Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-02-19
IRISH STORY.
DARBY O'REILY AND THE WIDOW
FLEMING.

DARBY O'REILY AND THE WIDOW
FLEMING.
THE following amusing tale we aoridge from
a new work by Mr.. Crockrr, author OF "iisn
Legend -" and eaii,led Legends OF The Lakes
sc
ain the good old times there existed in Ire
lard race 81 mortals, who, under the denom'
instion "'poor cholars, used 10 trasei iro"
pats 10 parish, AID county 10 county, III OF
der 10 iucreas- their stock OF knowledge
Thes. ,oor scholars were for the most par'
m.n of from twenty to Extraordinarily years
fope; and - thy were also agreeable, soeiai
Eel, lows, VITO during their peregrinations had
ACQUIRED fund of anecdotes, could tell gooo
story. and never r, y ed to lend helping hand
in az, business lhit WIS going forward, they
were received with caed mile (aidtha' at every
farmer, house throughout Inc Country where
,h-y were ". lcome ostay as long DIS they pleas
ed I, hanpenrd unr evening in the month OF
Ju,v. that onr OF these peripaeties,a stout plat
,er-fared NOR al, by name Darby O'Reiiy, (the
very same il was who invented the famous
stone soup) made his appearance at the house
Of tie widow Fleming. who dwelt MOI Tar from
The old church Of Kilrummin Now the wid-
ow Fleming, wno since her husbands death
had taken the entire management OF large
firm upon herself, was very glad 10 see Darby
O'Reily for variety Of reasons. In the hrst
place, j, was the hay harvest, and Darby would
lead helping hand aud keep the men IN good
| humour at their work with his merry stories;
then ne could leach the children great A ; =
Of an evening, and then ste was lone woman,
and Darby wss pleasant companion, and an
old acquaintance moreover. neither the ias'
idea was of deeper root than the others, II IS
no, for me 10 say, but certain It is that Darby
received on the present occasion more than
| common welcome from the widow Fleming
After having parIaken ofth good cheer which
widow sci before him in the greatest pro-
| FUSION, and having renewed The acquaintance
| with The inmates of the house, even to Darby,
| THE dog tina, was called after him) and the cal,
he proposed to s'fp down to the parish JIG
house; JUS, 10 shuttle the brogue with his old
| sw ee,hearts, hear the news, and see how the
neighbors were getting on-for il was near
twelvrmonth since he had been in that part oil
the country.
+ This proposition was not agreeable 10 the
widow, whether bee ause sweethearIs had been
mentioned, does not appear; but was finally as
sented 10 on q charge 10 be home al an early
| hour Darby, however, between dancing and
drinking, and tn. attentions he r. ceived, be
came "as comfortable as any gentleman could
wish to be-" and totally forgo, the kind widow
and her advice; but at length the parry broke
up and Darby was compelled 10 Sc, off for his
lodgings.
| He was so much sin the wind that he did
not well know which way he was going; and
as bad luck would have it, hr went every way
blu, the right, for instead OF keeping the straight
Of through the feds and sdao asirep l rs turned
abou, for as good as an hour, where should he
find himself but in the old fort at CIsunteens.
| A bad place it is TO get into at the dead hour
Of night, " hen the good people are going their
rounds and making merry-as Darby soon
found; for though it was easy enough TO gel info
the foi,. he could not get out again for the life
Of him; j, even appeared to him as il The fort
had irr~ reased its dimensions TO a boundless ex-
tent He wandered up aud down and round
about for long time, without ever being able
| TO get ou', and was obigrd at last 10 content
himself where he was, so down he sat on a
stone. There's small fun sitting on could stone
| in The moonsbine,' mu tered DARBY and sure
| its pitiful case TO be bewilched by he fairies
- the good people | name and stuck fast in
the middle "f an ould for; but there's no
help for it, So what cant be cured must be eD-
dureG.' No sooner had he Come 10 this very wise
conclusion, than he heard most tremendous
hammering under the very stone he was siWing
on o Darbyn cried he, what will become OF
you no~?' Piucking up his courage, he bold
" took . peep beneath the stone. when what
should he see but cluricaune sitting under q
projecting ledge Of what had been his seat, and
hsmmcring as hard as he could at the heel of
an old shoe. Although Darby was very much
afraid Of the fairies, he WASH. bit afraid OF
the cluricaun for they say il you catch clu-
ricaune and keep him fast, he'll shew you
where his purse is hid, and make very rich
man OF you. But il wasn't thinking Of purses
Darby was, he'd rather be out of the fort than
to ge, all The purses in thr world. So when
he saw the eluricaune, j, came into his head
iha, may be he'd lend him helping hand, for
they say the little fellow is fond of drop him
self. Success 10 you my boy, you are good
hand al shoe any how, said Darby addressing
himself to the clurieaune. All, Darby my jol-
Iy buck, is hat you" said the eluricaune getting
up from his work and looking him full 10 Ihe
face. tThe very same al your bonor's sayuice,
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