The Irish standard., 1886-11-27
After a few jibes on tue propensity Of

| After a IeW 1lD6S OH Tue propensity VI
the storytelling genius, his companions
proceeded with their work in silence,
while Jerry cleared his voice and com
menced as follows:
..I wonder entirely,'' says a most
learned doctor, that used to be there in
old times-s'I wonder entirely" said he,
and he going along the road-"what is
| the reason that the devil doesn't come
upon the earth in some borrowed shape
or another. and so tempt people to sin;
it would be so much easier to talk them
into it than +, draw them by means of
their own thoughts. II the devil would
hearken to me, think I could put him
in way OF getting deal that's voted to
him, and that he knows nothing OF. :"
And saying this he turned off to take a
short cut across the fields. the road lsav-
ing great round in that place.
| Passing by a little fort that was in his
way, he was met by man who came out
from among the trees and bid him
good morning He was as handsome a
man as could be-only the doctor re-
marked him for the smallest brogues.
and OF the queerest shape that could be
imagined.
ssHeaven and Saint Patrick be with
you!" says the doctor.
<'~Humr' says the strange man.
'sAnd who are you now that say
sHum!' when I bid Heaven be with
you?" says the doctor, looking down to-
wards his heels, where he saw, just peep
ing ont under the great riding coat,
something like the end OF hurry, curl
ing, only very hairy.
ST am the DEVIL" SAYS the strange
man. Nortl between us and harm.)
81 was beginning to have notion
OF the kind myself,'' says the doctor
again, e.yeing the tail now very hard; but
not at all put out of his way, being used
to all sorts Of wickedness himself from a
creature up, having been once in his
time a tithe proctor. 'fl thought no
less; and 1t proves al old saying very
true, for T was talking Of you to myself
just as you started up before me-
"No good, I']l be bail
"Believe ii, then. No good in the
world, only harm. was wishing that
yoa would nploy me in collecting your
lues-what's yours by right only, and
let lis go halves in the profits
.sIt's O. match-give me the hand'
said the devil. t'Let us go along the road
together, and whatever you make out to
be mine, I'll have it surely"
Away they went, the holy pair, and
they soon got out upon the high road
again. AS they We're passing along by
g. cabin door, they saw au old woman
standing with some oats i'll her apron,
and she trying TO entice some OF her
geese and goslings i'll to her, from the
middle of a pond where they were
swimming about, only the rogue Of
gander wouldn't let them do her bid
ding.
"Why then,' says the old woman,
"the Diconce take you for one gander;
there's no no at ali with you
.There!" says the doctor, nudging his
neighbor (Lord save us;) "did you hear
that?''
"Ah! my honest friend,'' says the
devil, :tthat gander is fat bird to be
sure-but tits none O. mine still. That
curse didn't come from the heart, though
it was sinful enough to give me power
over the woman.
In little time after, the blessed
couple we're met by a countryman with
little slip of pig that he was driving to
the fair, to make up the Difference o the
standing gale. He had sugan (hay-
rope) tied about one OF the hind legs,
and good blackthorn switch in his
hand, aud he doing his best endeavors
to entice him on, but he couldn't. The
pig, as young pigs will do, darted now
at this side, now at that, and would run
every way but the right one-until at
last he made start right between the
legs Of his driver, tumbled him clean in
the mud from which he rose painted all
sorts of colors-and saw the pig skelp-
ing along the road home, in the height
Of good humor.
"Why then, the Diconce take. fetch,
and carry every bone in your carcase,
crubes and all 50 says the poor man,
shaking himself, and turning into a
meadow to roll himself in the grass, be-
fore he'd folly the creature nome again.
'.Have I all my mornings work to do
over ognin-bad 'cess to 1t for story!'
ssThere! therp!" cries the doctor.
"Not so fast" cries the dewitt that
was but slip of the tongue after all.
The man that curst is mine, but not the
thing he curst, for the heart WAS not
=