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leaped at the same moment； she safely。
My foot caught in a stout tendril； and
I fell headlong； scraping my forehead
on the ground and tearing a triangular
rent in the pretty； new frock。 Mother
came running forward； and the expres…
sion on her face was far from being
the one I liked to see。
〃What have you been doing？〃 she
demanded。 〃I thought you were get…
ting old enough and sensible enough to
take care of yourself！〃
I must have been a depressing sight；
viewed with the eyes of a careful
mother。 Blood and mould mingled on
my face； my dress needed a laundress
as badly as a dress could； and my shoes
were scratched and muddy。
〃And who is this girl？〃 asked
mother。 I had become conscious that
Norah was at my feet； wiping off my
shoes with her queer little brown frock。
〃It's a new friend of mine；〃 gasped
I； beginning to see that I must lose her；
and hoping the lump in my throat
wouldn't get any bigger than it was。
〃What is her name？〃 asked mother。
I had no time to answer。 The girl did
that。
〃I'm Norah Madigan；〃 she said。
Her tone was respectful； and； maybe；
sad。 At any rate； it had a curious
sound。
〃Norah Mad…i…gan？〃 asked mother
doubtfully； stringing out the word。
〃Yessum；〃 said a low voice。 〃Good…
bye； mum。〃
〃Oh； Norah！〃 cried I； a strange pain
stabbing my heart。 〃Come to see
me 〃
But my mother's voice broke in； firm
and kind。
〃Good…bye； Norah；〃 said she。
I saw Norah turn and run up among
the trees； almost as swiftly and silently
as a hare。 Once； she turned to look
back。 I was watching； and caught the
chance to wave my hand to her。
〃Come！〃 commanded mother； and
we went back to where father was sit…
ting。
〃What do you think！〃 said mother。
〃I found the child playing with one of
the Bad Madigans。 Isn't she a sight！〃
The lump in my throat swelled to a
terrible size； something buzzed in my
ears； and I heard some one weeping。
For a second or two I didn't realise that
it was myself。
〃Well； never mind； dear；〃 said
mother's voice soothingly。 〃The frock
will wash； and the tear will mend； and
the shoes will black。 Yes； and the
scratches will heal。〃
〃It isn't that；〃 I sobbed。 〃Oh； oh；
it isn't that！〃
〃What is it； then； for goodness
sake？〃 asked mother。
But I would not tell。 I could not
tell。 How could I say that the daughter
of the Bad Madigans was the first real
and satisfying playmate I had ever
had？
IV
FAME
AS I remember the boys and girls
who grew up with me； I think of
them as artists； or actors； or travellers；
or rich merchants。 Each of us； by the
time we were half through grammar
school； had selected a career。 So far
as I recollect； this career had very lit…
tle to do with our abilities。 We merely
chose something that suited us。 Our
energy and our vanity crystallised into
particular shapes。 There was a sort of
religion abroad in the West at that time
that a person could do almost anything
he set out to do。 The older people； as
well as the children； had an idea that
the world was theirs they all were
Monte Cristos in that respect。
As for me； I had decided to be an
orator。
At the time of making this decision；
I was nine years of age； decidedly thin
and long drawn out； with two brown
braids down my back； and a terrific
shyness which I occasionally overcame
with such a magnificent splurge that
those who were not acquainted with my
peculiarities probably thought me a
shamefully assertive child。
I based my oratorical aspirations
upon my having taken the prize a num…
ber of times in Sunday…school for learn…
ing the most New Testament verses；
and upon the fact that I always could
make myself heard to the farthest cor…
ner of the room。 I also felt that I had
a great message to deliver to the world
when I got around it； though in this； I
was in no way different from several
of my friends。 I had noticed a number
of things in the world that were not
quite right； and which I thought needed
attention； and I believed that if I were
quite good and studied elocution； in a
little while I should be able to set my
part of the world right； and perhaps
even extend my influence to adjoining
districts。
Meantime I practised terrible vocal
exercises； chiefly consisting of a rau…
cous 〃caw〃 something like a crow's
favourite remark； and advocated by my
teacher in elocution for no reason that
I can now remember； and I stood be…
fore the glass for hours at a time mak…
ing grimaces so as to acquire the 〃ac…
tor's face；〃 till my frightened little sis…
ters implored me to turn back into my…
self again。
It was a great day for me when I
was asked to participate in the Harvest
Home Festival at our church on
Thanksgiving Day。 I looked upon it as
the beginning of my career； and bought
crimping papers so that my hair could
be properly fluted。 Of course； I wanted
a new dress for the occasion； and I
spent several days in planning the kind
of a one I thought best suited to such a
memorable event。 I even picked out the
particular lace pattern I wanted for the
ruffles。 This was before I submitted the
proposition to Mother； however。 When
I told her about it she said she could
see no use in getting a new dress and
going to all the trouble of making it
when my white one with the green
harps was perfectly good。
This was such an unusual dress and
had gone through so many vicissitudes；
that I really was devotedly attached to
it。 It had； in the beginning； belonged
to my Aunt Bess； and in the days of
its first glory had been a sheer Irish
linen lawn； with tiny green harps on it
at agreeable intervals。 But in the
course of time； it had to be sent to the
wash…tub； and then； behold； all the lit…
tle lovely harps followed the example
of the harp that 〃once through Tara's
hall the soul of music shed；〃 and dis…
appeared！ Only vague； dirty； yellow
reminders of their beauty remained；
not to decorate； but to disfigure the
fine fabric。
Aunt Bess； naturally enough； felt ir…
ritated； and she gave the goods to
mother； saying that she might be able
to boil the yellow stains out of it and
make me a dress。 I had gone about
many a time； like love amid the ruins；
in the fragments of Aunt Bess's splen…
dour； and I was not happy in the
thought of dangling these dimmed re…
minders of Ireland's past around with
me。 But mother said she thought I'd
have a really truly white Sunday best
dress out of it by the time she was
through with it。 So she prepared a
strong solution of sodium and things；
and boiled the breadths； and every little
green harp came dancing back as if
awaiting the hand of a new Dublin poet。
The green of them was even more
charming than it had been at first； and
I； as happy as if I had acquired the
golden harp for which I then vaguely
longed； went to Sunday…school all that
summer in this miraculous dress of
now…you…see…them…and…now…you…don't；
and became so used to being asked if I
were Irish that my heart exulted when
I found that I might fractionally
claim to be； and that one of the Fenian
martyrs had been an ancestor。 For a
year； even； after that discovery of the
Fenian martyr； ancestors were a fa…
vorite study of mine。
Well； though