THE STORY OF PAT M'CANN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 90

THE STORY OF PAT M'CANN.

By Arch. M. MXicol.

I. Now, this is the story of Pat M'Cann, who lived the life of an honest man. Folkstown is a quiet little place, of which very few people have heard, but it has one very important asset — a coal mine. It has a baker's shop, and a butcher's shop, and a grocer's shop, all of which heilp to supply the wants of Folkstown. Every year Folkstown elects a mayor and a borough council, and it may be as well to mention that every year the same people .are elected to those important offices. The only chance for a new man to get into the Folkstown Borough Council is when one of the old councillors dies. One of the councillors aforesaid goes by the name of Pat M'Cann, who is known to the world as an hone3t man — that is, to the Folkstown world ; the rest of the globe has never heard very much about him. The world for Pat was confined to Folkstown. It was there lie had played the little drama of his life — such a weird little drama that it was wonderful such an unpretentious little man should have been called upon to play it. The story is briefly told. The mayor of Folkstown was a certain Mr John M'Fie, who was also the butcher. Folkstown was proud of him, and in his inmost, heart John M'Fie was slightly proud of himself. He had every right to be.

John M'Fie bad borne the yoke in his youth. His wife and he had climbed the hill together, and found it a weary pull to get to the top. But they got there, and took Dolly Lamont along with them. Dolly was their adopted daughter. She was a child with an uncertain past — a waif, a stray, an orphan. Her mother had died when she was born, and her father — she never had a father.

• John M'Fie and his wife were poor. They were struggling along, but they had no family, and somehow they got a hold of Dolly. I don't know how he did it — but that's neither here nor there. The babe was theirs, body and soul and spirit. Its mother was dead, and its father didn't want to claim it.

Now, Pat M'Cann loved Dolly's mother, and so did another man, and Dolly's mother loved the other man. That was the romance of Pat M'Cann.

Pat was a shoemaker's apprentice in the village where Dolly's mother lived. She was an only child, and her father and mother were old, and there came to the village a man from the city. Nobody knew exactly what he was or what he wanted in the village. He didn't seem to know himself, but he fascinated Dolly's mother, and she followed him to the city. But in the city Dolly's mother lost her charm, and the result was desertion and — Dolly.

Then the unfortunate creature died, and was buried. It was the saddest funeral that ever passed through the city — there was nobody at it. The hearse hurried along with the body to its last resting place. Over the grave of a noble life let us erect a noble monument, but a body that once beat with the life of such as Dolly's mother is a thing to be thrust out of sight and away. The woild moved on that day the same as other days. The -world does not weep at other people's troubles ; and as if to rebuke the hardness of earth, heaven poured down a flood of tears ; but the world put on its oveicoat, and held up its umbrella, and r«maiked that it was wet.

And the world stayed inside that night, and did not venture cut ; to have done so would have mocked the wrath of God. The moon hid its face behind the great black clouds, and the Lord spoke through the thunder ; but, calm and still, on the bounds of the city, one place lay heedless of it all — the home of the dead. And towards that home of the dead one weaiy human soul was fighting his way through the s.torm. Hither and thither he moved among the countless white sepulchres like a denizen of another woild, until he found a new-made grave, and the moan of his soul was lost in the blast of the storm, "My God, my Gcd, my God!"

For one brief kaleidoscopic moment there is a rift in the clouds, and the place is lit by the light of the moon. The man at the grave is Pat M'Cann !

11. Some time after her mother's death Dolly was adopted by John M'Fie, and taken to Folkstown. Shortly after her arrival a bootmaker set ui> a small business in the village. He was a grave, silent little mm, but he announced to the world that he was prepared to mend the boots and shoes of Folkstown. The name on his door was Pat M'Cann. A novelty grows old in time, and as the years rolled on Hie little shot maker became an institution of Folkstown. Dolly and he had arrived at the same time, and the village took them both together. From the first Pat took a wonderful interest in the child, and as she grew the interest deepened. The fact was noticed in the village, where the people had grown to love the little bootmaker.

Then one of the old borough councillors died, and the voice of the people was asked, "Whom will you elect ftom among you to fill his plate?" And the answer that came was, "Pat M'Cann."

Now at this time a matter was being discussed in the coum.il that had nothing to do with municipal affair? — it wa-s onlydiscussed after the meetings were formally adjourned and the mayor and councillors dropped their official dignity and talked as man to man. And the matter was near to the heart of Pat M'Cann.

Les Jackson was the engineer at the Folkstown coal mjne. He was a Folkstown boy, and had run about the mine as a youngster. As a boj ho had always had a craze for machinery, and his ambition hud been to drive the engine at the mine.

To this end he laboured, and at the age of 21 he was put in charge. Now, Les Jackson loved Dolly, and so did another man, and at this particular point it looked as though Dolly was going to love the other man — that was the matter discussed at the council.

"You see, it is a delicate matter,"- said John M'Fie. "I don't like to speak, and you don't like to speak, and yet before 'ong someone must speak."

"Speak yourself," said Pat M'Cann, and the councillors said, "Aye! 1

"No, gentlemen, no. Ido not understand these matters, and neither do you. You look upon Dolly as a child. She is not a child, gentlemen ; she is a woman, and somehow we fail to realise the fact. Were I to go to her and say that there is an honest lad in the borough who loves her and that it is the; wish of the mayor and councillors of Folkstown that she should love him in return, she would laugh me to scorn. Ar.d do you think that the lad would thank us for so doing? Not him. He is a brave lad, and he'll fight his own fight. And he'll win if he gets fair play. But will this other man play fair? Gentlemen, that is the question. Are we going to see our little lass giving her life -to a. shadowy man, pf whom she knows nothing, and who will not satisfy us us to who he is? Gentlemen, something must be done, but how is the matter to be dealt with?"

"Deal with the man," said Pat M'Cann, and the councillors shouted l! ii.ye!" "Ah, easier said than done ; but what do you mean?"

"Let someone wait upon this man, and say that it is the wish of the Folkstown Borough Council that he leave the district."

"But who on such an errand would go?" the Chairman asked.

"I will go myself," said Pat M'Cann

Then John M'Fie turned his (big honest eyes on the little shoemaker, and kindly said, "You love the little lass." "I loved her mother," said Pat M'Cann, who had lived the life of an honest man, and the councillors said, "Oh!"

The town of Folkstown was put up in a hurry, but the men who built it have taken advantage of the natural beauty of the place. It is a picturesque spot. The Folkstown River runs on and /on for ever through the village, and on. its banks stands a cluster of pretty cottages — the homes of the miners. Away in the distance the big black mountain stands frowning down upon the little place, as though resenting the daily attack that is made on its internal depths. And the stranger admires the mighty grandeur of the mountain, and listens to the running of the river, and wishes that he were an artist, that he might convey to +he world an idea of the beauty of Folkstown. And as he so wishes he spies a little chimney-top puffing forth a little puff of smoke, and that little place seems to be calling in quiet dignity, "Come away, you stranger, from the frowning of the mountain and the running of the river and the wishing of what you would like to be. Come away, come away, come away, you stranger, come away and look at me." And now I want you to watch that little chimney-top that sends forth its appeal on such honest little puffs, puffs, puffs, for that is the home of Pat M'Cann, who was known to the world as an honest man.

And at this particular time Pat is mending a shoe for Dolly, and that, young lady has promised to wait until it is done. "Will it take long, Pat?" she is saying.

"Not very long, my dear," replies the little man. "Are you in a hurry to go away?' 1

"No, Pat, I do not want to go away, because I feel so lonely to-night — that is why I came to see you." And she nestled down beside him, and threw her arm lovingly over his knee, and looked up into his face, and continued:

"Pat, I want to ask you a question: Did you ever know my mother?" "Yes, yes, my dear— I — I did." "What was she like, Pat— my mother?" "She — she was very pretty, and she was very like you, mv dear." "Ah ! I would like to have" known. )my mother. If she was so good and so pretty I think God was cruel to make iher die when she was so young. And where was my father when she died? Did you know my father, Pat?" "I — I — that is — cr — yes. Now, however did you manage to make such <a big hole in this shoe? I think you must have been walking with " "Never mind the shoe, Pat. I'm in mo hurry for the shoe I want to know about mv father. Did you know him, Pat — my father?"

"Well, now— er— that 5s " "Look out Pat ; you are boring that gimlet right into your hand, and you are making it bleed. You are not looking what you are doing, and you are making the hole in the .shoe twice the size that it was. Put it down at once, sir, and tell me the truth. Did you know my father?" "I — I — well, my dear." Then Dolly rose and faced him like a little tigress. "You are shuffling; you are frightened. Oh, will no one satisfy me! Why is everyone so reticent about my :ather? Tell me. dear old Pat, did you know him?" Then a lie was wrung from the soul of Pat M-Cann, who had Jived the life of an honest man. ''No. no, my dear, I didn't know your father." At this time the chimney gave three fierce little puffs, and a brisk step was heard approaching, and in a few moments a young man entered the shop. It was Les Jack"H.illo, Pat. Well, Dolly, how are you?' "Well. Les. mv boy. I— l'm glad to see you, I'm sure," which was quite true. Pat would have been glad to have seen anyone at this particular moment.

It was an interesting situation. Les arrived at the nick of time, and he made the moet of his opportunity A simple obseiver could see that there had been a sc^ue.

"Have you two been quarrelling?" he said. "If you have, I'm going to wait* here until you make it up." "Oh, not at all, my boy; not at all. Only Dolly wants this shoe done, and you know I am afraid that I cannot get it done while she " "While I what, Pat?" asked that young lady. "While you keep on talking to me, my deal I . "' "Pat M'Cann, do you know what you are saying?" "Yes, my dear." "And do you want me to go?" "Well, my dear, I— l— l think I do." "Well, Til go." And she went. "Er — did you want me, Pat?" asked Les. A fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind. "Oh, no, my boy, not at all ; not at "all; I can get on veiy nicely by myself." "Well, I— l think I'll go, too.": '' "I think, my boy, it's the best thing yott can do." Then the little man was left to the company of his own thoughts, and very pleasant company he found them to be. He saw Les and Dolly strolling together down the meadow, and the chimney-top sent forth a great puff of glee : "They Lave gone to tell their love to the river, to* the river, that is running to the sea." - '• Then the smile faded from the • little man's face. He heard a step hastening along the road, and a stranger entered his shop. "Good-evening, shoemaker." "Good-evening, sir.'* "Hard at it?" ''Yes, sir." "That's a nice shoe, now. Whose pretty little foot goes into that?"

"That shoe belongs to Miss Lamont." "Ah, little Dolly. That's why you handlS it so lovingly, eh? No wonder. She is a dainty piece of humanity, but she is wasting iher time in this musty village. In a place like this a girl like her doesn't get a show. What do you think I stay here for, shoemaker?" "I don't know, sir, that T have a right to say ; but if I have, I fchink you are staying here for Miss Lamont." "Quite right, shoemaker. lam staying here for the cake of Dolly." - "Then, sir, I think, for Dolly's sake, you had better go away." "Go away? Shoemaker, are you mad? Why should I go?" "Sir, she can be nothing to you beyonl a whim — a passing fancy, faid we love her, sir, and we want to keep her to ourselves. I am only a poor, shattered old man, Bir, but I—lI — I ask you to leave her where she is now. Come with me, and I will show you." And Pat M'Cann took the stranger to the door, and pointed to the river that was running to the sea. "Ah, that is where she is, is it?" said the stranger. Then, after a lone pause : "Yes, I will leave 'her to you, old man, and to tho lad that loves her. If I didn't I'd be a damned fiend."

"God bless you, sir," said Pat M'Cann.

Then the stranger left, and was never seen again in Folkstown, and Pat was- by himself when Dolly aDd\Le3 came back from tho river that was running to the sea, and Dolly said : "I wonder, Pat, if away up there in heaven mv mother sees me now?"

And the little man answered: "I think she does, my dear; I think she does." And now" I have no more to tell, for that is the story of Pat M'Cann, who lived the life of an honest man.

— Thero is one curious fact respecting tho animal creation. It is thia : No living representative of the animal kingdom has more than five toes, fingetfe, or claws to each foot, hand, or limb. The horse is the typo of one-toed creation, the camel of the two-toed, the rhinoceros of the three-toed, and the hippopotamus of the four-toed animal life. The elephant and hundreds of other animals belonging to different orders are of the five-toed tribe.