The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-10-26
Spurring an Irishman
From The Autobiography of p. It. Barn

From the Autobiography of p. It. Barasm
While I was a clerk in the store in
Bethel, Connecticut, my father kept the
village tavern. l usually slept with my
younger brother, Eder; but when our
house was filed with travellers, we were
obliged to sleep three in a bed" by
taking in our honest Irish farmer, Ed
mund, as sleeping partner. After the
store was closed at night, l frequently
joined some of our village boys in par
ty at the house of their parents, and wb at
with storytelling and various kinds of
"child's play" couple of hours would
glide away, and at II o'clock at night,
which was later than my parents permit
ted, I would slyly creep up stairs, and
crawl into bed with the greatest caution,
lest | should wake my brother, who would
be sure to report my late hours to my
parents. My brother contrived all sorts
| Of plans to catch ME on my return home,
but sleep would overtake him, and I would
clude his vigilance. Sometimes he would
| pile trunks and chairs against the door,
so that could hardly open it without up
setting the barricade, and awakening him
by the noise. [ would generally manage,
however, to open the door by degrees,
and to get to bed without disturbing his
slumbers. Among other contrivances,
one night be fastened spur upon his ma
ked heel and went to sleep, thinking that
when / got into bed | should hit the spur,
and perhaps rake my skin, the pain Of
which would cause me to cry out and thus
awake him. retired with my usual eau
ton that night, and discovering no con-
triyance, concluded my brother had a.
bandoned the chase, and turning my back
to him, | was soon wrapped in the arms
of Morpheus. 1t chanced that night that
a number of tin peddlers and other trav-
elers arrived at late hour, and every
bed being engaged, our Irish Edmund
was obliged to sleep with US. Perceiving
me slowed away on the back side of the
bed, aud my brother lying as usual plump
in the middle, he quietly laid himself
down on the front part of the bed and
went to sleep. At about two o'clock |
was awakened by fearful noise. The full
moon was streaming in at the window,
making our bedroom as light as day
"Ill tache ye to 60 to bed wild spur on,
ye little divil ye," exclaimed Edmund;
as he held my brother high in the air,
one hand grasping his neck and the 9TH
er holding the offending leg with the spur
on, just over my head. "Wbat is the
matter, Edmund :" l exclaimed in sur
prise. "Divil a thing is the matter ex-
cept this brother of yours has run his
spur into me groin a matter o'three inch
es," replied the indignant Irishman, who
was suffering under the smart of his
wound. did not mean it for you-I
meant it for Taylor" whined out my
brother, only half awake. "Divil bit do
| care who you meant it for, so that got
it," replied Edmund, at the same time
giving my brother several slaps which
made him yell like a young Indian. Ed
mund then unbuckled the spur, and ar
ranging US all in bed again, he turned to
90 to sleep, simply remarkiDg to my
brother, "The nixt time ye try to ride me
for horse, ye will find l am a kicking
enc, We young varmint."