The Butler Weekly Times Newspaper, December 23, 1897, Page 3

0 ee ES RS cS SSS SESE, hE Mrs. Mulcrarv’s Christmas Pig Yrom The Youth’s Companion. The feud between Widow Mul- ersry and the railroad began on the unfortunate day that Patsy stayed at home from school to mind tho geese. “Patsy,” she siad that morning; «J have to go to Mrs. Gray’s to do | wasbing the day, and I’m thinking you will stay at home and mind the geese while they feeda bit. There's fine good grass ia the field beyant, and it’s a shame to sbut thim up whilo it lasts. Jamsje, b'y, ye'll be telling the t’acher.” “But what'll I say, mither?” asked Jamsie. Mrs. Mulcrary pondered a mo- ment for a speech that would be sufficiently dignified. ‘Say, is it?” she replied. “Just say that Mrs. Mulcrary has the honor to presint her complimints to Miss Williame; that it is distasteful to her intirely, but circumstances are such that she’s needing the servicea of her son, Patrick for the one day, and would she be so good as tc oblige her wid excusing that same.” The length of this and the ele- gance of the language was too much for Jamsie, but he struggled man- fully to repeat it. “Mrs. Mulcrary presints her son Patrick to Miss Williams. The s2rvices is distaste. ful to her intirely, and the compli- ments are such—sure, mither, what does it all mane?” Mra. Mulerary was holding up both hands in mingled amazement and laughter at the strange jumble into which Jamsie had thrown her studied language. “Did ye bear the bosthoon!” she exclaimed. “Indade, I don’t know what that manes mesilf. Here, Jamsie, b’y, sit on my knee till T tell it tye again. ‘Mrs. Mulcrary presints ber compliments,’” she re- peated. But Jamsie could not mas: ter the large words, and finally the mother kissed him and put him down with, “There, laddie, don’t ye mind. Indade, it’s not the words atall that matter. It’s just the emile in yer eye whin ye say thim. Just tell her that Patsy has to help the mither the day.” So Jamsie repeating the message to himself that he might not forget it, trotted soberly to school; Mrs. Mulcrary, with parting injunction to Patey about the geese, went to her work; and Patsy drove the great gander, Finn-ma-cool, and his flock up into the meadow that stretched from the house up to the railroad cut, through which trains sped roar- ing down the grade toward the city. “Don’t let thim stray awey from ye, Patey, avick,” she had said; “and have an eye for the pig, the crather; he'll be coming fat now for the Christmas killing, and I mistrust he'll be getting on the track if he can do that same, for sure the fence is that bad you could t’row feather pillows through it. Mind ye, Patsy now, if anything happens to the pig we'll have no Christmas dinner.” The roving habits of the Christ- mas .pig were largely due to the leniency of Mrs. Mulcrary. She had been but two years in America, and she had been brought up in a coun- try where tho pig, like the geese and the chickens, bad free run of the farm; so here it was her custom to allow him a daily outicg. This the pig learned to expect, and if not loosed at the usual time would often get out himself. On the death of her husband the widow had pluckily taken up the battle of life. She understood the management of geese and pigs, the Planting of potatoes, and all the little thrifts and economies that go to make up Irish country life; she worked bard at washing; and so she kept the wolf from the door, al- | though he lurked never very far | Sway. Patsy tended the geeee for a long time with exemplary care, restrained the belligerency of Finnema-cool, who was rightly named after the tucient Irish champion, and kept a Watchful eye on the pen where the indignant pig grumbled to himself &t being shut up all the long day. But by and by the voy’s attention Wandered to other things. He won- ‘dered at the sturdy beauty of the kbit and yarrow that still stood @rect in the meadow unmindful of autumn frosts, and finally he ‘Peered into a woodchuck hole to see he could see anything of the oc- nts. In this position he did | that was coming down grade through the cut and by the meadow. But the warlike Finn-ma cool | heard it and took it, as he took al-| most anything, asa challenge. Ae the big “mogul” engine roared | through tbe cut, the gander lifted |his head, and with a ecream of rage; | flew straight over the low fence at} the train, fcllowed by the entire; flock. Big Ben, the six foot engineer of the day-freight, said afterward that it was one of the most trying ex- periences that he had ever had. The train was going at high epeed, aud ths big birds came bangiag agains: cab and pilot like a bombarment, breaking the glass on both sides ard fairly spattering the whole frout of the engine with bits of gocee flesh and feathers. As the train went on, the fi:eman, recovering from the firet alarm, looked back and burst into laughter at the grotesque demonstraticns of grief and rage of the little Irish lad by the side of the track. Some hours later, as the big en gine elid into the freight-yard at the end of the run and stopped, the switch tender held up his hands in amazement. “Millia-murther, Big Ben!” he exc'aimed. “Look at the feathers on your engin, man! Did ye killa feather bed or run overa flock of angele, or what is it?” “See here, Donovan,” growled Big Bev, good-naturedly, “you're no real Irishman, you that came from the north and don’t know a Kerry snow-storm when you see it! It hadn't had time to melt off theen gine yet.” And so with jest and Jaughter the story of the slaughter of Mre. Mul crary’s misguided geese went the rounds of the trainmen, and was presently forgotten. Poor Patsy! Not a single bird of the flock remained alive, and even the bodies of most of them could not be found. His grief and dismay were great, and when his mother came home she found him lying face downward on the floor, sobbing as if his heart would break, while the wayward pig wandered at his own sweet willabout the garden, re- strained by some mystery of provi- dence from going through the fence —which, like most railroad fences, was not “pig-tight”—on the track to meet the death of Finn ma-cool. With much petting and raavy soft voiced “acushlas” and “mavour- neens,” the widow drew from Patsy the story of the day’s disaster, and how it was the day-freight that had done the evil deed. Indignation mingled with her sorrow, and when Patsy told of the jeering laughter of the fireman it roused all the Celt in her blood, and she called down voluble disaster on Big Ben and his fireman. ‘ Thus it was that as the train roar- ed out of the cut next day the two were much amused to sea standing by the track a buxom and defiant widow, who shook her plump fiet and hurled after them a torrent of denunciation in the purest Erse.) Neither could have understcod this if they could have heard, and Big Ben was too busy with his engine to give more than a parting glance, but the fireman leaned over with a malicious grin and shouted in his ear: “See here, Ben, I think this is getting serious. The widow is wav- ing her hand at you.” And Big Ben, who was at once the bravest and sbyest man on the road, blushed red under the grime ef the cinders. With no geese to eat or to sell, Thanksgiving day was bare and dry at the Mulcrarye; but they bad not been long enough in the country to care much for the Puritan festival, so their customary frugality on that day did not trouble them. “Don’t you mind for the Yankee feast, laddies,” Mrs. Mul- crary eaid to the boys; “the pig'll be fat for the Christmas and it’s the fine big dinner I'll be having for ye.’ Now ever as the Christmas pig grew in size cunning increased with him, and to escape from his pen be- came bis daily habit. Twice a day the big mogul engine went by with} the day freight, thundering down the grade afternoons and climbed it with many puffs and much labor early each morning, and often Big Ben locked from the corner of his eye atthe widow as she bustled about the place. “I declare,” he said to the fireman; not hear the rush of the day freight | “I'm sorry we busted those geege. | grade. It beats the Dutch!” | | day off and make it right with her. |down grade to make up lost time, Good mind to go down there my} In the gray of the next morning | Mre. Mulcrary stood by the track | It’s only a matter of a few dollars, | with an empty bucket in her hand, and its likely she ain't too well off.” |and looked sadly at the two long! The fireman grinned maliciously. | lines of rails that stretched along, “Thought you'd be looking for an|blach and frostless, although the excuse to call on the widow,” he|morning was sharp and the fields said; and Big Ben blushed again and | were white. | let his good intentions die onths| Then she went slowly back to the! threshold of eaterprise. home. Her head hung low, and she} There came a foggy day with a/ was already sorry for what she had | cold drizzle of rain. The rails were|done. The longed for revenge was | wet and slippery, and as the train / not sweet after all, and for the first | boomed through the cut Big Ben! time for many a day ske was sober! was bebind time and in not too good|jand listless about ber morning's humor He was lettiag the train go| work. | Meanwhile, with a good head of | steam, the day freight came pofticg| up the grade. Then in the same place came the slipping and whirling of the drivers, after pushing abead with lessening momentum the train came fairly to a stop. Big Ben gtowered with rage. He pulled the throttle wide and sent the steam roaring through the cylin- ders till the big wheel whirled with lightning speed, but to no purpose. When the train came to a standstill Big Ben sprung out and hurried to that part of the track where the trouble was. “This is to pay for killing the pig.” the fireman said to him. “Yes, the company ought to fix it It was a bad moment for Big Ben| up with her fer that, and the geese, and the fireman, but it was a brief |too—look how the fence is neglect- one. At the firat toot of ths whis-jed. But we must get out of this tle the widow dropped her stick| before we stall the passenger.” with a scream, snatcheda boy under; But getting out was not so easy. each arm and hustled them off the|In vain they tried to pass with a track into the field with uw rapidity|rus, but each time falling back not at all astonishiog considering | again, till Big Ben heard a whistle the circumstances. Then Big Ben|and saw the passenger crawling care- and the fireman settled firmly in|fully up. Again he made a fierce their seats for the shock, as the en-| attempt to climb the grade and fell give, backed by its long train of|back again. The passenger con- loaded cars, slid down the wet rails| ductor came forward. “What did and over the motionless form of the | you break?” he asked obstinate Mulerary pig. “Nothing broken, sir, but can’t There was one brief equeal,|#eem to get up the grade, that’s all,” drowned by the roar of the wheels, replied Big Ben. and bafore the widow was sure of| ‘Steam low?” asked the conductor her own safety and that of the boys | looking severely at the fireman. the Christmas pig was ground to| “Steam’s right up to the top notch fragments under the rush of Big|/°? the day freight, eir.” Ben’s train. There was another whistle and Big Ben saw an engine pulling up with a single handsome car. A little and wis k-enly watching the track ahea!, m-xuwbite. Then. of a sud- d-u Le crught bis b-eath and cut off steam, whi'e the fireman snatched at tho whistle eo:d and blew for brakes and th sharp to fa Oa the track in front of the day freight was the whole Mulerary fam- ily, includivg the Christmas pig. He had pushed his way through the fenc3 unsen. Nowa boy was tug- ging at each ear of piggy, while the widow balabored him with a stick. But the “crather” stood with four legs braced tothe four quarters of the universe, end was budging not one inch. puil-d uu succession of “Whew!” said the fireman, wiping the moisture from his brow; “we pretty near did it that time.” man came briskly forward. “The Ben was of the opinion that they division superintendent, you're in had done it, at least so far as the for it,” exclaimed the conductor. widow was concerned, and they cer-|_ The delay was no fault of Ben's, tainly had roused her grief and. in- but he felt uncomfortable as the man dignant anger to the highest pitch. looked sharply at him through gold Her smoldering sorrow for the loss bowed spectacles and said: “Well, of her geese was fanned into fresh|™Y ™8™ why don't you go ahead?” flame by this disaster. Then there|_ “I can't get ap the grade, sir, the was her own narrow escape end that | ‘°> 18 greased. 2 of her boys. It seemed like an in- The magnate looked at Ben as if sult that Big Ben's train should be he certainly must be at fault. “The so regardless of their safety. And the Christmas pig! His frag- ments strewed the track for rods With an outburst of grief and anger she covered her head with her apron and fled sobbing to the house, while her two boys clung toher skirts and mingled their grief with hers in vo- ciferous outcry. But the widow was not one to weep long. Next morning before the day freight had come puffing up the grade, she had gathered up the scattered remnants of the Christmas pig, and while the boys were at school she worked all day over the fire trying out the stained and grimy fragments. Be fore night she had a big kettle of lard. “What's that for, mither?” asked Patsy, when he came home. “Sure, it’s not fit for ateing.” : “Indade, then, it’s not for ateing, but for bateing,” replied the widow gtimly, and would eay no more. Next morning, as the day freight came puffing up the grade by the place where the obstinate pig had met his death, the big drivers on the engine suddenly slipped and whirled without clinging to the rail at all, and it was only by fairly ex- hausting the sand box that the train passed on. The next morning it wae worse yet: the wheels whirled and slipped and whirled again, till Ben and the| make an example. You were con- fireman looked at ore another in| cerned in this matter and you shall amazement. have a share in theretribution”” Ben “Whats the matter with this place?” shouted Ben. The fireman shook his head. “It’s bewitched,” he said; “we killed the geese, we smashed the pig and near- wait here. Send mer ahead and wipe off the rails, sand them thoroughly, dod’t hold.” Mrs. Mulcrary saw the long pro- the sanded irons. She had made trouble for Big Ben and the fireman and was heartily sorry for what she had done. The two men were called before the division superintendent next day and questioned. An agent of the road was sent to Mrs. Mulcrary to get her etory of the killing of the geese and the Christmas pig, and he noted her poverty and frugality, this in his report. had been neglected. And here the matter rested until Christmas eve. As Big Ben left his office that day he was called to the superintendent's office with much trepidition. Nor was he reassured by the apparent severity of the little man. He told the fireman afterward the interview tion and he was the boiler. this affair, Mr. Budson,” the super- anothe~ road after being discharged. row you will be relieved’—Big Ben right here; and now it’s as much as|actions might do. Use such argu- iron greased! Hum! Well we can’t | ears. then go ahead. The other engines away to himself, was the fac simile will follow sni push if the wheels |of the Christmas pig. jintendent said, “‘we can’t have the/ peal. our trains interfered with, we must | longer until the Cancer disappeared wondered if he could get train on} biood remedy will cure it. straightened up—“for one day only, | 5n a eee pet > ¥F.J. TYGARD, HON. J. B. NEWBEBRY, J.C. CLARK President. THE BATES 6 : | } Bates County | Suceessor to BATES COU PRT CRDT T @7F NNN bd CAPITA 5,000. S25 A Genera! Banking oe, OL0, UU x Business Transacted. Capital, «= Money to loan on real estate title to all lands and town lo securities alwa papers drawn. F.J.TyGarp, BoTLER, Mo. SS eee ‘ q EsraBiisukp Dec., BUTLER, MO. r ways on hand and for sale. furnished, titles examined and all kinds of real estate Hon. J. B, Newurrry, Vice-Pree’t. Cashier. OUNTY BANK, NTY NATIONAL BANK. nvestment Co., = 850,000. » at low rates. Abstracts of ts in Bates county. Choice Abstracts of title J.C, Cranx, President. Vice-President. Sec’y. & Treas. Jxo.C. Hayes, Abstractor. ‘ S. F. Wannock, Notary. Se SSS SSR OLLIE PERE 000000 POPOCCOOO0-9 te eaeeaeaaned G. W. CLARDY, Mayor. J.D. ELLWOOD, CLARDY, ELWOOD & CO., Suecesors to Ch arpy & Bacxen, Real Estate, Loans‘ Abstracts. } We do a General Real Business, and Make a f&iWe are now preparing a revised by us. Bring or send us complete you are now listed with us, please 00-0 O00 | Yours for business, CLARDY, ELLWOOD & CO. 1000 O00 0-00 OO0LOOOHOGOD COS DOOOO OOO COICO OID: Estate and Exchange Specialty of Abstracts. list of Lands, for sale or exchange description of your property. it give us new description and price. © Ben an unsealed envelope—“I think | this will be quite effective. There was a suspicion of atwinkle | in the superintendent’s eye as Big | Ben went out still in doubt ar to what had happened to him. But his doubts were dispelled on opening the envelope. It contained a crisp bank note and a paper on which he read, “for the Mulcrarys’ Christmas dinner.” It was a heavy basket that Big Ben, blushing, but backed by the| fireman, bore to the widow's home| eontaining not only the material for | a big Christmas dinner, but mavy | other things in the way of Christ- mas greeting for the family. The fireman was often questioned | asto what Big Ben eaid to the widow for interfering with the traf. fic of the road, but he never told. Evidently it was effective for she hes done nothing of the sort since. Per- haps Ben’s call, which they say he now makes without the backing of the fireman, keep her pleasantly in- clined toward railroad matters. The Mulcrarys had the Christmas in their experience, and with it was ove great surprise. Ono Christmas morning the widow, wak- ing early, refused to believe her Then she dressed hurriedly and hastened to the pen behind the house, where she held up her hands 1n astonishment,for there, grumbling Both Big Ben and the fireman profess great ignorance in regard to this pig, and Patsy end little Jamsie cession pass up the grade, with/are firm in the belief that Santa | much slipping and whirling over| Claus brought him. Wrinrnrop Packaap. best j CASTORIA. ‘The fae- tinile ise every tie Loe STL LAA ie. Miss Millard in Trouble. Wichita, Kansas, Dec 16.—Misa Axie Millard, the 18 year-old daugh. ter of Gharles C. Millard, who has lately attracted considerable atten- tion as a contributor to the Arena, a Boston magazine, was arrested to- night with Geo. Cunningbam, Will Stose snd C. D. Northrup, on the charge of housebreaking and robbery. They are in the city jail to await a preliminary hearing. The parties are quite well known in Wichita. Several hundred dollars’ worth of stolen goods were discov- ered in the house of Stose, on Oak street. Various articles of jewelry and bed clothing have been identified as the property of people in Bentley, Kechi and Sedgwick City. It is supposed that the men did the steal- ing and the property hidden by Mies Millard aod Mrs. Stose, wife of Will Stose, arrested. What’s the Use ot Talking About colds and coughs in the sum- mer time. You may haye a tickliug cough or a little cold or baby may have the croup and when it comes you ought to know that Parks cough Syruy is the best cure for {t- Sold by H. L.Tucker San Juan, Porto Rica, Dec. 16 — When Gen. Ruiz Rivera, the Cuban ineurgent leader, who was recently release fromi Cabanes fortress, in Havana, by royal pardon, arrived here on the steamehip Colon, bound’ for Cadiz, he was not allowed to jland. A tailor was sent for and. |went aboard taking clothing “for | Gen. Rivera. Cancer Of the Face, Mrs. Laura E. Mims, of Smithville,Ga., says: ‘“A small pimple of a strawberry color appeared on my cheek; it soon and did not fail to lay stress upon| began to grow rapidly, notwithstand- ‘And the fence |i22 it efforts to check it. My 2 eye became terribly inflamed, and was so swollen that for quite a while I could not see. The doctors type, and after ex- hausting their efforts without doing me any good, they gave up the case as hopeless. ’ When in- formed that my father had died from was a good deal like a boiler inspec-| the same disease, they said I must die, as hereditary Cancer was incurable. “At this crisis, 1 was advised to try “Something must be done about)s.s.s., andina short while the Cancer began to discharge and continued todo so for three months, then it began to I continued the medicine a while en- tirely. This was several years ago and there has been no return of the disease.” A Real Blood Remedy. Cancer is a biood disease, See (guaranteed purely vegetable) isa real blood remedy, aud never fails to per- Then the magnate said: “To mor-| manently cure Cancer, Scrofula, Eczema, | Rheumatism or any other disease of the blood. Cancer Send for our books and Blood i Diseases, ly went off the iron, and we like to}and I will ask you to ece this Mre. | mailed free to run over the widow andthe boys|Mulcrary and tell ber the harm her|22Y _ #ddress. : Swift Specific ' be Ge" a! 3 ever we can do to get up the|ments as you see fit, but"—handing|~° said I had Cancer of | the most malignant | | Educate Your Bowele With Cag i | carets. j Candy Cathartic, cure constipation forever. loc. If C. C. C. fail, druggiste refund money Atlanta, Ga, Dec. 15 —At a party | given at the residence W. H Califf near Jeffersonville last night a dis- | pute arose between two young men, who were drinking, and three men were killed and two women fatally injured. Dead: —— Griffin, Luther Califf, Clarence Jones. Fatally in- jared: Mre. W. H. Califf and Mary Petty. Lost. | Many have lost confidence and hope | as well as health, because they have been told their Kidney disease was lineurable. Foley’s Kidney Cure isa | Guaranteed remedy for the diseour- | aged and disconsolate. J A Trimble, | druggist. Constantico;le, Dec. 16.—A dis- patch from Athens received to day announces that the treaty of peace between Turkey aud Greece has been ratified by King George, and that it will be dispatched wo day by ‘a special steamer to this city. The Sultan bas ratified the treaty between | Turkey and Greece. For Hoarseness. | Benj Ingerson, of Hutton, Ind., | says be bad not spoken above a whis- + for months,-and one bottle of ‘oley’s Honey and Tar restored hig voice. It is used very yee Ped speakers andsingers, At JATrim- 3le’s drugstore. i i |