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 Iwas made, horses were hitched up into 
 
 'YHptlTC 'teams, the lumber hauled to the canal 
 
 r^ r. .,, ,^^ reservation, and in fortv-eierht hours 
 
 Toronto, Dec. 4th, 1897 
 
 FHELflN'S WIDOW 
 
 BY CHARLES T. HARVEV. 
 
 le summer of 1853 witr.eesed the 
 commencement of the work of build- 
 ing the ship canal which was to open 
 up the waters of the greatest of lakes 
 to the commercial marine of its sister 
 lakes in the basin drained by the River 
 St. Lawrence, and make possible the 
 vast commerce which has since been 
 developed upon and through those 
 mighty waters. Then th-j straggling 
 village of " Sault Ste. Marie." situated 
 near the base of the falls of the St. 
 Mary's river (which, with over sixteen 
 feet of descent within one lineal mile, 
 compelled land carriage of persons and 
 proporty around them), was nearly as 
 re?Tiote from the outer world as a set- 
 tlement ipon the shores of Hudson bay 
 would be at the present time. Two 
 pairs of hors^hauling cars upon a 
 tramway around the falls then sufficed 
 to transfer all the commerce of the 
 Lake Superior region. 
 
 The Federal Government having in 
 1S52 made a grant of land to the State 
 of Michigan in truQt, wherewith to se- 
 cure the means for building a canal 
 around those falls, that State sublet the 
 work of constructing it, for the right 
 to the lands, to a corporation compos- 
 ed or Eastern State capitalists, w^o 
 appointed the writer of this narrative 
 as their executive, under the title of 
 General Agent, to organize a force of 
 workmen and enter upon the under- 
 ta'dng. 
 
 His headquarters were first tempor- 
 arily located at Detroit, as the nearest 
 city in direct communication, where he 
 enlisted and accompanied a force of 
 some five hundred men as the first de- 
 tachment, and loaded one of the large 
 lake steamers with them and a due 
 quota of supplies and provisions, tools, 
 machinery, horses, lumber, etc., for 
 transportation to the locality of the 
 work, as the sparsely-settled region 
 about the falls could not be relied 
 upon for such resources to any appre- 
 ciable extent. 
 
 commissariat was organized on the 
 passage, and as soon as the landing 
 
 eservation, and in forty-eight hours 
 the men were housed in improvised 
 buildings and regular meals provided 
 for them. 
 
 The system adopted was to assign 
 fifty men to one house, or " shanty," 
 calculated to furnish eating and sleep- 
 ing space in the main structure, while 
 a wing furnished room for a kitchen 
 and the private apartments of the fam- 
 ily who acted as stewards for that 
 separate building. Each was num- 
 bered, and all were under the charge 
 of a general steward, who had the 
 care of the general supplies and kept 
 accurate ai^r^ounts with each " shanty," 
 showing the aggregate per diem num- 
 ber of men boarded in comparison with 
 the quantity of provisions consumed. 
 Those stewards who furnished the best 
 return as to economy and efficiency 
 were paid accordingly, while those who 
 were wasteful or slovenly were weed- 
 ed out. To this was added later a hos- 
 pital and infirmary annex, where work- 
 men meeting with accidents, or having 
 serious sickness, were sent to receive 
 attention from salaried physicians and 
 trained nurses free of charge, as the 
 result of a small monthly per capita 
 payment from those earning wages. 
 These sanitary regrulations were so ef- 
 ficient that the cholera epidemic which 
 swept over the country in 1854 and 
 stopped every other public work of 
 magnitude, while showing its presence 
 also at the " Sault," did not cause a 
 panic nor suspend the work for a single 
 day. 
 
 On .June 4, 1853, the third day after 
 landing, the workmen were organized 
 into working gangs of thirty, each un- 
 der selected foremen, and formed in 
 ranks, while the General Agent, 
 " breaking ground " by loading the 
 first barrow with excavated material 
 8-nd wheeling it out to the " dump," 
 set an example which was received 
 with a cheer by the men, and general- 
 ly followed, to continue for nearly two 
 years, up to the time wheai the men 
 were again gathered in a group to see 
 the same individual, on t'le nineteenth 
 of April, 1*^55, open the sluice-gat-^ to 
 the outer coffer-dam on the Lake Su- 
 perior level and let its waters flow into 
 the finished canal prism, doubtless nev- 
 er to be entirely excluded PO long as 
 the world endures, 
 
 /W1 
 
The building: of what was at that 
 time the greatest canal In the world, 
 so far as commercial importance or 
 lock dimensions were concerned, in such 
 a remarkably short period of time, was 
 only possible by employing all the men 
 that could work to advantage, anr" as 
 a matter of fact the force was rapidly 
 Increased, after the first five hundred 
 were fairly at work, until between two 
 and thrte thousand were busily em- 
 ployed and the line of the work seem- 
 ed to swarm like a bee-hive. The 
 number of boarding buildings increas- 
 ed correspondingly, until between forty 
 and fifty were under the supervision of 
 the corporate management. 
 
 • • • • • 
 
 Thus far by way of introduction to 
 the tale indicated by the caption, and 
 to the subsequent use of the first per- 
 sonal pronoun therein by the writer. 
 
 It was in a sultry afternoon in the 
 month of August, 1853, that I was en- 
 gaged at writing in my private inner 
 room on the first floor of the construc- 
 tion company's general office building, 
 improvised near the banks of the ship 
 canal at the " Soo " (as that point was 
 generally designated). The entrance 
 was at my liack, and as a clerk was 
 usually in the outer office to announce 
 visitors beforehand, I supposed myself 
 to be alone, and was absorbed with my 
 desk work. The sensation that some- 
 one was breathing behind me led me to 
 wheel in my revolving chair, and no 
 doubt to look, as I felt, greatly surpris- 
 ed to find four unannounced individuals 
 near me who had apparently been 
 standing for some time with bated 
 breath, awaiting my movements to se- 
 cure my attention, which their entrance 
 had not before arrested. 
 
 The group was composed of a woman 
 and three girls, all neatly dressed, with 
 faces endowed with a glow of health, 
 ruddy as roses, combined with respect- 
 ful and quiet demeanour rare to see at 
 that time in that location. 
 
 The eldest girl was about twelve., the 
 next about eight, and the youngest 
 probat'ly four years of age. The 
 mother, evidently such from family re- 
 semblance, was apparently some thirty 
 years old, rather undersized, and not 
 specially noticeable except for her 
 head -gear, which was a wonder to be- 
 hold. I had seen pictures of ruch as 
 
 having adorned high dames of the 
 Queen Anne period, when an attempt 
 was made to compress most of the 
 beauties of a vegetable garden into the 
 trimming of a high-crowned hat, l)Ut 
 now I saw a specimen upon a living 
 model, maliing an appearance inde^ 
 scriljal)ly grotcjsque. My eyes were 
 drawn especially to one ornament 
 which seemed to be intended to re- 
 present a blood beet of the brightest 
 hue, ihe root lying obliquely along the 
 rim of the sitructure, while the stem, 
 branching into many \ipright leaves, 
 towered sbove the head, counterbalanc- 
 ed by a carrot or some other rank 
 growth of millinery on the other side. 
 
 I surmised at a glance that the " top- 
 r.otty " affair had been bestowed by 
 some wealthy lady (for it was evident- 
 ly a costly ad.iunct to female attire) 
 upon one w he w&s not posted as to the 
 caprices of rickle " Dame Fashion," and 
 Ijoiieved that what was goo 1 once, was 
 always good, if in goad preservation. 
 
 But before I had reduced my 
 thoughts to speech suited to the occa- 
 sion, the woman dropped an old style 
 low " courtesy," her knees almost 
 touching the floor, and broke the sil- 
 ence with that cheerily accentuated 
 voice which marks a native of the 
 Emerald Isle, and with the words, 
 " Perraps, sorr, you do not know who 
 1 am ?" 
 
 " No," said I, " there is no doubt 
 about that." 
 
 " Sure, I am ihe widow of Mister 
 Michael Phelan; but, perraps, sorr, you 
 have not heard of him before ?" 
 
 " No, I would hardly be able to 
 identify him with certainty," I replied. 
 
 " And it is a pity," said she. " be- 
 cause he was a most worthy man, as 
 good a husband as ever lived, and a 
 good father to these little girls, pace 
 to his mimery." .Just there and then 
 a genuine tear of affection glistened 
 in the widow's eye and che proceeded, 
 " And he started to come to Ameriky 
 with us on a vessel bound to Quebec. 
 But we had a stormy long passage, 
 during which he sickened and died, 
 and desrdte all T could say or do, the 
 captain had his body dropped over- 
 board in the wide ocean, and I had to 
 come along without him. We landed 
 in Quebec and thence came to Mont- 
 real, where I tried to make a living 
 by keeping boarders, but did not sue- 
 
ceed as well as I coulfl wish, ami when 
 I heard that a great public work was 
 commencing- here, and before it was 
 done a great deal of money would be 
 paid out for boarding of the men, I 
 determined to ccme here, and by en- 
 quiry have found the vvay, but, on ar- 
 '•ival, find that the v.ompany employ- 
 ing the men boards them itself, and 
 that as you are the head man, I must 
 come to you or I will have come in 
 vain and won't know what to do for 
 myself and these little ones. What I 
 want is a chance to keep one of your 
 boarding-Louses." 
 
 " My good woman," I replied, " I 
 control only those where fifty rough 
 men are housed together and a family 
 is paid to cook for them, of v^•hich the 
 husband is the main element to keep 
 order. You, surely, as an unprotect- 
 ed woman and the mother of these nice 
 girls, would not wish to go into such 
 quarters as that ?" 
 
 " Oh," said she, " if you will give me 
 a chance with my .)vvn countrymen, 
 they will not harm m© or mine, I am 
 sure; and you neod not pay me wages 
 till you see how well I can merit them, 
 and I will meanwhile be earning the 
 bread which we will honestly eat of 
 youi stores, and that is what I need 
 tu do without delay." 
 
 " But," said I, " these children w ill 
 requir'> more or less of your time and 
 attention, and for you to car? for them 
 and attend to providing food and clean 
 berths for fifty men, is simply impos- 
 sible. Even if you were willing to 
 undertake it, I woul I not consent to 
 hMVo you. cut of respect for your sex 
 'n general, and for your welfare and 
 that of these bright children in par- 
 ticuliir." 
 
 " C'h," said the widow, " these chil- 
 dren can and will work and help in- 
 stead of hinder me, as you will see if 
 you only give us a chance." 
 
 .'?ut I shook my head more and more 
 decidedly, and as the widow saw the 
 tide turning against her with increas- 
 inir force, a bright thought lit up her 
 face, and she made motions to bring 
 forth something stowed away In the 
 bosom of her dress, exclaiming, " If 
 yr.u had only known Mr. Phelan, and 
 what a good character he had, and 
 how high he was respected by the 
 great men in his own counthry, you 
 would not deny the croy of his widow 
 for honest work whereof 1th to feed her- 
 
 self and his children ! Did you ever 
 hour of Lord John Ilussell, now in the 
 Government in the Ould Counthry ?" 
 
 My reply was : — " Certainly, he is one 
 of l^ngland'a foremost statesmen of this 
 day; buit did he know your husba-id?" 
 
 " Ye may be sure of it," the w idow 
 continued, "as I have a certiilcate 
 from his lordship, recommending Mr. 
 Phelan on account of his good c'ar- 
 acter, that I keep near me all the 
 while, that I may niver lose it. Would 
 ye like to see it ?" 
 
 " Oh, yes," I replied, " the signature 
 cf such a noted man as Lord Russell 
 if well worth examining as a matter 
 of curiosity." 
 
 In due time the v.-ldovv drew forth 
 her guarded treasure In the shape of 
 a package having many wraps, from 
 which, when unfolded, dropped a sheet 
 of letter-paper with a printed heading, 
 which she picked up and handed me 
 as reverently a.s one would hand a 
 pra: er-book to a worshipper in church. 
 
 Glancing my eye over it, I found It 
 to read substantially as follows :— 
 Estates of Lord J. Russell, 
 
 . Coimty, Ireland, 
 
 1852. -:. 
 
 To Michael Phelan. ;; 
 
 You are hereby notifieJ to vacate the 
 earth-walled thatched tenement now 
 occupied by yourself and family near 
 
 the road, within thirty days from 
 
 date of receipt hereof, as it is to be 
 torn down and removed, by order of 
 his lordship. 
 
 Attest 
 
 Agent for said Estates. 
 
 Dumb with amazement. I glanced 
 from the paper to the window, but her 
 honest, .serious If ok of satisfaction in 
 possessing this evidence of her hus- 
 band's good character was genuine; I 
 had seen too much of the world not to 
 have detected f ny counterfeiting of 
 such faith as that, and I instantly 
 divin'^d that she could not read, and 
 hence someone had imposed upon h^r 
 f"- to the nature and contents of the 
 
 cument. There, also, stood . the 
 ruddy-cheeked girls looking up into my 
 face as to a superior being whose lips 
 could make or mar their happiness. 
 
 The situation being revealed as by a 
 Hash of light, my heart refused to let 
 my lips be the medium of undeceiving 
 the widow as to the purport of her pa- 
 per, and of causing her faith in its 
 tallsmanic powers to be dashed like a 
 
 3 
 
frapiie vase into a thousand pieces at 
 my f» et, never to be restored to its 
 piesi'nt syinmetry and esteem; so, ap- 
 parently reading the document 
 through again and again, with most 
 Intense and deliberate attention, my 
 thoughts were meanwhile busy in de- 
 cldlny Imw to act. They followed the 
 track of this brave, confiding little 
 woman, leaving her hovel in Ireland (It 
 mlgiit be before dispossessing measures 
 had been takea), which, however hum- 
 ble, was to her a home warmed by af- 
 fection in local and personal attach- 
 ments; coming across the stormy At- 
 lantic only to see it relentlessly requir- 
 ing the sacrifice of her husband for en- 
 tombment in its dark cr.verns. with 
 only the dirge and requiem of its wild, 
 deep-toned waves; pressing on to Que- 
 bec and Montreal, and thence a thou- 
 sand miles or more to this remote 
 place, and now only asking for oppor- 
 tvmlty for honest and faithful employ- 
 ment at my hands; how could I re- 
 fuse at least a trial as a reward for 
 such faith and perseverance ? 
 
 'Twas a moment described by the 
 great dramatist, when " one touch of 
 nature makes the whole world kin." I 
 beheld before me, not an ignorant im- 
 migrant, to be laughed at and thrust 
 aside, as coming on a fool's errand, 
 but a heroine, endowed with a price- 
 less faith which could remove moun- 
 tains, wliose guileless, earnest appear- 
 ance showed that as a daughtter, wife, 
 and mother she had done her best; and 
 who could do more ? 
 
 My heart had its own way, and then 
 my lips were no longer glued together. 
 
 " Mrs. Phelan," said I, as I handed 
 back the document, with the air of one 
 most profoundly impressed, " that cer- 
 tificate settl'is the matter; as the widow 
 of Mlcha-?1 Phelan, you shall have a 
 chance to provide for yourself and 
 these children of his, if In my power 
 to arrange It with promptness and 
 decency." 
 
 Pen nor pencil can never depict the 
 glowing of the light in the eyes of that 
 mother, as she dropped another pro- 
 found " courtesy," looked triumphant- 
 ly in the faces of her three little girls, 
 and carefully restored her talismanic 
 certiflca<:e to its wrappings and place 
 near h(»r heart. 
 
 The g'eneral steward was sumnmned. 
 and, learning from him that one of the 
 stew,.' .d families was just leaving and 
 
 its suc'ces.-<»ir not then installed, and 
 that a verj trusty single man was so 
 tar convi;lescent at the hosivltal that he 
 could be detailed to keep order and 
 renilt-r the widow any needed a:4aist- 
 tince, I directed that carpenters be 
 baminoned and a room in the main 
 building be partitioned off for him 
 fortliwlth, and the widow be at once 
 instil iU'd in the family apartments, as 
 i^ololy for her own use. 
 
 Qrquiiing for her baggage, behold 
 all her worthv possessions were just 
 outside- my office door, in the shape of 
 a few Lundles ! These she and the 
 cliildren gatlKred up, and. folh^vlng 
 the messenger, were directly installed 
 in their new abode. The new arrival 
 created a stir in the coiony of adjacent 
 buildings, with the query how a widow 
 who only landed from Montreal in the 
 morning could get the coveted steward 
 position before night. Whether the 
 \^ idnw aacribed it to Lord John Rus- 
 sell's inlluence to thase who enquired 
 of her, I knew not, but I was very 
 careful not to mention the fa?ts about 
 her Xirecious document to anyone. Kven 
 the general steward treated her n.ore. 
 deferentially, from the evidimt endorse- 
 ment which she had received at the 
 manager's office, not knowing how it 
 w:is obtained. Not a little of her suc- 
 cess was due, however, to her own 
 shrewdness in slipping by all inter- 
 mod iarles and stating her errand only 
 wheri,' the final decision was to be 
 made. 
 
 Some days later, in passing near her 
 domicile, a glimpse of the widow 
 brought her to mintl, and led me to en- 
 ter her building and inspect l^er care 
 of it. Its order and neatness were 
 most commendable. The daughter of 
 tn'elve years was doing an adult's 
 share of the kitchen service; the girl 
 of eight was, in the men's absence, at 
 »vork attending to cleaning their quar- 
 ters, after having made the table 
 ready hours in advance, while the lit- 
 tle " tot " of four was seated on a bar- 
 rel, to bring her to the right height, by 
 a table, at which she was scouring the 
 knives and other table articles with 
 bath-brick, until they shone like sil- 
 ver, and with the steady action of a 
 veteran who thought of nothing Imt 
 the business in hand. 
 
 It was the custom of the steward's 
 departn'ent to let the m;?n choose their 
 (luatters and change ."Jjout to suit 
 
tht-mselvea, so long as the regular 
 quota in each was not exceeded, and 
 they applied for a transfer order at his 
 desk. Soon he was Hooded with ap- 
 plications for chaige to the widow's 
 hoarding-house, and, upon emiuiry. 
 w:iH informed that it was the most 
 Mnlt't and orderly of any, while the 
 meals In variety and cooking were 
 what Delmonico's was to ordinary eat- 
 injr establishments. 
 
 The requisitions for supplies for that 
 " number " contained pome Items not 
 on the ordinary list, but were honour- 
 ed after due consideration. Soon rum- 
 ours of a new style of hash served up 
 I. nee a week at the widow's tloated 
 aliout the location, and even foremen 
 called for transient meal tickets to try 
 it, and envied were the men who held 
 vested rights as regular inmates there. 
 The end of the monit.h, with its tabu- 
 lated tUatements, came round, when 
 the ligure.s indicated that the most 
 erononiical and satisfactory results 
 were fioni the widow's house. The 
 socond month confirmed such conclu- 
 sion, when her rate of payment rose 
 to the head of the list and continued 
 thei'e to the end of the work, netting 
 her a very nice monthly Income. She 
 confidoniially explained to the steward 
 that the rtsult was due lai'gely to that 
 famous hash, which, by being sweet- 
 ened with maple sugar and flavoured 
 vvith .jpicf-s, enal>led her to uise the 
 last scrap of every kind at ifood ma- 
 terial on her premises without cloying 
 the men's appetites. 
 
 She did not call for her monthly pay 
 until the cashier entered a complaint 
 against her that he oould not close his 
 momthly accounts according to rule. 
 Word from me to call at the office 
 brought her there In Sunday attire, In- 
 cluding her before-described full dress 
 hat. When the rule was explained 
 that she must regularly draw her 
 mioney, she complied, but only to brln^r 
 It to me, to request me to personally 
 care for Lt durlmg her term of employ- 
 menit.' ~ti- 
 
 An amusing scene took place weekly. 
 The widow was a regular attendant 
 Sundays at the Roman Catholic mis- 
 sionary church some distance away, 
 wihen she mlight l>e seen wending hei- 
 way thitherward with her overshadow- 
 ing perennial hat, only equalled in 
 tinge of red by her own cheeks and 
 those of her three girls walking, de- 
 
 murely by her aide. At a respect fuJ 
 d'latance behind her would follow a 
 platoon of a score, more or less, of men, 
 dressed in the height of cianai fashions 
 and all animated by evident Intentions 
 not to be far from her when inside the 
 church, while the crowds outside the 
 tdlflce formed in ranks to let her pass 
 through, with special marks of consid- 
 eration. Not a t)ieath was heard 
 against her, maintain ing respect from 
 all, and vsoe would have l)etlded the 
 .nan who had been reported to the 
 lifty brawny Irishmen In her " num- 
 l>er," as molesting her In any way. 
 
 One day, after the widow's reputa- 
 tion had become quite established, she, 
 with her headgear in position, called 
 on me in the same room as before, to 
 con tide to me that she had been asked 
 to marry by not a few of the men, and 
 of them all she thought most favour- 
 ably of Patrick Flynn, who had been 
 selected as caretaker for her in the 
 first Instance, but, after pondering well 
 on the subject, when she had almost 
 said yes, the memory of iher dear de- 
 parted huslmmd, with his good char- 
 acter so well certified to, came over 
 her, and she had told Patrick, like all 
 her suitors, once and for always, that 
 she would never be known otherwise 
 than as the widow of Mlcihael Pheian. 
 Again came the tears as a tribute to 
 his memory, with the remark that in 
 case I heard she was to be married 1 
 woudd know to the contrary, in ad- 
 vance. 
 
 The widow dropped In ver^ quietly 
 at my oflJlce at a later date, and when 
 energetic mieasuires were taken which 
 nipped In the bud an Impending strike, 
 many were the surmises where I had 
 obtained the Information upon which 
 to act. Its value to my principals, 
 under circumstances too intricate to be 
 detailed here, could hardly be over- 
 estimated. 
 
 But the time arrived when the last 
 gang of workmen were finally paid off, 
 and a settlement of the widows ac- 
 count showed over $600 to her credit. 
 When handing it to her, I said, " No 
 doubt you will itake this snug sum and 
 return to Montreal and open a nice 
 l)oardlng-house ?" 
 
 •' Oh, no," said .-he, ' when this canal 
 i.^ opened, business must go to the 
 other end of the lake, and I am going 
 with iit to a place they call Superior 
 City, and have engaged my passage 
 by the next boat !" All that I had to 
 
say about the risks and hardships In- 
 volved wan wasted, and befive the 
 canal was offlclally opened by the 
 State, I he widow who could not read 
 " her passage ticket was pushing- on five 
 hundred miles farther to anticipate Its 
 commercial effect ! 
 
 Two or more years passed, when I 
 paid a tourist's visit to the then 
 " booming- " settlement of Superior 
 City, and was walking- with a friend 
 along its wooden sidewalks, when I 
 uas startled by having my own name 
 called bv someone behind me, and on 
 turning about, saw the widow of 
 Michael Phelan in a calico wrapper on 
 her knees, with her hands raised above 
 that wonderful b(mnet, asking for 
 " Heaven's blessings upon the best 
 friend she ever had in America !" 
 
 Begging her to rise and not compro- 
 . mlse me in a strange place, because 
 o nlookers wo uld think that she was 
 <^^ pleading ^or) me, rather than with 
 Heaven, she explained that she was 
 the owner of the comer lot on the op- 
 pof-ite side of the street, upon which 
 she had erected a store building and 
 was realizing a handsome rental from 
 a part of it, while occupying the re- 
 mainder for keeping iwarders, and 
 having seen me go by, was afraid that 
 before she could don her best dress 
 as she uped to do at the " Soo," I 
 would have passed out of sight. Pat- 
 rick Flvnn had followed her from the 
 " Soo " and was installed as caretaker 
 of her property but she had not, and 
 would not, prove forgetful of the mem- 
 cry of Michael Phelan, or less proud 
 of the good character which he bore 
 in the " Ould Counthry." 
 
 Declining the reauest of the widow 
 to look Over her title-deeds and give 
 my opinion upon their legality, on the 
 score that the steamer on which I was 
 making the round trip was just leav- 
 ing, I left the widow in the midst of 
 her corner lots. 
 
 Not long after this I read, in a lead- 
 ing New York paper, of an oftlclal de- 
 cision as announced at Washington, 
 confirming the right of Mrs. Michael 
 Phelan, of Superior City, Wisconsin, to 
 pre-empt a quarter section of land, her 
 righit to do so without naturalization 
 papers having been stoutly contested, 
 but on appeal, her title to valualile 
 property near the city had been sus- 
 tained at th.' Interior Department. 
 
 Time passed along a few more years, 
 when I wan a passenger lietween two 
 of the pouts in I^ake Superior upon the 
 then peerless steamer North Star, with 
 the veteian Captain B. G. Sweet In 
 command. While passing along the 
 main deck, a <;omely, ruddy-faced 
 young woman accosted me and intro- 
 duced herself as the eldest daughter of 
 the Widow Phelan. " indeed." said I, 
 " and where Is your mother ?" " Oh," 
 said she, '" mother is down here on 
 the main deck against my protest, 
 who wanted to have her take a couple 
 of state-room."?, and let us travel in 
 the cabin like other people, for we can 
 afford It, and I wish you would get 
 mother to do so." 
 
 " All right," said I, " we will see 
 what can be done." Then the widow- 
 was Interviewed by surprise and with- 
 out her ornamental head-dress on, but 
 1 oreaamed that It was in one of the 
 several slzr^abie trunks which evi- 
 dently belonged to her. Her shrewd- 
 ness was again evidenced by the fact 
 that Vv^hile paying only deck passage 
 and saving probably three-fourths of 
 the cost of cabin rates, she had pre- 
 empted a space behind the huge boiler 
 smoke-pipes and fenced it off with her 
 trunks and other articles of the cargo, 
 so that within the barrier herself and 
 daughter were quite retired and had 
 warm quarters, while the cabin Pa£- 
 sengers were shivering in smaltd-'findfe^ ^ 
 colder places upon the unheated upper 
 deck on a chill autumnal day. 
 
 Entering into conversation as to her 
 leaving the west, she informed me that 
 she saw signs of a decline in the land 
 speculation which had prevailed (and 
 which shortly afterward entirely col- 
 lapsed and continued thus for a de- 
 cade or more), and had, in anticipation 
 of lower prices, sold out, with a view "*Jg 
 of leaving that region permanently. 
 " Well," said I, " how much money do 
 you bring away with you ?" But the 
 widow was slow to divulge, and at last 
 her eldest daughter spoke up and said, 
 " Mr. Harvey, to prove that we ought 
 to have taken cabin passage, I will 
 tell you. Mother has thirty-six hun- 
 dred dollars in gold In these trunks, 
 besides enough more In bank-bills to 
 provide for all our travelling expenses 
 for a long journey, and yet she will 
 keep up on the main deck where poor 
 immigrants ride, and now, as the kind 
 
 6 
 
friend she has taug-ht U8 to remam- 
 ber, will you not insist uoon our hav- 
 ing state-r(x>nis ?" " Oh, yes," said I, 
 " that is reasonable enoug-h, but your 
 mother has a mind of her own, which 
 she has certainly usc^d to good ad- 
 vantage since I have known her, and 
 I have learned to deem it better than 
 my own, as ta her own affairs." 
 
 " But now. Widow Phelan," I con- 
 tinued, " you will certainly consider 
 that I ought to know where you are 
 proposing to go ?" 
 
 " To a place they call Australia," she 
 renlled. 
 
 " But do you know how far off it is 
 and how to get there ?" was the next 
 query. 
 
 " No," replied she, " but I am told 
 that at a city called New York, where 
 I am now going, I can get passage." 
 
 " Pray, what ledsyou to think of that 
 distant land ?" I queried. 
 
 " Well," said the widow, " I have 
 been informed that the Governor of 
 Australia is an intimate friend of Lord 
 John Russell, and therefore a friend of 
 
 my husband's, and one who will ap- 
 preciate the certificate I have of the 
 good character nf Michael I'hclan as 
 you did, and who will treat his widow 
 well on his account !" Then the scene 
 in my office came vividly to mind, and 
 again I was speechless about that do- 
 cument, which I doubted not was then, 
 as before, near the widow's heart. 
 
 The steamer's whistle announced 
 landing at the port of my departure, 
 and ended my personal knowledge of 
 the widow of iMichael Phelan. But 
 the Phelan history. If continued, mlgh£ 
 reveal her, later on, as a Melbourne 
 real estate millionaire, and her daugh- 
 ters as among the aristocracy, driving 
 in their own or their husband's car- 
 riages. All these Is&ues mav have 
 hinged, as did those narrated, upon 
 my keeping my face straight and my 
 heart warm when the power of that 
 tallsmanlc certificate was tried upon 
 myself on that August day away back 
 In 1853. 
 
 CHARLES T. HARVEY. 
 
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