Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1879-05-08
MR.. O'REELLY:
OR,
English Dash and Irish Love.


How many months ago is it since /
lay down, one lovely autumn after
noon, on the side of Loeb Sheogachan,
and mentally tossed up ''heads or
tails" as to what / should do about
Mary O'Reilly and her intractablc,
ungovernable papa. From Christmas
to Christmas is twelve months-thir-
teen, fourteen, fifteen. Scarcely ff-
teen months, and it seems as if hun
dred years had passed since then.
Here certain young person, lock-
ing over my shoulder, remarks that l
have paid her very pretty compll-
ment, indeed. l explain, however,
that meant the hundred years to ex-
press my sense of the happiness which
had been compressed into the fifteen
months. The explanation appears to
myself to be remarkably vague, not
to say incoherent but it satisfies the
young person, who retires, and leaves
me to my story.
Fifteen months ago, then, I went
over to the west of Ireland. in answer
to al invitation from an old gentle
man. a distant relative of mine, who
had some excellent shooting. He did
CT, No
bors who had not shooting of their
own he had still, out of habit, kept
his game-keeper, who supplied the
kitchen in autumn and winter; and
SO it was that he was right in saying
there would be no lack of sport if /
went over. A young and briefess
barrister, who has the good luck to
have some little money of his own, is
seldom BUSY. Above all, he is never
busy in autumn SO in an inexpress-
IDLY short period of time I found my
self at The half-farnhouse, half-castle,
which my venerable friend owned on
the shores of Loch Sheogacban
The shooting, as l had anticipated, u,
was excellent; and for a week or two
revelled in slaughter. Day after
day, wet or dry, l sailed out alone,
my only companions being the dogs i;
and while I sometimes found sufficient
difficulty in disposing of the game I
shot, SO that it might be fetched by
some one from the bousc, that incon-
veniencc was more than atoncd for by
I, be freedom l obtained from the per-
secutions of Tim O'Lany, the keeper.
Tim was pig headed old fool, incor,
rightly obstinate in sticking to his own
means and methods, and regarding
all improvements or alterations in the
outfit of sportsman as something
approaching sacrilege. Breach-load
ers, in especial, were his particular
adherence and if by chance you
missed anything, Tim was invariably
ready with an 81 told you So" anC
with a protestation that any other gur
would have caught the hare on the
duck, as the case might be. SO in
timated to Tim, after day or two il
his company taught me the boundaries
of my shooting, that hence 1 woult
dispense with his services. Tim sait
nothing, but know that he prayet
to his favorlte saint that might mis-
every bird or beast at which / nigh
fire; and am certain he was almos
moved to tears of vexation on seeing
evening after evening, that the day
bag had not been decreased by hi
abs ence.
In the midst of this enjoyment
was my fortune to meet Mary O'Rei
ly. and from that moment / becam
the wretchedest of human beings
t She and her father came from som
l unnameahle district to dine with u
one evering. There was no othe
lady present, and as my aged frien
e and. Mr.. O'Reilly devoted their enc
gies exclusively to discussing the dt