and ne refused me, and his
reason was he thinks L would not do
Justice TO the horse. and he wants 10
win. he told ne so. but I think, Mr.
Nolan, that his principal reason for re-
fusing me is that I might be hurt, and |
besides, he wants me to be a lawyer"
A lawyer be hanged. and Tom No
Ian taps his legglngs with his whip in
vexation. adding:
AS long as it's a decent and honest
profession, youngster. be what you
would like to be, an
I'd like to be a jockey like you, Mr..
Nolan Tom blurted out
It's hard live and dangerous one.
youngster. but you have the hands and
the grit. The head will come in time.
but your father will never consent to
your being knight of the pigskin."
Would you speak to him for me?"
and young Nolan looks beseechingly at
the trainer.
No, l won't youngster don't want
TO lose your fathers friendship, but I'll
help you all the same. The farmers
race your father wants to win is in the
beginning Of next month. DIR. Gerald
has horse entered for the same race. a
swift horse, but a non-stayer I'll get ,
you the mount, but keep it secret, and
you will win the race if you only take /.
my advice.
Thank you, Mr. Nolan, I'll"
There, youngster, thank me if you
win. Now come for a school"
The races of M came, and like /. .
every other race course in Ireland. the /
people gathered in their thousands The
race was the chief topic of dis
cussion, and the people of our village
all pinned their faith in Ned Lynch's r
horse, Will O. the Wisp
He can't be beaten" Jim Scully told S
The assemblage; he's the best bred horse '
IN the race, an besides the CRATE Cur |
ragh jockey, Dinny Wind, rides him.
Tom Nolan, his trainer, tould me yes {
-erday he'd win hands down Nv the doc {
-or's horse, Dashing Paddy, didn't bate 2
him" o
'Dashing Paddy can't stay; he's good 2
enough at mile, bud he hasn't the bot e
-om." and Phil Mcguire, the tailor.
presses the tobacco with his finger into '
lis pipe as if in confirmation of his f
words. II tell yez it viii be walkover d
or Willy the Wisp." s
The horses assembled at the post for t
he farmers race. Young Tom Lynch is
m the back Of Dashing Paddy, though b
lis father and the people of the village o
lnow it not. There are only two people II
rom the village know 1.-THE doctor and C
Tom Nolan, and the latter's advice to n
Tom Lynch as he left the paddock was: o
Steal a march at the start and run
our race in snatches." n
The flag falls and Dashing Paddy N
axes the lead, and as they pass the q
tand is twenty yards in front of the n
learest horse. Old Tom Lynch, stand n
ng beside the doctor, taps the latter on Ia
he arm and laughingly says: 81
Your horse, doctor. is going like the
ivil, and his jockey is riding his head n
If. He'll be pumped before he's half m
fay." "
The race was three miles long, and at
he end of the first mile and a half
Dung Tom Lynch looks back and sees
is field twenty perches away, and his IL