Penelope's Irish Experiences

in, my heart y

unts me like a

Duf

ectly from Scotland, an easy night journey. Accordingly we embarked in a steamer called the Prince or t

ved at the North Wall forty minutes earlier than the hour set by the steamship company. It is quite impossible for anything in Ireland to be done strictly on the minute, and in struggling not to be hopelessly behind time, a 'disthressful counthry' will occasionally be ahead of it. We had been told t

was met by a crowd of ragged gossoons, most of them barefooted, some of them stockingless, and in men's shoes, and several of them with flowers in their unspeakable hats and caps. There were no cabs or jaunting cars because we had not been expected so early, and the jarveys were in attendance on the Holyhead steamer. It was while I was searching for a piece of lost luggage that I saw the stewardess assisting a young woman off the gang plank, and leading her toward a pile of wool bags on the dock. She sank helplessly on one of them, and leaned her head on another. As the night had been one calculated to disturb the physical equilibrium of a poor sailor, and the breakfast of a character to discourage the stoutest stomach, I gave her a careless thought of p

scued Salemina from the voluble thanks of an old woman to whom she had thoughtlessly given a three-penny bit. This mother of a 'long wake family' was wishing that Salemina might live to

ma'am?" asked the oldest of the ragamuffins, and I gladly assented to the novel p

stly covered by the person of the sea-sick maiden whom I had seen on the arm of the stewardess. She was seated on it, exhaustion in every line of her figure, her head upon my travelling bag, her feet dangling over the edge until they just touched the 'S. P., Salem, Mass., U.S.A.' painted in large red letter

mina. "Do you say she is

ton could ever, under any circumstances, be

ip told her so, and advised her to stay in bed for three days before coming t

e move her carefully over to the wool sacks, and

country, ma'am. She's just t

be in," said Salemina. "Can't you take he

rse it's something we never do, and besides we have to s

t us drop her there, and put her in charge of the housekeeper; of cou

languidly as Salemina chafed her cold hands, and

r-baggage?"

na answered, so

-myself," whereupon without any more warni

crowd, always warm-hearted and kindly, willing to take any trouble for friend or stranger, and with a positive terror of loneliness, or separa

sarve us, is it

igant duds she

ive you sinse! Sure the docthor

er she is, ma'am?"

iky, the poor mi

Sure it's nayther bite nor sup she's had the mo

r of the long weak family fell upon Sale

, least of all could Salemina forsake a

bring the girl with me, put her to bed, find her friends, and see that she start

in a chorus of

that have the

eavens be

y thrive wid he

s were already engaged, and there proved to be a comforta

bsolutely regaining her consciousness. Instead of visiting the National Gallery as I had intended, I returned to the do

rticulars now," I said maliciously to poor Salemina. "It would b

ost quiet. His fee was a guinea for the first visit, and he would drop in again in the course of the afternoon to relieve our anxiety. We took turns in watching by her bedside, but the two unemployed

r charge slightly better. We had been able thus far only to take off her dress, shoes, and such garments as made her uncomfor

me where she was, or show any interest in her surroundings; perhaps she is still too weak. She said

y all means,

t up and kneel

nothing of the sort; t

never go to bed without say

e closed her eyes, and I ca

ghter that we could hardly lift the too conscientious maiden into bed. The situation may have been pathetic; to the truly pious mind it would indeed have been indescribably touching, but for the moment the humorous side of it was too much for our self-control. Salemina, in rushing for stimulants and smelling salts, broke her only comfortable eyeglasses, an

we should not be in t

ly well that if your husband had found a mother and seven children helpless and deserted on that doc

er heard of the place before she saw it printed on Salemina's trunk. I told you it was too big and red, dear, but you wouldn't lis

ver had charge of the lug

ut it. By the way, I have consulted the English manageress of this hotel, who was not particularly sympathetic. 'Perhaps you shouldn't have assumed charge of her, madam,' she said, 'but having done so, hadn't you better see if you can get her

d, and I last, with a most precarious income. Now I am the wealthy one, Francesca is reduced to the second place, and Salemina to t