The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-12-23

\
hounds at mischief, turnin' house topsy-turvey
IN larropin lazy huzzies; others might stumble
,ver a sLiprecAaam, and if they looked sharp,
| or thim's the greatest chates out, would get
| aeaps o. money. Thin there was Phoukas, fst-
ines, BaJ5!sccs, and hundreds of sich likes; to
some families they come as warnins, to others
rs luck signs.
''But I'll tell you how we got one, sir-long
| life to him He's here now listenin' 80 every
,yord say-[he reverentl- lifted his hat as he
! spoke I-an' if l tell you word lie, hell
make himself known somehow.
'sWell, you must know, sir, that my great an
cesther that brought US the luck, was oncet ri
lin home from havin' ped visit TO his sweet
heart, for he was coortin at the time. The night
was murdherin dark, an he little appre-
linshus ov the good people, for the fear of
! threadin on fairy circle may be disturbin'
! = frolic so he rode mighty slow across the
| turf for there was roads at the time. Well,
| sir all ov a sudden the moon bruck out from
| the black clouds like a red-hot ball from can
| non, an began to run wild, as I hecrd my father
say, right across the sky. He had scarcely ga
| zed an instant wild terror an wondhec upon the
ouare capers the moon was cuttn whin,
turnin' round agin, he phantom horse
man ridin' close beside him, that initiated every
action. Whin he galloped; whin he raned up,
il did the same. Fear nearly paraiysed him
He tried to say his prayers, but memory had
gone. Still, however, he urged his horse along
rapidly; an aitho' the sight froze bis very
blood, he couldn't keep his eyes off the black ri
der.
..On comm to a sharp turn in the road, what
did he see but little ould woman sttin' upon
stone, right in the road the koT-ag.a.a, be mis-
side, now grown into solid tangibility-des-
pite of his own terror, my ancesther shouted out
to his strange companion,
How'd hard you black fool !! Pull in,
won't YOU. Don't you see TIE oe.d creathsr in
the road You'll run over her, you backyard,
you Will =
But not hand did the other move in
straint. On they went, full ssllop.
50 For the love ov Heaven, ould woman, clear
the rost = cried my ancesther, but not a peg
would she stir. Another instant, and the black
horseman crashed right over the poor ould sowl,
and knocked her fat a pancake.
"sAh you murdherin villain, you've done
it knew you would !! shouted me ancesther,
burnn wild Indignation, AM lrainin' up his horse
as soon as he could did the other.
What widthe cruelty and the impotence of
the fella, ancesthers couldn't stand it any
longer SO, turnin' his horse round, he let
dhrive at him, but unluckily, ov the big
black clouds gradually swaly'd up the moon,
an in the darkness the black horseman cut a
cross the fields and vanished out ov sight As
soon as he was gone, mf bowld Connach groped
his way back where the ould woman was run
over, an 20 his great surprise found her sttin'
upon the same stone quietly iv nothin'
had happened.
God save, ye stranger" said the ould crea-
ther.
& God save ye, kindly = says Connach, an
I hope yer not hurted much p
81 I'm not hurted at all, Misther Connach o.
Dearmid, the weaver = says she.
g What you know me then, do ye p says
he.
/" 'Detther nor ye do yerself = says she. It's
good fortune that ye deserve, Connach, an it's
a good good fortune that yen get, both you an
yours, to the end o time {; for you're respectful
an kind to the ould an the helpless. You're
lovin' and dutful to him that CAV ye life an its
blessins you're open-handed to the poor an
the needy an honest-hearted to the whole
world BESIDES
g 'Bedad I'll come to you for characther, iv
ever Pm in the want it. Bad-cess to me, ay
you haven't brought Goals ov fire into my cheeks,
in spite of the crowd weather = says Connach,
blushin like girl at the ould woman's praisin
him.
81 I'll do you greater sarvice nor that says
she. 'I'll tell ye yer faults
90 Fire away = says Connach Iet us have
thin.
s' Get down from yer horse, an sit by
upon this stone,' says she.
sWid all my heart, says he, jumpin' off in
jify for he was little sprung, you see the
curse ov Ireland, strong drink, was even thin in
bein'.
g Now for thin faults, says he, wild laugh,
as he sat down beside the ould woman. 'How
many have p
90 'One,' says she.
:. is that all p says he. Pooh, know bet
| ther.'
ss sStopl' cries the ould woman, 'hear me out.
That one if suffered to remain within yer heart,
will soon breed all the rest for it's the fruitful
| parent of every crime that has name
" 'Murdher how ye frighten me, says Con-