646

'And, oh, thin the illigunt stories that Nora, the crather, tould of the country! How wages wor so high, and things so chape, it was jist

hardened to the labor that would be his portion | we'd the money thin to bring us over, and if we in this life; sure, he couldn't work; and so, jist waited much longer, the way things was, we in marcy, she tuck him to hiven while he wor wouldn't, mebbee, be able to go. still at his play. I can see this now, Miss Tazie-and praise be that I can!--but I couldn't see it then, nohow; me way was all dark!" My father says," said little Theresa, sooth-mate three times the day, and no thanks to noingly-for in virtue of her being the daughter of a clergyman, she held herself called upon to speak a "good word" in due season-"my father says, that what seems to us a great sorrow at the time, often proves to be a great blessing; only we, poor mortals, can not see it."

body! And how the price of one day's worak would buy a pair of boots, or the making of a gownd and a pair of shoes; and how gould wor to be picked up in the very streets, it wor so plinty; and how the very poorest there was wore on'y the broadcloth coat, and the silk gownd, and they wouldn't let yer wear ony oth er; and how it was no use at all to be bother

"True for ye, and I dare say his honor's right entirely. But, Miss Tazie, dear," said James, with that sudden transition from griefing to take our ould things wid us, for they'd be to mirthfulness which is one of the many peculiar traits of the Irish character, "what do you talk that a way for? Poor folks, indeed! Why thin, it's yersilf and poverty might be married ony day in the week, and the priest his own silf wouldn't so much as speak to forbid the bans."

"What do you mean, Jim, by that?" said Miss Tazie, glancing from beneath her long lashes an indignant look, half questioning, half "I don't want to marry poverty any angry. What do you say that for?" day in the week. "No more I wouldn't, if I was ye," said Jim, "No more I don't want ye laughing heartily. to, Miss Tazie, darlint! No, no. I on'y meant there wasn't any sort of relationship between yersilf and poverty.”

after giving us new directly we got there. And oh, pea-cock! the big fools we was! we niver thought to be asking who they wor, that 'ud be so ginerous to us! and more be token, we niver found out to this day.

"Well, Miss Tazie, the long and the short of it all was: me own place wor jist like a graveyard to me, now Jamsie wor gone, and ould Ireland going to the bad, day be day; and mesilf didn't care did I go or stay, so I jist let the woman have her way, and so we comed over to 'Merica."

"And did you have a good passage, Jim? Tell me about your voyage."

"Well, Miss, I don't say but we'd some hard weather; but it wor middling good the most on't, Little Theresa nodded, as much as to say and we had a putty good run, but we was aw"Go on;" but it was plain to see that Jim's logic ful crowded! Misery, sickness, and death goes was not altogether satisfactory, and that she con-ivery where, and ye've a right to say they sidered the proposed match as a very ineligible connection for her.

wouldn't be missing in an emigrant ship, wid more nor four hunderd passingers in her! But we came over safely-thanks be to the Power that kep us!"

"And where did you land, Jim? And how did you like the looks of our country?"

"We landed in New York, Miss; and faith, Miss Tazie, glad enough were we to set fut on the firm land agin. But, indade, and I had no time to spind in looking about me, for me money wor mostly gone, and I had to be seeking for work."

"But where did you go first, Jim—the very first, first of all?”

'Well, then," resumed O'Brian, going back to his story, "I sorrowed badly for me child. Ye see, me own father and mither died airly, while I wor but a slip of a boy mesilf, and I niver had the brother nor sister; and little Jamsie was all I had, of me own like, in the wide world, and my very heart hungered for him. Day afther day I wint out to me woruk wid the heavy sorrow lying like a big stone on me; and whin I'd come back at night, sure it would be worse agin; for besides me own miss of him, there wor the poor woman jist fritting, fritting "Oh, pea-cock! Mesilf found it hard to get for her child, and I'd no rist be day or be night! "And thin it was that the throuble kim upon a shilter for our heads at first, for I'd nobody Ireland, ye know-the potato-rot and the fam-to spake the good word for me, and but little ine, ye've heard tell on't-and in the hoith of it money in me pouch; and the timid folks wor in the master I worked for died sudden, and no- dread of the ship-faver, and the respictable ones body knew what had becum of the property. wor afraid of the diet, and the poorest ones Sure all had gone to the bad entirely; and his wor afraid of me poverty; and so I had to take family wor all broke up, and every thing they jist what I could get, and that wor poor enough. had was canted, and I was lift widout a hand's I wint into a boarding-house, they called it; oh! Miss Tazie, what a place that was!-noisy, turn of woruk, and ivery thing had riz on us. "Thin hersilf—that's Nora-begun to taze crowded, hot, and dirty; full of crying children, She said she had scolding women, and drinking men. Oh thin, me to go to 'Merica wid her. two brithers, and mesilf an uncle there-but but indade hersilf wor homesick and favered more by token, we niver seen 'um yit, and niver there and she praying me to take her out of is like to; for her two brithers is in New Or-it or she'd die-and what could I do? Every leans, and me uncle had died up in Mount Re-day I'd go to the intelligence office and thry all-and why wouldn't we go? Sure, she said, for woruk, and couldn't get it. There wor plin

bat

ty of work to be done-plinty of persons want-
ing servants but I didn't seem to be the one
they wanted.
"One gintleman wanted a man to do house-
woruk; but he couldn't take the two of us, and
sure I couldn't lave hersilf behint me. One
wanted a salesman, and I didn't know the mon-
ey. One wanted one thing, and one wanted an-
other; but, pea-cock! it seemed as if nobody
wanted jist me! At long last there kim one
gintleman, and he wanting a driver; and sure,
I thought, that'll do for me; faith, but I'm that,
if I'm any thing."

"Are ye used to horses?' he sez to me.
"Sure, thin, I am, Sir,' sez I. 'I've been
round horses iver since I wor big enough to
stride one.'

"And are ye used to driving?' he sez. """Deed, thin, and I am, Sir,' sez I. "And what have yer been used to driving?' he sez.

little by little, ye'd pick up a dacint eddication, and ye'd larn in time to be a raal servant, and thin ye'd be fit for a first-rate place and arne the good wages.'

"Well, now, Miss Tazie dear, there wor sinse in what the ould body sed; and I thought it all over in me bed that night; and the next day I wor at the intelligence office agin, hoping I'd have betther luck; and sure enough there comed in a young gintleman, wid a young leddy wid him, and oh! Miss Tazie dear, me heart warmed to 'um at wonst they kim in; for I seen at wonst that they wor the rael gintry.

"He was a fine, portly-looking young man, wid a ruddy cheek and a bright blue eye, and a stately way wid him; and his sister-the young leddy-oh! Miss Tazie, she wor on'y a slip of a girl; but wasn't she the big beauty-wid her cheeks jist as red as the roses, and her great, beautiful blue eyes, and her long, fair hair ?" "Was her hair like mine, Jim ?" said little

"I've druve a jaunting-cart and a tax-cart, Theresa, tossing back her sunny curls. yer honor,' sez I.

"The gintleman laughed. 'I wanted a man to drive a coach and pair,' sez he; have yeez iver done that?'

I

"No, yer honor, Sir,' sez I, 'sure and niver did.' And I seen I wouldn't do for him. "And, Miss Tazie dear, ivery day whin I'd go back hersilf would come out to mate me; and whin I'd shake me head she'd fling the apron over her face and cry.

"Well, there wor an ould woman, one Miss M'Gra, stopping at the same house-and she from the one place wid us, and knew all our folks, on'y she wor unknownst to me, for she'd been in the country before iver I wor born, and knew all its ways like. She sez to me, one day, sez she, 'It's ye are too honest, Mr. O'Brine,' sez she. 'If ye go on this a-way telling on yerself, and putting the bad word on ye, ye'll niver git a sitivation. Who's to take ye if ye let on ye can't do nothing?'

"Thrue for ye, mistress,' sez I; but how can I help it? I can't put the lie on 'em, can I?'

"No more ye needn't,' sez she; 'ye can tell the thruth, but ye needn't tell the whole thruth, any way. Whin they axes ye kin ye do this, or kin ye do that? can't yer jist put a bould face upon ye, and make as though ye know'd all about it, and let them take ye on thrial?'

6

"No, Miss Tazie dear, it wasn't," said O'Brian, regarding her attentively. "Your hair is fair and putty, but it's not like hers was. Hers wor more browner; and in the sun it glinted jist like threads of raal gould-sich as the fairies spin. Oh! I knew they wor the raal gintry jist as soon as me two eyes fell on them; I seen it in their very walk-I heard it in their v'ices-I felt it in ivery thing they sed or done. There was no mistaking them!

"Well, they walks up to the desk in a quite way, and he spakes to the intelligencer man; and then he turns round to us, and looks about, and he sez,

"The gintleman is wanting a gar'ner. Is any of yeez used to gar'nering?' And nobody moved a foot.

"Oh, thin, Miss Tazie, I bethought me of what old Mistress M'Gra had sed; and I gets up, wid the blood tingling all over me body, as if it would spurt out at me finger-ends, and I jist walks over to the table, and I sez, 'Could I sarve yer honor?'

"And he takes a long look at me, and then he sez, kind of pleasant like, and friendly, as it were,

"Ye look strong and able, my friend,' he sez. 'Do ye understand gar'nering?'

"I knows how we gardens at home, yer honor,' sez I; 'but I'm new to the country, and the ways, mebbee, is different like.'

"And where have ye worked?' he sez to

"Yes, gossip,' sez I; and whin I'd be tried I'd be found wanting, and sure I'd be dismiss-me. ed.'

"Well,' sez the ould woman, and what if yer was? Sure ye'd a had yer board and wages for that much time, at least-and larned something, too, if ye was not jist that stupid; and ye might get a char-ac-ter for being honest, and civil, and steady, and quite into the bargain; and sure that would help pass ye into another place; and there, if ye kep your eyes open, ye'd larn a little more; and so ye'd keep moving on, larning one thing here, and another there, till,

"Sure I bin in some of the best gardens in Ireland, yer honor,' sez I; and so I had, but not as the gardener. (May I be forgiven that much of a lie, for me case wor disperate!)

"But who have ye worked for at home, my man?' he sez to me next.

"I worked for Colin O'Hara last, yer honor,' sez I; and that wor all true.

"Was ye head-gar'ner there?' sez he. "Oh, murther! thinks I, now, thin, I'm bate intirely; for I can't tell him such a big lie as

648

that, and he and the swate young leddy looking worruk is worth; and I'll be contint and grate'Ye may begin at full in the face of me; and thin I jist thinked ful to yeez.' "Very well,' he sez. to mesilf, 'The truth may be blamed, but can't twinty-five dollars a month, and yer house-rint be shamed,' and I made answer to him, ""'Deed, thin, yer honor, I'll not put the lie and firing,' sez he; and if I find ye arne more

on ye. I wasn't head-gar'ner there.'

"Whin I sed that the gintleman turned and spoke to the young leddy, and they both smiled, and then they two talked together a piece in some kind of a furren tongue-it might be Frinch; I don't think it wor the Latin, for I niver heerd Father Riley spake it so nately; and wouldn't it be jist a sin and burning shame to be saying they'd bate his Riverence at that, and he brought up to the same, and they on'y two young Pro-test-ants? Well, thin he turns to me agin, and he sez,

"How long did ye sarve Sir Colin?' he sez. "I stopped wid himself four years and five months, yer honor.'

"And have ye a character from Sir Colin?'
"What is it, yer honor, Sir?' sez I.
"A recommend, that is,' sez the intelli-
'Haven't ye a bit writing from
gencer man.

Sir Colin to spake for yer?'
"No, then, Sir,' I sez, 'I haven't-the
more's the pity. But the way it was, the ould
master died, and the family wor broke up, and
I'd not the heart to be throubling the mistress,
poor lady, and she in the great sorrow, too; and
more nor that, I didn't know would it be asked
of me, either.'

I

I'll pay ye more.'

"Oh! Miss Tazie, wasn't that the glad hour The heart in me wor so full, I wor for me? feared the big tears would burst out if I spoke agin, and so I only bows.

"Well, he goes up to the desk, and he takes out a bit card and writes on the back of it, and then he calls me.

"Here is me address,' he sez, 'and yer directions; here is yer railroad ticket-ye'll come in the cars.'

“And whin will we come, yer honor?' I sez. "Tuesday is the first of the month,' sez he, and ye may come either Saturday or Monday, as you like, and begin work on Tuesday. And I've only this direction to give ye to begin with,' sez he; mind me orders, and don't desave me. If ye don't know how to do any thing, don't purtend ye do, and do it wrong; but ask me how I'll have it done, and I'll show ye.'

"Yes, indade, yer honor," sez I, "I shall do that same, and thank ye too; sure ye knows I'm not used to the country nor its ways; but, faith, I'll do yer bidding, and be forever obliged to ye for your instructions, and mebbee I'll make up in zale what I wants in experience.'

gone, to be sort of civil like, and thin I were following after, for I wor dying to tell me woman, whin the Intelligencer stops me.

"Very well,' sez he; and then he and the "Thin the gintleman and the Intelligencer young leddy bade me 'good-day' sort o' friendlooked at each other, and I could read the mean-ly, and wint out; and I jist waited till they had ing jist as plain as if they sed the words, 'That's on'y an excuse; they all sez the likes of that;' and a bright thought comed into me head. had an ould letter from the master about selling some oats for him; I'd seen it the night before whin I bin counting out me bit money, and I jist kep it for the sake of the ould times; so I whips out me wallet and gives him the letter; and whin he'd read it, he sez to me,

"That's as good as a recommend,' he sez; 'for it shows yer employer put the trust in yer. And is there nobody here who knows yer to speak for yer?'

'There's

And

"Not a one, yer honor,' sez I.
not a one in the country, save me ould woman,
as iver I laid me two eyes on tul I kim here.'
"So much the betther for ye,' sez he, laugh-
ing; ye'll have the fewer followers.'
then he axed me a hape more quistions, and
I made answer to them all the best I could;
and then he talked agin to the young leddy,
and sure I am she spoke the good word for me,
for, after a little, he sez,

"Well, my man, I think I'll give ye the
trial.
What wages do ye ask me?'
"Faith, yer honor, Sir,' sez I, 'yer own
Sure ye knows the
self knows best about that.
work and the wages, and meself don't; and I'll
go bail for it yer honor is not the one to take
the mane advantage of a poor man; for-by he
a stranger. Make the tarms to suit yerself.
Jist take me on thryal, and give me what me

"Here, thin!' he sez, and ain't ye going to pay me fee, and ye afther getting such an illigunt situation?'

666

"Be me sowl, Sir!' sez I, 'will ye plaze to excuse me; sure I'd be the mane baste to thry to be shot of it that a-way; but, ye see, I wor bothered like, talking to the quality.'

"So I pays him his fee, and then I sez to him, 'If ye plaze, Sir, what is the wages I'm to be getting?'

"I didn't take notice,' sez he; 'sure, and don't ye know what wages ye hired for?' "The gintleman sed twinty-five dollars a month, Sir,' sez I.

666

ask

"Well, then, if he sed twinty-five dollars a month I suppose he meant it; what do yer a me for, if ye know'd it yer own self?'

666

"Faith, Sir,' sez I, 'it's meself don't know the money; what wud it be in pounds, shillings, and pence ?'

"Oh, that's it, is it?' sez he; 'yer green, hey? Sure that's five pound a month.'

"Oh, wisha-wisha!' sez I; 'five pound & month, and me house-rint and firing! Oh, that's the illigunt wages! Be me sowl, but it's a made man I am entirely!' and I catched up me hat, and was out of the shop and doon the street in a jiffy; for, oh! the way seemed long to me till I'd tell poor Nora!

I niver yet laid me two eyes on the bate of it! Sure and I giv satisfaction, too; for I had a cha-rac-ter to earn, and me heart was in me woruk. I used to be at it in the morning while the stars wor in the sky, and I wouldn't quit at night till I'd see no longer. Yes; and ivery thing thriv wid me; me flowers and me vegetables got the praise; and herself wor contint, and the heavy sorrow passed off us, and I wor happy.

"Whin I got into the street where the board- easy like; and a nate little cottage, close, nearing-house wor, sure enough I seen her-the hand, convanient, all to ourselves! Oh! Miss poor crather-and she laning over the shop-Tazie, I've been alive iver since I wor born, but door, looking up and doon, thrying to get a brithe of frish air, mebbee; for though it wor on'y about this time of year, it wor warm for the season, and the close, dirty, miserable little shop wor hot and stifling to the poor, worried, heart-sore, home-sick woman-and I seen the stain of tears upon her cheek. When she seen me she started, and looked wild like at me, and I made her a sign to come out wid me, and she flung her shawl over her head and rin out to me; and whin we had turned the corner I tuck hould of her arm, and sez I to her, 'Nora, woman! how would yees like to be wife to a gintleman's head gar'ner, wid a nate little cottage all to ourselves, and five pounds a month?'

"Poor woman! she looked in me face, and the big tears kim; and then she sed, sadly, 'Jim, ye've bin dhrinking. Me poor lad! the sorrow's too hard on ye!'

"No, no, Nora,' sez I; 'it's not drunk I am; on'y me head's turned wid the luck, for it's all true! Nora, woman dear, it's no lie I'm telling ye; and we'll be out of this before Saturday night!'

"There wor many young leddies in the family. There was the master's wife, and her two sisters, and the master's young sister, and his cousin; fine, tall, beautiful young leddies they wor, all of 'um; but the best of 'um all, to my thinking, was the master's sister, Miss Rosamond-her that I seen at the Intelligencer's, ye mind. She wor the youngest of them all, and she wor in the gardens more nor all the others put together. The other leddies they jist walked a-round, wid their fine leddy and gintleman company, and laughed and talked pleasantly enough; but ah! Miss Rosamond's wor the light foot that wor round me beds and borders

"Och! thin the poor crather she cried worse the last thing at night, the first in the morning. nor iver, for the very joy.

"Nora, mavourneen,' sez I, 'sure and do ye cry now, whin we're jist out of the woods? Whist! woman dear. Sure ye must rin in and get on yer cloak, and go out wid me and buy me a new jacket and a gar'ner's apron; and ye must rid yerself up a little, too, Nora, that we'll not be bringing discredit on the new master; for, plaze the Lord to spare our lives, we'll be laving this the day after to-morrow.'

"So while herself wor making ready to go out, I jist slips up to the man of the house, and 'Hev ye got a place yet, O'Brine?' sez he.

"I've heerd of one,' sez I; for I thought it wor best to keep dark till all wor sure, for how could I know who might thry to cut me out? 'There is one Colonel Berkley as wants a man.' "What!' sez he, Colonel James Berkley, of W- is it ?'

She wor just like the golden butterflies; oh, how she did love the flowers! I could niver tell her a thing about them but she know'd it all aforehand; and whin a new flower bloomed she found it out before the bees did. Yes; and she had iver the kind word to say to me, if it wor only A beautiful day, James!' or 'A fine rain for yer carnations, last night, James!' It wor cheering like; and I'd be as pleased as if the Queen of the Fairies had spoke to me.

"And now, Miss Tazie, I'm coming to what put me upon telling yeez this story-how I larned to say 'pea-cock!' Well, ye see, whin I kim there first I had a bad trick of swearing. I used to say, 'Be God!' (saving yer presence) ivery tin words I'd say. Well, it's a wrong thing; but it's a way they has at home; and I wor so used to it I wouldn't know whin I'd say it, and if I did I'd think it no harum, becaze I'd been "The very same !' sez I. 'Did ye iver hear used to it all me days. I've lift it out in telltell of him?' ing you this becaze I have larned betther now; but if this time had been that time ye'd have heard it fifty times or more.

"Didn't I?' sez he. 'Why, he is one of the very tip-tops! Ye would be in luck to get service wid him! And what is he wanting?'

"I think it's a gar'ner,' sez I.

"And don't ye wish ye may get it?' sez he, sneering like. Well, I never let on another word; and whin herself kim down we wint out together and bought our little matters; and Saturday morning we wint off to Win the steam-cars.

"Oh! and was not that the beautiful place? and didn't we find a home there? Here there was no lack of any thing; there was full and plinty to do with; and there wor all sorts of illigunt tools (more, be token, than I iver seen before, or knew the uses of); and all kinds of grand mach-ins to do every thing in the world

"Well, one fine summer day, in the afternoon, Miss Rosamond came out. She had jist got some new plants, and I should go and set them out for her; and I wor ready enough to do that, for and indade it wor me delight to do her bidding, and most of all, to have herself stand by and diriet me woruk. These wor very chice plants, and Miss Rosamond wor very purticlar 'bout their names. Every one on 'um wor wrapped up in its own paper, wid its own name on it; and Miss Rosamond had some nice little smooth white tallies in her hand, and as she unrolled each paper, while L out the bulb, herself wrote its name on the tally, and guv it to me to set out by the root. By-and

by, whin I had set out one of 'um, she wint to
toss me the tally to put wid it, and, pea-cock!
if she didn't make a mistake, and fling her fine
great gould pincil right away into the hole
among all the dirt!
Of course I picked it up
in less than no time; and as I wiped it on me
sleeve and handed back agin, I sez,

“Be God, Miss Rosamond, I'd like to plant the root that 'ud bear sich goulden fruit as this is!'

"James!' sez she, sort of cold like and reprovingly; and I thought mebbee I'd made too free. She didn't say another word; but I seen she wor displeased wid me, and I was ready to have bit the end of me tongue off for being so bould.

"I humbly ax yer pardon, Miss,' sez I; and I didn't spake agin, on'y 'Yes, Miss,' and 'No, Miss,' till the job wor done.

"There, James,' she sez to me, and she after giving me the last one, that is all; and ye've done them jist the way I wanted them done.'

"I'm on'y too proud if I've plazed ye, Miss Rosamond,' sez I. 'I'm thinking they can't but grow; and, be God, I hope they will, and bear the finest flowers iver ye seen yet.'

"Oh, James!' sez she agin; and this time she sed it in a sich a kind of frightened, sobbing way, catching up her brithe like. I thought for all the world she had cut her hand wid me big knife; and I started up, and I sez, Miss Rosamond, are ye hurted?'

6

"Yes, James,' sez she, spaking kind of sad and mournful like. 'It hurts me to hear ye take yer Maker's name so lightly. I think it is sinful.'

"I ax yer pardon, Miss Rosamond,' sez I; 'sure I didn't mane to offind ye. I ax yer pardon, Miss, a thousand times.'

innocent blue eyes a-looking up to hiven, and the sun shining on the long goulden hair falling round her shoulders, she looked for all the world so like them beautiful picters of the Blissid Vargin, and the Holy Saints wid the glory round their heads, which I used to see in some of the fine ould churches at home in the ould country, that, before I thought of it, I whipped off me hat and begun to say an Ora pro nobis.' Ah! ye need not laugh, Miss Tazie! If ye'd bin there, too, and seen her, ye'd have done the same (supposing yer had bin a Catholic-which yer not, more's the pity!)."

"And what did the young lady say to that?" said Miss Theresa, recovering her gravity with an effort.

"Oh! she niver knew what I done it for; I didn't say it out loud, but in me heart, softly like; and whin I seen her looking at me, I jist rubbed me arum over me head, this a-way, and clapped on me hat agin; and if she tuck notice of me at all, she on'y thought it was hot and tired I was; oh! she niver mistrusted, and I niver let on; but iver since, from that day to this out, whin I thry at me prayers to think of the Blissid Vargin and the Holy Saints, I can on'y see Miss Rosamond standing as she stud that day, between me and the goulden light, wid the glory round her head! And often after that, whin I wor jist upon saying them wordsfor they would slip out, unknownst to me—I'd catch mesilf up, jist in time, and I'd turn it into 'pea-cock!' and thin she'd smile, and say, 'Thank ye, James.' And faith I wor as proud of them words as if I'd found a purse of gould; and that's the how I larned to say pea-cock!"

"Why, Jim!" said little Theresa, "how you did love her! didn't you?"

"No! Miss Tazie," said O'Brian, indignantly, "I didn't. Sure and it wasn't for the likes of me to be loving the likes of her; I wasn't her aquil. Love her? No; I riverinced her!” "And where is she now, Jim ?"

"It's not me pardon ye most need to ask, James,' sez she, though sich language is disrespictful and displazing to me, too,' sez she, spaking high and stately, as if she wor the very Pope hisself; but what is tin thousand times worse,' sez she, it is disrespictful and displaz-up. ing to Him who has forbidden us to take His holy name in vain,' sez she.

66

"Gone to glory!" said Jim, without looking

"Dead!-what-dead?" cried little Tazie, bending forward, her widely opened eyes dilating in sudden terror. "Oh! Jim, you do not mean to say that she is dead?"

Well, now, Miss Tazie, ye'll mebbee not belave it, but it's no lie I'm telling ye: though I'd heard that same Commandmint iver since "No, Miss," said James, speaking thick and I wor a child, I niver before thought of its huskily, but unconsciously giving utterance to maning. the sublimest truth the lips of man can utter: “‘I'll niver say it agin as long as I live, Miss" The likes of her can not die! She has gone Rosamond,' sez I. 'Sure I'd be the thafe of from this world sure enough; but whereiver the world if I'd be disrespictful to yerself, let God and the holy angels is living in blissidness, alone Hiven's glory! And I'll jist drop it en- there, I know, sure and sartin, Miss Rosamond tirely from this out.' But that wor aisier sed is living too!" nor done, Miss Tazie; for ye see, ould dogs and ould habits is hard to break; and as I spoke I looked up at her. She wor standing upon a little bank, just over aginst me, wid her back to the setting sun. It might be that the red light which wor behint her, and jist op-pos-it to me, dazzled me eyes, or else it wor the tears which blinded me; but as she stud there, widout her bonnit, and she drest all in white, wid her great

There was a few minutes' silence while Jim stitched busily at his meal-bags, and little Theresa sat twirling his great shears, apparently lost in thought. At last, bending forward, she spoke, but low and softly,

"Jim, if you don't mind, will you tell me about her sickness and death? I should like to hear more about her."

"Well then, Miss Tazie, I can't be telling