Ireland was going through some radical changes at the time. It wasn't unusual to see people living on the streets, I blended in quite easily. I was quick to learn the tricks that came with being a ragamuffin. O'Connell street was the best place to beg and pickpocket, while Moore street was the best place to find scraps of food to keep you going throughout the day.

I had made a few friends, a group of five of us that stuck together and shared most of what we had. It was a messed up family of sorts. We had each others backs. There was myself,renamed Little Maggie, Aisling, Paul and Andrew, the twins, and our ringleader Shane. He was the oldest at nineteen and quite attractive. Paul and Andrew were sixteen while Aisling was a year older than me at fourteen.

Here I was part of another family and still the well looked after baby. Only this time I had my fair share of responsibility.

I was brought up a Catholic with a good share of morals. I couldn't bring myself to steal even if it was from the overly wealthy. My job instead was to find food to keep my family strong. I never failed to the deliver. It wasn't always fresh, it wasn't always appetizing but there was always plenty. By night we huddled by the side of O'Connell bridge to keep warm falling into an uneasy and uncomfortable sleep worried about what the next day would bring. I never, however, felt unsafe with the boys around me. I was doted on by Paul and Andrew, Aisling was indifferent to me but I reveled in the praise and attention I got from Shane.

I wasn't completely unaware that I was well advanced physically for my age, I could have passed for seventeen easily if it weren't for my height of five foot. Also, I was strikingly beautiful in a cliched way. My auburn hair fell in full, perfect, shining ringlets. My skin was flawless like a piece of porcelain and my green eyes, the color of grass in the spring sparkled with mischief. A typical Irish Cailin. I knew Shane was attracted to me. I was no longer the naïve little girl who had run away from the ruins of her life. I was on the streets nearly a year now and it had hardened me. I was well aware of the workings of the male mind, often using it to my advantage while begging. But with Shane the attraction was mutual.

His skin was also clear, his arms strong. He was well built a natural protector. His messy brown hair flopped in to his sparkling blue eyes when he ran and his laughter was infectious. He was rarely in a bad mood and intensely loyal to the lot of us. I felt safe in his presence. It didn't take me long to realize that Aisling was jealous of me. Her dirty blond hair was wispy and looked permanently greasy, she looked ungraceful in her movements, yet to have grown into her five foot six frame properly. She had a look of sickness around her and her brown eyes were flat and dead. Shane never gave her a second glance

I still remember the day our group disbanded. It was when the glue holding our group together left. Shane hadn't come home one night after pick pocketing and we suspected he had been arrested. We were all worried and decided on finding him in the morning. We needn't have worried. He came and found us. Thought it would be only fair to let us know his decision instead of disappearing into the night. He was to join the recently formed I.C.A to fight for our independence from the crown forces. The boys eyes sparkled in admiration asking frantically where they could join. Aisling merely shrugged and walked away. She wasn't as committed to the rest of us as she had been to Shane. I looked at him in worry. What would I Do now? He noticed this and slung an arm over my shoulder.

"Don't worry Little Maggie I haven't forgotten about you." he chuckled quietly leading me away from the boys so that we could talk properly without them interrupting with more mindless questions.

"I've arranged for you to stay with a group of women nearby. They are part of the I.C.A and will look after you until this is over." His tone was serious and caught me off guard.

"Thanks Shane, but why are you doing this for me?" I was confused. He had just let Aisling, his longest follower walk away but arranged for somewhere to keep me safe.

"Surely you must have realized how I feel about you by now Maggie" he watched me perplexed. "When this is all over, i swear I'll have a big house all to myself and we'll get married. I promise" His tone was so solemn and sincere I couldn't help but believe him. I merely nodded and let him guide me to my new home.

It was just like every other house in the area. Red bricked tenements full of families. He showed me through to the room on the ground floor and I was pleasantly surprised to see how well looked after it was. There were arm chairs and a cosy fire a well scrubbed table with two chairs and a large double bed in the corner. It was small but it was clean and homely. He introduced me to the woman of the house who was to take me in, Mary. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her hair was black and glossy and hung in delicate waves around her shoulders. Her skin was pale white and she had the darkest eyes I had ever seen.

After talking with Shane for a few moments he got up to leave. She left the room so we could say our goodbyes. I felt kind of awkward after his confession earlier. We stood facing each other for one endless moment before he took the three steps bringing him to my side and wrapped me up in a tight embrace. I felt tears slowly fall down my face. They were the first tears i had allowed to fall since my family's death.

"Come back safe to me" i whispered kissing his cheek.

He just smiled ruffling my hair and left. I sat on the couch not knowing how to go on. Mary came back into the room and upon seeing my distress she wrapped me up in her cold arms and whispered soothingly to me.

"Don't worry Little Maggie. Things have a strange way of working out. There are big plans for you, just wait and see."