Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-16
THE BIG DRUNK DRAF.

We're gOln ONE, we're gO1n ONE
Our ship is at the shore,
An you mus pack your 'aversack
For we won't come back no more.
Ho, don't you grieve for NE.
My lovely Mary Ann,
For I'll marry you yet on fourp'ny bit,
AS a time expired ma-a-anl
BEDROCK Room Ballad.
An awful thing has happened My
friend, Private Mulvaney, who went
home in the Scraps, 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 of coolies for old
sake's sake. The pay was eighty-fve
rupees month, and Dinah Shadd said
that if Terence did not accept she
would make his life s'blasted purga-
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 1
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
helped. He was standing upon trolly
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 MuIvaney.
'Cud you tell that was liver martial
man? Don't answer, sorr, ay you're
stralnln' betune complement an a lie.
There's no holdin' Dinah Shadd now
she's got house av her own. Go in
side, an drink tay out av chinv III the
dirrawin' room, an thin We'll dhrink
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 iver do for you onless you run
Get out, an 90 on pillin' UP the earth,
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
yet [ don't know. IT'S hard to be
something We niver were an niver
meant to be, an all the ould days shut
I'm CROWN, rusty, an tbs the will av
God that man mustn't serve his quane
for time an ALL
He helped himself to a fresh peg, and
sighed furiously.
7'Let your beard grow, Mulvaney,"
said |, "and then you won't be troubled
with those notions. You'll be real
civilian"
Dinah Shadd had confided to me in
Mulvaney into letting his beard grow.
Twas SO civilian-Hke," said poor
Dinah, who hated her husbands hank
ering for his old life
'Dinah Shadd, you're a disgrace to an
hOnust, lane-scraped man ~ said Null
yaney, without replying to me. "Grow
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 | wud be tor
minted wild an outrajis thurrst, for
there's nothin' so dhryin' to the throat
as big billy-goat beard wagging I'M
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's much better forgotten. He bein'
civilian now, an you niver was aught
else. Can you not let the army rest?
IT'S not good for Terence"
took refuge by Mulvaney, for Dinah
Shadd has temper of her own.
"Let be-let be-" said Mulvaney.
&c IT'S only wanst in a way l can talk
about the old days" Then to me: aye
say Dhrumsthicks is well, an his lady
tn? l niver knew how liked the gray
garron till [ was shut av him and Asia, "
OuIu11ctIlCh6 W do UIlC DlChudlAC VI
the colonel commanding Mulvaney's
old regiment ''Will you be seem him
again? You will Thin tell him.
Mulvaney's eyes began to twinkle, ''tell
him wild Privit--"
'Mr. Terence" interrupted Dinah
Shadd.
''Now the divil an his angels an the
armament of hiven fly away wild the
mister, an the sin av' maxim me swear
be on your confession, Dinah Shadd !
Privit, | tell we. Wild Privit Mulvaney's
best obedience, that but for me the last
time-ekpired wud be still pullin' hair on
their way to the sea-"
He threw himself back in the chair,
chuckled, and was silent.
"Mrs. Mulvaney," l said, "please take
up the whisky and don't let him have it
until he has told the story"
Dinah Shadd dexterously whipped
the bottle away, saying at the same