Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-06-07

JIMMY BUTLER AND THE OWL.

| " HCW pIdtle just Jug 1rOIu lne ,Oulu sou,
and wild light heart and heavy bundle
got off for the township of Buford. tiding
a taste OF song. as merry young fellow
as iver took the road. Well, ltrudged on,
and on, past many pleasant place, pleas
ing myself wild the thought that some day
might have a a place OF me own, wild a
world of chickens and ducks and pigs and
ehilders about the door; and along in the
afternoon of the sicond day, got to Bu-
ford village. A cousin of me mothers,
one Dennis ODowd, lived about swim
miles from there, and wanted to make
his place that night, SO enquired the way
at the tavern, and was lucky to find man
who was goin' part of the way an would
show me the way to find Dennis Sure he
was very kind indade, and when got out
OF his wagon he pointed me thro' the
wood and tould me to go straight south a
mile and half, and the first house would
be Dennis.
''An' you've got no time to lose now, !"
said he, ''for the sun is low, an mind you
don't get lost in the woods"
SIS it lost now," said l, .that I'd be git
TN, an me uncle as great navigator as
steered ship across the thrackless say
Not bit of it. though I'm obleeged to We
tor your kind advice, and thank viz for the
ride" 's.....s....
An wld that he drove off an left me
alone. / shouldered my bundle bravely,
| an whistlin bit of time for company like,
pushed into the bush. Well, went q
| long way over bogs, an turnin' round
among the bushes an trees, till l began to
think must be. well nigh to Dennis.
But, bad cess to it! all OF suddent /
came out Of the woods at the very iden-
tcal spot where l started in, which
knew by an old crotched tree that seemed
to be standin' on its head an kickin' up
its heels to make divarsion of me. By
this time it was growin' dark, an there
was no time to lose. Istarted in Sec
ond time, determined to keep straight
south this time, and no mistake. | got
on bravely for while, but och hone
| och hone! it got SO dark / could't see
| the trees, and | bumped me nose and
barked me shins; while the niskaties bit
me hands and face to blister; and after
tumblin' and stumblin' around till was
fairly bamfoozled, sat down on log,
| all of Il trimble, to think that was lost
| intirely, an that may be lion or some
| other wild crathur would devour me be-
fore mornin
Just then heard somebody long way
off say, Whip poor Will~ ''Bedad!r sez
/, I'm glad it's not Jamie that's got to
take it, though it seems it's more in sor-
row than in anger they are doin' it, or
why would they say poor VIII p an sure
they can't be lnjun, haythen, or nagur, for
it's plain English they are after speakin'
| Maybe they might help me out OF this"
lost man J" then listened Prisintly an
answer came:
"WhoP Who Who pr
Jamie Butler, the waiver ~ sez I, es
loud es | could roar, an snatchin' up me
bundle started in the direction of the voice.
| When | thought got near the place /
| stopped and shouted agin, "a lost man !"
WHO VINO? Who 90 pnsa said voice
right over my head.
Sure, thinks /, ''it's a mighty quare
place for man to be at this time of night;
maybe it's some settler scrapin' sugar off
Il sugar bush tor the children's breakfast
in the mornin'. But where's Will and the
rest of them ?h All this wint through me
head like flash, an thin answered his
inquiry ~
Jamie Butler, the waiver, sur;' sez /,
an ii 1t wouldn't inconvanience yer hon.
or, would yiz be kind enough to step down
and show me the way to the house of
Dennis O'Dowd? ?"
"Whoo? Who? Who oo?" seq he.
dennis O'Dowdn y sez l, civil enough,
IAN dacent man he is, an first cousin
to me own mother"
| "WhoP Who? Whoo ?n seq he agin.
"Me mother!' an as fine woman as liver
peeled billed pratie wild her thumb nail,
an her maiden name was Molly McFig-
GIN.
Who? Whoa Who-oo?"
Paddy McFiggin! bad luck to yer deaf
ould head. Paddy McFiggin, say do
you hear that ? An he was the tallest man
in all the county O Tipperary excipt Pete
Doyle the blacksmith"
"Whop WhoP Whooo?"
Pete Doyle, the blacksmith seq, /
Eye good for nothin' blaggard nagur, an
| if yiz don't come down an show me the
way this mint I'll climb up there an break
every bone in your skin. ye spalpeen, so
sure as me name is Jamie Butler!''
"Who? Who? Whooo?" seq he, as im-
pident as iver.
l sed niver word, but layin' down me
bundle and takin' me stick in me teeth /
began to climb the tree. Whin ! GOT
among the branches l looked quietly
around till saw a pair of big eyes Just
forninst me.
whist" sez l, land I'll let him have
taste of an Irish stick and wild that l
let drive an lost me balince an come
tumlin' to the ground, nearly breakin' my
neck wild the TALL. Whin came to me
sinses, had very sore head wild a lump
on 1t like goose egg, an half of me San-
day coat tail torn OFF intirely | spoke to
the chap in the tree but could rit niyer an
answer at all, at all.
Sure thinks |, he must have gone home
to rowl up his head, for by the powers,
didn't throw me stick for nothin'.
Well by this time the moon was up and
| could see a little, and / determined to
make one more effort to reach Dnnis'.
Iwint on cautiously for while; an thin
heard hell .sSure.n seq /, ..Tin comi'n