Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-14
RED MIKES REST.
A story of Halloween in Ire
land, by william sharp.

One wild, clustering Afternoon OF the
last day of October l made my way
as best l could across stretch of hilly
moorland, vainly hoping that l might be
able to meet with some one able to
direct me to my destination. Looking
round, l perceived a man waving his
arm to me, and as l approached him l
noticed that he was a piper--a fact OF
which he soon informed me himself,
adding that he was on the way to Mr..
Connolly's farm to provide the music for
the dancing that was sure to follow the
regular Halloween festivities. 1t was
well he deserted me on the moor, for if l
had proceeded further in the direction l
had been following l would have prob
ABLY found myself foundering in the
huge and treacherous bog called in the
neiahborhood Red Mikes Rest. On the
way Larry O'Hara-for SO l learned was
the piper's name-gave me much curious
information about the customs of Hal.
lowmas Eve in that part of Ireland, and
as his account of how the great bog from
which l had narrowly escaped got its
name is germane to my subject, will
give it here.
"Red Mike, your honor, was the only
son of Widow O'Flaherty. He was
queer one from his birth, an no wonder,
tor he first saw the light atweep dusk
an dark O. q Hollowmas Eve. Here
abouts the people say that if baby be
born on this night, it rims moighty
good chance o. bein' possessed by some
sproite or other; it may or may not be
true. oi'm sure it's beyont the likes O.
me to saw whether such things are pos
sible or not, but will say that Mike
O'Flaherty was different to other men
from the first. He wor always up to
some game, he wor, an nivver for good
leastways l newer heard O. amy good
he ;ver did, He lied and bioke his
troth to man an woman, an got into bad
odor with priest and magistrate, tor nigh
upon twelve years arter he came to man
hood. until the Judgment O. God came
upen him. One Hallow Eve he was at
the house O. the Flannigans, up by Glen
Creachan. He was courtin' Mary Elan
nigan, though livery one OF us knew she
didn't care two straws for Red Mike,
but was all aglow wi love for Larry
O'Rourke, the Limmerick carrier. !ts
the custom in these parts for the childel
to run into the cabbage yard afore thu
evenin' fun begins, an to pick out
number O. cabbage stalks, an name
them arter any seven O. the folk they
have anything TO do with; then, having
finished we this choosin, they danc'
round the place. Flanagan
-childer, havin' finished their song, raj
into the house an asked all the folk t
come out an see their souls Ould Elan
nigan pulled his cabbage stalk, an Mrs
Flannigan hers, an Young Flannigai
his. an Mrs. Tim hers, an purity Mar.
Flannigan hers, an Larry G'Rourke his
until it came to Mike O'Flaherty's turn
The stalks of all the others had beel
quite clean an white, but when Re-
Mike pulled up his, it was all black an
foul wi worms an stugs, an wi rea
bad smell ahint it. Larry O'Rourk
aughed, an Mary Flanagan giggled
an the others all looked moighty COZ
sarned. Mike glared about HIM for
moment, more like Q mad ball or
haythin Turk nor Christian. Then b
mn an says: 'Ye may laugh, Larr
O'Rourke, but yell no be laughin' loni
ay, We may snigger, Mary, but yell
erwin for nanny u day, whan yer lover
below the sod, as he will be before ii
years out. As for you, ould Flanniga
You an your son an all that belong
We will have cause to curse the day wh'
We moked Red Mike, as ye call me.
forget l was born on Hallow Eve! T.
the gift O. the sight, have, and on tt