Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-04-22


"'Arrah, thin, is it bargain? Spakt
a quick, for the red,coats is comin''
+ d" Oh, wirra ! wirra won't ye have tn
: soft heart for poor distressed cray ther
wild wife an siven small childher depin
D din on him, an niyer a trind in the will
wurcd to give en- bit or sup, barrin' MY
self?'
| "'Spare yer breath, Shamus,' sez thu
little man maybe 'tis wantin' it ye i
be presently
"'Won't ye help poor boy in hi.
throubles for the sake Of the blissed char.
ity 2 seq Shamu..
i "'Would the sojers let yees off foi
nothin' sez the little man an mus n I
I obey my ordhers too, an be ped for my
work.
"Oh, thin,' sdz Shamus, yees not the
masther-'
"'Ax me no questions, an III not de-
saive ye,' sez the little man; will 1 do
the job?'
Sure I'm dead man any way sez
Shamus TO hisself, 'an' maybe there's a
chance afthcr all 4: who knows but what
can bate him in the ind? Begorra, but
I'm half mind to thry it.
"'Tis bargain, thin? ? sez the little
man, spakin' to his thought.
"Hould Bit sez Shamus; will ye
be PLACED to tell me what ye undertake
to do?'
"That' ssoon said Make road acrass
the bog as fast as yer fut can thravel it,
an brake it up afther yees.'
"EAforc cock-crow in the morn sez
Shamus
"Sure,' sez the little man, Otis well
beknownst to ye We can't work afther that
"' But yen not break it up undher my
fut, an lave me to dhrown in the black
bog!'
"'Td scorn to do so dirty thrick, sez
the little man. a bargains bargain,
an I'll stick to it sthraight an above
board
"''Tis agreed I am sez Shamus.
"Whin he said that, the little man
stoops down an picks up jack-o' lanthern
that wor dancin' in an out, forenent him,
an sticks it undher the band of his hat for
sign; an thin, all at wanst, up rose a
swarm Of little men, hundthreds of thou
sans upon thousan's, all dhrest as like as
brothers, an all wild JACKIE 'lantherns
gleamin' in their hats, an pickaxes an
shovcls in their hands, ready an waitn'
for the word. Shamus fashioned his han
kerchy about his waist.
"'Will l begin ? sez the little man.
WYis,' seq Shamus.
Whoroo. whoop. whoroo y an the
crop of Ii;kaxes an shovels fell to work
Oh, but thin begun the wonderful race
Away the road afore Shamus, an as fast
as he thraveled over it, twas bruk up agin
behind The fasther he run, the fasther
worked the crowds of little men, an the
fasthcr wint the road afore MIN.
"'Tis no use thryin' to folly the in
dusthliOus rapsealliOus,' sez Shamus; I'm
but half way acrass the bog, an all the
breath is gone clanc out of me. Musha,
thin, but they'd bate the best race-Lorse
that liver run over the curragh" d" So sez
Shamus, sez he; Stop. stop! Pm dead
BATE
"sTake it fair an aisy, Shamus,' sez
the little man /; sure there's plinty of time
afore ye'
".Yell not cut the ground from und-
her me: p sez Shamus.
"Oh, upon the honor Of giutleman,
that l will not seq the little man, layin'
lis hand upon bright spot of fire flick
erin through his left side, that maybe he
called his heart.
"'Musha, thin, by yer lave, I'll rest
myself bi.,' sez Shamus, settin' down on
the bare new ground, an nursin' his
knees.
"' Make yersclf quite comfortable sez
the little man, wild grin ); sure the cock
won't crow till break o day, an if we fin
ish our job an desthrOy it agin, afore that
time, It's all We have to do
"That's thruth, anyhow seq Shamus.
"How do yees feel, Shamus ? sez the
little man, considherately.
"Ayeh. It's hard tellin' that same
seq Shamus, for the summer dust is not
dhrycr nor my mouth
Would ye like to thry taste Of the
raal gooIdcn stuff?' see the little man an
he out wild a bottle full of liquor, as red
as fiery furnace.
"' Many thanks to ye,' seq Shamus !;
but I'd rather not, if it's all the same.'
"As ye Place sez the little man; 'tls
yours is the loss, I'm thinkin'; ) an, tosslu'
off the famin' dhrink hisself, he smacked
his lips aftber it, as If the flavor wOr ex-