The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-03-16
published BY REQUEST.1
SHEMUS O'BRIEN: A TALE OF ,as.
As related by an Irish Peasant
LEFANU.


night.
It's them was hard times for a n honest gossoon;
III he missed in the judges he d meet dragoon;
ther the sojers or judges gave sentence
Inc devil a much time they allowed for repent
A n the many fine Bey was then on his l,eenip,
With small share OF restin or sitIin or slcepiE'
An because they loved Erinn, and scorned to
\ prey for the bloodhound, a mark for the
I Unsheitered by night and unrested by day.
W it'll the heath for their barrack, revenge for
their pay.
An the hravest an honestest Boy of thin all
Was Shemus O'Brien. from the town of GIingoll:
His limbs wor well set. an his body was light
An the keen-fanged hound had not teeth half
as white.
An ms cheek never warm'd with the blush of
And for ali that he was Mt an ugly young Boy,
tor the devil himself could mt blaze with his
eye.
So droll an so wicked, so dark an SO bright,
Like a lre-tiash that crosses the depth of the
night;
An he was the best mower that ever has been,
An the clcgantcst hurler that ever was seen.
n =, fencn, IN he gave PATRICK Mooney a cut,
an IeI IN IN "a }lnamlpln ne bate Tom Motony foot;
for' by HeaN he almost outrun the red deer;
An his dancin' was such that the men used to
An the women turn crazy, he did il so auare:
An sure the whole world gave i'll to him there:
An it s he was the Boy that was hard to be
caught,
An it S often he ram an it 5 often he fought.
An it 5 many the one can remember quite well
The quare things he did, an it S oft heerd tell
How he frightened the magistrates in Cahir-
An escaped through the sojers in Ahcri6e
And leather'd the yocmen, himself a-en four.
An stretched the four strongest on old GaIti-
more.
But the fox must sleep sometimes, the wild
deer must rest,
And treachery prey on the blood of the best;
An, many an action of power an pride,
An many night on the mountains bleak side,
An thousand great dangers an tolls overpast,
In darkness of night he was taken at last.
Now Shcmus look back on the beautiful moon,
FOR Inc door or the prison must close on you
soon;
An take your last look ut her dim, misty light,
That falls Oh the mountain and valley tonight.
One look at the village, one look at the flood
An one at the sheltcring rar-distant wood:
Farewell To the forest, farewell To the hill
An farewell to the friends that will think of
you still.
Farewell to the patthern, the hurlin', an wake,
An farewell to the girl that would die for your
saxei
An twelve sojers brought him to marlborough
IN with irons secured him, refusin' all bail
The fleet limbs wor chained an the sthrong
,hdnds wor bound, -[ground,
An he lay down his lenth on the cold prison
An the Ghramcs of his childhood KEN over him
An happy rimImbrance crowdin' an ever,
As fast as the foam flakes DRIFT down an the
river,
Bringin' fresh to his heart merry days long
Till the tears gathered heavy an thick in his
But the tears didn't fall for the pride iv his heart
would II suffer one dhrop down his pale check
An he sprang to his feet i'm the dark prison cave
An hcswore with fierccness that misery gave,
By the hopes iv the good an the cause of the
brave, Igrave.
That when he was mouldering in the cowId
His iniInies never should have it to boast Host.
His bosom might bleed, but his cheek should
Fer undauLted he lived, and undaunted he d
PART SECOND.
Well. as soon as a few weeks were over an gone,
The terrible day of the trial came on
There was such a crowd there was scarce room
An sojers on guard an Dragons sword in hand.
An the courthouse so full that the people
were bothered. Ismothcr'd;
An attorneys an criers on the point of being
An counSellors almost gave over for dead.
An the jury sittin' up in the box overhead.
An The The 5&13gs & settled out so determined an big,
And silence was call d. an the rfiinitele NV ~;
The court was as still as the heart Of the dead
An they heard but the opening of one prison.
An Shemus O'Brien KEN into the dock
For one minute he turned his eyes round on the
An then looked on the bars, so firm and SO
An he saw that he had not a hope nor a friend,
A chfnce to escape, nor a word TO defend
An he folded his arms as he stood there alone,
As calm an cold as u statue OF stone
An they read a big writin', yard long at least,
An, Shemus did n see it, nor mind it a taste,
An the judge took u big pinch of snuff, an he
says:
Are You guilty or not, Jim OBrien, if you
please =
An MI held their breath in silence of dread,
/ An Shemus O'Brien made answer an said =
NJ 1s,r,T Glr M tg-T1
. l thought any treason or did any crime,
That should call to my cheek, as 1 stand alone
The hot blush OF shame or the coldness of fear,
s Though stood by the grave 10 receive my
Before COD an The world would answer you
But If you would ask me, as think 1T like,
If in the rebellion carried pike,
An fought for ouId Ireland, from the hrst to
An she'd the hearts blood of her bitterest foes
answer you YES; ; an / tell you again,
Though stand here to perish, it's my glory glory
In her cause / was wilIin' my veins should run
An that now for her sake am reacy to die.
Then the silence was great, nd the jury smiled
An the Judge wasn't sorry the job was made
BY my, soul it's himself was the Grabbed ould
In twinkling he pulled on his ugly black cap.
Then Shemus's mother, in the crowd standin'
Called out TO the Judge with pitiful cry,
'Oh Judge darIfn' don't, OIL don't say the
word
The crathur is young g-have mercy, my lord!
you don't know him, my lord : oh don't give
him to ruin ldoln :,
He was fooIish--he didn't know what he was
He's the kindliest crathur, the tinderest heart
Don't part us forever, we that's so long parted!
Judge mavourneen, forgive him--forgiye
him NV lord [word -
An God viii forgive you--oh don't say the
That was the first minute o'Brien was shaken,
When he that he was not quite forgot or
forsaken
An down his pale cheek, at the word OF his
mother
The big tears were running, one after the other,
An two or three times he endcavored to spake,
But the strong manly voice used to falter an
break.
But at last, by the strength of his high-mou
ing pride, tide ;
He conquer d an mastered his grief's swelling
An says he, another, don't-dOn't break your
poor heart,