A Mother

Mr Holohan, assistant secretary of the Eire Abu Society, had been walking up and down
Dublin for nearly a month, with his hands and pockets full of dirty pieces of paper, arranging
about the series of concerts. He had a game leg, and for this his friends called him Hoppy
Holohan. He walked up and down constantly, stood by the hour at street corners arguing the
point, and made notes; but in the end it was Mrs Kearney who arranged everything.

Miss Devlin had become Mrs Kearney out of spite. She had been educated in a high-class
convent, where she had learned French and music. As she was naturally pale and unbending
in manner she made few friends at school. When she came to the age of marriage she was
sent out to many houses, where her playing and ivory manners were much admired. She sat
amid the chilly circle of her accomplishments, waiting for some suitor to brave it and offer
her a brilliant life. But the young men whom she met were ordinary and she gave them no
encouragement, trying to console her romantic desires by eating a great deal of Turkish
Delight in secret. However, when she drew near the limit and her friends began to loosen
their tongues about her, she silenced them by marrying Mr Kearney, who was a bootmaker
on Ormond Quay.

He was much older than she. His conversation, which was serious, took place at intervals in
his great brown beard. After the first year of married life, Mrs Kearney perceived that such
a man would wear better than a romantic person, but she never put her own romantic ideas
away. He was sober, thrifty, and pious; he went to the altar every first Friday, sometimes
with her, oftener by himself. But she never weakened in her religion and was a good wife to
him. At some party in a strange house when she lifted her eyebrow ever so slightly he stood
up to take his leave and, when his cough troubled him, she put the eiderdown quilt over his
feet and made a strong rum punch. For his part, he was a model father. By paying a small
sum every week into a society, he ensured for both his daughters a dowry of one hundred
pounds each when they came to the age of twenty-four. He sent the older daughter,
Kathleen, to a good convent, where she learned French and music, and afterwards paid her
fees at the Academy. Every year in the month of July Mrs Kearney found occasion to say
to some friend:

`My good man is packing us off to Skerries for a few weeks.'

If it was not Skerries it was Howth or Greystones.

When the Irish Revival began to be appreciable Mrs Kearney determined to take advantage
of her daughter's name and brought an Irish teacher to the house. Kathleen and her sister
sent Irish picture postcards to their friends and these friends sent back other Irish picture
postcards. On special Sundays, when Mr Kearney went with his family to the pro-cathedral,
a little crowd of people would assemble after mass at the corner of Cathedral Street. They
were all friends of the Kearneys - musical friends or Nationalist friends, and, when they had
played every little counter of gossip, they shook hands with one another all together, laughing
at the crossing of so many hands, and said good-bye to one another in Irish. Soon the name
of Miss Kathleen Kearney began to be heard often on people's lips. People said that she
was very clever at music and a very nice girl and, moreover, that she was a believer in the
language movement. Mrs Kearney was well content at this. Therefore she was not
surprised when one day Mr Holohan came to her and proposed that her daughter should be
the accompanist at a series of four grand concerts which his Society was going to give in the
Ancient Concert Rooms. She brought him into the drawing-room, made him sit down and
brought out the decanter and the silver biscuit-barrel. She entered heart and soul into the
details of the enterprise, advised and dissuaded: and finally a contract was drawn up by
which Kathleen was to receive eight guineas for her services as accompanist at the four
grand concerts.

As Mr Holohan was a novice in such delicate matters as the wording of bills and the
disposing of items for a programme, Mrs Kearney helped him. She had tact. She knew what
artistes should go into capitals and what artistes should go into small type. She knew that
the first tenor would not like to come on after Mr Meade's comic turn. To keep the audience
continually diverted she slipped the doubtful items in between the old favourites. Mr Holohan
called to see her every day to have her advice on some point. She was invariably friendly
and advising - homely, in fact. She pushed the decanter towards him, saying:

`Now, help yourself, Mr Holohan!'

And while he was helping himself she said:

`Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid of it!'

Everything went on smoothly. Mrs Kearney bought some lovely blush-pink charmeuse in
Brown Thomas's to let into the front of Kathleen's dress. It cost a pretty penny; but there
are occasions when a little expense is justifiable. She took a dozen of two-shilling tickets for
the final concert and sent them to those friends who could not be trusted to come otherwise.
She forgot nothing, and, thanks to her, everything that was to be done was done.

The concerts were to be on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. When Mrs
Kearney arrived with her daughter at the Ancient Concert Rooms on Wednesday night she
did not like the look of things. A few young men, wearing bright blue badges in their coats,
stood idle in the vestibule; none of them wore evening dress. She passed by with her
daughter and a quick glance through the open door of the hall showed her the cause of the
stewards' idleness. At first she wondered had she mistaken the hour. No, it was twenty
minutes to eight.

In the dressing-room behind the stage she was introduced to the secretary of the Society, Mr
Fitzpatrick. She smiled and shook his hand. He was a little man, with a white, vacant face.
She noticed that he wore his soft brown hat carelessly on the side of his head and that his
accent was flat. He held a programme in his hand, and, while he was talking to her, he
chewed one end of it into a moist pulp. He seemed to bear disappointments lightly. Mr
Holohan came into the dressing-room every few minutes with reports from the box-office.
The artistes talked among themselves nervously, glanced from time to time at the mirror and
rolled and unrolled their music. When it was nearly half past eight, the few people in the hall
began to express their desire to be entertained. Mr Fitzpatrick came in, smiled vacantly at
the room, and said:

`Well, now, ladies and gentlemen. I suppose we'd better open the ball.'

Mrs Kearney rewarded his very flat final syllable with a quick stare of contempt, and then
said to her daughter encouragingly:

`Are you ready, dear?'

When she had an opportunity, she called Mr Holohan aside and asked him to tell her what it
meant. Mr Holohan did not know what it meant. He said that the committee had made a
mistake in arranging for four concerts: four were too many.

`And the artistes!' said Mrs Kearney. `Of course they are doing their best, but really they
are not good.'

Mr Holohan admitted that the artistes were no good, but the committee, he said, had decided
to let the first three concerts go as they pleased and reserve all the talent for Saturday night.
Mrs Kearney said nothing, but, as the mediocre items followed one another on the platform
and the few people in the hall grew fewer and fewer, she began to regret that she had put
herself to any expense for such a concert. There was something she didn't like in the look of
things, and Mr Fitzpatrick's vacant smile irritated her very much. However, she said nothing
and waited to see how it would end. The concert expired shortly before ten, and everyone
went home quickly.

The concert on Thursday night was better attended, but Mrs Kearney saw at once that the
house was filled with paper. The audience behaved indecorously, as if the concert were an
informal dress rehearsal. Mr Fitzpatrick seemed to enjoy himself; he was quite unconscious
that Mrs Kearney was taking angry note of his conduct. He stood at the edge of the screen,
from time to time jutting out his head and exchanging a laugh with two friends in the corner
of the balcony. In the course of the evening, Mrs Kearney learned that the Friday concert
was to be abandoned and that the committee was going to move heaven and earth to secure
a bumper house on Saturday night. When she heard this, she sought out Mr Holohan. She
buttonholed him as he was limping out quickly with a glass of lemonade for a young lady and
asked him was it true. Yes, it was true.

`But, of course, that doesn't alter the contract,' she said. `The contract was for four
concerts.'

Mr Holohan seemed to be in a hurry; he advised her to speak to Mr Fitzpatrick. Mrs
Kearney was now beginning to be alarmed. She called Mr Fitzpatrick away from his screen
and told him that her daughter had signed for four concerts and that, of course, according to
the terms of the contract, she should receive the sum originally stipulated for, whether the
society gave the four concerts or not. Mr Fitzpatrick, who did not catch the point at issue
very quickly, seemed unable to resolve the difficulty and said that he would bring the matter
before the committee. Mrs Kearney's anger began to flutter in her cheek and she had all she
could do to keep from asking:

`And who is the Cometty, pray?'

But she knew that it would not be ladylike to do that: so she was silent.

Little boys were sent out into the principal streets of Dublin early on Friday morning with
bundles of handbills. Special puffs appeared in all the evening papers, reminding the
music-loving public of the treat which was in store for it on the following evening. Mrs
Kearney was somewhat reassured, but she thought well to tell her husband part of her
suspicions. He listened carefully and said that perhaps it would be better if he went with her
on Saturday night. She agreed. She respected her husband in the same way as she
respected the General Post Office, as something large, secure, and fixed; and though she
knew the small number of his talents she appreciated his abstract value as a male. She was
glad that he had suggested coming with her. She thought her plans over.

The night of the grand concert came. Mrs Kearney, with her husband and daughter, arrived
at the Ancient Concert Rooms three-quarters of an hour before the time at which the
concert was to begin. By ill luck it was a rainy evening. Mrs Kearney placed her daughter's
clothes and music in charge of her husband and went all over the building looking for Mr
Holohan or Mr Fitzpatrick. She could find neither. She asked the stewards was any member
of the committee in the hall and, after a great deal of trouble, a steward brought out a little
woman named Miss Beirne, to whom Mrs Kearney explained that she wanted to see one of
the secretaries. Miss Beirne expected them any minute and asked could she do anything.
Mrs Kearney looked searchingly at the oldish face which was screwed into an expression of
trustfulness and enthusiasm and answered:

`No, thank you!'

The little woman hoped they would have a good house. She looked out at the rain until the
melancholy of the wet street effaced all the trustfulness and enthusiasm from her twisted
features. Then she gave a little sigh and said:

`Ah, well! We did our best, the dear knows.'

Mrs Kearney had to go back to the dressing-room.

The artistes were arriving. The bass and the second tenor had already come. The bass, Mr
Duggan, was a slender young man with a scattered black moustache. He was the son of a
hall porter in an office in the city and, as a boy, he had sung prolonged bass notes in the
resounding hall. From this humble state he had raised himself until he had become a first-rate
artiste. He had appeared in grand opera. One night, when an operatic artiste had fallen ill,
he had undertaken the part of the king in the opera of Maritana at the Queen's Theatre. He
sang his music with great feeling and volume and was warmly welcomed by the gallery; but,
unfortunately, he marred the good impression by wiping his nose in his gloved hand once or
twice out of thoughtlessness. He was unassuming and spoke little. He said yous so softly
that it passed unnoticed and he never drank anything stronger than milk, for his voice's sake.
Mr Bell, the second tenor, was a fair-haired little man who competed every year for prizes
at the Feis Ceoil. On his fourth trial he had been awarded a bronze medal. He was
extremely nervous and extremely jealous of other tenors and he covered his nervous
jealousy with an ebullient friendliness. It was his humour to have people know what an
ordeal a concert was to him. Therefore when he saw Mr Duggan he went over to him and
asked:

`Are you in it too?'

`Yes,' said Mr Duggan.

Mr Bell laughed at his fellow-sufferer, held out his hand and said:

`Shake!'

Mrs Kearney passed by these two young men and went to the edge of the screen to view
the house. The seats were being filled up rapidly and a pleasant noise circulated in the
auditorium. She came back and spoke to her husband privately. Their conversation was
evidently about Kathleen, for they both glanced at her often as she stood chatting to one of
her Nationalist friends, Miss Healy, the contralto. An unknown solitary woman with a pale
face walked through the room. The women followed with keen eyes the faded blue dress
which was stretched upon a meagre body. Someone said that she was Madam Glynn, the
soprano.

`I wonder where did they dig her up,' said Kathleen to Miss Healy. `I'm sure I never heard
of her.'

Miss Healy had to smile. Mr Holohan limped into the dressing-room at that moment and the
two young ladies asked him who was the unknown woman. Mr Holohan said that she was
Madam Glynn from London. Madam Glynn took her stand in a corner of the room, holding a
roll of music stiffly before her and from time to time changing the direction of her startled
gaze. The shadow took her faded dress into shelter but fell revengefully into the little cup
behind her collar-bone. The noise of the hall became more audible. The first tenor and the
baritone arrived together They were both well dressed, stout, and complacent, and they
brought a breath of opulence among the company.

Mrs Kearney brought her daughter over to them, and talked to them amiably. She wanted to
be on good terms with them but, while she strove to be polite, her eyes followed Mr Holohan
in his limping and devious courses. As soon as she could she excused herself and went out
after him.

`Mr Holohan, I want to speak to you for a moment, she said.'

They went down to a discreet part of the corridor. Mrs Kearney asked him when was her
daughter going to be paid. Mr Holohan said that Mr Fitzpatrick had charge of that. Mrs
Kearney said that she didn't know anything about Mr Fitzpatrick. Her daughter had signed a
contract for eight guineas and she would have to be paid. Mr Holohan said that it wasn't his
business.

`Why isn't it your business?' asked Mrs Kearney. `Didn't you yourself bring her the
contract? Anyway, if it's not your business, it's my business, and I mean to see to it.'

`You'd better speak to Mr Fitzpatrick,' said Mr Holohan distinctly.

`I don't know anything about Mr Fitzpatrick,' repeated Mrs Kearney. `I have my contract,
and I intend to see that it is carried out.'

When she came back to the dressing-room her cheeks were slightly suffused. The room
was lively. Two men in outdoor dress had taken possession of the fireplace and were
chatting familiarly with Miss Healy and the baritone. They were the Freeman man and Mr
O'Madden Burke. The Freeman man had come in to say that he could not wait for the
concert as he had to report the lecture which an American priest was giving in the Mansion
House. He said they were to leave the report for him at the Freeman office and he would
see that it went in. He was a grey-haired man with a plausible voice and careful manners.
He held an extinguished cigar in his hand and the aroma of cigar smoke floated near him. He
had not intended to stay a moment, because concerts and artistes bored him considerably,
but he remained leaning against the mantelpiece. Miss Healy stood in front of him, talking
and laughing. He was old enough to suspect one reason for her politeness, but young enough
in spirit to turn the moment to account. The warmth, fragrance, and colour of her body
appealed to his senses. He was pleasantly conscious that the bosom which he saw rise and
fall slowly beneath him rose and fell at that moment for him, that the laughter and fragrance
and wilful glances were his tribute. When he could stay no longer he took leave of her
regretfully.

`O'Madden Burke will write the notice,' he explained to Mr Holohan, `and I'll see it in.'

`Thank you very much, Mr Hendrick,' said Mr Holohan. `You'll see it in, I know. Now, won't
you have a little something before you go?'

`I don't mind,' said Mr Hendrick.

The two men went along some tortuous passages and up a dark staircase and came to a
secluded room where one of the stewards was uncorking bottles for a few gentlemen. One
of these gentlemen was Mr O'Madden Burke, who had found out the room by instinct. He
was a suave, elderly man who balanced his imposing body, when at rest, upon a large silk
umbrella. His magniloquent western name was the moral umbrella upon which he balanced
the fine problem of his finances. He was widely respected.

While Mr Holohan was entertaining the Freeman man Mrs Kearney was speaking so
animatedly to her husband that he had to ask her to lower her voice. The conversation of the
others in the dressing-room had become strained. Mr Bell, the first item, stood ready with his
music but the accompanist made no sign. Evidently something was wrong. Mr Kearney
looked straight before him, stroking his beard, while Mrs Kearney spoke into Kathleen's ear
with subdued emphasis. From the hall came sounds of encouragement, clapping and
stamping of feet. The first tenor and the baritone and Miss Healy stood together, waiting
tranquilly, but Mr Bell's nerves were greatly agitated because he was afraid the audience
would think that he had come late.

Mr Holohan and Mr O'Madden Burke came into the room. In a moment Mr Holohan
perceived the hush. He went over to Mrs Kearney and spoke with her earnestly. While they
were speaking the noise in the hall grew louder. Mr Holohan became very red and excited.
He spoke volubly, but Mrs Kearney said curtly at intervals:

`She won't go on. She must get her eight guineas.'

Mr Holohan pointed desperately towards the hall where the audience was clapping and
stamping. He appealed to Mr Kearney and to Kathleen. But Mr Kearney continued to
stroke his beard and Kathleen looked down, moving the point of her new shoe: it was not her
fault. Mrs Kearney repeated:

`She won't goon without her money.'

After a swift struggle of tongues Mr Holohan hobbled out in haste. The room was silent.
When the strain of the silence had become somewhat painful Miss Healy said to the
baritone:

`Have you seen Mrs Pat Campbell this week?'

The baritone had not seen her but he had been told that she was very fine. The conversation
went no further. The first tenor bent his head and began to count the links of the gold chain
which was extended across his waist, smiling and humming random notes to observe the
effect on the frontal sinus. From time to time everyone glanced at Mrs Kearney.

The noise in the auditorium had risen to a clamour when Mr Fitzpatrick burst into the room,
followed by Mr Holohan, who was panting. The clapping and stamping in the hall were
punctuated by whistling. Mr Fitzpatrick held a few banknotes in his hand. He counted out
four into Mrs Kearney's hand and said she would get the other half at the interval. Mrs
Kearney said:

`This is four shillings short.'

But Kathleen gathered in her skirt and said: `Now, Mr Bell,' to the first item, who was
shaking like an aspen. The singer and the accompanist went out together. The noise in the
hall died away. There was a pause of a few seconds, and then the piano was heard.

The first part of the concert was very successful except for Madam Glynn's item. The poor
lady sang Killarney in a bodiless gasping voice, with all the old-fashioned mannerisms of
intonation and pronunciation which she believed lent elegance to her singing. She looked as if
she had been resurrected from an old stage-wardrobe and the cheaper parts of the hall
made fun of her high wailing notes. The first tenor and the contralto, however, brought down
the house. Kathleen played a selection of Irish airs which was generously applauded. The
first part closed with a stirring patriotic recitation delivered by a young lady who arranged
amateur theatricals. It was deservedly applauded, and, when it was ended, the men went out
for the interval, content.

All this time the dressing-room was a hive of excitement. In one corner were Mr Holohan,
Mr Fitzpatrick, Miss Beirne, two of the stewards, the baritone, the bass, and Mr O'Madden
Burke. Mr O'Madden Burke said it was the most scandalous exhibition he had ever
witnessed. Miss Kathleen Kearney's musical career was ended in Dublin after that, he said.
The baritone was asked what did he think of Mrs Kearney's conduct. He did not like to say
anything. He had been paid his money and wished to be at peace with men. However, he
said that Mrs Kearney might have taken the artistes into consideration. The stewards and
the secretaries debated hotly as to what should be done when the interval came.

`I agree with Miss Beirne,' said Mr O'Madden Burke. `Pay her nothing.'

In another corner of the room were Mrs Kearney and her husband, Mr Bell, Miss Healy,
and the young lady who had to recite the patriotic piece. Mrs Kearney said that the
committee had treated her scandalously. She had spared neither trouble nor expense and this
was how she was repaid.

They thought they had only a girl to deal with and that, therefore, they could ride roughshod
over her. But she would show them their mistake. They wouldn't have dared to have treated
her like that if she had been a man. But she would see that her daughter got her rights: she
wouldn't be fooled. If they didn't pay her to the last farthing she would make Dublin ring. Of
course she was sorry for the sake of the artistes. But what else could she do? She appealed
to the second tenor, who said he thought she had not been well treated. Then she appealed
to Miss Healy. Miss Healy wanted to join the other group, but she did not like to do so
because she was a great friend of Kathleen's and the Kearneys had often invited her to their
house.

As soon as the first part was ended Mr Fitzpatrick and Mr Holohan went over to Mrs
Kearney and told her that the other four guineas would be paid after the committee meeting
on the following Tuesday and that, in case her daughter did not play for the second part, the
committee would consider the contract broken and would pay nothing.

`I haven't seen any committee,' said Mrs Kearney angrily. `My daughter has her contract.
She will get four pounds eight into her hand or a foot she won't put on that platform.'

`I'm surprised at you, Mrs Kearney,' said Mr Holohan. `I never thought you would treat us
this way.'

`And what way did you treat me?' asked Mrs Kearney.

Her face was inundated with an angry colour and she looked as if she would attack
someone with her hands.

`I'm asking for my rights,' she said.

`You might have some sense of decency,' said Mr Holohan.

`Might I, indeed?... And when I ask when my daughter is going to be paid I can't get a civil
answer.'

She tossed her head and assumed a haughty voice:

`You must speak to the secretary. It's not my business. I'm a great fellow
fol-the-diddle-I-do.'

`I thought you were a lady,' said Mr Holohan, walking away from her abruptly.

After that Mrs Kearney's conduct was condemned on all hands: everyone approved of what
the committee had done. She stood at the door, haggard with rage, arguing with her husband
and daughter, gesticulating with them. She waited until it was time for the second part to
begin in the hope that the secretaries would approach her. But Miss Healy had kindly
consented to play one or two accompaniments. Mrs Kearney had to stand aside to allow the
baritone and his accompanist to pass up to the platform. She stood still for an instant like an
angry stone image and, when the first notes of the song struck her ear, she caught up her
daughter's cloak and said to her husband:

`Get a cab!'

He went out at once. Mrs Kearney wrapped the cloak round her daughter and followed him.
As she passed through the doorway she stopped and glared into Mr Holohan's face.

`I'm not done with you yet,' she said.

`But I'm done with you,' said Mr Holohan.

Kathleen followed her mother meekly. Mr Holohan began to pace up and down the room in
order to cool himself, for he felt his skin on fire.

`That's a nice lady!' he said. `O, she's a nice lady!'

`You did the proper thing, Holohan,' said Mr O'Madden Burke, poised upon his umbrella in
approval.