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

Dench that ne hlmSelf had put together
when he and Bridget had first begun
housekeeping in the New World; there.
was the small hair trunk that had
brought their scant possessions from
the old country; there was the old
book case with it's treasure of duty,
time-stained volumes. The friendly
shadows shifted further. into the room,
like old familiar shapes seen dimly.
Dinny could almost believe the ears Of
corn swung by their husks from the
rafters; he could imagine the faint.
sweet fragrant from festoons of dried
apples. He went over to the old hair
trunk and took out the battered violin
that had been his treasured possession
through life. A little TREMENDOUSLY, he
slipped it into position and began to
play "The Wind that Shakes the Bar
ley; but the bent old fingers were
even less nimble than usual, and the
tune died quaveringly away as the old
man sat with head bowed low.
Presently he arose and tip-toed
down the stairs, through THO immac-
ulate kitchen into the yard in the
rear of the house. A wire netting
fence ran along the edge of the yard
A wide gateway gave egress to the al
ley, or driveway, that cleft the square.
With a sudden overpowering longing
for the byways of the world the old
down the alley-way. He walked slow
ly, with his shoulders a little more
bent than usual. Once he stopped to
pullta struggling weed, naming it over
to- himself as something familiar. 1t
seemed as alien to the fashionable
square as himself.
After a while he had passed out Of
the square in which he lived and into
another still keeping to the byways,
then suddenly he stopped in his
tracks," as he himself afterward said.
He was standing in the alleyway be-
hind a grand stone house finer than
| his own, it was-and coming toward
| the alley, stealthily, with many back
ward look, was one whom Dinny in
stantly described to himself as the
cut an likeness av Patrick Casey, my
good old friend" There was the long,
| slightly aquiline nose, the pointed
white chin whisker thrust forward as
| he walked with neck trife out
| stretched, and even the walking stick,
| clasped in both hands behind his back.
Dinny stood waiting, pathetic
| eagerness gripping him. He knew it
was not Patrick Casey-but it was
someone that looked like him.
The newcomer upon the alley
paused, and looked at Dinny in sur
prise and uncertainty.
| Then Dinny staked his all:
| "Thigga thu Gaelic?'
| 1t was the old cry of the Celt heart
hunger in alien land.
| The newcomer reached for Dinny' S
| hand:
| "Thigga thu, shanvar, thigga THU
Then followed questions and an
swers.. Dinny gave the outlines OF
his story, trying not to make it seem
| like complaining; but Cavanaugh
slipped an arm through his and fell
into step.
| Don't you know, then? Didn't
farm it thirty years an more, an then
| didn't we come here to the city, and
the old woman an the girls going In
| for style an ALL"
| Dinny listened with mouth hall
agape; there was growing in his heart
| the joy of a comrade found.
| But do we come with me- went on
Cavanaugh. GIVE found what beats
| the style!"
| @Y'll see, VII see!"
| In the meantime he had led the way
| to the nearest street car line.
| 1t was a long ride they took, whirl
ing away from the neighborhood Of
wealthy homes, through long stretch
of business area; then swerving alb
ruptly, the car line wound into a quiet
avenue, where the homes we're modest
and unpretentious, yet in no way shah
by. After block of this, Cavanaugl
signaled and, getting off, led his friend
down side street.
I Neat little houses were set well back
upon lawns shaded by box elder an6
/ cottonwood, and behind each house
/ stretched garden plot tidily carec
4 for; two vacant lots Joined to form 9
4 long, meadow like stretch of grass in
which grew wild hemp and field dais
\ les; a redscow broWsed leisurely.s Din
5Eny saw it all with a warm glow i'm his
1heart He had not known there could
i be such places in the city.
Across from the vacant lots stood
| small red brick store building, with
evidences of living rooms above it
1t was to this store that his friend
| was leading him. Into the front door
they went, and with nod and a greet
/ ing to the young man who was at
tending to customer, Cavanaugf
marched him to the back of the room
and out into an Enclosure behind it.
"A giant box elder threw generous
! shadow across the grass; under. the
houghs a company of men and women
4 gray haired and toll marked, sat in
comfortable old fashioned postures
! all talking eagerly and interestedly
/ The two women sat in rocking chairs
\ knitting while they talked, their
needles twinkling with the rapidity OF
/ their fingers just as he had seen Bird
! gets do many a time. Cavanaugh was
/ giving Dinny time to take, in to the
full }nthe 4 homelike qualities of the