The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-01-20

would you say to me wild chickens be.
ing Il good deal tanner than yours here
in your yard?"
"Hoot, lad" cried Duncan.
"Makc yours light on your head and
eat out of your hands and pockets"
challenged Trcckles.
go tell your fairy tales to the wee
people! They're juist brash on be.
levin things" said Duncan.
II dare you to come see" retorted
Freckles.
"Take We" said Duncan. 'If ye
make just une bird LIGHT OH your held
or eat frae your hand We are free te
help yourself to my corncrb and wheat
bin the rest Of the winter"
After that Freckles always spoke OF
the birds as his chickens. The next
Sabbath Duncan. with his wife and
children. followed Freckles to the
swamp.
Frecklcs' chickens were awaiting
him ut the edge of the clearing. They
cut the frosty air about his head into
curves and circles of crimson, blue and
black. They chased each other from
Freckles aud swept so closely them
selves that they brushed him with theil
OutspreaG wings.
At their feeding ground Freckles set
down his old pail of scraps and swept
the snow from Il small level space with
soon rs his back was turned the birds
clustered over the food, snatching
scraps to carry to the nearest bushes
Several of the boldest, Il big crow and
n couple of jays. settled on the rim
and Toasted ut leisure. while cardi
nal that hesitated to venture fumed
and scolded from n twig overhead.
Then Freckles scattered his store
At once the ground rcsembled the
spread mantle of Montezulna, except
that this mass Of gnyly colored feathers
was on the backs of living birds. While
they Toasted Duncan gripped his wife's
arm and stared in nstOniShment fol-
from the bushes and dry grass with
gentle cheeping and queer, thronty
chatter, as if to encourage each other.
came floclls Of quail Before any one
saw it arrive big gray rabbit sat In
the midst of the feast. contentedly
gnawing Il cabbage leaf.
"Weel. / be drnwed onv' came Mrs.
Duncnn's tense whisper.
"Shu-shu!" cautioned Duncan.
Lastly Frecklcs took Off his cap. He
began filling it with hnndfuls of wheat
from his pockets. In II swarm the grain
eaters rose about him like flock of
tame pigeons. They perched on his
arms and the cap. and, in the stress
of hunger forgetting all caution, a bril-.
limit cock cardinal and an equally
gaudy jay fought for perching place
on his head.
"Weel, I'm beut!" muttercd Duncan.
forgetting the silence imposed on his
wife. "Ill haze to give in. Seem is
believin'."
A week later Duncan and Freckles
rose from breakfast to face the bitter
est morning of the winter. When
Freckles. warmly capped and gloved,
stepped to the corner Of the kitchen fol
his scrap pail he found a pan OF
steaming boiled wheat on the top of it..
He wheeled to Mrs. Duncan with n
shining face
"Werc you fixing this warm food fol
me chickens or y0urs?" he asked.
"Its for yours, Freckles," she said
Frecliles faced Mrs. Duncan with a
trace of every pnng of starved mother
hunger he had ever suffered written
large on his homely, splOtched, narrow
features.
ooh, how l wish you were my moth
err" he cried
Lord love the lad" exclaimed Mrs
BRIGHT enough to learn without being
taught by woman that l am your
mither? If Il great man like yourself
dinna ken that. learn 1t now and ne'c1
forget it. Ancc a woman ia the wife
Of any man she becomes wife to all
men for having had the wifcly ex.
pcrience she kens! Ancc man child
has beaten his way to life under the
heart of 4 woman she is mother to all
men, for the hearts Of mithers are
everywhere the same Bless We, lad
die. am your mither!"
She tucked the coarse scarf she had
knit for him closer over his chest and
pulled his cap lower about his ears,
but Freckles, whipping it Off and hold.
ing it under his arm, caught her rough,
REDEEMED hand and pressed it to his
lips in long kiss. Then he hurried
away to hide the happy, embarrassing
tears that were coming straight from
his swelling heart.
Mrs. Duncan threw herself into Dun
cans arms.
'Oh, the puir ladv' she walled. ooh,
the puir mithcr hungry lad! He breaks
my hearth
Duncan's arms closed convulsively
about his wife. With q big brown
hand he lovingly stroked her rough
sorrel hair.
"Sarah you're guild womany' he
said. "You're a MIGHTY guild woman!
Ye haze Il way O. spenkin' out ut times
that's like the inspired prophets Of the
Lord"