The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-02-01
FROM COUNTRY LANES

FROM COUNTRY LANES
In the hull city there's none that
Il know-notE one,' sighed old Dinny
Clarity, rocking to and fro in the sun
parlor of his fine new home on the
fashionable avenue. He was lonesome
flor the farm he had recently sold,
for the old friends, and the familiar
sights and sounds of the country.
Wistfully he gazed down the beauti-
full elm-shaded boulevard, reviewing
in thought the years of the past.
A poor immigrant, he had settled
l. in the peaceful farming community
known to it's inhabitants as Tyrone
Valley. there, with Bridget his wife,
he had toi1ed through many hard
years, wrestling a living from the soil.
Times had grown; easier as the years
went by, and the 5Garritys had been
able to give their children a fine edu-
cation. even sending them away to
colleges in the city. The young peo-
pie, were bright and Industrious,
and had done well. but they had be-
come widely scattered, too, Slipping
at last into homes of their own in far
away places. When Bridgets death
left Dinny alone, his children had
begged him to sell the farm and make
his home with some one of them, but
he chung tenaciously to the place that
held memories so dear to him. Then
Anne, the only unmarried daughter,
had given up the brilliant musical car
eer that was open to her to keep her
father company. She had tried to
give up her ambitions and adapt her
self to rural surroundings, but her
father could see that she still yearned
for a. different life from the one she
was living; and so, after a few years,
he consented. to. sell and move to the
city. ...
The fertile valley acres sold for a
great price, and Dinny Clarity was a
rich man. He rewarded his daugh.
ter's5 loyalty by allowing her the
choice of the home, and Anne had
promptly chosen a beautiful home in
the neighborhood Where lived several
of, her old college acquaintances; they
were people of wealth and social pos.
ition--and Anne was, ambitious. ~
h.. The old man tried hard to be con
tented in the grand new home. Anne
was good to him, but she was trying
ha " fn "a hnr fy,Sa Ie,.-t
was a maid in the kitchen, the meals
t. were served irfs style. Z ;. aDinny would
have, preferred the old-fas1ioned
ways. it seemed to- him he could be
content if only he, could have his sup
per out in the, kitchen, and sit with
his feet on the hearth Of the cook
stove,a reading the paper, by the light
of kerosene lamp; it would seem
natural he told himself. But it
was no use. wishing for that, for the
maid would have no one in her kitch.
en-7and what good was a gas. range
anyway? In the old days Dinny's last
move each night before getting ready
for bed was TO- get down the old draw.
ing knife and the soft pine board to
make shavings for the morning fire
There was no need for shavings for
the gas range, nor was there comfort
in looking into its blue flame. =.
Now he was trying to console him
self with arguments: Sure, I'm al.
ways, dressed up an, have nothing to
do" he told himself with an attempt
at cheerfulness. What more should
/ Want?" Then he began thinking
about the work he used to do on the
far'm-the chores around orchard
and stables. i've not even wood,
shed now" he thought sadly. He got
up from his chair and took a round.
about way to- the rear of the house
Anne had "roomful O. company
| he knew, and he didn't want to see
them.
What good is their talk he nut
tered ,contemptuously. He was re-
membering the group of his old friends
that used to gather about the yard on
Sunday afternoon; someone would
lproduce a copy of "The Irish World
and Tim Calvin would open the dis
lcussion' of Home Rule. That was
talk. indeed!
- He stole up the stairs that led to
the attic. Here were stored many Old
relics that Dinny had 4hfot the heart Il Il
part with. He SANK down tirfto the
rocking chair that had been his par
ftictnlafs faToritet for MANY years; .aut6
nIatically his elbows found the sup
porting curves of the padded arms.
+ II was strangely still in the attic:
the little s{aaf7etl Windows naa4sisR III