The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-10-03
A HOMECOMING


Coyle still sat behind the milk-women's
bench at the street corner. Her
cloak was drawn over her head in a
way that hid her face completely and
there was a kind of convulsive move
ment under the heavy folds.
The truth was, Nelly was crying
she who had shed no tears at all when
everything was weeping floods, now
seemed to have no end to them.
Something had overcome her-the
soft spring evening with the feeling of
the Easter bells in it, the smell Of the
wall-fowers from the gardens, the
sound of the children playing down
Green Ferry Lane, somebody singing
to violin accompaniment in one of
the houses the Rambler from Clare -
In what sudden and unexpected ways,
at touch of one hardly knows what
old times and the things that seem
ed buried with them will awake again
They awakened in Nelly's
mind now, and hence the anguished
weeping.
Twelve years ago she had none of
the money saved that was now in the
secure keeping of the landlords
agent, and yet how much happier she
had been! Out there at the noun
tain-foot with her boy and girl, work
ing happily in the little fields and
finding well-won rest in the cosy
home, she had asked nothing more
ho
better than hers, the stony farm was
beginning to repay the toll that was
lavished on it-soon they would be
beyond all danger of want. And
every one would say, "Ah, the poor
widow, how we'll she did for her fam
lily! She's a pattern-woman, surely!"
The sweetness of this anticipated
verdict" of the neighbors made all
toll light to. her, and made, her, too,
perhaps, little blind to the fact that
Mary and Tom had none of the little
breaks in the monotonous round of
hard work that the other boys and
girls of the place were not withheld
from.
One of her neighbors, knowing well
that 'tall work and no play was not
the wisest motto for those who had
charge of young folks, attempted to
reason with her once about it, but
Nelly was offended by the suppose
ton that she did not know what was
best for her son and daughter.
Every hour they give to the place
now" she said, will make it more
valuable when the time will come for
me to settle Tom in it and give Mary
her share. They'll thank me then
for not letting them idle their time
now, and their thanks will be nothing
but my rightful due
No more was to be said, of course,
by the well-meaning neighbor, and
everything went on as usual until the
widows son was twenty-five and his
sister seventeen.
That Shrovetide Mrs. Coyle was
thinking seriously of considering a.
match" that had been proposed to-
her for Tom. The farm was in very
good heart, and the dowry of the
prospective bride would make nice
portion for Mary That Tom himself
should be allowed to have anything to
say in the matter. did not enter into
his mothers head. All sensible" par
ents kept these arrangements in their
own hands, they knew better than the
young people themselves what was
best for them.
A few days before Shrove Tuesday
she mentioned the matter casually to
Tom, telling him that Annie Joyce's
father would be there that evening to
have a final settling of the match
between him and Annie.
Tom listened with dismay. All his
affection had been long given to
Laney Moore. the tllatcher's daughter
in the g1ena little wild.rose slip Of
"a girl without money or moneys
worth