Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-05-05
FURLoUGH An I,i.s .sneed.,e.


In the autumn of 1925. some private
aHairs called I'VE into the sister king
dom; and as did not travel, like Pc
lyPhrmus. with my eve out, 1 aa,her
ell lew samples Of Irish character. n
mongst which was the following Incl
dent:-
] was standing. one morning, at the
window OF mime Inn,' when my at.
ten,'on was attracted BY a scene that
took place beneath. The Belfast
coach was standing at the door, and
on the roof, in front, sat solitary out
SIDE passenger, fine young fellow, in
The uniform Of the Connaughi Rangers.
Below. by the front wheel. stood an
Old woman, seemingly his mother, a.
yaung man, and younger woman, Sis.
ter or sweetheart; ard they were all
earnestly entrsating the young soldier
TO descend from his seat on the coach h.
Come down wild ye. Thadv.-I
(the speaker was the old woman)-l
come down now to your old mother:
sure its fog you they will, and strip
the flesh of the bones l gev ye. Come
down. Thady, darlin!'
les honor, mother was the short
rcply of the soldier; and with clensh.
cd hands and set teeth, he took a stiff.
Ter posture on the coach.
'Thady. come down-come down,
ye fool of the world-come down Wild
ye" The tnne Of the present appeal
was more inpatient and peremptor,
than the last, and the answer wa
more promptly and sternly pronoun
ced: It's honor. brother!'-and the
body of the speaker rose more rigidIy
erect than ever on the roof.
% Thady come down. Sure it's
me, your own Kathleen. tina, bids We
Come down. or yell break the heart
OF me, Thady, jewel; come down
then" The girl wIuny her hands as
she said it, and cast q look upward
that had visible effect on the muscles
OF the soldiers coun,enance. There
was more tenderness in his tone, but
IL conveyed the same resolution as he
fore.
It's honor, honor bright, Kath
leen! and, as if to defend himself
from another glance, he fixed his look
stedfastly in front, while renewed en-
treaties burst from all three i'm chorus,
with the same answer.
Come down, Thady. honey
Thady. We fool, come down.-O, Tha-
Jy, c"me down to me!'
It's honor, mother !-It's honor,
brother-t's honor bright, my own
hafhleebc
Although the poor fellow was pri
waite. this appeal ~As sO public, that
did not hesitate to go down, and in
quire into the particulars Of the dis
tress. 1t appeared that he bad been
home. on furlough. TO visit his family;
and having exceeded, as he thought.
the term of his leave, he vas going to
reJoin his regiment, and to undergo
the penalty of bis neglect. | asked
him when the furlough expired.
The first Of March, your honor
bad luck TO ID Of all the black DAYS in
the wOrld-aBd here il Is, come sud
den or me like shoi.'
The first of March!-why nv
good fellow, you have a day to snare
then-the first Of March will not be
here till TO morrow. IL is Leap Year,
and February has twenty. nine days
The soldier was ihunderstfuck
Twenty nine days, 10 it!-you'rs
sartin Of that same. Oh, mother, mo.
Their! the devil Ay away wid your ould
Glmanac-a base cras1r Of a book, 60
be desaivin one, afther living so long
IN the family Of us!'
His hrst impulse was TO cut a caper
on the roof Of the coach, ADD throw 90
his cap with loud hurrab. His Sc.
cond was to throw himself into the
arms Of his Kathleen; and the third
was to wiring my hand of in scknov.
Ie,Igement.
lie happy man l am, your honor,
toF my words saved, and ell by your
donors raanes.-Loug life TO youT no
nor Tor The same! May ye live long
hundred and IaPo years every one Of
themH
Byron's HtmGaily.-" The last bird
lever fired a." says Lord Byron, "wss
40 eagle on the shore Of the Gulf Of lie.
panto, near Vostizza. IL vas onI,
vs0unded, and I tried 20 save if---th..