Show SLIPPERS I 1 was waa traveling in ireland with some friends gewere we were in the southeastern martof part of the island islan dand and were traversing Con the poorest part of that poor country if anything can give a horrible impression of drought and misery it certainly is Con A profound dolor seems to rest upon that corner of tile the earth low plains destitute of verdure extend at the right to a chain of mountains which are bare as though they had bad been ravaged by fire these theme immense spaces are without a village often without even a single dwelling the few which we pass at long inter vals consist only of four stone walls piled up without cement and with a black roof from the back of these drea dreary ry cabins issues a thin thread of blue smoke in ill front of them one sees children from five to twelve years old with naked feet sun bun scorched skins and ragged clothing they utter uncouth sounds in a language which is partly irish partly english they usually run ran after the carriage for several miles with a supplicating hand they extend to yow yott some sort of rude merchandise it ma may be ba roughly hewn wooden slices shoes it may be woolen stockings it may be a little bunch of flowers plucked from the mountain side they run shouting hurrying hustling bustling each other penny please penny pl plea easel sol they repeat over and over A penny ia finally cast to them immediately there is brawling struggling and net fist pounding tho the deserts the ranks of our followers but bat the others still pursue purr sue the carriage one by one the small flock drop away first the youngest yonn gest become exhausted and stop at last there are only three then two then only one who in his turn rolls in the dust raised by the wheels uttering a last penny cleasel pl easel with labored and panting breath about 11 we arrived at near lake corria this lake Is said to contain as many islands andallo and also as many inhabitants as there are days in the year here wo we took breakfast fora for ft long time a little girl ot ol about twelve followed our carriage she alone had persisted of five or six children the rest of whom had dropped away as we passed along tall and slender for her age she had a charming face of the true irish type of beauty her complexion was darkly browned and she had large blue eyes her long run had put roses into her cheeks her parted lips showed her brilliant teeth A ragged brown linen waist and skirt composed her costume her naked feet which were remarkably small and pretty seemed to fly through the dust poor little oust ouel our hearts ached to look at herl berl suddenly she uttered a cry cr y extended her arms and fell forward we stopped the carriage but fortunately nothing serious had befallen her A projecting stone had bad blight fc lightly ly cut her foot which bled a little we asked her who she was and from whence she came she called herself betsy and said that she lived at OuSt erard we told her to climb into the carriage and we would curry carry her to her home she looked at us in bewilderment as though she could not understand what we were saying we repeated our offer she blushed with pleasure and gave us a look which although full of inquiry anil and wonder was yet most grateful grated ua she seemed to be overjoyed at riding in ill a carriage it was her first experience of that kind ten minutes later we were in berard a poor village of forty houses we gave two shillings to the child as a parting present she looked at it as aa though she could not believe her eyes it occurred to me that the wound in her toot foot might be inflamed by a walk in the dust duet I 1 a shoemakers bhoj the only air tile the place afforded and bought a pair of slippers for tile the poor child betsy watched this operation in profound perplexity when lex I 1 extended tended the slippers toward her sabi ing ng the they were for her bhe was dumfounded dum founded intoxicated i dazzled she dared not take them finally as I 1 firmly finnly insisted that the slippers were for her and her alone she seized them and fled with a bou bound nd of joy and without even saying thank you r 1 little savaged thought 1 I I 1 she does not even know how bow to thank anybody I 1 rejoined my companions who were already seated around the hotel dining table and we hail bad boon finished our breakfast and were about to climb into our carriage when I 1 felt a little hand within mine which sought to detain me come sirl she said come and where do you wish to lead me to our house it is very near I 1 followed follo ired her my companions were not a 4 little puzzled she led me to th the e b ottom bottom of a narrow street there we paused before a humble cottage she pushed the door open and we entered the interior consisted of a single room it was without a floor and contained scarcely any furniture it was dimly lighted by the feeble rays which antei entered ed through a paper covered window near which sat an old woman spinning she was belays grandmother at our entrance three little ii tile black pigs scampered under her bench grunting in the he corner stood th the lowly bed of the grandmother at its ita side the little cot of the child just above her pillow betsy showed me a kind of rough staging leaning agail lAg the wall upon ahe ill a middle board covered with a very white liner line cloth beneath an imago image of st SL patrick and nd between two bunches of flowers flow cra I 1 perceived tho little Blip slip pera perm the poor child looked at her beirl i beauty v with ith admiration and even wit will religious awe as aa upon a precious ug relic n bic but you yoa should put the slippers on your feet they are for you yon to wear said baid L I 1 I 1 could not help laughing to se ECI them tet set up tip as a sacred objects of devotion she appeared astonished almost angry oh she said earnestly they are too be a 1 I we isome money into the pocket of the old grandma and bade adieu to betsy but the she could not bear to leave us yet and followed us q quite u it to tho the carriage and looked after it with eyes full of tears as long as it could be seen A month later we passed through the same place on our return trip and made a halt there as before we did not see bee betsy before quitting that country to which I 1 never expected to return I 1 wished to see gee her again if only for r a minute I 1 sought out and knocked at the door of the poor little cabin no one opened it I 1 lifted the rude latch and entered A sad Badi spectacle presented itself to my eyes around the little bedaf bed of betsy lighted by three smoking candles some old women were kneeling and reciting prayers in a monotonous voice upon my entrance the chant stopped and one of the old women arose and came to me it was the grandmother she recognized me immediately and two large tears ran over her wrinkled cheeks betsy murmured I 1 where is betsy in a few broken words she explained to me that betsy had bad taken a fever and had just died I 1 approached the cot the pale face of the child wore a peaceful expression her long black hair lay over her ders in heavy curls but her beautiful bright eyes were shut clasped in her thin blue veined hands bands and pressed closely to her heart were the image of st patrick and the two little slippers during all the time she had been sick the old dame told me she had bad held them in her hands I 1 begged the old woman to bury them with her A tear camo came tomy to my eyes I 1 leaned Ileane dover over the poor irish child and imprinted a hiss upon her forehead translated f from rom the french of jacques normand by harriet L B potter for romance |