Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-05-01
Here he was interrupted by a voice from

Here he was interrupted by a voice from
| the body of the church.
"Jist stop there now, Father Felix, for
| you've gone far enough Now Pm listen
| in to you of an on these twenty years, an
| | often had my doubts about what you
| tould us about Heaven an hell, an all
| them things but now | know you're not
sayin' the things that's true, becase I'm
| only iist come from the place below, an |
| tell you to your face that | never was bet
Their threated in my life. Divil a dacenter
set O people ever l seen than the very
same divils-faith they thrated myself like
a lord So, if you were the priest over
again, you should mention them with re
spect, for it's myself can tell yOl that they
deserve it. An another thing, Father
Felix, | wish you may have no worse luck
than to go there when you die.-and So
the back of my hand to you, for I'm en-
tirely ashamed of YOU for backbitin' the
| dacent people in the low counthry.'
Whereupon honest Darby for it was
himself, marched off with most majestic
air, leaving priest and people alike Devil
dered but one and all under the impress
sion that the poor piper had lost his
senses.
The worthy individual, however, if Graz
ed he was, had at least method in his
madness"-for on leaving the chapel, he
proceeded to take his station ON high
wall, so as to command the attention of all
who should pass. He had not been long
on his airy perch" when the congrega-
ton began to issue from the church, and
as all were alike DESTROYS to hear still
more of Darby's rawlings, as they deemed
them, he had, in the course of few
minutes, great part of the population of
the parish assembled as his auditors
Silence prevailed for a few minutes,
during which the people awaited Darby s
ly engaged in looking out amongst the
crowd for some particular person. At
length a voice called out:
"Arrah then, Darby o-hagar, tell us
what news from the place we won't men
tion?-you know it yourself'
''Musha, then boys but it's myself has
the great news entirely for yees all Sure
the day o judgment is close at hand, an
becase the place below was too confined
for all that's expected there, why they're
all hard at work maxim room for the com
panv."
''Musha no, then, Darby! Is that
thruew
''FaiX it is every word thrue as thruth,
an sure they tould me below there, that
the sOrra a man, woman or child, in the
whole parish, but what'ill be sent down.
Now maybe yees think this bad news, but
| can tell you that it'll be the blest and
happy day that they'll let you in, for onst
yees get there, yees ill never want a good
glass or males mate"
Its thrue for you, Darby 0store," re-
turned a wag in the crowd. "The good
glass or the good males mate ill be but
little consarn to us"
"Arrah then, Paddy Phillips. sure
know we'll enough what you name with
your jibin', an that's all you're good for,
sure the world and Garrett Reilly knows
| that* An in troth it's pity such lazy
| good for nothin' fellow as you, id be sent
| to sich dacent place, but | suppose it
can't be helped. But did any o yces see
Phil. Mahony, or was he at mass the
day."
An answer was returned in the negative,
when Darby descended at once from his
elevated position TO 90 in search of his
friend, leaving the assembled crowd in
roars of laughter, for by this time the true
version of the story had become known by
means of some of the miners who had
CHANGED to be present. 1t was long, how
ever, before honest Darby could be per
suaded that it was in the mine he had
been, and even then he was wont to say,
with shrug of the shoulders:
"Troth, an mOre's the pity that it
wasn't in hell | was, for that id be far
bother place than Father Felix's hell"
Poor Darby. he has long since CROSSED
that bourne whence no traveller returns; -
but of his second journey to the world of
spirits no revelations have reached us, so
that none can say whether his notions of
the happiness Of future state have or have
not been realized Alas the times when
such doings were practicable in Ireland
have now almost passed away, and yet in
| crease of knowledge has brought but small
increase OF happiness or prosperity.
"A by-word in some parts of Ireland