woman-schure thot's phat he luked loike, wid his baby blue eyes. Wanst a fortchun tiller tould me thot phin yoong men raz a beard they ain't got no chin, an' thoinks Oi this be wan uv thim koind. Oi'd bit me shoes he kint soay nuthin' but phat he rades.

"Marrk wuz his noame, it wuz, an' a gud wan he'd make, thoinks Oi, but Oi sid rale polite loike, 'Phat sames ter be ther matther, Misther Marrk, thot Bessie didn't git permoted? She has ther percint,' Oi siz, jist az iv Oi knowed phat percint wuz. Chure, all Oi iver heerd uv percint wuz phin me bruther Tim used ter put his wages in ther Hibernia Bank ter git it, an' divil a bit did Oi see uv it thin.

"'Will,' siz he, 'you till her aunt thot Bessie iz tu immerchure' (yis, thot iz ther wourd, fer Bessie tould me after.)

""Tu how?' siz Oi. 'Phat's thot got ter do wid ther percint?' siz Oi. Churs Oi shtuck ter thot wourd cos ther choild tould me thot wuz all she naded ter git permoted.

""Throo,' siz he, but she wuz absint ther lasht wake, an' she iz very shmall fer thot grade, yer know. Theer are big gals sixteen years ould thot did not make ther percint, but Oi fourced troo on account uv their soize. Now iv Bessie wuz only a little bit taller Oi wud put her oop,' siz he.

"Oh, ho, an' iz thot ther woay yez do?' siz Oi. 'It's the soize, not ther shmartniss or percint thot counts in this school, iz it,' siz Oi. 'Thin how about yersilf,' siz Oi; 'yer not so big,' siz Oi. An' whoile Oi had him gudnachured Oi oop an' tould him ther pour choild's sorry tale, an' how her aunt wuz edjucatin' Bessie ter hilp her wroite. Wud yez belave it, he niver so much az luked sorry (bad ciss ter him), but oop he joomus an' siz, siz he, "Till her aunt that Bessie must sthay in her ould class wan month an' show me she kin git noomber wan an' be

purfict in iverythoing.

Thin all

right,' siz he, wid a nasthy shmoile. "Thot's asy, thoinks Oi, but oop spakes Bessie, bliss ther choild, an' siz she, jist loike a lady, 'Oi dount cum ter school ter be noomber wan, Misther Marrk. Oi cum ter be taught an' ter learn, an' iv Oi cud be purfict in iverythoing Oi wud not have ter cum at all,' siz she.

"He didn't luk jist cumfertibul at thot; but he sint Bessie doun ter her room fer ther prisint,' siz he ter me, 'an' yez kin till her aunt' "'Yez kin wroite phat yez waants ter soay,' siz I.

"Oi think he wuz a littl afraid uv me degnity fer he writ a note in a hurry an' Oi wint out wid me hed in ther air.

"Will, Oi tuk ther note home, an' thot noight ther missus an' Bessie sat oop late wourkin phat Oi heerd Bessie call 'rithmitics out uv a book. Phin they got troo, ther choild cum ter me an' siz, siz she, 'Mary, ain't' thot ould Marrk mane? He's goin' ter kape me in ther low eighth grade a whole mounth an' make me sthoody ther high eight's wourk, an' thin he has ther gall, Mary Ann, ter soay he'll lit me take bouth grades xx's. Thoink uv it,' siz she. 'He expicts me ter pick oop shquare root at home, go ter school and do rachio all doay; learn ther Rebellyun at home; go ter school an' recite ther Revoluchun, besides all ther other shtoodies, an' he considers me tu dilicate ter go inter the high eighth.'

"Phat iver ther choild wuz talkin' about Oi giv oop; but Oi bit she knowed, wid thim big eyes uv hern a-shinin' wid ther woonderful ganius thot wuz in her.

"Luvey,' siz Oi, 'if he cud sa yer this minit, he cud niver soay yez wuz tu immerchure,' sez Oi, 'no matther phat ther horrid wourd manes,' an' Oi toats her af ter bid wid a hug.

"Ther nixt doay ther mussus culled me an' siz she, 'Yer go oop ter ther school an' ask Misther

Marrk by phat mithid Oi shall tach Bessie shquare roots; tins or tuos, an' till him theer iz no mithid in ther noo 'rithmetic. Kin yez remimber?'

"Oi wuz thot glad Oi wuz ter git anuther chance at thot shivel hedded man Oi cud have remimbered

ther whole dicchunary, an' Oi kipt er soaying it over an' over till Oi got theer.

"Gud mournin',' siz I, rale cheerful loike. Ther missus waants ter know be phat mithid she iz ter tache Bessie hair roots, tins or tous?' Oi siz fouldin' me hands an' houldin' me nose in ther air az iv Oi knowed all about it.

He shmoiled an' hymmed an' hummed, an' Oi guissed roight awoay he knowed no moore about hair roots than Oi did mesilf, an' Oi put me hid a little higher.

"Hm,' siz he prisintly, 'till her ter foller ther mithid in ther Noo State Series 'Rithmetic,' siz he, puttin' his nose oop a little tu.

"An' thin' it cum ter me phat Oi fergot about ther 'rithmetic. Yis,' siz Oi, 'Misther Marrk, sposin' yez thry it yerself,' siz Oi. Yez ought ter seed ther luk he gev me: chure Oi thort me nose wul tooch ther ceilin'.

"Phy?' siz he, 'phat do yez mane?'

"Mane!' siz Oi, 'chure,' siz Oi, 'thot noo fangled 'rithmetic iz jist loike the rist uv ther free edjucachun, theer be no mithid in it,' siz Oi, wid a wink. 'Guess me missus she knows, an' she dount be afther gittin' her edjucachun at ther pooblick schools ather,' siz Oi.

"He turned az rid az a termater, chure he did. Thin he siz, 'Oi haven't toime ter talk now. Here, Here, take this note ter yer missus.'

""Thot's alroight,' siz Oi, 'Oi ain't in anny hurry-me worrk iz all dun.' An' Oi tuk me toime goin'

out.

"Phat a long, sorry mounth thot wuz, ter be chure. Ther missus wuz

Ther poor lissins all

ailin' moore than iver. choild had ter do her aloun. Ther egiter culled purty oftin, but no oftiner than ther rint man, an' och chure, Oi cud chry now phin Oi thoinks uv ther doay ther missus tuk out thim little banks she had fer years put all ther pinnies in fer thim children.

"'Mary,' siz she, 'theer is jist enuf fer ther rint. Sum doay Oi hope Oi'll put it back doubled.'

"Thoings 'll cum alright soon, mum,' siz Oi.

"'Yis,' siz she, 'phin Bessie iz able to hilp me.'

"As fer Bessie, pour choild, manny a long doay thot mounth did she cum inter me kitchun an' till me uv ther doins at school. In ther middle uv mush wan mournin' siz she, 'Mary!'

"An' phat is it now?' siz Oi.

'Have yez got a nikel?' siz she, skared loike.

"Chure Oi have,' siz Oi; 'but phat do yez be wantin' wid it?' siz Oi. 'If it be anny moore uv thim school teachers beggin' fer ther loikes uv thim az kin take keer uv thimsilves, yez kint have it,' siz Oi.

"No, it ain't a subscripchun this toime,' siz she. 'Oi have ter go ter anuther school fur cookin', an' it's tu far ter walk in ther rain.

""Cookin', siz Oi. 'Begorra, do they be aftehr makin' yez go all thot woay ter larn ter cook? Chure, it's mesilf thot kin tache yer all ther cookin' them little hands 'll have ter do, Oi'm thinkin'. Phy dount they git princybuls phat kin larn yer the sthuff phat yez poor aunt has ter show yez at noight

"Oi wunder,' siz she. 'But niver moint now, Mary. Give me ther munny. Tin iv yer have it, cos termorrer Oi have ter go ter ther Misschun school fer singin', an' Oi wount git home in toime ter do me definitchuns.'

"Will,' siz Oi, phin ther door shut behoind her, 'it's gud they givs yez sum singin' in school, fer it's

plinty uv trouble they givs yer out uv school doin' lissons phat they kint do thimsilves.'

"Another toime she cum in an' siz, siz she, 'Phat du yez thoink, Mary? Ould Marrk wants me ter jine ther debatin' society. Debatin' society!' siz she wid disgust. 'Iv he'd give us ther quistchun, 'Dissolved, yis, (siz she jist loike thot)-thot Histchory iz ther most importint stoody ter be taught in ther schools, an' wud put me on ther negitive soide, wudn't Oi make him luk sick?'

"Now phin Bessie begun ter talk loike thot, Oi jist dropped ivery thoing Oi wuz doin' an' listened. It wuz jist perfictly wunderful how how thot choild cud spake all thim big wourds so asy.

"Umph, he considers histchory ther most importint sthoody jist cos it's me poorest,' siz she, goin' along az iv Oi understhood it all, 'but Oi'd show him. Histchory!' siz she. 'Phy, Mary, anny fool kin rade histchory. They dount have ter remimber it. Yer kin refer ter books fer histchory all yer loives; but do yez thoink yez cud fer grammar or 'ritmetic? Those who arn their own livin' by histchory, sich az writers an' spakers, kape notes of reference in frount uv thim; but cud a bookkaper or anny mathmatichon refer ter a book in bizness, or cud they larn it from a book sich az we have? No, 'rithmetic has ter be explained an' so duz grammar. How cud a choilk loike me pick oop diagramin an' annalasiz widout a tacher? Cud histchory sthand aloun, do yez thoink? Cud yez make a succiss in loife financhally, sochally or morally by ther knouledge uv histchory aloun? Phy, it taches us moore bad than gud, an' how cud yez make yer livin' by it? Yez cud not write or spake currictly widout understhanding grammar. Cud Oi make him sike, Mary, do yez thoink? Ha, ha! he sthicks ter histchory cos he duzn't know beans 'bout languige. We lose cridits iv we dount soay

'prelude' an' 'Evangeline,' an' he cums in ther class an siz 'prellood' an' 'Evangeline.' It's a wunder he duzn't soay 'Italian an' till us ter do it also tu. Thot's his pet exprisschun. Phy, at ther lasht debate ther depurty superintindint culled him doun fer a grammaticul errer in ther wourdin' uv ther quistchun. An' he a princybul uv a school.'

"Glory be ter God, wuz theer iver sich anuther choild! An' ther loikes uv thot yiller hedded booby soayin' she was tu immachure ter be promoted. Oi jist put me hed in me aprin an' chryed. Oi kin hear thim wourds singin' in me ears yit. Haf phat they mint, chure Oi dount know, but niver a bit wuz they wrong, thot Oi knowed by ther woay she sid thim, an' Oi put me fut doun thin an' theer that Oi'd pay anuther visit ter ther school.

"It was a turrible rainy daay phin Oi woiped me fate on ther carpit uv thot princybul's office, an' Oi lit me umbrella make a little puddle on ther floor, Oi was thot mad.

"So yez are here agin,' siz he, cumin' in wid a rush. 'Oi till yer it will do yez no gud,' siz he.

"Chure I knowed thot befour Oi cum,' siz Oi, 'but mebby it'll do yez sum,' siz Oi.

"He was thot mad he jist roared loike a lion.

"Oi til yez Oi've made oop me moind,' he yilled.

"Oi guissed thot tu,' siz Oi. 'But uv phat?' siz Oi.

"Phat du yez mane?' he hollered again.

Oi'll give yez a pace uv it. Yer yeller-hedded noodle,' siz Oi. 'Sum doay thot little immachure choild thot yez wount permote will tache yer ther bist lissen in histchory Oi iver knowed, 'bout ther lion an' ther mouse. She larned thot phin she fust wint ter school, fer 'twas her thot told me, an' ye'll know it bitter befour yez git out. Histchory!' siz Oi, 'thot's yer stlpody, iz it? Cud yez arn yer livin' by it?' siz I. 'Cud yez arn it by yez grandmother or yez hair roots or any uv ther rist uv ther boonch. No,' siz Oi, 'it's luky fer yez yez kin arn it by bein' a noodle,' siz Oi, 'an' iv ther rist uv ther frae schools iz loike this wan we'll be afther havin' nuthin' but princybuls loike yezsilf ter wourk

fer cum anuther tin years. Glory be ter God,' siz Oi, an' Oi shuk ther drippins af me umbrella all doun ther sthairs, Oi wuz thot mad.

"Phin Oi gits me outsoide in ther could air, me hed was a-buzzin', an' thoinks I to meself, Mary Ann, yez ould fool, dount yez know thot poor choild is goin' ter suffer fer yer foolishniess, an' a big lump stuck in me throat all ther woay home.

"Begorra, phin Oi wint round ter ther back gate, me face almost as wit az me fate, who shud Oi see cumin doun ther frount stips but ther egiter shmoilin' an' singin' ter hisself, with nary a soign uv a unbrella or aven a outsoide coat ter kape aff ther rain. He's purty happy, thoinks Oi, on this chryin' day; but it's lucky sum folks kin be, or pheer wud be ther gud uv livin', an' he's a gud man; Oi don't begroodge it ther loikes uv him.

wuz

"No sunner wuz Oi insoide ther house, phin awoay wint ther loomp in me throat; iverything samed changed. Me kitchin foire burnin' foine. A gud omin, thoinks Oi. Thin Oi hears me missus' swate voice singin' in ther other room, an' jist fer an excuse, Oi tuk a loomp uv coal in ter put on ther grate.

"Yis, theer she sthood chure enuff, at ther winder wavin' her hand, an' phin she turned round Oi wuz thot schared Oi dropped ther coal, so beuchiful she luked; loike a gal uv eighteen. 'Mary,' siz she, runnin' an' grabbin' me 'round ther nick, jist loike she dun twinty years ago, 'it's all over. We dount have ter worry anny moore. We are going awoay.'

"Awaoy?' siz I, falin' ther loomp cumin' back in me throat.

"Yis,' siz she, 'awoay on a trip. Kint yer guiss?' siz she, chryin' softly loike a little choild in

arms.

me

"Thin on a suddint Oi thoinks me uv ther edgiter's luks phin Oi see

steps but ther egiter."

siz Oi, Mary Ann, siz Oi, yez

twicted an' ould fool this doay. Do yez be thoinkin' thot man's a cumin' here this long toime ter be buyin' wroitin's? an' Oi hild her close, jist loike Oi did phin her muther died.

"God bliss ye, me darlint, on yez widdin doay,' siz Oi, 'fer nobody livin' moore 'an yezsilf desarves so gud a man az ther egiter. An' thin it's a gud toime we bouth had chrying awhoile.

"'Chure,' siz Oi at lasht, 'theer wuz niver a bigger fool than Mary Ann, excipt thot ould yeller hedded school princybul, an' now be ther

luv of Hivin, ther choild kin bate him out uv his own school.'

"Yis, Mary, an' she'll be taught singin' an' music, an' mebby afther all ter wroite,' siz her aunt, wid a schmoile brightenin' ther tears in her eyes.

""Ter wroite? Thot she will, an" ther furst Marrk she'll make 11 be on his histchory an' all ther rist uv it, iv she luvs ould Mary Ann,' an' Oi run outsoide ter fetch in ther baby who wuz wadin' in a mud puddle lukin' fer ther sun, bles heart."

er

THE YEAR