We and the World, Part II | Page 6

haven't I gone over it all
in me own mind, often and often, when I'd see the vessels feelin' their
way home through the darkness, and the coffee staymin' enough to
cheer your heart wid the smell of it, and the laste taste in life of
something betther in the stone bottle under me petticoats. And then the
big ship would be coming in with her lights at the head of her, and
myself sitting alone with me patience, GOD helping me, and one and
another strange face going by. And then he comes along, cold maybe,
and smells the coffee. 'Bedad, but that's a fine smell with it,' says he,
for Micky was mighty particular in his aitin' and drinkin'. 'I'll take a
dhrop of that,' says he, not noticing me particular, and if ever I'd the
saycret of a good cup he gets it, me consayling me face. 'What will it
be?' says he, setting down the mug, 'What would it be, Micky, from
your Mother?' says I, and I lifts me head. Arrah, but then there's the
heart's delight between us. 'Mother!' says he. 'Micky!' says I. And he
lifts his foot and kicks over the barra, and dances me round in his arms,
'Ochone!' says the spictators; 'there's the fine coffee that's running into
the dock.' 'Let it run,' says I, in the joy of me heart, 'and you after it, and
the barra on the top of ye, now Micky me son's come home!'"
"Wonderfully jolly!" said I. "And it must be pleasant even to think of
it."
But Biddy's effort of imagination seemed to have exhausted her, and

she relapsed into the lowest possible spirits, from which she suddenly
roused herself to return to her neglected coffee-stall.
"Bad manners to me, for an old fool! sitting here whineging and
lamenting, when there's folks, maybe, waiting for their coffee, and
yourself would have been the betther of some this half-hour. Come
along wid ye."
And giving a tighter knot to the red kerchief, which had been
disordered by her lamentations, the old woman went down the dock, I
following her.
We had not to go far. Biddy's coffee-barrow was placed just as the
pieman had advised. It was as near the ships as possible. In fact it was
actually under the shadow of a big black-looking vessel which loomed
large through the fog, and to and from which men were coming and
going as usual. With several of these the old woman interchanged some
good-humoured chaff as she settled herself in her place, and bade me
sit beside her.
"Tuck your legs under ye, agra! on that bit of an ould sack. Tis what I
wrap round me shoulders when the nights do be wet, as it isn't this
evening, thank GOD! And there's the coffee for ye."
"Mother," said I, "do you think you could sit so as to hide me for a few
minutes? All the money I have is in a bag round my neck, and I don't
want strangers to see it."
"Ye'll just keep it there, then," replied Biddy, irately, "and don't go an'
insult me wid the show of it."
And she turned her back on me, whilst I drank my coffee, and ate some
excellent cakes, which formed part of her stock-in-trade. One of these
she insisted on my putting into my pocket "against the hungry hour." I
thanked her warmly for the gift, whereupon she became mollified, and
said I was kindly welcome; and whilst she was serving some customers,
I turned round and looked at the ship. Late as it was, people seemed
very busy about her, rather more so than about any I had seen. As I sat,

I was just opposite to a yawning hole in the ship's side, into which men
were noisily running great bales and boxes, which other men on board
were lowering into the depths of the vessel with very noisy machinery
and with much shouting in a sort of uncouth rhythm, to which the
grating and bumping of the crane and its chains was a trifle. I was so
absorbed by looking, and it was so impossible to hear anything else
unless one were attending, that I never discovered that Biddy and I
were alone again, till the touch of her hand on my head made me jump.
"I beg your pardon, Mother," I said; "I couldn't think what it was."
"I ax yours, dear. It's just the curls, and I'm the foolish woman to look
at 'em. Barrin' the hair, ye don't favour each other the laste."
I had really heard a good deal about Micky, and was getting tired of
him, and inclined to revert to my own affairs.
"Mother, do you know where this ship comes from?"
"I