The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-03-06
For THE YOUNG FOLKS.

THE FAIRY TRooP.-Dermot Mon
aghan, farmer in the parish of Knock.
bridge, County Cavan, Ireland, had
several cattle, and one evening in
autumn he went to drive them home
from the field.
All were safely housed except one.
Where could the brindled year.old
heifer be?
After leaving the other beasts in
safety, Dermot went back to the fields to
search for her once more.
In corner of his own grazing grounds
he perceived group of little men, and
going closer to them, saw they were
busily employed in turning weeds into
horses.
They whistled, and Immediately an
other little man appeared driving Der
mot's lost heifer.
"Jump up, man." commanded they.
Dermot mounted his heifer, and fol-
lowed the fairy troop, who went like the
wind. His hair stood on end as they
flew past trees, hedges, fields, and the
heifer leaped bitches and stone walls to
keep up with the el6n steeds.
At last they reached river, fully
twenty feet across, and all got over
safely, the heifer alighting like bird on
he farther side.
Here surprise robbed Dermot of his
prudence, and he exclaimed: " Well, if
that wasn't quare jump for year-old
heiferp
No sooner were the words spoken
than he was thrown heavily to the
ground, and was so stunned that he
did not come to himself fer some
time.
When he recovered consciousness he
was five miles away from home, and the
poor heifer was so jaded that it took him
| hours to drive back.
After this Dermot wasalways meeting
with strange adventures.
Fishing one summers night in lake
inside his landlords demesne, he saw a
number of little people bathing in the
bright moonlight. They shouted and
laughed like happy children; they
splashed the water over one another, till
they looked like alabaster sprinkled with
diamonds.
Dermot held his breath. He kept his
rod steady, not daring to move. lest they
should perceive him.
Next night, as he sat alone by his
hearth, grilling trout for supper, he
heard the blowing of blacksmith's bel
lows very near him, apparently behind
the fireplace, and at the same time a
chink of money.
Presently tiny man, about two feet
high, dressed in the finest cloth and
whitest linen, stepped down the wide
chimney, using the chain of the crook as
a ladder, and walking across the room,
disappeared in the corner.
Had Dermot but plucked up courag
to ask him for some money, he would
have become a rich man for life.
But he missed his chance; there was
bad, not good, luck in store for him.
Next fair day, as he was returning home
late, he overlook funeral procession.
| Greatly surprised at seeing funeral
| by starlight, and fearing something un.
canny, he tried to slip by unnotieed but
everybody he passed exclaimed:
"How are you, Dermot Monaghan? Ii
it you, Dermot Monaghan?"
1 "Thank your honor, Pm bravely,'
replied the trembling man to eacf
questioHer.
! He had got past the greater part Of
the dark procession, and hoped that hi
might even yet escape, when on,
of the men, who was carrying the cofir
said:
"Come here, Dermot Monaghan; yor
won't be for leaving us till you give tn,
corpse lift"
The unfortunate man reluctantly
took his place as one of the bearers, anc
on and on they went till they reached
the sea-shore, and all embarked OF
board large boat
A terrible storm arose, and Dermot
thought that the dead and living
freight would alike sink to the bottom o
the sea.
He was crouching on his knees, in al
agony of mind. when the man com
manded him to pull the ropes, ant
help to lower the sails like the rest. III
obeyed, and began to tug and pull fo
bare life.
At last, day dawned and he fount
himself in the heart of the "gentl
thorn" that grew beside his cottag
door. tugging wildly at its rugged
branches with torn and bleeding
hands.
"Pve angered them," sighed the poo
fellow, getting out of the tree. 81
: was, may be, by spakin' when I wa
, ridin' the heifer, or perhaps they say
me lookin' at them when they wer
,, bathing in the lough."
, |, And he became wiser, if saddle
> man.