Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1829-01-07

hoiu more than The glass al ono time, yet,
owing to the hole, in his throat, it took many
filling.
THAT was no bad w~hiskoy, neither" says
Maurice. handing back the empty bottle.
by the holy frost, then - says Paddy, It's
but cold comfort there's in that bottle now
aud it's your word we must take for the strength
OF tho ~whiskey. for you've lett us no sample TO
Judge by" and TO be sure Maurice had not.
NOW l need not tell any gentleman or lady
with common understanding, that il he or she
was to drink an honest bottle Of whiskey at one
pull, IT is not at all the same thing as drinking
a bottle OF water and in the whole course Of
my lie, never knew more than five men who
could do 50 without being overtaken by the
liquor. or these Maurice Conner was not one,
though he had a stiff head enough of his own
he was fairly tipsy. Don't think l blame
him for it It's often a good mans case but
true 10 the word that says, when liquors in,
sense is out ; and puff, at a breath, before you
could say "Lord, save US - out he blasted his
wonderful tune.
Twas really then beyond all belief or telling
the dancing. Maurice himself could not keep
quiet /; staggering now on one leg. now on tho
other. and rolling about like a ship in a cross
seas trying TO humor the tune. There was his
mother too, moving her old homes as light as
the youngest girl Of them all but her dancing,
no. nor the dancing Of all the rest, 10 not wor-
thy the speaking about 10 the work that was
going on down upon the strand. Every inch OF
il covered with all manner Of fish jumping and
plunglng about TO tile music, and svery mo-
ment more and moro would tumble in and out
Of the water, charmed by the wonderful tune.
Crabs Of monstrous size spun round and round
on ons claw with the nimblens,s of a dancing
master, and twirled and tossed their other ella W.
about like limbs that did not belong - them.
Il was a sight surprising to behold.
Never was such an ulla bulloo il this world,
before or since ; twas as if heaven and earth
were coming together and all out Of Maurice
Corners wonderful tune
In the height Of these doings. what should
there be dancing among the outlandish set Of
fishes. hut 4 beautiful young woman--as beau
tiiul as the dawn Of day! She had q cooked
hat upon her bead from under it her long
green hair--just the colour Of the sea fell
down behind, without hindrauce TO her dancing.
Her teeth were like rows Of pearl her lips for
all the world looked like red coral xnd she
had an elegant gown, a. white as the foam Of
the wave, with little rows Of purple and red see
weeds settled out upon il Tor you never yet
saw n lady, under the water or over the water.
who had not u good notion Of dressing horself
out.
Up she danced ut last to Maurice, who was
hingIng hs feet from under him as fast az hops
for nothing in this world could keep still
while that tune Of his was going on and says
she to him, chanting it out with q voice ss
sweet a. honey
"l'm a lady of honor
Who live in The sea
Come down. Maurice Conner,
And be married 10 me.
Silver plates and gold dishes
| You shall. have, and shall DO
The king Of Tie fishes,
When you're married 10 me-"
Drink was strong in Mauricce's head, and out
he cbaunted in return for her great civility. 1t
is not every lady, may be, that would be after
making such an offer to a blind piper ; there
fore twas only right in hun 10 give her as good
as sho gave hcrseIf-so says Maurice,
elm obliged to you, madam:
Or gold dish or plate,
liza king, and | had ZEN,
I could dine in g,eat state.
With your own fathers daughter
Ia bc sure To agiee
But To irInk tie salt water
Would nj do 81, with me-"
The lady looked at him quite amazed, and
swinging her head from side to side, like a
great scholar. Well" sa vs. she, " Maurice, If
you're not a poet, who're is poetry 20 be found %
In this way they kept on at it, framing high
compliments one answering the other, aud
their feet going with the music as fast as their
tongues. All the fish kept dancing too. Mau-
rice heard the ~clatter and was afraid to stop
playing, lest it might be displeasing to the fish.
aud no! Knowing what SO many Of them might
take it into their heads to do him if they got
vexed.
Well. the lady with the green hair kept Oh
coaxing Of Maurice with soft speeches, till at
-. H.
ry her, and be king over the fishes great and
small. Maurice was well fitted to be their
king. if they wanted ono that could make
them dance /; and he surely would drink. bar
ring the salt water, with any fish Of them all.
When Maurice's mother saw him with that
unnatural thing in the form Of a green-haired
lady as his guide, and he and she dancing
down together so lovingly TO the waters edge,
through the thick of the fishes, she called out
after him 10 stop and come back. 90 them
says she, " as it | was not widow enough be-
fore, there he il going away from 10 TO be
married TO that scaly woman. And who knows
but tits grandmother l may be to a bake or a
cod--Lord help and pity me, but it's a mighty
unnatural thing and may be, it's boiling and
eating my own grandchild I'll be, with bit
Of salt butter, and | not knowing it o Mau.
rice, Maurice, if there's any love or nature
left in you, come back to your ouid mother,
who reared you like u decent Chrisiian.
Then the poor woman began 10 cry and u-
lagoane so finely, that it would DO any one good
to hear her.
Maurice was not long getting TO the rim OF
the water; there he kept playing and dancing
on as if nothing was the matter, and a great
laundering wave coming in towards him. ready
10 swallow him up alive; but as he could not
see it he did not fear it. His mother it was
who saw it plainly through the big tears that
we're rolling down her cheeks; and though she
saw it, and her heart was aching as much as
ever mothers heart ached for a son, she kept
dancing, dancing all the time for the bsre life