The Cotton Factory Times. — 1906-12-07 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

TWO LITTLE OLD LADIM. Two little old ladies—one grave, one gay— In the self-same cottage lived day by day. One could not be happy, "Because," ale said, " So many children were hungry for bread And she really had not the heart to smile When the world wags et, wicked all the while.  ' The other old lady smiled all day long As she knitted or sewed and crooned a song; She had not time to be sad,' she said, "When hungry children were crying for bread," So she baked and knitted and gave away, And declared the world grew better each day. Two little old ladies—one grave, one gay— Now which do you think chose the wiser way? Uncle Fred writes: I have no doubt many of you will have read something in the newspapers about the Preston murder, in which two men have been on trial for the murder of an eooentric wholesale druggist and dryealter, wh owas found dead in his improoieed bed, having been ruthlessly killed while asleep. One of the two men, Patrick Callaghan, has been found guilty, and condemned to death. Tbe name of Callaghan brigns back to my recollection a certain Barnaby (better known st Barney) Callaghan, who was well, but not favourably, known in Preston fifty odd years ago. I first new Barney has a half-tune scholar in my school class, when he was about nine years old. Our headmaster termed him a "perfect limb of Satan." At bullying and heating boys younger than himself, fighting with older ones, cruelly ill-treating cats and small dogs, leasing girls and old women, he was an adept. One day Barney coveted a mince-pie a small boy was eating for his play-time lunch, and snatched the pie from its owner's hand. The headmaster hoard of the theft, and Barney was caned. In the afternoon at playtime Barney seized the small boy's hand and held it to the redhot stove until a big blister was raised. Once more he was caned, this tune with exceptional severity. His mother took him to the priest, who acoompanied mother and son to a doe, Or. The whnnit on Barney's posterior bore ample evidenoe of the severity of the flogging, and, to the master's dismay, a police court summons was 'served upon him next -day. Once more Barney was stripped in the magistrate's room, and notwithstanding the evidence of four teachers to testify to (Barney's wickedness the master was ordered to pay the meta, and be reprimanded by the chairman of the bench. Barney, however, was refused re-admittance to the school, and the other schools in the neijrhhourhood also refused to admit him. Barney was the eldest of five children, and losing his work es a half-timer, his mother sadly missed his weekly earnings. She came to the school, trying to induce the master to give way, but she failed, the master telling her that he would net have the boy for a round a week. His time was thenceforth spent in adleneas—mostly mischievous. Down by the river side. where moveable coal-tips were used to fill the small yowls that carried coal from Preston, Barney spent most of his time. One Saturday afternoon while playing among the einpty wagons he fell when crossing the rails and his wrist was crushed, was fishing for eels not 20 yards off, arid hearing the screams, I went to see the cause. Barney's arm was bleeding no fast that I felt afraid of the result. fit lady who was passing lent me her handkerchief, and asked me to tic it round his arm above the elbow, as tightly as possible. One of niy companions ran to Barney's home, and summoned his mother. The injured boy was hoisted on her back, and thus carried, on a broiling hot day: more than 16 mile to the parish doctor. During his long convalesence Barney wae more pampered than ever by his foolish mother. Before he was 12 he was sent to a reformatory for five years, and before he was 20 be was sentenced to seven nears' penal servitude. What eventually became of him I cannot tell. I never heard of him afterwards. The correct answer to the puzzle is: Island. The half-crown prize is awarded to:—