The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-05-06
Wariftp.
THE TAME SEAL.
AN IRISH STORY.

which is quoted from an Irish work.
About forty years ago a young seal
was taken in Claw Bay. and domesticated
in The kitchen of a gentleman whose
house was situated on the sea shore
Il grew apace, became familiar with the
servants, and attached to the house and
family, il played with the children; came
at his masters call, and as the old man
described, it was fond as a dog and as
playful as a kitten" Daily the seal
went cut to fish, aud after providing fer
his own wants, brought in a salmon or a
trout to his master. His delight in the
summer was to bnsk In the sun, and in
the winter, to lie before the fire, or if
permitted, to creep into . large oven,
which at that time formed the regular
appendage of an Irish kitchen. For four
years the seal was thus domesticated,
when, unfortunately, in that country,
the crippaagn-a kind of paralytic affecA
tion of the limbs, which generally ends
fatally-attacked some black cattle be-
longing to the master Of the house.
Some died, others became infected, and
the customary cure, by changing them
to dryer pastures, failed.
a wise woman " was consulted and
this bag assured the credulous owner
that the mortality among the COWS was
oocasioned by his keeping an unclean
beast about his habitation-the harmless
and amusing seal. 1t must be made
away with Immediately, or the crippawn
will continue, and the charms be unable
to avert the malady. The superstitious
man consented to the hag's proposal;
the seal was put on board a boat and
carried mi beyond Clear Island and
there committed to the deep, to manage
for himself the best he could. The boat
rsturned-the family retired to rest, and
next morning, q servant awakened her
master to tell him the seal was quiet
sleeping in the oven The poor animal
over night came back to the beloved
homo, crept through an open window,
and teok possession of his favOrite rest
ing place. Next morning another COW
was reported to be .unWell. The seal
must now be removed. A Galway fsh-
ing boat was leaving Westport on her
return homo, and the master undertook
to carry off the seal, and not put him off
till he had gone leagues beyond Lunis
Bofin. It was done. A day and a
night passed. The second evening closed.
The servant was raking the FIRE for night
when something scratched at the door
ii was, of course, the house-dog-she
opened it and in came the seal.
Wearied with his long and unusual
voyage, be testified his delight to find
himself at home-then stretching him
self before the glowing embers on the
hearth, he fell asleep. The master Of
the house was appraised Of this unex-
expected and unwelcome visit. In this
exigoncy the bsldame was awakened and
consulted. She averred that it was al
ways unluoky to kill q seal, but suggest
ed that the animal should be deprived
Of sight aud q third time carried out to
sea. To this beIIish proposition the be-
sotted creatures who owned the house
consented, and the affectionase and con.
fding creature a cruelty robbed Of
sight on that hearth for which he had
resigned his native element Next
morning, writhing in agony, the mutila-
ted seal was embarked, taken outside
Glare Island, and for the last time COM
mitted to the waves. A week passed
over and things became worse instead of
better. The cattle Of this truculent
wretch died fast, and the Internal old
bag then gave him the pleasurable ii
dings that her arts were useless, and
that the destructive visitation upon his
cattle exceeded her skill and cure. On
the eighth night after the seal had been
devoted to the Atlantic, it blew tremen-
dously. In the pausos of the storm a
Wailing noise at times, was family heard
At the door. The servants, who slept in
the kitchen, concluded that the 6onshee
came to warn them of their approaching
death, and buried their heads in the bed
coverings.
When the morning broke, the door
was opened, and the seal was there lying
dead on the threshold "Stop, Julius!"
I exclaimed, "give a moments time to
curse all concerned in this barbarism."
Be patient, Frank" said my cousin,
"the finale will probably ave you that
trouble.y The skeleton of the onee
plump animal-for, poor beast, it per-
ished from hungery being incapacitated
from blindness to procure its customary
food-was buried in q sand-hill, and
from that moment misfortune followed
the abettors and perpetrators of this in
human deed. The detestable bag, who
had denounced the inofensive seal, was
within a fortnight hanged for numbering
the ilegitimate offspring of her daugh-
ter. Everything aboIt this devoted
home melted away-sheep rotted, cattle
died, and .blighted was the corn" Of
several children none reached maturity,
and the savage proprietor survived every
thing he had loved or cared for. He
died Hind acd pniearabJa Tho....