The Irish standard., 1915-02-06

ner in which the Catholic church
stands as the favorite target for their
flabacks at Society.
THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR.
She was very aggressive old lady.
The only way to live with her was to
leave her alone. But she was quite
able to make herself evident over the
greatest setting aside. The mother of
two little boys who lived next door
to her felt as if she were getting a
long course of popularity. One day
the little boys cat climbed up a tree
growing near the sidewalk in front
of the old lady's house. Neither the
children nor their mother nor the cat
knew that the old lady had made a
law that they should not touch the
tree. When the mother and the chill
dren stood beneath it coaxing the cat
to step on broom so that they
might take pussy out of the shower
of angry eloquence the torrent of
words was diverted upon themselves.
Such torrents were SO frequent that
the children's mother got very we'll
trained to instantaneous action.
Whatever the hour of the day or the
task she had in hand, the mere hear
ing of her neighbours talking to the
children would find her responding
by putting on her hat to take her
children out for a walk. She used
to say she felt like a fire station
horse that rushes out and gets I'M
der its collar on the strike of the
bell. The old woman had a lot of
chickens that roamed about at will
through all the yards in the neigh
borhood. BY chickens we generally
understand poultry of all descrip-
ton, so it may therefore be correct to
say that one OF the chickens was a
duck. One afternoon the little boys
were playing contentedly in their
front yard ar their mother thought
it would be good moment for tran
stating a document written ma for
eign language, which she had been
asked to put into English that it
might be forwarded to Washington
for the inspection of no less a person
than the President. Her work was
nicely under way when she heard her
little boys exclaim with pleasure and
she ran out to learn why. In one of
their garden beds they had discov-
cred an egg laid by the old lady's
duck. Here was dialema indeed,
with several horns. If she brought
the egg into the house for safe-keep-
ing, the old woman having heard the
children talking about it, she might
storm the premises for her property.
If she sent the egg home by one of
the children it might be received with
offensive welcome.
If she let the egg stay where it
was. she would have to be momentar-
lily uncertain that the children would
grow curious about handling it, and
If they broke it their peace would be
broken too. But after mature de-
bate the latter seemed the wisest
course, because nobody but the duck
could be held responsible for the
eggs being where it was. The good
little boys promised not to touch it,
and the mother went into the house
to resume her writing. But they had
not promised not to tell other chill
dren about it, which they soon did
and presently several other little
folks congregated in the yard to in
spect the egg. They were all very
tiny and when the writing mother
heard them she was filled with appre-
hension lest their curiosity should get
the better of their discretion. Even
the Importance of the diplomatic do
cument being prepared for the Presi-
dent faded into insignificance when
weighed with the consideration as to
what might happen to that vagrant
egg. She could not continue the re-
marks to the President with peace of
mind except by visiting out to the
front yard every few moments to see
to it that the egg remained Just ex-
actly where the duck had laid it.
People may talk as they will of
the wisdom of regulating conduct &C.
cording to good sense. But all the
maxims and axioms in the world
have less ability to dictate than a for
midable old woman. With such the
only practical course is to. be foolish
in self defense. G. H. K.
IRISH BISHOPS APPOINTMENT.
The Dublin Gazette announces the
appointment by the Lord Lieutenant
Of the Most Rev. Thomas O'Dea, D.
D.. Bishop Of Galway, to be mem
Der Of the intermediate Education
Board for Ireland.