Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-06-22
NO. 25.

"Well, then, we can combine business with
! pleasure; you shall have good dinner"
Long life to your honor!"
II cooked il for you myself"
! God bless your honor for your condescin-
sion."
"You are to eat the dinner first, and then
| just tell me what the meat is, and the parcel
of land is yours on easy terms"
Patricks confidence rose. Sure, thin, it is
a fair bargain said he
The dishes were uncovered There were
vegetables cooked most deliciously the meat
was chef-d'Uuvre; sort Of rich ragout
done to turn, and 80 fragrant that the very
odor made the mouth water.
Patrick seated himself helped himself, and
| took mouthful; that mouthful had q double
effect He realized in ono and the same mo-
ment that this was q more heavenly COM
pound than he had ever expected % taste
upon earth, and that he could not and never
should divine what bird or beast he was eat
ing. He looked for the bones there were
none. He yielded himself to desperate en-
joyment. When he had nearly cleaned the
plate he said that even tho best cooked meat
was none the worse for o quart of good ale
to wash it down.
Sir Henry Steele rang bell and ordered
quart of ale.
Patrick enjoyed this too, and did not hurry;
he felt it was his last dinner in that house as
well as his first
The gentleman watched him and gave him
time But at last Ormsby said, "Well, Pat
rick"
Now Patrick, whilst he sipped had been
asking himself what line he had better take;
and he had come to O conclusion creditabe
to that sagacity and knowledge of human ma
ture he really possessed and underrated ac-
cordingly. He would compliment the gentle
men on their superior wisdom, and own that
he could not throw dust in such eyes as theirs;
then he would beg them not to make his hum.
bic neighbors as wise as they we're but let
him still pass for a wise man in the parish
whilst they laughed in their superior sleeves
To carry out this he impregnated his brazen
features with a world of comic humility.
and, said he, in cajoling accents, 'ah,
your honors, tine old fox made many turn,
but the dogs were too many for him at last"
What more of sef-depreciation and cajol-
cry he would have added is not known, for
Sir Henry Steele broke in loudly, Good
heavens! Well, he is an extraordinary man.
1t uas an old dog-fox cooked for him"
Didn't I tell you?" cried Ormsby, de-
lighted at the success of his countryman.
"Well, sir" said Sir Henry, whose emo
tions seldom lasted long, "a bargains a bar
gain. let you the orchard and field for-let
me see-you must bring me a stoat, weasel
and polecat every year 1 mean to get up
the game"
Mr. O'Rafferty first stared stupidly, then
winked cunningy then blandly absorbed
laudation and land then retired invoking
solemn blessings; then, being outside, exc
cuted a fandango, and went home on Wings
from that hour the village could not hold him.
His speech was of accumulating farms at
peppercorn rents, till slice of the county
should be his. To hear him, he could see
through deal board, and luck was his mo-
nopoly. He began to be envied, and was on
the way to be hated, when, confding in his
star, he married Norah Blake, beautiful
girl, but a most notorious vixen.
Then the unlucky ones forgave him great
deal: for sure wouldn't Norah revenge them?
Alas! the traitoress fell in love with her hus-
band after marriage, and let him mould her
into a SOFT of angelic duck.
This was the climax. So Paddy Luck is
now numbered amongst the lasting institu-
tions of ould Ireland Gf any.
May he live till the skirts of his coat knock
his brains out, and him dancing an Irish fling
to 'the wind that shakes the barley"!-Hdr-
per's Magazine for July.