The Irish standard., 1886-10-16
THE COW AND THE BISHOP.

a \ "a.
"Oh. sir!you are learned and good, she crled
tsAud my COW is dying, my own COW FINK;
There's nothing she'll eat and nothing enc Ii
drink,
She seems to be mOaniug her Ire away
Oh. lose nor moment, but come, pray =
>.Good madam" he said, with puckered brow,
..Iy knowletge J. fear, would not help your
COW.
ON cattle diseases IN all unread
You' d better consult physician instead"
why. sir.' said the woman, with pleading
eyes;
They lold me YOU were uncommonly wise,
And for hours Eve waited and watched toryo
In hopes you wonId puss rs you OFTEN 10.
So the student suffered himself to be led
20 the poor Old cow in the ricke,y shed.
And he thought, rs he her looked curefullyover,
How WISH you were out among the clover!
Bat must DO something, right or wrong,
s;etter :!;au ali 1nls talk prolong.'
Now, this quiet student loved 4 joke
AS well as ulauy merrier folk;
So pu,lslng u moment us if in doubt.
Ae traced u circle The COW ABOUT,
Which three ht reversed, With .A'IhSl.red tfcau,
Stopping thrice at The Creatures head,
MhlAe the soIenlu iace, Desullllls lllr ulIle,
Thrice he inloneu lhie llnproulpLu rhy me;
"Aere u suffering animal iiee
Faithful, lrtlnLy, and true;
II sac nves, sue iivcs-i1 ent dies, she dleS;
and uulhlng moro can uc.'
Then he said, in the zone OF nn ardent lover,
IL henrlily trust this COW Will recovcr!
While the woman, watching With wide-open
eyes
And awe~struck face, was dumb with surprise;
Tin the student, with, Madam, very good
dAy!"
Was ou. OF the shed, up the road, aud away.
Had the woman heard the laugh ring out
When the story was told that night, no doubt
Her faith in the churm she would hardly have
kept;
But hearing nAuetl, she believed and slept.
Years afterward in that same town
There lived u bishop Of much renown;
Wise theoiogians spoke his fame,
And the little children loved his n;ame.
B,: one sad day Li4o bishop fell ill,
And the news spread abroad, us such news
will:
One s,1id 10 another, with tear or sigh
s'Nu1hinr can save ilinl--olr bishop must die Z.
LII his sunlit chamber, Smiling and calm
as Il chlia UNCONSCIOUS OF aught to harm,
The sufferer waited with heart OF peace
Patiently waited for Deaths release.
The fearjul swelling chat stopped his speech
yhc skill oi ,he doctors could not reach,
1t 1..ki n II
And the shadows were falling Still aud gray.
OF usucdeu a voice outside was heard
And the sick mun's memory strangely stirred
IS woman entered, bent and old,
Making her way with assurance bold.
che paused moment, then stopping low
She marked circle, with finger slow,
Across the carpet, around the bed,
From head To tUOt. and from foot to head:
Aud then, in the circle She had traced
She hobbJeu abound with eager haste:
And why ''mlu EeryitCrs strong and stout,
Did nobody venture to put her out?
An why, no man ol them ever could tell,
But each seemed holden, SIS 10y IL spell
While the woman. in voice. now high, now low,
Sang the student rhyme of long ago:
"Herc u suffering animal lies,
Faithful, ttusty, and true;
Ii he lives he ives-~if he dies, he dies;
And nothi,lt! more can do ~
.rhen she piped, i'll the soue OF an Old cracked
hell,
II HOPE: the bishop vii! now set well!'
But the words her lips had scarcely left,
When the air with Il quick. sharp cry was
cleft
It RAM. Though the hamber, it rang through
the hail,
Up sprang the attendants, Que and all;
They stared ut the sick inan. perplexed,
nuluzcd
Was the dying bishop suddenly crazed?
He laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks,
And wonder of wonders--"ue speaks! he
speaks
All. the woman had reached with her charm
and crutch,
What the surgeons lancet failed TO touch.
1.-The swelling is broken" the doctors avowed,
AS they clustered together g joyous crowd
In tiny cot on the edge of the town,
A little old woman, in SercIljef and gown,
Recounts for the hundredth time the tale
Which never TO hergrows ole or stale,
With many a flourish OF wirhcred arm,
Of the COW, and the bishop, ant potent charm.
'',ro think" she says to the aged croues, .
lat lest can rest my poor Old bones,
And never thought to the future give,
But know that in plenty ever shall live!
A wonderful man, you must allow
God bless the bishop, and rny new COW y
Townsend.