El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-09
By Nettie BIankenship Harris, Fl Paso
OR THE TANNING OF PATS SHREw


TT WAS to section number 125, G. H.
& S. A. railroad, in. the wilds OF
west Texas, that Patrick O'Brien, a
sturdy Irishman, was sent, with In
structions from the road1naster to put
the track in shape" He had been in
the employ of the company some time
and, being thorough and conscientious
in the discharge of his duties. was
soon il direct line Of promotion.
Pat was sober, economical and
thrifty. His wife was the one thorn In
his flesh Norah O'Brien had an IN
govrenable temper and it fell to her
husbands lot TO get the full benefit Of
its shrewish force
A good wife and mother in every
respect was she. save in that of fault
finding, and this more than out
weighed her good qualities. However
she possessed one redeeming trait, and
this was a desire to promote her hus-
bands standing with the railway COM
pany- As a housekeeper she was
success, good order prevailing in and
out Of her model home Pat had cap
tured several gold medals from the
annual inspection" given for clean
illness OF house and grounds, and these
attested her worth as the foreman's
helper. But he would gladly have ex-
~--c---tN~0 lie - cater part O1 46I lQQuS-
try for litlle gentleness and affec-
ton. Dearly ne loved her and would
rot for a moment consider any plan OF
escape from his miserable way of
living. He bore his trials patiently.
Relieving that relief would come at
some future day.
One stormy night in November. while
the lightning flashed and the thunder
doomed. and the elements seemed at
war, Pat and Norah were quarreling
over the education of their children.
.'Norah," said the big Irishman, I'm
fhinkin' It's time the children were
Put in school I've studied it out to-
day and concluded you should be after
takin' EN- to Eel Paso"
Out wild your plans, Pat" replied
his wife
Well" and Pat paused a moment to
clear his throat, what says ye to
rentin' a little cottage in town and
gcin' there to live bit?"
What may We be goin' to do, Patrick
O'Brien?Y was the caustic inquiry.
o. replied Pat uneasily, as he
noted the fiery CLINT in HIS partners
eve. "Tn just work on for a spell and
batch while you keep L. kids ST
school can make out till summe
widout We, darlint, tho Of course it'll
be dreadful lonesome"
Lonesomei" reiterated. Mrs O'Brien.
Be We loon, Pat? Who cares for yer
bein' lonesome? What wild the cows.
pigs and chickens, to say, nothin' of
the washin and cookin, yer work
would soon go to the dogs. and We
would be travelin' down the track
wild bandana as We wud long ago
but for me"
Norah," interrupted her husband,
haven't I made ye a good Twin all
these years?'
..Livin, echoed Norah TITS meseif
that's made the Twin by good manage
Dent and stayin' to home when We
would be rovin' around hnntin' for a
better job and not findin' 1t. IT'S
meseIf that gets up at in the mornin'
and slaves till 10 at night, while vez
are sittin' by holdin' yer big red hands
and dreamin'. I'll stay to home and
keep things movin' along the same as
Usual, Pat O'Brien, and don't We be
after tellin' me, never again, to go to
town"
What will the children do for
schoolin', Norah?''
DO? Why I'll get one of those
oung women who travel around !
teaehin' on ranches and the like. and |
Norah and Mike will learn deal more |
than by goin' off to a city school, and |
we'll save money by it."
But" persisted Pat. Won tried one /
once and We could not agree"
That was because she whipped I
Norah for mixin' Mexican lingo with I
her English" argued Mrs O'Brien.
Miss Snow was mighty fine young