Butte record., 1854-04-01
Story Of an Almanac.

Ia Story Of an Almanac. IN
In the autumn Of IS, some private
affairs called me into the sister kingdom
and among the incidents that occurred
to me, there was the following:
/ was standing one morning at the
window of ''mine inn," when my atten-
ton was attracted by scene that took
place beneath. The Belfast coach was
standing at the door, and on the roof in
front, sat fine young fellow in the uni>
form Of the Connaught Rangers. Be
low, by the front wheel, stood an old
woman, (evidently his mother, young
man, and a pretty young woman; and
they were all earnestly entreating the
young soldier to descend.
"Come down wild ye, Thady,n said
the old woman 'come down to your
ould moth'r Sure it's fog you they
will, and strip the flesh off the bones l
give you. Come down, Thady darlin ="
"It's honor, mother" was the short
reply of the soldier; and with clenched
hands and set teeth he took firm posi-
ton on the coach
"Thady. come down; come down, ye
fool Of the world come along down wild
yet"
The tone of the present appeal was
more impatient and peremptory than the
first and the answer more firmly pro-
nounced.
't'It's honor, brother!'' and the body
speaker rose rigidly erect
"Oh Thady, come down sure it's me,
your own Kathleen, that bids ye. Come
down, or yell break the heart of me,
Thady jewel Come down, then %
The poor girl wrung her hands as she
uttered it, and cast look upwards, that
had visable effect on the soldiers coun-
tenance
"It's honor--honor bright, Kathleen"
he said, with great tenderness of tone,
yet conveying the same resolution as be-
fore.
And as if to defend himseld from an
other glance of the dark-eyed beauty,
he fixed his look steadily in front, while
renewed treaties burst from all three in
chorus. They, however, met with the
same answer.
Although the poor fellow was a pri-
vate, this appeal was so public, that I
did not hesitate to go down and inquire
into the particulars of the distress.
It appeared that "Thady,'' had been
home on furlough, to visit his family
and having exceeced, as he thought, the
term of his leave, he was going to rejoin
his regiment, and to undergo the penalty
Of the neglect. I asked him by accident
when his furlong expired
"The first of March, your HONOR" he
replied "bad luck to it, of all the black
days of the world and here it is on me
like shot.' 1t a
''The first of March !" I exclaimed;
why my good fellow you've day to
spare, then, the first of March will not
be here until tomorrow 1t is Leap
Year, and February has twenty-nine
days''
The soldier was thunderstruck.
"Twenty>nine days is it, You're
sure of that same &? Oh, mother moth
er the dlvll fly away wild yer ould al
manac base crature of a book, to be
desavin' one, after living so long in the
family of u.s."
His first impulse was to cut eaper
on the roof of the coach, and throw up
his cap with a loud hurrah; his second
was to throw himself into the arms of
his Kathleen; and the third, to wiring
my hand nearly off, in token of acknowl-
edgment for his gratitude.
"It's happy man [ am, yer honor;
for my words saved, and all by yer hon
or's names. Long life to yer homer for
the same May your honor live long
hundred, and lape-years every one of
them"
The BEARD.-Depriye the lion of his
name. (exclaims RoWland.l \ the cock of