Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1890-07-19

a
AS a time-expired ma-a-an!
--BdTrOc& Room Ballad.
An awful thing has happened My
friend, Private Mulvaney, who went
home in the Serapis time expired, not
very long ago, has come back to India
as civilian 1t was all Dinah Shadd's
fault. She could not stand the poky
little lodgings, and she missed her serv-
ant Abdullah more than words could
tell. The fact was that the Mulvaneys
had been out here too long, and had
lost touch of England.
Mulvanev knew contractor on one
of the new Central India lines, and
wrote to him for some sort of work.
The contractor said that if Mulvaney
could pay the passage he could give
him command OF gang ofcoolles for old
sakes sake The pay was eighty-tiye
rupees month, and Dinah Shadd said
that if Terence did not accept she
tory" Therefore the Mulvaneys came
out as "civilians," which was a great
and terrible fall; though Mulvaney
tried to disguise it by saying that he
was "Kernel on the railway line, an a
consequinshal man."
He wrote me an invitation on tool
indent form to visit him, and |
came down to the funny little econ
struction" bungalow at the side Of the
line. Dinah Shadd had planted peas
about and about, and nature had spread
all manner of green stuff about the
place. There was no change in Null
Vaney except the change in rainment
which was deplorable, but could not be
bnlnnI 10 was star dino unpp a troIlv
haranguing a gangman, and his shout
ders were as well drilled and his big,
thick chin was as clean shaven as
ever
"I'm civilian now" said Mulvaney.
'Cud you tell that | was liver a martial
man? Don't answer, sOrr, ay you re
strainin betune complement an lie
There's no holdin' Dinah Shadd now
she's got house av her own. Go in
side, an dhrink tay out av chiny in the
dirrawin' room, an thin we'll drink
like Christians undher the tree here.
Scutt, we naygur folk ! There's Sahib
come to call on me, an that's more than
he'll liver do for you onless you run !
Get out, an go on pillin' up the EARTH
quick, till shutdown"
When we three were comfortably set
tied under the big sisham in front of the
bungalow and the first rush of ques-
tons and answers about Private
Ohtheris and Learoyd and old times
and places had died away Mulvaney
said, refectively: "Glory be, there's
no p rade tomorrow an no bunheaded
Corp'ril-bhoy to give you his lip. An
ye l don't know. Ills hard to be
something we niver were an niver
meant to be, an all the ould days shut
up along wild your papers. Myah !!
Pm CROWN, rusty, an tbs the will av
God that a man mustn't serve his quane
for time an ALL"
He helped himself to a fresh peg, and
sighed furiously.
''Let your beard grow, Mulvaney,"
said |, ''and then you won't be troubled
with those notions. You'll be q real
civilian"
Dinah Shadd had confided to me in
the drawing-room her desire to coax
Mulvaney into letting his beard grow.
"'Twas so ciyilian-like," said poor
Dinah, who hated her husbands hank
ering for his old life
'Dinah Shadd you're disgrace to an
honust clane-scraped mann' said Null
vaney, without replying to me. 'Grow
a beard on your own chin, darlint, and
lave my razors alone. They're all that
stand betune me and dis-res-spectabili-
ty Av / didn't shave l wud be tor
nlllGcu WIZ all OutTaJlS lnuFTSl, lOT
there's nothin' SO dhryin' to the throat
as big billygoat beard wagging I'M
dher the chin. We wud'nt have me
drink always, Dinah Shadd? BY the
same token, you're kapin me crool
dhry now. Let me look at that whis
ky"
The whisky was lent and returned,
but Dinah Shadd, who had been Just as
eager as her husband in asking after old
friends, rent me with
81 take shame for you, sorr, comm
down here-though the saints know
you're as welkim as the daylight whin
you do come-an' upsetting Terence's
head wild your nonsense about-about
fwhat much better forgotten. He bein'
a civilian now, an you niyer was aught
else. Can you not let the army rest ?
Ills not good for Terence"
took refuge by Mulvaney, for Dinah
Shadd has a temper of her own.
tLet be-let be-" said Mulvaney
{" IT'S only wanst in way | can talk
about the old days" Then to me: eye
say Dhrumsthicks is we'll, an his lady
tn? | niver knew how liked the gray
garron till was shut av him and Asia, +"
-''Dhrumsthicks" was the nickname of
the colonel commanding Mulvaney's
old regiment "Will YOU be seem him
again You will Thin tell him !"
Mulvancy's eyes began to twinkle, "tell
him wild Privit--''
"Mr. Terence" interrupted Dinah
Shadd.