Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-20

sixteenth century lrlSh bed IN naIl uOIe
and dream, hearing a robin at the casemat-
ed window food the winter morning with
melodious promise of fair weather. But
never sang robin sweeter than came the
Irish notes of melodious good will from
Ellie MadIgan's rosy lips.
] sat bolt upright and stared at the happy
couple, for John Madigan, tall and clean
Shaven, fine as priest and grave as the sly
blade he is, stood behind his fair Ellie, his
two big hands tenderly laid upon her ample
shoulders his lips innocently pursed, but
with thousand twinkles in his solemn, up
raised ewes; Ellie, the while, all attention to
the possible wants of her guest, making
sidewise and backward eloquent passes at
her silent husband ''for the thricks that wor
in him."
Begin yer pardon, sor," continued
Ellie radiantly, 'but We see ould Nell Nor
ris, an a crew O. thin, air sthandin' feminist
the dure, bateiI' each other with their skibs
for first spache, knockin' the sky out wild
their murtherin' WAYS, an sind, sor top O.
the mornin', an God bliss an save We the
day an night, an will We kindly have, for
the gift O. thin. pair O. the heartsomest
two-eved beefsteaks that liver come for
slventy-an' '-siven year by hand O. Claddagh
min?'
Two-EYED BEEFSTEAKS.
How pretty she looked, and how proud
John was as she delivered this great speech!
But ! was half in and half out of bed, con-
tronted bya woman and quandary. What,
in the name OF Irish tradition, were two
eyed beefsteaks?" In temporization lay my
only escape; for could hear the importu-
nate voices of the honest tiShwives below,
rising shrill and shrlller up the winding
stairway; knew that their gaunt forms
would follow at the first impulse; and so 1
asked Mrs. Madigan to kindly convey my
best love to ancient and odorous Nell Morris
and her friends; bestow thousand thanks
for their surprising gilt; and hint to them
how glad l would be would they wash down
those thanks with bottle or two of what
ever might turn on their tap of joy-tor
drinking is regarded by the lowlv of ireland
as THAT blissed divarsion that kills gIief and
rises cheer''-to be set down against my
slender reckoning. Ellie shook with laugh
ter on her way down, and the old inn fairly
trembled from her cumbrous descent. On
her arrival al the bar there instantly arose
furious battle of hilarious tongues; and in
the temporary hush and privacy this imposed
in my apartment,1 / whisperingly appealed to
John Madigan, between man and man as it
were, while as free from the embarrassing
presence of "the SEX as Mr.. Wegg longed
10 be when the hard words stood giant-like
in his mental path. Hs-was still standing
where Ellie lad left him in my open door, a
rosy picture of tolerative, superlative COM
placence. Heswould not face me, and l
feared the worst. He gaZed fxedlv at the
ceiling-edge, raising and falling with gentle
modesty upon his toes and soles, his hands
deprecatingly together, opening and closing
in easy sympathy from finger-tips to wrists,
and his capacious jowls gradually distend.
ing from ears 20 pursed llps Finally he
doubled and exploded in one of those wild
Irish whoops which is hardly shrek, not
quite a yell, something less than laugh,
but immeasurably more than ali four to-
gether; and it was in this condition that
Ellie, out of breath but agile as a whirlwind,
found him and clapped her two true,
tremendous hands upon his exposed back
with far resounding whacks. Like fash
they stood facing each other, severe,
naughty, awful, in their affectionate and
anxious alarm.
A RARE JOKE.
'God bless us an save u.s. phat's the mat
ter wild you?" exclaimed Ellie, looking
sternly into John Madigan's gray ewes.
God bless an save us! the same to YOU,
Misthress Madigan!' retorted the husband,
looking searchingly into Elie's blue and
tender eyes.
"Och, blissed etarnity! TUX ye for gone
in the fits
"By the eleveusi an so I wor, mo grin
chree (my hearts sgnshine). 'Twor thin
beetsteaks. The gintleman guv me the
whisper av 'emr'
Then the roar they both set up, treble and
base in all scales, tones and runs, silenced
the roaring of river Corrib through Galway
town; and Ellie, gasping, gargling, shaking,
and half singing it all in indescribably
melodious tones-the two in half embrace
swaying back and forth like innocent,
happy children-revealedt the mystery.
"Thmts for attn (gurgle and screech).
They're herrin's (smothered whoop). Gal
way rashers (giggle and sqirm). Fatter
nor bishops; wild butther-grase like Limerick
sausage; and swate beyant all attn as
heather bloom (gasps of merrimentG. An
We didn't know thin? Well, now, rally!
Oh Uncomfortable laughter from both), an
what aisy gomS thin Americans do be!''
Then with laughter-shaken courtesies and
fnger-tossed kisses, the happy, loving pair
laughed themselves below; from whence di-
rectly foated ripples of merriment, sweet as
the melodies Of Irish brooks; and orders of
grilling Galway ''two-eyed beefsteaks,"
delicate as that of heather bells indeed
And While L still lev there in the kind,
quaint place, contemplation of the surpass-
ing fidelity and content in our good worlds
simple and lowly places, while the robin
sang his 1air-weather promise in the case
mated window, was imperceptibly wrought
into these humble lines:
LOVE, THE SWEET ARTIFICER.
What is that sweet artifcer
That even in old Ireland's savage West
Builds into rugged walls such tender nest: