Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-03-11
And she did save her father.

80 AAN ~ IN I'm
1t WAS the presence and the thought
of the little motherless baby that kept
O'Connell'S hand from destroying him
self when his reason almost left him
after his wife's death. The memories
of the days Immediately following the
passing Of Angela are too painful to
dwell upon.
They are past. They are sacred in
O'Connell'S heart. They will be to the
historian.
Thanks to some kindly lrishmen
who heard of O'Connrll'S plight, he
borrowed enough money to bury his
dead wife and place ~ tablet to her
memory.
He sent Il message to %kingSnorth
telling him of his sisters death, He
neither expected nor did he receive an
answer. AS o o as it was possible
he returned to Ireland and threw him.
self once again heart and soul into
working for the cause" He realized
his only hope Of keeping his balance
Was to work. lie went back to the
little village he was born in, and it
was Father CahilrS hands that pour
ed the baptismal waters on O'Con-
nelfs and A.ngela's baby. and it was
Father Cahill's voice that read the
baptismal service.
She WAS chriStencd Margaret.
Angela. n night. when it was near
ing her time, begged him if it were a
girl to clriSten her Margaret. after her
mother. since all the best in Angela
came from her mother.
OConne!l would have liked much to
name the mite Angela. But his dead
wife'S wishes were paramount. so Mar
@aret tn" baby was christened. 1t
was too distinguished Il name and toe
long for such a little bundle Of pink
and white humanity. 1t did not seem
to fit her. so Peg she was named,
and Peg she remained for the rest
Of her life.
Looming large in Pegs memories in
after life was her father showing her
st. kernan's hill and pointing out the
mount on which he stood and spoke
that day. While her mother, hidden by
that dense mass OF trees, saw every
movement and heard every word.
Then somehow her childish thoughts
all seemed to run to home rule-to love
of Ireland and hatred Of E~ngland-to
thinking all that was good of irish
men and all that was bad Of English
men.
why do We hate the English so
much, fathery' she asked O'ConnelI
once, looking up at him with 4 puzzled
look in her big blue eyes and the most
adorable brogue coming fresh from
her tongue.
why do We hate them:' she re-
peated.
I've good cause to, Peg, me darlin',"
he answered, and Il deep frowng gather
ed on his brow.
Sure wasn't me mother English?"
Peg asked.
"She was"
Then why do We hate the English? ~
st 'ud take q long time to tell We
that, Peggy. Some day | will. There's
many q reason why the Irish hate the
English, and many i good reason too.
But there's one why you and 1 should
hate them and hate them with all the
bitterness that's in US"
And what is it," said Peg c%uriously.
"I1l tell ye. When yer mother and
l were almost staarvin', and she lyin'
Oh a bed Of sickness. she wrote to an
Englishman IN asked him to assist
her. An this is the reply she got:
we've made yer bed. Lie in it. That
was the answer she got the day be
fore you were born. and she died Civ
in We life. And by the am token
the man that wrote that shameful
message to a dyin' oman was her
own BROTHER
Her own brother, yer tellin' me?'
asked Peg wrathtully.
Il am. Peg. Her own brother, I'm
tellin' ye."
Its bad luck that man'll have all
his life" said Peg tiercely. ITO write
me mother that-an' she dyin'! Faitl
I'd like to see him some day-just
meet him-an' tell him She stopped
her little fingers clinched into 4 minia
ture fist.