Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-03-16
His Mother S
Gift
II Came to Him on. St.
Patrick's s Day.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BY T. A. Mitchell

By T. A. Mitchell
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Emmett Doolan, young man living
In County Tipperary, Ireland, was one
day walking on the bank Of the river
SUR doing hard Job Of thinking. His
eyes were on the ground before him,
and so intent was he on the subject
that he did not even hear bird chirp-
ing In a tree above his head. Sudden
ly he was stopped both In bis progress
and his reverie by girl who stood d.
rectly before him and was looking at
him with merry face.
what are you thinking about, EN-
met, that you can't see yard before
your
A change came over the young mans
face at sight Of the CHEEKY maiden be-
fore him. His own lighted up with q
momentary pleasure.
'I'm goin' to America, Eileen" he
said, "and, considerin' that / haven't a
penny to me name, l was wonderin'
how l was goin' to get there"
1t was now the girls turn to look 30
Der. The twinkle left her eye. and the
smile left her lips.
"And what are you goin' to America
for, Emmett" she asked in tremu-
lous voice.
"To make me fortune"
"And leave your poor old fatherT
Eyes"
"And your mother-what will she do
without the boy she loves so well?"
Eyes, I must leave both father and
mother. I'm dom 'em no good here,
and once in America, where they say
there's plenty of work for all, may be
able to send 'em enough to make 'em
comfortable"
They walked to the bank Of the river
and sat down on the turf under tree.
Eileen had spoken one word for EN-.
NETS parents and two for herself. The
two had grown up together. and.
though they had not been aware Of 1t,
this intention Of Emmett to put 5000
miles Of ocean between them had re-
vealed 1t to Eileen and had given a
glimmer Of it to Emmett. The mind OF
man full of plans for conquest does
not so readily settle upon the sent.
mental features Of life as the woman
whose inactive sphere gives her more
opportunity. Eileen sat mute and de-
jected.
"You don't approve Of my planT'
said Emmett. "Will you tell me whyT'
To this there was no answer.
you're thinkin' maybe that It's fool
ish for a man to talk about goin' to
foreign country when he has no money
to pay his way"
Still there was no reply. Eileen sat
looking down on the gently flowing
river beneath them. apparently as
much wrapped in feeling as Emmet
had been in thought when they met
"If it's leavin' father and mother
you're thinkin' Of I believe I can do
'em more service by goin' where I'll
get plenty Of work and good pay than
stayin' here. where there's little work
and poor pay"
Even this suggestion failed to elicit
any word from Eileen. Emmet was
looking down upon her and saw that
her eyes were wet Tell me, Eileen"
he said softly, why you oppose my
goin' to America"
She looked up at him. and at last be
received his answer. 81 don't want
you to CO."
The few words, spoken almost In q
whisper, revealed to the man not only
that the girl loved him, but revealed
to him that she was as much to him
as he was to her. 1t was the only
proposition ever made between them
that their lives should be linked, and,
singularly enough, 1t came from the
girl. But it suff1ced for these two low
" creatures, and it enabled Emmett to
speak more plainly-to tell her that he
would not only send his parents the
wherewithal to make them comforta'
BILE, but would work hard and save
every penny that he might have
enough beyond what he needed for
them to send for her, and they would
found a home in the new country
where-so they believed-all grew rich.
How Emmett Doolan managed to
get to America without the where
withal to pay his way concerns this
story only so far Us to show that a
man who could accomplish such q feat
was bound to succeed. And Emmet did
succeed In time, though he found 1t up
hill work. Had his mind not been fixed
on a definite purpose he would prob
ably not have had the stimulus to
work and pinch that he might accom-
plish 1t and attain his goal.
Eileen was not the girl to let her
lover do all that they required. She
obtained a position as lady's maid IN
the home Of a wealthy family In Dub
lin, where she received good wages,
nearly all of which she saved. Long
before Emmett was able to send his
father and mother any funds Eileen
was sending them small amounts,
which she permitted them to think
came from their son In America. They
discovered the deception In time. but
not till Emmett himself began to remit.
OF the two lovers Eileen advanced
the more rapidly so far as savings
were concerned. Emmett had his trade
to learn, and 1t was hard snatching at
times even to make a living for him.
self He was not only faithful work.
er, but had n mechanical bent which
served him well. Even as helper he
managed to save little. though be
sometimes went hungry to do SO. But
when he became so proficient In his
trade as to command the regular union
wage his finances began to improve
rapidly.
All this took time. 1t was several
years before he was able to earn
his $4 a day, and even then there
was not always work to do. 1t was
not till Emmett had been In America
four years that he BEGIN to put aside
fund to bring Eileen to him. Thif
fund he started at the beginning of.s
| - ..o lbs, In tnd thot ho upSnI1lC