Shaun O'Day of Ireland

In every village they found a war memorial. Some of these memorials stand in the center of the town. Some are very large and beautiful. Others are small. But all mean the same thing. Ireland lost many soldiers in the Great War.

They found few fruits growing in Ireland. Gooseberries are plentiful, and they ate many.

Marjorie found the Irish peasants friendly and kind. Several times they stopped for the night in farmhouses.

The people told Marjorie many wonderful tales as she sat before their firesides. They were very much surprised to find the girl traveling about alone with a young child.

But she only laughed in her easy way, as the old women said, "God be praised, but American girls do be knowing no fear!"

Marjorie always made John go to bed right after dinner. The little boy was tired from his long day's travels. He was tired, too, with seeing and hearing so many new things. So he did not hear the people talking at night. He still believed his girl fairy was one of the Good People.

One day they were stopping in a small village. Marjorie left John alone with the car and went into a shop to buy some cakes.

A group of little boys came over to the car. Their eyes were very curious, indeed.

They began to talk to John. When they heard his accent they knew at once that he was Irish.

One boy said, "'Tis surely a rich American lady driving the automobile?"

John looked at him in a pitying manner. "And don't you know a fairy when you see one?" he asked.

The boys' mouths opened. They stared at John.

Then one boy came close to John and cried out, "Arrah, 'tis no fairy, at all, at all! 'Tis an American lady from across the seas!"

John faced the boy. There was a frown on his face.

"You'll not be standing there saying that again!" he said. "'Tis herself is one of the Good People!"

The boy laughed again. "Och, you know well she is no fairy!"

"She is!" yelled John.

"She is not!" shrieked the boy.

John rolled up his sleeves. He hit the boy.

When Marjorie came out of the shop she found her young friend in a fierce battle. She separated the boys and thrust John into the car. He was waving his arms and shouting.

Marjorie jumped into the driver's seat. She started the car, and off they went.

John's clothing was torn. He was bruised. The boy with whom he had fought was larger than he. But John knew that he had left the other boy as bruised and torn as he was himself. So he smiled.

Marjorie drove for a while in silence.

Then she asked, "John, why did you fight?"

John told her the reason. She bit her lip and was silent again.

Then she said, "John, how do you know that I am a fairy?"

The little boy answered promptly, "Because I was after calling the fairies that day by the lake. And because I did take off my petticoat and put on the clothes of a boy."

"Do you believe that was the reason I took you away?" asked Marjorie.

"I do," answered John firmly. "And," he continued, "if I had been in the petticoats of a girl, you would never have noticed me at all."

"Why?" Marjorie queried.

"Sure, and the Good People do be wanting the boys to work for themselves. They'll not be noticing girls, and they so weak!" John answered.

Marjorie frowned. Then she said, "But I have not made you work."

John looked at her quickly and replied, "Och, no! But 'tis willing I am to work for you now. Only – " He hesitated.

"Only what, John?" asked the girl.

"I'll not be wanting to stay away forever from my mother and father," was the reply.

Marjorie put an arm about his shoulder.

"Do you know that we are almost at your home now?" She laughed gayly. "Look about you!"

The little boy was amazed to see that they really had returned. They were on the same dusty road whence they had started their trip so many days ago.

Marjorie drew the car up to the side of the road and stopped it.

"Now you may jump out and run home to your mother and father," she said.

John O'Day just stood and stared at her.

"And you'll not be asking me to work at all?" he questioned, with wondering eyes.

Marjorie shook her head and smiled.

"Och," cried the boy, "but I want to do something for you!"

Marjorie stroked his hand and replied softly, "It is not necessary, Shauneen. Your father did so very much for me many years ago. I am glad that I can now give his son a little happiness."

"And will you not be coming back again to the lake, good fairy?" asked John.

Marjorie's smile faded as she answered, "Shauneen, I am not a fairy. You must believe that. I shall come back to the lake to see you. But I shall come to bid you good-bye, for I am going back to America."

For a moment John was almost going to believe her. His throat felt choky. Then suddenly he shook his head and laughed aloud.

"Sure, 'tis not so at all, at all!" he laughed. "There's not a girl in all the world as beautiful as you. There's not a girl in all the world so good and kind, Faireen. Och, no! Not even the girls from the land of America! 'Tis indeed the fairy you are!"

The little boy climbed out of the car. He saw a shamrock growing by the side of the road. He ran and picked it. He gave it to Marjorie. Then he kissed her hand and ran as fast as he could.

He left the girl staring after him in real amazement. So he would not believe her! He thought that she was a fairy! Ah, well, she must certainly show him in some way that what she told him was true.

She did not want to leave Ireland and feel that she had deceived the boy. Still, she loved to think that he believed her to be a fairy.

It was a beautiful dream to John. She did not like to disturb that beautiful dream. Puzzled, she shook her head as she started her car. Then she was off, down the dusty road.

CHAPTER X

BECAUSE HE IS IRISH

"I cannot see fairies.I dream them.There is no fairy can hide from me.I keep on dreaming till I find them."                                – Hilda Conklin

John O'Day walked slowly through the village. He walked through the village because he wanted all the boys to see his fine suit.

The fine suit was a bit torn and soiled from the fight he had had. Still John was proud of it.

He went home by way of the village. He did not go by way of the lake. As he walked down the village street, the people stared at him.

"And where are you going, John O'Day?" called one boy.

"Sure, I'm not going," answered the little lad. "I'm after coming back from where I was!"

He marched along. They all stood with staring eyes and watched him.

He came to the cottage of his parents, and when they saw him they were delighted.

Of course, John told his mother and father everything.

He tried to tell it all before he went to bed. But the evening was too short and his tale too long. He was fairly bursting with the great trip he had had.

He even had a tale of wonder for his wee sister. He held her on his knee while he told about the big zoo in Dublin.

"Sure, and there's every kind of animal there," he went on, his eyes flashing. "Sure, I was after seeing a terrible, big creature. 'Twas an elephant they called it. And 'tis a square animal with a tail in front of it and a tail behind it!"

"Glory be!" cried his mother.

Shaun smiled behind his pipe. The baby gurgled.

The older brother pretended that he was not very much interested. He was, though. He was greatly excited with John's tales.

Then his father said, "But, Johneen, you do not really believe that your guide was a fairy?"

"Sure, and the best one in all fairyland," answered John stoutly.

Shaun scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Och, Johneen," he said, "you do not believe that surely."

But John answered, "I do!"

Shaun then drew the boy over to his chair. He took John on his lap.

"Listen, son," he said.

He told the child the same thing that Marjorie had told him. He told John that Marjorie was really a girl from America.

But John replied as he had replied to Marjorie in the car. He said that there could not be a girl so lovely and kind as she. He insisted that Marjorie could only be a fairy!

Several days went by. John told everyone in the village about his trip. He talked of nothing else. He had gone to the lake day after day, but the girl fairy had never appeared.

He did not give up hope, however. He felt she would keep her promise and come again to see him.

Then one day little John received a package and a letter. In the package were several beautiful books. He asked his father to read the letter to him.

Shaun read:

"Dear Shauneen: To-morrow I am coming to the lake to say good-bye to you. Please be there. Marjorie."

Shaun folded the letter and gave it back to his son.

Then he said, "You see, she is an American girl. Her father and mother are going to take her back to America. They brought her over, and they also bought her that car. They arranged for her to take you on that fine trip. Don't you see now that she surely is not a fairy?"

But John did not answer. He shook his head stubbornly. Suddenly Shaun had an idea.

He said, "I must show you then." He put his two hands on the boy's shoulders and looked into his eyes. "To-morrow," he said, "when you go to meet her at the lake you must wear the red petticoat!"

John looked frightened.

He cried, "Och, father, she'll not be talking to me at all – and I in girl's clothes!"

Shaun said, "Sure, that is just what she will do. She'll know you well. She'll talk to you. Then you will believe at last that she is no fairy!"

The morning came. John dressed as usual in his red petticoat. He took the books that Marjorie had sent him and ran to the lake. He was there with the first birds. He was there with the sleepy sun.

The sleepy sun was just waking up. But John O'Day had been awake for many hours. He had been so very much awake with his thoughts.

He thought and thought about Marjorie. He wondered and wondered whether Marjorie would recognize him. If she should speak to him, he would know that she really was a girl. He would know that she was not a fairy.

If she passed him by, he would be sure that she was a real fairy. Oh, he felt so sure that she was a fairy!

But at the same time he wondered just a little bit why she tried to make him believe she was not. Was it because the Good People do not want folks to be talking about them?

Maybe it was that. They like to give happiness to people. But they do not want people knowing that it is they giving the happiness.

They do not ask thanks. They do not look for praise. The Good People are modest.

But soon John would know about his lovely friend. She would soon appear and look for him. If she passed him by, his heart would beat with joy. He would know then.

And he would call out to her, "It is I! It is your Shauneen! Do you not know me?"

Then she would stop and he would laugh at her and jolly her.

He would say, "You could not be fooling me, good fairy. Isn't it myself knows a fairy when I see one?"

He chuckled to himself. She should not be fooling John O'Day!

He opened one of the lovely books which Marjorie had sent him. He began to look at it. It was a beautiful book with colored pictures in it. It had grand pictures of cities in it.

There were pictures of Irish cities and French cities and American cities.

John grew so interested in looking at the pictures that he did not hear a step behind him. He did not see Marjorie standing behind him. She was smiling down at him as he sat all wrapped in joy and delight.

He was remembering his trip through the cities whose pictures he now looked at in a book. He was in Dublin again. He had jumped right into the book and was believing that he could hear the dull sounds of the city. He was believing that he could see the many people and cars and curious sights.

Marjorie watched him for a few moments. She knew John O'Day, though he wore a girl's petticoat. She had come to bid him good-bye, for she was leaving for her own country.

But she could not disturb him as he sat there. She could not disturb John O'Day while at his books. Nor could she disturb his dreams.

She knew well that if she spoke to him now, he would know that she was not a fairy. He had told her that "fairies do not be speaking to girls," and Marjorie could not disturb the little boy's beautiful dream of her.

So she scribbled a note and left it on a flat rock. The note told John that she had come and gone. It said that Marjorie was sorry she had not seen her Shauneen again. But she left him with his dream of her.

When John lifted his head and heart out of the pages of that grand book, he stood up and looked about. He saw the letter and opened it.

Of course he could not read it, but he found something else with the letter which he kissed. It was the picture of his girl fairy. She had left it there.

And now John O'Day knew that she had come and gone.

Thought he, "She did not know the little figure in the red petticoat was her friend Shauneen! No; she did not notice this little girl at all, at all. Fairies do not be speaking to little girls."

She had gone. But she had left behind her the picture of a girl fairy. She had left that picture on a flat rock.

And she had left it, too, in the Irish heart of John O'Day, who had the dreams of his country.

Marjorie will always remember the little boy. She will go back to America and always remember the boy who called her a good fairy. She will try really to be a good fairy because of that.

She will not think so much about herself any more. But she will try to give pleasure to others because of the pleasure she finds in doing it.

And as John O'Day grows older, perhaps he will find out the truth about Marjorie. But he will always be wanting to believe that she was a girl fairy, even if he finds that she was not.

He will always want to keep his dreams, because he is Irish.