The Irish standard., 1895-07-13

y RRp Isl PRoPRIETo1Rs
'IYES; GUILTY
lNugyessas Vetran Struck and Spoke For
lss 81 i Soldiers Sun. n; N.

'ss,SsS Soldiers Sun. M 81.
SSai1 es I'm guilty,' the prisoner said, 5s
4hs lasssys lad his eyes and bowed his head,
I ny AZ OF all the crimes you name;
ISs9h5at this we're lad is not to blame.
M lone who raised the row, !. issl
& Ands Judge, IL yer please. I'll tell yer how.
N Ecu see. this boy is pale and slim:
We calls him saint his ame Is Tim
Il Stt ess lie q preacher in his ways
X ll5 e never drinks, or swears,s OF plays,
! Eut kinder signs and weeps ali day r:
'IpEould break your heart to hear him
affsSss33 pray g8 ,s,gs. H 4.Ss N
{ Why, sir, many and many night
I W hen grub was scarce and was tight,
NO food, no fire, no light to see,
\ When home was hell, If hell there be, 90
4 We seen that. boyin darkness kneel
And pray such words as cut like steel;
Which somehow warmed and litsthe
3&5l 81 room, s.8
And sorter chased away the gloom.
Smile if you must. but facts are facts,
And deeds are deeds and acts are acts:
And though I'm black as sin can be,
His prayers have done a heap for me,
And make me think that God, perhaps,
Sent him on earth to save us chaps.
This man what sQueaIed and pulled us in,
He keeps place called Fiddler's Inn, l
Where fakes, and snides. and laWless
scamps
Connive and plot with thieves and
5yl& tramps. Z
Wei, Tim and me, we didn't know
just what to do or where to: go, e{
And SO we stayed with him last night,
And this Is how we had the fight:
\ They wanted Tim to take a drink, =
4 But he refused, as you may think,
And told them how the flowing bowl ,y
Contained the fire that killed the soul.
/ Drink! Drink! they cried, this foaming
8g beer; sftaf 'E'Esf 't5 g8
Twill make you strong and give you
.g cheer. $3.50, So. ~. 49,
Let preachers groan and pirate of sin,
But give to us the flowing gin!
Then Tim knelt down beside his chair,
And offered up this little prayer: =s'
Help me, dear Lord the child began,
Az down his cheeks the big tears ran,
4 TO keep the pledge gave to you,
And make me strong. and good, and true
I'vesdone my best to do what's right,
But, Lord, I'm sad and weak tonight. q ;
Father, mother, oh plead for me-
Tell Christ long with you to be!'
Get out, you brat, don't pray round
here 5.s%s ~ III tf-
The landlord yelled with rage and fear,
Then like a. brute he hit the lad,
Which made my blood just billing mad.
/ guess must Nv hurt his head,
For l struck hard for the. man that's
dead.
No, he hain't no folks or friends but me:
His dad was killed in sixty-three:
Shot at the front, where bursting shell
Ard cannon sang their song of hell,
And n1uSkets Kissed with fiery reath,
AS brave men fell to their tune Of death.
promised his father before he died,
AS the life blood rushed from his wound
ed side,
I promised him, sir and it gave him JOY,
That I'd protect his darling boy.
/ simply did what his father would, :
And helped the weak, as all men should.
Yes, I knocked him down and blacked
f. his eye,
And used him rough, I'll not deny; .''
But think lit, Judge, a chap like him
Striking the likes of little Tim. t..a..s
If did wrong send me below,
But spare the son of con1rade joe
You forgive him; and me? Oh, no!
"A. fact? God bless you? Come, Tim,
let's go. II. M. Munyon.