Peg O' My Heart

t-eyed, rotund little man of fifty, talking freely to the patient and pun

he effect of it and was try

How could the poor soldiers help hittin' ye? Answer me that?" and the jovial

me fine fellow. Ye'll live to see

ard the door open

on would have done to him. It is saltpetre, they tell me, the English doctors rub into the Irish wounds, to kape them smartin'.

h hurt?" a

s in his skin. It's buckshot they used. Buckshot! Thank the merciful Mr. F

dignation as she looke

dly thing to d

ny a poor English landlord's got one of 'em in the back for ridin' about at night on his own land. It's a fatherly government we have, Miss Kingsnorth. 'Hurt 'em, b

but until they do they'll never silence me," murmured O'Conne

tle doctor. "Here, take a pull at this," and he handed the patie

ixture Dr. McGinnis said

f he wants to talk. We've got to get his mind a

r?" asked Angela

nstitution and mebbe the buckshot was p

for speaking of their country. It's h

with the like of him. That man lyin' on that bed 'ud talk the hind-foot off a heifer

-day there would be a thousand voices would rise all over Ireland

me? Now kape still there all through the beautiful night, and let the blessed medicine quiet ye, and the coolin' ointment aize yer pa

ou, Dr.

' here?" and the littl

said Angela. "I

Miss Kingsnorth. Faith if all the English were

e people, doctor. We just gove

t's a fact. Prayin' at Mass one minnit and maimin' cattle the next. Cryin' salt tears at the bedsi

ISHMEN," came f

ll wondher the men who sit in Whiteha

in England dreamt of. Misery, that London, with all its poverty and wretchedness, could not compare with. Were I bor

d full at Angela. It was a look at once o

leaped w

birth, their anxiety was chiefly how to make life pass the pleasantest. They occasionally showed a spasmodic excitement over the progress of a cricket or polo match. Their achievements were

engaged in a struggle that makes existence worth

nate enough to be compelled, from force of circumstance, to live on a portion of land that belonged to him, yet in whose lives he took no interest whatsoever. His only anxiety w

sions. Recognition of those in a higher grade bread and meat and drink

ow platitudes about the r

the world. It seemed to bring only misery once people acquir

ily. The only time she could remember her father smiling or chuckling was

social triumph-usually at the co

mart stroke of business in which ano

site

le, uncomplaining spirit of her: the unselfish abnegation of her: the soul's tragedy

cared for and tended, and worshipped a man even as the one lying riddled on that bed of suffering! All the best in Angela was from her mother. All the resolute f

rching thoughts by the doctor's

the patient screamin' 'Holy murther!' all the while, and old 'Cos' leerin' down at him and sayin': 'Does it hurt? Go on now, does it? Well, we'll thry this one and see if that does, too,' and in 'ud go the lance again. I tell ye it's the Christian he is!" He stopped abruptly. "How me tongue runs on. 'Talkative

. His face was drawn with pain. His eyes were closed. But he was not sleeping. Hi

ot stay her

r I didn't?" ask

you bring

your wounds we

ndlord,' we used to call your father as children. And I

tn't thi

here to humiliate m

for you. To

tect

I

's st

you speak

u d

d

lad of

am

rother wasn'

-a grea

isons when I'm well enough-it's the first time they've caught me and they had to SHOOT me to do it

n't go to

y Irishman to-day who

oice rose in her distress. She repeated: "It

hes here appealed to old Kingsnorth in famine and sickness-not for HELP, mind ye, just for a

"And many a time when I was a ch

ously. "You and yer m

Indeed

is in its womenkind. But they h

ll have

o long to free a whole country how long do ye suppose it'l

e!" she said

at her s

d over Irelan

nd as a woman

here tryin' to help

do very

s there. If they hadn't liked YOU it's the

whilst his fingers clutched the coverlet c

ye yer name

said, almost

amed ye are. It's the ministering angel ye'

k any more

ble in the wurrld beatin' in me

ntil the doctor

k and clos

t perfect

again. There was a new light in

me speak

es

e wer

behind a ban

d his lips as he said: "It w

wonderful," An

stenin' to a man urgin' the pe

and beside you and ech

is eyes blazed a

aking in a wilderness of sorrow

ally, as he said,

omfort and I got them br

ering every GREAT cause

iumph some day. They've s

weak! to bring comfort to sorrow, freedom to the oppressed: joy to wretchedness. That is your mi

hand to help do it. God grant I am alive to see it done. That day'll be worth living for-to wring reco

ith a look. Suddenly he burst into tears. The strain of the day had snapped his self-control at last. The floodgates were opened. He sobbed and sobbed like some

! God bless y

rts went out to each other. Neither had kno

r hearts were laid bare to each other. The grea

their lives wer