dered, burst with increased momentum on his own head; but my uncle, who sought only the harmless triumph of retorting successfully on the licensed jester, relieved his confusion by recommencing his story.

"Well, neighbors, as I said, the Clough an far dhloss stud undisturbed out of the memory of man; for there was an ould saying that it was a haunt of the fairies, and that whoever 'ud meddle or make with it, some meeraugh 'ud be sure to befal either himself or some one belonging to him.

66

At any rate, there lived once upon the Long Bog one Jack Reardon, or, as he was called, Shawn Gow, in the regard of his following the accipation of a blacksmith; and it 's he that was the wonder of the country all out for strength, for he 'd think nothing in life of working two sledge-hammers for the length of a summer's day; and he flogged the divil at pitchin' a bar, lifting weights, and swinging an anvil betune his teeth. But, though he was the bully at such divarsions, he was paiceable as a lamb, and wouldn't milest a fly, let alone a Christian; and it was this made many an upsetting spalpeen, that he didn't value a scraudeen, think he hadn't the rale spunk in him and it was so by Corney Flaherty, the little waiver, who, having a drop of dhrink in him one day, begun aggravating and gibing Shawn, telling him he was no more nor an overgrown Sly-cob, (for Corney was a great schollard,) and, by gor! he wint on, tat in the long run he riz Shawn's temper so, that he gripped the waiver by the collar, with a hoult like his own vice; but, loth to hurt the dawney crather, that he could have ett out of a face, he only doubled a bar of iron that lay in the forge round his slindher throat, and knotting it iligantly afore, in the nathur of a caravat, he left poor Corney, like a pig with a neck-yoke, to be laughed at by all the boys in the parish; and it wasn't untal he went down upon his bare bended knees to beg his pardon, that Shawn 'ud take off his new-fashioned necklace.

66

Well, it happened that Shawn Gow was one evening at the christnin' of a neighbor's child, where there was no scarcity of the best of good ating and dhrinking,-white bread, eggs, and the dint of fat belly bacon, lashins and leavins, with cead mille failthagh. There wasn't any potteen in them times, for the poor ignorant scaubogues in these parts hadn't the knowledge of making it then; but there was plinty of strong meadth and heath beer, and sich as the ould Danes afore Brian Borhoo's time used to dhrink-divil's cure to them! At any rate, what with laughing, and singing, and looking at the other boys dhrinking, bad cess to the one but Shawn got a little onreg'lar-not much the worse of the liquor to be noticed, only a little hearty-like; and, when all the fun was over, he sot out along with some neighbors as pleasant as larks, dancing, and screeching, and cutting capers along the road, tal they kem to the stepping-stones, when one of the boys, to take a rise out of Shawn, says to him, I'll hould you hafe a gallon of the best,' says he, Shawn Gow, that, for all your bragging, you 're not the man to pitch the Clough an far dhloss into the strame there.'— Done!' says Shawn, for his blood was up, and he wasn't to be cowed by anything; and, with the help of God, Mike, you'll pay me this liquor, not all as one as the thrate I won off you on the head of lifting Father Doyle, boots, spurs, phwip, and all, into his saddle with one hand.' But when the thieves saw him putting his shoulder to the stone in airnest, and that it was already tottering before his powerful

6

strength, the divil a toe one of them would stop near the place, but helter-skelter away they run, as if all the sheerges an' cluricauns in the barony was afther them, without wanst looking back to see how Shawn was getting on with his work. And a hard job he had of it, sure enough; for, though the stone was quite asy at first, still he couldn't hoist it off at-all-at-all, until, getting a set with his back undher it, he fairly lifted it off its bed, and down it whopped with a noise like tundher into the brook. Immediately the water biled like a pot of praties, and riz up as if there was a mountain swell in the river; and a kind of thick fog curled and gother over the spot where the stone sunk. Shawn, be coorse, got terribly fritened; the courage of the liquor went clane off, and he didn't think his life worth a rush-peeling. But, if he was staggered afore, he was twicet as bad when he pursaved, coming t'wards him out of the mist, a little weazened ould man, dressed quite grand, with a broad-leafed hat and a cock's feather in it; a long grey coat with shining buttons, knee-breeches, and white stockings. Looking mighty wicked at Shawn, he stepped up with the air of a goint (giant), though he was scarce the hoith of a boughlaun; and, clapping his arms a-kimbo, says he, Shawn Gow, ye dhrunken baste, had ye no regard for yourself or your dacent family, that ye kem here, like a big-boned fool as you are, to throw down the stone that took me fifty long years to get up there? Was it tired of your life ye were?'— Please your onner,' says Shawn, taking off his bit of a caubeen, and making a submission to him, I'm at yer onner's marcy intirely, and I beg God's pardon, and yours likewise, sir; and sure if I thought that it was on the head of my pitching off that thrifle of a pebble there

6

"Pebble roared the little man; d'ye call that rock a pebble, or is it game you 're making of me?'

"Well it 'ud become the likes of me,' says the blarneying thief Shawn, 'to make game of a rale jintleman like yer onner, and one that wouldn't think it worth his while to hurt or harm a poor divil like my. self; that got a little overtaken with the dhrink-bad luck to it! for it's like to be my ruination at last. Ogh! Molly asthore ma colleen, it's little you 're dhraming in your snug settle what a misfortinet end I'm come to! and, my poor childher, how will they live at-all-at-all ?—and Ned Hayes' horse not shod yet. Ogh! wirra, wirra! won't yer onner take pity on me in no ways?' and the slieveen let on to wipe his eyes with the tail of his coat.

"What sarvice will ye do me, Shawn?' says the little manneen, ' if I let you off free?'

"Sarvice, sir? Ogh, thin, anything undher the heavens this blessed night I'll do for your wurship; and sure it's myself that 'll pray for long life and a merry wake to your riverence.'

"Why, thin, Shawn Gow, you 're not all out unrasonable; so I'll not be hard with ye, and all I'll ax is for ye to shoe my black mare.'

"Musha, thin, if my myself doesn't put as purty a set of irons undher her feet as ever cut the daisies, may I never strike metal again! But, if I may make bould to ax yer onner, where's the baste?'

"You'll see her time enough, my fine fellow,' says the little chap; and, pulling out a snuff-box, he took a pinch himself as grand as a lord. He then offered the box to Shawn; but, though he didn't like to have

any dalings with the likes of him, he couldn't make little of his civili. tude, so he jist took a deeshy taste betune his fingers, and smelled to it; but. by dad! it was the mischief's own snuff intirely, for it hardly touched his nose tal he gave three great sneezes, that you'd hear on the top of Kilworth mountain; and when he kem to a bit, he pursaved that he wasn't near the Clough an far dhloss at-all-at-all, but in a strange place, all alone with the Grey Man, and a little black mare tied to a three.

"There's your job, Shawn,-shoe that mare afore I let you go; for that's our bargain, you know,' says the Far dhloss.

"Musha! thin, tare-an-ounties! sir. isn't a quare thing to ax a man to shoe a baste without the laste convaynience for the work?" says Shawn, quite vexed, bekase he thought he was made a fool of; but the words were hardly out of his mouth, when all at wanst a com. plate forge started up by his side. The little chap jumped up, and worked away at the bellows like a thrasher: and though there wasn't a spunk of fire on the hearth, the iron heated quite reg'lar, and Shawn, you may be sartin, wasn't long about making an iligant set of shoes; but when he kem to put them on the mare, if he was to drive fifty nails in, sorra one of them would stick. Sweet bad-luck to yez !' says Shawn under his tooth, afther nearly working himself into an oil; what am I to do now?' Just then it came acrass his mind that he had a few ould nails in his breeches pocket. It'll be no harm to thry them, anyhow,' thinks he; and-would you b'lieve?-the very first one he druv, the four shoes fastened on of themselves. When the ould fellow saw the job complate, he looked uncommon angry, and never a word was in his jaw tal Shawn was slinging on his coat; and thin says he, 'Shawn Gow, I'm thinking it's a burning shame you have nothing better to dhrink nor that wake stuff you 're used to; here's a bottle of something good; take it with ye, and as long as you keep it, 'twill be always full. But mind what I say, or ye 'll rue it; don't dare open it tal all your friends are present, an' let them have share of your good fortune.'

"I thank yer onner most kindly: it's yourself is the clever, dacent jintleman, to give such an iligant present to a poor Loy; an' more beauty to your purty face!' says the rogue Shawn, taking the bottle and putting his tongue into his opposite cheek.

6

"Now, shut your eyes, and turn round wanst,' whispered the Grey Man. Shawn did as he was desired; but, when he looked about, he was struck all of a hape to find himself standing in his own bawn, and the bottle in his fist, without man or mortial near him; only he thought he hard a kind of gibing laugh fleeting away upon the wind; but then, sure, that might be only the cackle of a flock of wild geese flying over his head into the bog. The next morning, at cock-shout, there were messengers sent to warn all the Reardons, his own relations, and the Donovans, his wife's people, not to fail, but to come to the Long Bog that evening; and, to be sure, there never was seen afore sich a faction in one place. There they kem by hundreds on horseback an' a-foot, the women on pillions and in cars, and the men riding or walking; hapes of clane active boys with shillelaghs in their fists, blue frieze-coats on their shoulders, and rale silk kneckerchers upon them: an' thin the col. leens!-it's they that 'ud dazzle your eyes, and make the heart leap

in your buzzum with their laughing eyes and rosy cheeks, brighter nor the red scarlet ribbons in their caps. Ogh! it's no use in talking; it's seldom any of us 'll have the luck to see such a sight.

"Well, when they were all gother together, well becomes Shawn but he ups and tells his story, and then uncorked the bottle: be coorse he took the first dhrop himself, and sure enough it was nothin' else but rale fine potteen; but he didn't know what the dickens it was-how could he? He then handed a cruiskeen of it to the rest of the company; and though they thought it was the most beautiful dhrink in the world, sorra one of them ever tasted the likes of it afore. Hows'ever, when the bottle went round wanst or twicet, the boys begun to grow very pleasant, and nothin' 'uds sarve them but they should send for a piper to have a dance afore the door with their sweethearts; and though the studdy ould folks kept their sates, they began to sing songs, and shake hands, an' kiss each other ever so loving. But the poor innocent people warn't used to the strong spirits; the crathurs hadn't no heads to bear it at all, not all as one as us that it 's as nathral to as mother's milk; and so afther a while the bad blood begun to stir, and some of the blackguards were casting up old spites and grudges in each other's faces: this maybe 'ud breed a little scrimmage, and no sooner 'ud it be quelled by the paceable people nor another row 'ud start up somewhere else. The young men now begun to take part in the disputes, the dancing stopped, and the shillelaghs were flourishing on all sides. A few handy blows were exchanged at first, that brought the blood out of some hot heads; this set the women screeching and the men shouting, and in five minutes there was as reg'lar a ruction kicked up as you 'd wish to see. Uncles, brothers, cousins, and relations, were whacking each other for the bare life; for by this time they were all tearing mad dhrunk, an' nothing could stand afore them. Chairs, tables, stools, and crockery-ware were knocked to smi thereens, not a pot or kettle escaped; and while some were thrashing away inside, the rest were fighting it out fairly in the bawn,—more glory to them! But the best of it all was, when it got too dark altoge ther for them to see each other, a gallows bird clapped a coal of fire in one of the corn-stacks, and set it all of a blaze; and sure enough it was a bright thought, for it would have been mighty onconvanient, you know. to be striking in the dark.

"At length the power of the blows, or maybe the strength of the whiskey, stretched the whole faction, ould and young, bleeding atop of one another, and snoring like pigs in a sty, tal next morning: an' it was broad daylight afore Shawn opened his eyes; and then, by the powers! he could only see through one of them, in respect of the other being dacently closed by a nate polthogue over his left eye-brow but what he did see put him in no kind of sperits at all, for there was nothin' but rack and ruin around him; his bits of brillawns all bruck to smash, an' his haggard one heape of ashes, himself lying at ease in the ducks' lough, and the piper's carcase acrass him. But what kilt him worse nor all, was, the sight of the ou'd Grey Man sitting upon a stone among the smoking corn, taking a pinch of snuff quite iligant, winkin' an' noddin' an' killin' himself with the laughin' at Shawn. Flesh and blood couldn't stand sich usage, for sure it was all on account of the fairy liquor he gave him, -the spiteful ould thief!—that the contintion was bred among blood.

relations at all; so Shawn up with the bottle that he still had a fast grip of, and threw it with a wicked aim at the little man, who jumped up as smart as a cock at a blackberry, an' cotch it as it was coming t'wards him; then, tucking it undher his arm, he made Shawn a low bow, vanished away with a loud laugh, an' was never seen or hard tell of since in this country. Afther a while, those that were able to crawl, stole home, sore and sorry for their sport; but it was many a long day afore all the heads and friendships broken at Shawn Gow's were haled. Shawn himself worked in his forge tal he was an ould man, though it Iniver was his luck to come accross a cluricaun's bottle, or to taste potteen again; but, if he had lived from that day to this, he couldn't have met such rale choice stuff as what we're dhrinking at this present merry meetin”.”

LIFE.

LIFE has been compared to so many things, that it was held, at a late meeting of the "Nothing New Under the Sun Society," to be impossible to institute a new simile on the subject. The president declared it to be utterly exhausted; and the vice delivered his opinion to the effect that any attempt to meet the demand for a novelty must be hopeless. The secretary, the treasurer, the bottle-holder, and the commom members, chimed in with this opinion. They had forgotten the inventive genius of the individual who had formerly surprised them, at a meeting in the Sun Tavern, by roasting bunches of Hamburgh grapes, hung be. fore a great fire by a worsted thread, with a captain's biscuit to catch the drippings, and which was acknowledged to be an entirely new dish! The same person now stood up, and said, "LIFE IS LIKE A WEEK." "Like a week!" exclaimed the chair." Like a week!” squeaked the vice. Like a week!" said the secretary.-"Like a week!" whispered the treasurer.- -"Like a week!" bawled the bottle-holder. "Like a week?" interrogatively asked the common members.— "How the d- can life be like a week?" gabbled they all. "It may be like a day, like a play, like a flash of light, like a shade of night, like a dream, like a stream, like a stubble, like a bubble, like a vomit, like a comet, like a ravel, like a travel, like a rattle, like a battle, like a joy, like a toy, like a flame, like a game, like a road, like a load, like quicksilver in a trough, like a musket going off, like a beast, like a feast, like a fib, like a squib, like a viol played upon, like a trial hardly on, like a potion, like a motion, like a flight, like a fight, like the sea, like a tree, like a chase, like a race, like a cripple, like a tipple, like a trance, like a glance, like a muddle, like a puddle, like a vane, like a lane, like a whistle, like a bustle, like a match, like a watch, like a riddle, like a fiddle, like a reel, like a wheel, like a bother, like another, like a tub, like a Nothing New Under the Sun Club!" but like a week ?— there can be no resemblance!" Nevertheless life is like a week.

Monday-We know not exactly how it begins; but on Monday, its first day, only look around, and you will see the general pursuit of human kind is suction. It is called Saint Monday,-a fit and congenial appellation with the holy innocency of childhood. At this early stage in the division of time the oracle of truth is listened to