Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1859-01-06
Sr!att M!srRlIanq.
Casting out the Devils.

l had an Irshman, named Mike
Finn working for me last summer, and
although stout built able-bodied man
he was 1 can say, the LATEST mortal
ever saw.
determined to cure him of that and
make him earn q little more than his
salt if could; so making a confident Of
Paul d. we arranged our programme
and got all ready for the game. So one
morning-the girls being in the secret
Mike was sent for in great haste
The messenger found him quietly re-
posing under shady tree, smoking his
black pipe, while the team was dragging
the plough off in search of better grass
Mike came slowly up to the door, but
no snnncr- -fIaI-hc- -toiiahed TIE latch
than he was tumbled, by some invisible
agency, off the steps on the ground =,
He arose, scratched his head in amaze
ment, and tried it again, and once more
he measured his length on the ground.
"Murther! Murther - he cried, II M
kilt--I'm kilt!:'
What's the matter, Mike ?" said I.
coming to the door and opening it -
''what are you laying on the ground for.
Why don't you get up and come in the
house e?'
''Is it come in the house you name,
sir? The ,divil bit can l rise, at all.
Och, Holy Mother, how me arm aches T.
"Well, Nike" said l, ''its my opin-
ion that you have been a good for
nothing lazy fellow, and you are be-
witched y
The bait took-Mike was in an agony
of terror. until l pron.is I'd to try and
drive out the devil if could.
"But remember, Nike" said 1, stern
ly, 'if you are cured of this devil, and
don't work better, Ill send ten more in
the place of him.
Accordingly he was brought in the
house, and laid on /, bed, prepared for
the purpose.
"Now," 1 cried, mike, are you
ready p
Ready for what, sir p
s'To have the devil driven out of you,
to be sure"
"Yes," he yelled, ''and the saints be
wild ye, darlint! ~
The Battery, in the meantime, had
been charged as heavily as possible, and
at signal from me, Paul, who stood
close by the door, waiting, let on the
whole charge. The effect was fearful,
but Mikes constitution stood it, altho'
it made the tears start, while, as he said
afterwards, he could feel the "old fell
low" crawling out of him.
To wind up the joke, and make him
remember it, we told him there was an
other big fellow left and we'd try some
thing else for him.
Accordingly, we gave him six seid-
litz powders, dissolved in two separate
tumblers, making him swallow the con-
tents of the first and then the second.
AS may be imagined, Mikes mouth
soon resembled mimic fire engine un-
der full headway.
"U-u-u-uh b-b-b boo s-s-s spoo -
out poured the torrent, in every direc-
ton, as the poor fellow tumbled to the
floor.
"Hurra, Mike! there goes the last
one-all right''
The fit lasted about five minutes,
leaving him as weak as an infant. He
was we'll cared for, and soon recovered,
but, re membering our severe lesson, he
became, and is now one of my faithful
hands. He, to this day, tells the won
dering listeners of his escape from the
evil one, adding, that the last devil was
the numbering fiend himself.
"He kicked and squirmed In me body
like big whale in the ocean, and sure
and didn't he come out wild the foam
flying around him-bloody nager, as he
was. .'-Nep York Mercury.