Litchfield enquirer., 1860-04-12

was, scarcely ever usin' words of less than four syllables :; and being great nevey to Father Phil Cogan, of Cunnicacruckery, who had tongue that could wind round the long words, like an eel round walkn' stick l wonder he didn't make me priest, or at least, schoolmaster but somehow he thought had no more janious for that than I had for the shoemakin.' We'll, time went on and what with the sod Judy raised at the door, and what with the cob bling had time to do, and what with the troutheen killed in the river, we managed te pay the rint, and keep the clothes on the chldrcn's backs. And when my father died, with the few bright goolden guineas he left, raal perrin we gave him, and contrived his wake should be daccnt as ever was seen in the town of Rock Abbey.
 "And by the same token, that day of the perrin, Judy provoked me to speak more an- gry words to her than ever did before l; for she said she thought the money might be better spent than in trating parcel of crathurs we never saw before (for 'twas wonderful what dozens of my fathers friends come to his wake as if money could be better laid out than in respect to ones own born father!
 'How-an'-ever, we got on pretty we'll for a few years, as have said. had all the custom of them that didu't like to send their shoes as far as Ballycorrig, aud could wait till had time to mend them; and as I only worked when liked, with thanks into the bargain, did not altogether dislike the trade for change But then come my first mis- fortune, in the shape of the long-legged spaIpeen, Tom Whittle, that come home from his apprenticeship in Limerick; and without with your Iave,' takes the ould grocery store in the marketplace, and, be- fore you could turn yourself, had up blue board as big as the end of my cabin, done over with goold letters. Them that under stood it tould me it read thus-'Ladies' and Gentlemcn's boots and shoes made and mended in the natest manner. on the short est notice, by Timothy Whittle.' won't sware to the very words, but that was the substance of it, the boasting vagabond! The next thing he does, is to set a row of shoes of all manner of colours in the windy; and there you might see the impudent jackanapes, day after day, sitting in the far part of his shop, with two little pissaw- neens, he called his journeymen, stitching away, and cutting away, as if their lives de- pended on it; and sometimes you might see him in a cane apron behind the counter, with long book and peu,--no less-set- ting his accounts, he said! Well, there was little pace for me after this. One con- sated puppy tould me that if his brogues were not forthwith patched, he should give the job to my neighbour, Mir. Wnittle; and when tould him he was welkim to phase himself, he walked off with the brogucs, and got Tin to mend them, in the natest man. ner, no doubt, just to spite me! But that was not all. Tim put up another boord, on der the wan with the goold letters, with black boot and a red shoe illigantly painted out upon it, so that you might see it quar- ter of a mile off; and all them that couldn't read, Saw as plain what it meant as if they was scholards like the priest And more thau that, Judy went and laid out more than months egg money, in pair of red morocky shoes, just to show she was inde- pendent of me and my work; and went to mass in them before my eyes, And to crown all, Nora Kelly, my own mothers brothers daughter, took and married the blackguard, and she my own flesh and blood and he takiu' the bread out of my chiidhres' mouths! It bates my patience to bear the thoughts of it even now! Once l thought to write to the blessed and holy man, Dan iel O'Connell, the great redresser of his coun- try's wrongs, and see if there was no redress in parliament, for the grievance of an honest man having his prospects ruinated, by an upstart goslin of a cbup like Tim Whittle. But on second thoughts gave it up; not liking to trust any body now I scarcely knew my friends from my enemies; and hay ing by some mistake in my edication, forgot to cultivate my janious in the writing depart ment. Well, ope day, Judy, that's now at rest, the blessed crathur! was even sharper than usual with her tongue, and went as far as to call me a lazy hound, and the tor ment of her life; though was not doing . ba'porth but sitting by the ashes with my pipe in my mouth, and considering, as grave as Q judge, how in the wide world we would pay the rint, which I began to fear would be wanted before it was ready.
 Il bore with the woman as long as could, seeing it was her misfortin' to be un- rasonable, and not her fault, 8, they said that did not make allowances for her. But, at last, when she tould me there was scarce pratie in the house, and that I was an un- feelin' wretch to sit there, and the childhre crying for hunger, flesh and blood could bare it no longer Up I jumped, and finging my pipe to the far end of the fure, I swore a big oath, which I won't repeat, that the chiIdhre should have supper, if I got it from the ould boy himself. So snatched up my fishing tackle, and away to the will low tree; but, surely, ould Nick's own fat had been on the rod an line. The dickens 3 fish would so much as lux at the bait, though it was as fine fly as you'd sec in summers day.
 We'll says I, aloud at last, every man has his lux, and this is mine-and the deuce and all of luck it is, any way says for was yexed entirely.
 Whats that you say, Jcmmy Morroghr says squeaking little voice behind me-
 "I looked round, for there was something unnatural in the voice, and did not choose to answer it without knowing why.
 "'What's that you say, about luck and fortune? One would think, Jemmy Nor rogb, you thought nobody in the world had ever misfortin' but yourself?"
 Few has so many says I, pluckin' up Ia spirit, 'and that you'd say if you knew all"
 "I do know aII,' says the voice again. T know you're an idle crathur. with a