The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-04-26

OeeU Tenue:eO extremely unceTtHtH ny
copious libatiOns Of whisky punch, when
he happened to strike his foot against
something metallic. Stopping in the midst
Of fragmentary song, he stopped down,
and found il was q horse shoe.
"Hurrah |" shouted Mickey, at the top
Of his voice; "luck's come at last; an,
indeed, not afore it's wanted"
For, be it understood, that amongst the
Irish peasantry, the finding Of so common.
place thing as a horse shoe, under such
circumstances, is considered to be the
precursor of the most illimitable good for
tune, and SO il Was to Mickey Mcguire,
although not in the way he anticipated.
Aha I" he shouted in glee "Won't
this fill the old wOmans heart with JOY :"
tOE, With the certainty of approaching
good luck. came back all his warmth Of
feeling for his wife. II was but the press
ure Of calamity that deadened it for q
Sbi5s. ">The blessed Heaven be praised
for this!" cried he as with the earnest
ness Of a heartfelt belief, he knelt and
offered up a prayer Of deep.felt thankful
ness for the precious gift which he felt
assured would be the instrument Of his
delivery from distress.
Rising up, thoroughly subdued by the
grateful feeling that pervaded every sense,
he dashed the tears from his eyes, ex
claiming, "Fll be man again now, wild
bleSSin'." Then another mood came
over him, and he kissed and hugged the
horse shoe, cApcriNg 1bOut,' and MATING
the echoes ring with his voluble delight.
Many were the castles in the air poor
Mickey built before he reached home,
add, ataQa9St other DOble intentions, Ire
gret ~ say, that almost his first resolve
was, to give such Notification to the
whole country round, that the whisky
should flow like pump.water, until every
soul at the feast was as drunk as a lord.
He had scarcely made that last reSOlu-
tion when he had reached bis door, at
which, according to his own account of
what then transpired, he vast just about
to knock, when he felt tug at the tails
Of his great coat, which made him hold
back for a second. Thinking, however,
that it was only his fancy, he lifted his
hand again to knock at the door, when
little stronger pull at his coat tail convin-
ced him that there was something mvSte-
riOuS in it. The most intense fear took
possession Of him, rs he tremblingly cried:
May the blessed saints above stand
betune me and all harm. | do believe
the good people is upon me-"
He had scarcely said this when clear,
shrill, distinct, although infinitely small
laugh assembled from the tufts Of grass at
his feet simultaneously with which, his
heels were tripped up, and with another
tug at his coat, down he tumblcd upon a
little mound of fairy clover" his head
striking against a soft stone.
The blow stunned him for all instant,
but when he opened his eyes again, what
was his astoniShment to see the whole ex.
tent of ground in his neighborhood per.
fectIy alive with d:munitivc creatures in
human form, and hundreds upon hun
dreds Of tiny voices chirped out
"Aha Mcguire,
Luck you'll have to your hearts desire."
"Musha then, may long life to yes for
that same, and may yes never want divar-
shin yerselvcs," says Mickey, taking off
his hat, and making low bow to the
fairies. At that instant his attention was
directed more especially to three frolick'
some elves, who were carrying, kicking
and pushing along what appeared to him
to be three very small apples. which were
at length deposited Immediately before
him, when the whole multitude formed a
circle round, and pointed to the diminu.
tive fruit.
What's them for, might ask? ?" in.
Quired Mickey. Whereupon a number of
the fairies took up one Of the apples, and
presenting Is sN Mickey, they alAshOuted,
'Eat this pippin Mickey ashore,
And see what you have seen before"'
Without hesitation Mickey swallowed
the little apple at a mouthtul, when 10 !
in an instant, the house and hill vanished,
and in its place appeared the old mill, as
it was ten years before, the sound Of per.
petual industry echoed around, and soon
he saw the semblance of himself, but
without the caTewOrn traces which the
ill.spent intervening time had marked
upon his features. The ruddy hue Of
health was on his cheek, and content
beamed from his bright eye. A deep re-
greet smOte at Mickey's heart as he closed
his eyes upon the happy scene.
Take it away from my sight," he
cried; cit is too late! Oh! for the
wasted time once back again"
The voices Of the fairies recalled him as
they sung
"The other, Micke ey, eat and see
What now 10, but what ne'er should be-"
Mickey did what he was told, but with
a sad heart, and increasing apprehension.
No sooner had he swallowed the second
apple, than the mill disappeared. the busy
hum of contented labor was huShed he
found himself within the house, and loud
sobs Of grief fell upon his ear. lie looked
around and beheld his wife; she was on
her knees, her head buried in her hands,
weeping. Presently n drunken uproar
was heard, the door was suddenly burst
open, and he saw himself, when all Of
manhood was Obliterated, and nothing
but the beast remained. lie saw himself
in that brutal and degraded condition men
would blush into their very hearts to be-
hold themselves reduced to, did even one
sense alone remain-the sense of sight
Horrible horrible!" groaned Mickey,
as he shut ont the fearful apparitiOn with
his clenched hands. "Oh! for the un-
vitiated mind OF other days; but 1t is too
late! too late! !"
Again the fairy voice shouted:
"Eat, and see now with the last,
The future purchaSed by the past"
Infinite terror now took hold Of him,
and it was some time before he could
summon up courage sufficient to swallow
the apple, so conscious was he Of the re-
:oL kskkn.ka s,,neiaA itfo
deserved. At last, with a sudden deter
minatiOn to know the worst, he gulped it
down desperately. The house vanished,
and he saw nothing but black impene-
trable cloud. Striving to pierce thrOugh
the darkness, at last he distinguished a
point Of light, WHICH spread ard spread
until it made large and luminous circle,
within which he could distinguish two
forms. On looking closer, he saw that it
was his wife and himself but grown verV.