The Irish standard., 1915-10-30

! oodt was VeAeQ LOT the simple way he
told it.
Tell them." says they, the terrible
huge man the mate was"
| TITS no little dwarf l am myself"
was all he said to that.
4, And the black hate shining out
from the face of that black-hearted
captain-tell them that" said they.
And John only said to that: "Tis
only natural he would be vexed at one
would take his place from him."
They took him to the prison and
held him there; and after many months
they tried him before high court.
The other people in the boat were by
then scattered far and wide. For TWEEN.
ty years Of his life they sentenced
him, to make an example, they said,
OF the man who would make way with
his lawful commander on the high
seas. The law was there, and clear
enough.
And hatred of such laws-no more
to be altered than marble-was in me
all the months my child was coming
to life. And Jerome named him when
he was born; and when | could no
longer deny his father-nor myself
the Joy of sight of his child, l took
the few pounds we had landed with
and paid my way with it the PARKWAY
nd iSN t1N0
Ger that was harsh to John, setting
MIN down as black murderer; but he
saw the little child was holding so
his father could kiss him between the
prison bars, and from then on he was
milder to John. And that in itself was
great comfort to be thinking of.
Twas that same prison officer told
a great man in the community, a great
barrister in that day of John, ana of
winters night that man came to see
me, thick-set man with head like
a gray rock on his shoulders, in the
little attic room where | was mesh
ing nets by the light of the tin lamp
for the bit of rent and the bite was
nourishing myself and Jerome that was
at that monument asleep in a basket
by the little stove with the few little
sticks of wood in 1t that kept us from
freezing in the cold night. Mr.. Lad
frey was his name, and he questioned
me at great length, the while young
wifi, I, Il
swers in slim black book he had.
And going away MIR. Ladfrey said
Law is law, Mrs. Lacy, and if some-'
times one fails of it's intent, law was
never meant to destroy honest people.
A great blunder was made, Mrs. Lacy,
in not drawing your full story from you
and Your husband on the witness
stand. will see what can do"
And twas he that in good time
brought John his freedom. against the
wishes of the friends of the captain
and Of many that knew no more of
John than Of the moon in the sky, be- |
yond the belief not to be shaken out
OF them, that he was destroying vii
liam. And mark him WE'LL" said to
Jerome-"the man who came to save
the poor stranger In a strange land
'Tis OH the likes o. him the grace of
God should fall. And if ever the day
comes you can do him or his good
turn and you fail in doing 1t, I'll die
of shame of you" A hundred times
said that to him growing up and to
whoever else had time to hear me out.
jerome growing up was like no child
ever had after him. Not child ever
l had but hated what was evil, but
in Jerome it was religion like, and II
the evil was protected by laws, then
DO away with such laws!' he would
say. For me to chide him for that
could not; for in the months when lie
was yet unborn, and after, twas the
same thoughts were in me. What
comes with our mothers milk, tbs
never fair gone from us till down in
our graves we are laid-that l know.
To be rowing strange countries and
fighting for people he thought was
wronged-that was his wish growing
up. And wandering he went when he
was old enough. And what with my
not knowing where on the face of the
world he might be, and too well know
ing where his father was-Out in the
wild sea in his little boat-no night
ever did go to bed without a long
prayer it wouldn't be at the bottom of
the sea or beside the boreen of some
black forest the one or the other would
find his grave at last.
But Gods eye was on him, as 1t had
been on his father when in the navy
he went to fight for his new country,
when Jerome was yet no more than a
child. Safe back his father came then,
| as always did Jerome now. And to see
Jerome, the wild soldier, come home,
you would think to be rolling on the
kitchen floor with his little nieces or
nephews was his most daring wish.
Stories he would charm them with,
and when they would fall asleep on
his breast he would take them up and
lay them in their little beds as gentle
and soft as their own mothers would.
Innocent and simple he was in many