Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-02-18

So one day the thumb of his left
hand got tired of the way things were
going, and spoke to the four fingers
that stood alongside of it, and the 1irst
chance they got they got underneath
the saw that Pat was using and got
sawed off.
"'Twill serve him right" they said;
but they did not know the true feel
ings of Pat Cronin, for when he saw
his hand he gave one great shout and
began to dance jig.
"Hooroo!" he shouted. 9TH luck
has turned, and It's glad day for Pat
Cronin! There goes Anne and Terry
and little Maggie and Dennis and LIZ
zie, and there be but fifteen left!" and
with that he ran off home to tell the |
news to Maggie, knowing it would dis
appoint her.
1t was sad news indeed to Maggie,
and she that fond of children! And
she wept for five days, SO that folks
came over the hill to see her weep;
but as for Pat Cronin,he was wild with
Joy, and quit being carpenter, ana
went to work for Phelim Casey. VINO
had a saw-mill with a buzz-saw IN 1t.
TITS wonderful what bad luck some
folks can have around a saw-mlll!
Twas full year before Pat Cronin
was successful in getting his right foot
in the saw, but twas a beautiful job
| the saw did when he got it there, and
| he had no complaint to make, for 1t
! deducted Garry and Gerty and John
and Susan and James as clean and
nice as if they had never been.
She would hear no more of his going
back to the saw-mill after that, and
kept him about the hut every minute
of the day, so that she could keep an
eye on all that was left of the children
that the foretellin' lady had foretold,
from little Patrick, who was a thumb,
to little Maria, who was the little toe
on his left foot, and she cherished
them as if she was a manicure lady
with only one customer and no chance
of another Day by day she MADE
him sit by her side as she went ABOUT
the cottage, with his one good mana
laid out fiat on the table and his one
good foot propped up on stool IN
plain view It was not hard work eX-
, cept for the temper it aroused in her
to see him sitting there doing nothing
while she did not dare to let him out
of her sight, but every day her tenn
: per got worse and more of it, and al
last she gave it little ease by throw
| ing a fat-iron at him, which Woule
have done no harm had her aim moi
: been upset by her anger, so that she
| missed his head and the iron came
t down and mashed little Patrick an(
Mary and Larry and Bridget ant
: Michael.
, Sure, that was one joke Pat had OF
S Maggie, and 'twould have done yol
good to have heard him laugh whel
e the surgeon came and cut off his fin
E gers and his thumb. one at time
: Then times got worse for Pat Cronil
a and Maggie, for man with no finger
e and only five toes to his name is NO
d such a good worker as one with more
so they packed up everything the
owned but the pig and started fo
= America.
Ii 1--WE will take no more chances,
!" said Maggie, land I have here DO
$ to nail up your foot in, SO that it ma
e go safe to Ameriky, and no harrl
come to little Dora and Mark and Cor
IS and Luke and Maria;" and with thu
IS she brought forth fine box,just larg
enough to hold his foot, and made hi
t, nut his foot in it, and she nailed til
lid on, but when she saw him smilin
she knew there was something wron
rs and she pried the lid off, and, beho
you, in mailing it on she had spoile
h two more of his toes, so that the su
Id geon had to come and amputate lit
e, Luke and Maria.
n AS soon as they reached New Vol
Pat set up in business as publ
n man and applied for job as mi
es ionaire, and laid his character ava
a and all seemed going well. and Ma
IT. gle was number four hundred and o.
be in the Four Hundred, and had the off
i'd of the first vacant place in the thr
be hundreds, when one day she came I'll
nd ming to him in tears.
h "Pat," says she, "and do you !
member the foretel1 the foretellt
ny woman foretold to you?"
L. "Sure I do" he says. could
as forget At?"
lie, "WelL" she says, show many
ill gers and toes have We got left?"
be "I dunno" he says: for have f
got, / have been so busy"
r." Count thim," she says, for
important I sh'u'd know"
lys Wan-two-tree, he counted "a
es' that is all 1 have left"
zen At that Mrs. Cronin looked pain
be and shocked, and shook her head 81
'iiu ly.
"Alas!" she said, "'twill never
tn at all. Tree children is an outraged
It's large family, and not at all what fol
go in Ameriky has. W'u'd ye be hav
ev'ry wan think we are but ignor;
not foreigners, Pat?"
lin "I would not" says he; az wo
as- do as tn Americans do, and be as
avs Americans be. What is it you w
get be havin' me do, Marguerite?"
ZEE "T save tn honor and glory of
any family" says she, sand t. prevint r
the cule fallin' upon us, ye must REM
lne wan of yer toes, Pat"
sue "For why?" says he.
IN because of the foretell as foret
nv tn foretellin' lady," says she, ct
nat saws We will have as many children
'uld We have fingers and toes"
oes' "But will have but two left" S
IN he sadly.
OF at seems t. be tn CUSTOM" S
- she.
ms And with that Pat got the cary
me knife, and then there were only Ii
hau Mark and little Cora left of all