BACK TO THE DARK AGES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1298, 29 November 1911, Page 11

BACK TO THE DARK AGES.

ix.\ovi;jibki;, mil. (Bv Jn.N'NV Wjli:.\.) -Mrs. O'Hall'orty was on hoi- way linino from a (lower s-liow, and, previous to iiici.'t'Hij; her friend; ili>. .Monarty—jilso -lioin'ewaril. bound, lmt. who had been abroad n)"." 1 )' a Car diH'erent eiTan'd—had Ixtii wonderinu how sbo. was to break the news to Denis that she had ordered■ wv■ernl poumls' worth of eiittinss owl pot plants of the kinds that she had seen at the show. Denis, 1 knowing her weak-' ness, had warped her that lie was exceodiiißl.V' poor—just then. The adrajices. which had- been proinised- to the railway! servants had not reached expectations; and, unfortunately, - some—Denis.' .'anions mortgaged theio .in advance, thinking that,, ns- it was election time, they were .certain to; be' somewhat .substantial. In; ally'case.- for. .Mrs. O'KufTerty to. ho anions ilowers and not to buy. wa.s like e.vpcctin!; Greek "from a savage --both- equally impossible. "At present, s.ho.. wjus i'e.cliiifr. .distinctly uneasy, nivd welcomed the sisbt o( Briiiget, Moriartv as a butterfly does the sunshine. Together' they walked along the ■dusty road, discussing ma Iters besides ■ the flower- bliow ■ and Mary's riotous -extravagance . . . . Bridget- MonVrty had been very busy seeing that the people living'in "certain streets, that bad been allotted- to her, were..safely...on. the. roll., .and was hrin.i--uiinjr. over with, jjklignation 'over an .episode that had'6'cciirre'd in connectionvith' her. work. • . "Ye know mo "Mud Kato-. Jlulligan," dop't ye, JLiry.?.'. Well,.'! was round .that' way. Collect in-' I. came acrost. her, an', in tbe .coorse'ov : "a; few iworniris, ■ asked hei" phwnt side sho vwas on; know--ili' her as I do."' . ' " 'Well,', said .she!. 'seeing, that ;I'm.!.in~ a Government, position, what. else, .ilo, ye: expect, but t'hat I'll ydlo for- tho Govern-. meut? Ye don't shurelv 'think: I'd goit, do yo?" - - . ! notf' says T ; .'if ,ve" don't 'think it's doiu' the .right .thing.:b'a thex-bujithry It's y'our.-jooty- ; -to .do so. .tlien", .. Do'. think, it's a. Govonuiiejit that's mnkjiig' this counthrv aif a'isyoha to livo iii wiii its- bqrrowih'. an' its taxin'r Do -ye think 'it's been"actin'.fair. he.thi; people 7 as a true democratic. .Govcrii;ne.nt should, an' givin' tliein- the best return "lor theirmoney ? Do yo thinkithat il lias. becii. a. Government that has stood by and-fought': tor the principles for which' it'-srood iii the'- beginning? Tell- me-that !'- 'Xo!' says she slowly, .'.I can't say, that I' do. But then, ye see, I'm -ili - its-em-ploy;. I'd be actin' the nart-of a tliraitor If I wint against; it,.'S-ein' l-hat I'm what--1 am, an' paid .for doin' its work!'.... "At that nic blood began to boil, .Mary, and T talked. 1 asked her (lid the Government ljiiy. licr body and ,sd;il Did it control her thoughts and her actions when she had finished- uei; work for the day, because, if so, we lived in a cnunthrv ■■Hint had. gone shack lo Hie Dark Ayes. I. asked her wasn't she raid only for the work she did, and not for anvtliin' else— that if she. looked at if. in that manner, why. she uiiirlit as well say the Government controlled her breathin'f. If yo worruked • nndher a Mormon employer, yn wouldn't bccome a Mormon because of that. An' so it was wid th' other matther I judged. . Did ye ever hear ov anvtliin' so uonsensical as that, Mary —that because ye worruked for a person, did the work t.' th' best of vour nbib'ty, an' was paid for that worruk only, that your opinions and convictions were as much your employer's as your work? I'hwnt next? That's the doctrine tint Seddon was responsible for. an'■ that's , bein' cnconraTed to-day. an' the sooner people get a broader an' more indeneji''ent view tli' betthcr for this nnfortunit. coimtliry." And with that Bridget flounced thrOuelr the earden gate, too heated" to wait for anything further in the way of discussion.