The Portland daily press., 1871-10-07
SELECTED STORY.
A Lucky Presentiment.

himself an eyewitness and attentive listener
a. the trial.
On fine summer evening, when the rustic
bour of supper was approaching, there arriv-
ed at the door OF a comfortable thatched cab
in, OF large dimensions, such as the class OF
persons known in Ireland as "Strong farmers"
usually lnhabit, a stranger, dressed in the
then peasant costume, corduroy shorts, frieze
coat, cauoeen, and brogues, and with black.
thorn stick lii his band. The wayfarer enter
go, with the usual salutation, Sod save all
here" and asked il this was not Denis Mac
aithy's house. The women who were in the
cabin told him 1t was, and invited him civilly
to sit down, "and take an air of the fiIe !" and
with this invitation he complied, entertaining
his new acquaintance the while with such
ne vs. as he had collected while on his jour-
ney.
ne man was dark featured, of middle stat
ule, and OF square and powerful build.
In little while Denis Mccarthy, returning
from his fields, entered the cabin door, and
the stranger introduced himself as his cousin
Phil Ryan, from CappaehmOre, in the county
oil Limerick, and tod him what had brought
him to that distant part of the world. His
business was to say certain prayers, according
to Irish usage, over the grave of a common
kinsman OF both, who had died two or three
weeks before, aid was buried in the neighbor
boring graveyard.
Mccarthy received his cousin, although he
had never seen his face before, with the Gus
tomary cordially of clanshlp, and told him
that he must sup and sleep in his house that
night, and eat his breakfast there before set
ting out In the morning on his homewald
journey.
10 all this the stranger consented and then
as he was unaquainted with the situation OF
the graveyard, he asked Mccarthy, ii it was
not lar of, to show shim the way to it, and
point out the grave of their cousin.
Mccarthy readily consented, and as the po-
tatoes we're not quite boiled, it was agreed
that they should set out at once, aud return
in time for supper.
In the south OF Ireland simple burial places
probably OF immense antiquity, containing no
vestee OF sacred building, rudely fenced
With loose stone-wall, licben-stained, and
often partly over2rown with IVY, with per-
haps two OF three hawthorns, and an ancient
ash-tree growing within them, are frequently
to be met with. Possibly these small and sol
itary enclosures were dedicated to the same
funeral uses long before the dawn of Chris
tianity broke upon the island.
A wild and narrow track, perhaps an an
clent as the place OF sepulture itself, crossing.
at short distance from Macarthys cabin, the
comparatively moGe1n main road, leads over
little rising ground to the burial place,
which lies in the lap of a lonely hollow, sci
dom disturbed by the sound of human tread
Mccarthy and the stranger walked I'D the
ancient aud silent by-road until they reached
the hollow L have mentioned. There, under
the shadow OF an old twisted thorn-tree, a
site crosses the loose wall OF the burial
glound. AT this ste they came to pause.
go on" said Mccarthy.
$50 GU fist" replied the stranger.
go first yourself" said the farmer, little
peremplorly, making a stand, he did not
know why, upon the point of precedence.
ARA. man; go on, can't ye, and don't be
botherin'; what are ye afeard OF ?" insisted
r. an.
'Now I tell you what it is; but divil foot
LII go over that wall, till you go over it first /"
said Mccarthy, doggedly.
The man laughed and looked angry.
$50 be sure al go over it first # that'll
PLACE ye; and what does 1t matter who's first
and who's last?" he answered, surlily. "But
you're the biggest ommadhoun L ever sci
eyes on"
And speaking to this effect, he crossed the
stlle, followed by Mccarthy, who pointed out
the grave, and forthwith the stranger kneeled
beside it, according to Irish custom, and be-
gan to tell his beads and say his prayers. an
observance which usually lasts about quarter
OF an hour,
Wnen the prayers were ended, the farmer
and Ryan. now quite good friends again, re-
lurnee 10 the farm house, where the stranger
ia his supper with the family, and in the
morning, having eaten his breakfast, he took
his leave, and set out on his homew 4rd Jour
ney.
Irish ideas of hospitality in the peasant
rank make it a matter of obligation upon the
host 20 accompany his guest for part of the
way. Mccarthy, in compliance with this
courteous custom, set out with the stranger,
and about mile away from his house they
entered little village, where he shook hands
with his guest, and bid him farewell.
But his Visitor would not part without tes-
flying his gratitude, according to the custom
OF the country, by treating him to some
drink, which he insisted on doing in the VII
Ia9e public house, the door of which stood
open close by them.
Mccarthy accordingly went in with him.
They sat GOWN at table, and the stran yer,
having ascertained what his cousin liked best,
ordered pot OF porter, making some excuse
for not partaking himself
Wheel Mccarthy raised the pewter Dot IN
his lips a sudden pain, which he afterwards
described more particularly, in the back of
his neck, compelled him to set it down nm
tasted.
The stranger urged him to drink it, and.
without explaining the cause of his hesita-
ton, he second time raised the vessel to his
mouth. Precisely the same thing occurred
again.
Once more the stranger expostulated. and
pressed him more vehementy to drink: and
again he tried it, but with exactly the same
result.
What ails yea and why don't We drink
your liquor? Don't you like ii? ?" the stranger
demanded,
II don't like it," answered Mccarthy, get
ting up, "ald don't like you, nor your ways,
and, in Coos name, I'll have nothing more
good or bad, to do with YOU"
$50 the divil Pll pitch Won and it,, said tl,a
stranger, breaking INTO undisgused fury, and
at the same time, TIN ough the open door, he
flung the contents of the pewter pot upon the
road
Without another word, in this temper the
unknown cousin strobe out of the door, and
walked on his way, leaving the farmer in a
state OF perturbation and suspicion.
Happening to look into the pewter pot.
which had contained the porter just thrown
out, he saw white sediment at the bottom of
II. he and the publican put their heads to-
gether over it, but could make nothing of this
deposit.
1t so happened, however, that the physician
was IN attendance at the dispensary, only a
lew yards away, and to him thew submitted
the white powder that lay in the bottom of
the measure. 1t proved to be arsenic.
The mud upon the road where the porter
had fallen was also examined, and some of
the same deposit was found upon it.
Upon these lacts and the short iuforma-
ton sworn by Mccarthy, a neiehboriDg mag
istrate at once issued his warrant, with which
the police pursued the miscreant, who, with
Out apprehension OF his purpose having been
discovered, was pursuing his journey quite at
ms ease. lie was arrested, and duly COM
mtted to prison.
The anlmus aud purpose of the heinous en-
terprlse came afterwards to light. The nra.
tended coGslD, whose real name was Maro
had beeu bIibed to aut Mccarthy to death b2
person interested in the termination NJ y
lease in which Mccarthy was the last life.
The attempt TO poison was only resource
in reserve. The primary plan, and that re-
lied upon with good reason, was of a totally
different kind Under the pretext 1 have
mentioned, Mccarthy was to have been in
duced to accompany Mara to the lonely grave
yard, the position of which, aud the stie by
which 1t was entered were familiar to him.
lie was to have allowed Mccarthy TO cross
Tue safe first, and, following him closely, as
ne uecehded 1t at the other side. he was, from
IL, 70 nave dealt him, with his heavy,
rnnst STICK suck, such blow upon the head as
he lav St,,, ieiied him to the ground, and as
have aoeiI'' n III the graveyard he would
1,ioIo.aS iy ueSpatcbdd MIN. The sounds of
,II - ~ lhat sequestered nlaca ~ oo,
1 Ioulu nave neard, and no human aid ' ca
nave iuUei itIeu 10 prevent the oo "o'iu
1lon OF bis atrocious purpose. 0ousumlha-
Inc women, who, in the LARGE hon,
room were attending to the prepa ratio,n IKE
supper al us further end, had CAUGHT nj; iot
OF the conversation of the two men who S,na5
near the door. The effect OF this migbt ~ot
very lmprobably have been that no one would
IRV