Smyrna times., 1879-05-21
A Foine Boy.
" AN o'BRlEN ALL OVER, BAERIN' TIE COLOR.


Fergus O'Brien, Of Galway, Ireland, had
left the Queens dominions and crossed the
blue waters with his wife and one child,
and the good ship which brought them
over landed her freight, living and other
wise, safely at Castle Garden, on a stormy
day, FEBRUARY, a. D., one year ago. After
the usual preliminaries attending disem-
barkation, the emigrants separated, going
to tho North, South and West. The Penn
sylVania Railroad brought Fergus and his
little family to Philadelphia, and after he
had found a residence for his wife and child
which dOmciliary location consisted of
two rooms on Front street.-the was not long
getting into employment himself.
Now, Mrs. Fregus had a female cousin
who lived in part of the same house, and
who was an incorrgible practical joker.
Accordingly, when the lst of April came
| around, she decided 10 fool cousin Fer
gus. Sho laid her plans so as to have Mrs.
| OBrien out Of the way for the morning,
and then sent lad with q note to Fergus,
where he was employed as q stevedore,
which read thus:
DEAR CoUsIN-Accept my congratula-
tions. You are fayther Come up to
onct.
From your mindful cousin, Kate.
?. P.S.-It'sa foine boy, and weights beyant
twenty pounds.
| While the boy was gone with the note,
Katie made haste to borrow begro baby of
eight months old, and wrapping it elabo-
ratcly in hastily eXtemporiZed garments,
| she deposited, in a big clothes basket and
sat 1t before the fire. Then she proceeded
to gather in the neigh bors to witness the
effect of her joke. Not a minute too soon,
either, for by the time the last one had got
safely away Fergus came up the steps
clearing four at leap.
"Let me see the spalreen-the bye" says
he.
"Histr' says Katie, ye'll wake him
It's slapin' he is. Now, don't make a sthir
an I'll let yer pape at him."
But the caution came too late, for the
strong lungs of the eight-months old
"moke" sat up tremendous racket.
"That's an O'Brien," says Fergus, clap.
ping his hands. Mither O Moses, fvat an
appetite he hev got wild his voice He
could be harkin' the hounds alriddy in ould
Galway. Be gorra, I'll say ef he knows his
faythor"
lie had picked the basket up to carry il
to the window, when the young African
having got his hands free made short work
Of the wrappings about his face.
| Cl III 'tIl puilOS SdLO Cl gus uIOl'
the basket, is that my spalpeen? Is that
Il free-born American citizen? Is that
fvat kim to this blessed country for, tc
be the fayther Of nagur, and misself moi
nayteralized? It's my jooty to kiss him
yez say! lIowly Moses but it's hare
5 one"
lie stopped to the task, however, but j
was too much.
S "Be tho sod Of ould Ireland, but hi
! breath smills like onions and wet do!
l mixed. Fwat a brither he'll make til hi
e white sister. But where is Aileen? Aileen
: acushla, scushla fly did you make M
fayther of a nagur? Look at his Jigs, a
crookyd as two rainbovs spliced togither
It's not himself could iver shtop pig in
. lane, at all at all!'
Thinking the joke had gone far enough
the .iovial cousin now told him it was Al
"April fool"
: "It's no fool at all. Niver an O'Briel
e was born a fool. It's an O'Brien all ovel
k barrin' the color, and he can't hilp that.
o Aileen made her timely appearance here
l. and denied the maternity. The house wa
it cleared in a trice, and Fergus has one les
It of his wifes relations to entertain.