Clay

The matron had given her leave to go out as soon as the women’s tea was
over and Maria looked forward to her evening out. The kitchen was spick
and span: the cook said you could see yourself in the big copper
boilers. The fire was nice and bright and on one of the side-tables
were four very big barmbracks. These barmbracks seemed uncut; but if
you went closer you would see that they had been cut into long thick
even slices and were ready to be handed round at tea. Maria had cut

them herself.

Maria was a very, very small person indeed but she had a very long nose
and a very long chin. She talked a little through her nose, always
soothingly: "Yes, my dear," and "No, my dear." She was always sent
for when the women quarrelled over their tubs and always succeeded in
making peace. One day the matron had said to her:

“Maria, you are a veritable peace-maker!”

And the sub-matron and two of the Board ladies had heard the
compliment. And Ginger Mooney was always saying what she wouldn’t do to
the dummy who had charge of the irons if it wasn’t for Maria. Everyone
was so fond of Maria.

The women would have their tea at six o’clock and she would be able to
get away before seven. From Ballsbridge to the Pillar, twenty minutes;
from the Pillar to Drumcondra, twenty minutes; and twenty minutes to
buy the things. She would be there before eight. She took out her purse
with the silver clasps and read again the words "A Present from
Belfast". She was very fond of that purse because Joe had brought it to
her five years before when he and Alphy had gone to Belfast on a
Whit-Monday trip. In the purse were two half-crowns and some coppers.
She would have five shillings clear after paying tram fare. What a nice
evening they would have, all the children singing! Only she hoped
that Joe wouldn’t come in drunk. He was so different when he took any drink.

Often he had wanted her to go and live with them; but she would have
felt herself in the way (though Joe’s wife was ever so nice with her)
and she had become accustomed to the life of the laundry. Joe was a
good fellow. She had nursed him and Alphy too; and Joe used often say:

“Mamma is mamma but Maria is my proper mother.”

After the break-up at home the boys had got her that position in the
"Dublin by Lamplight" laundry, and she liked it. She used to have such
a bad opinion of Protestants but now she thought they were very nice
people, a little quiet and serious, but still very nice people to live
with. Then she had her plants in the conservatory and she liked looking
after them. She had lovely ferns and wax-plants and, whenever anyone
came to visit her, she always gave the visitor one or two slips from
her conservatory. There was one thing she didn’t like and that was the
tracts on the walks; but the matron was such a nice per