Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-17
HARVEST FESTIVAL
Last Night of St Patrick'S Fair
 -Matinee TO-MOrrOW.

|
 guests of St Thomas Cadets. The
 feast was most imposing to behold;
 the tables were trimmed so artistical-
 ly and the eatebles looked so invit-
 ing that it would be a great tempta-
 tion to be able to resist from eating
 heartily. The writer did not take
 supper with them, but as everything | looked so lovely she was tempted to
 ask for an invitation, but with great
 will power she resisted this impulse,
 as she might be thought forward. | The Viands, meat. vegetables, fruit,
 and those dear little pumpkins and
 corn, and potatoes and onions, and
 carrots and turnips and cabbage,
 seemed to vanish before their on-
 slaught as if it were Finn McCool
 who was taking his daily meal, or
 they seemed to vanish as if the oma- dawn Shawn Rua was at the table
 and everybody knows, you might as | we'll be putting food into Tubber Derg, which had no bottom as into
 Shawn Rua, in fact, the food vanish ed as smoke before a powerful wind or the same as the mist disappeared i before the rising of the sun this beau- tiful morning. This goes to prove the capabilities of the housekeepers | of St Patrick's as also the good ap- petites of those who were at the
 table. I have been taking notes and
 am really surprised to see that many of the people of St Patricks have
 made themselves conspicuous by their absence It seems like as if
 they performed some mean action, and were ashamed or afraid to meet each other, it puts one in mind of the story of Johnny MOhun and the
 churn. It happened in the county Meath, just sixty-two years ago, and I will tell it to you as I read it in
 the Irish Monthly at that time. It was a grand, fine night, and the moon queening it over everything with her full, proud, naughty face, and sailing along so calm and easy that you forgot all about the heat
 and hurry of he day, and you took long breaths and began to look about
 you and see how lovely the sky, and fields and roads looked. We'll, it
 wasn't cool poor Johnny Mohun was feeling at all There he was struggl- ing along the white road at mid night, and carrying a big, new churn home to Molly. When he'd get tired of carrying it then he'd put it down and work it along the bottom from side to side. But that was slow
 work and it was very late. To be Lo hours ago, in crder to go to harv- est festival with Molly, but he stopped in at a public house, to take sup of whiskcy and have a chat,
 and forgot all about the time.
 He was getting along finely now, only feeling a bit ashamed when he | thought of poor Molly waiting for
 him all this time, to go to the festi- val, and not knowing but that some thing might have happened to him. when the sight nearly left his eyes. For there, coming along the road, was a whole troup of little men dressed in black and silver, about the size from your wrist to your el- bow, and they were carrying some thing with lights on it.
 Poor Johnny stood stock still in the middle of the road. Well for him it was that they were coming along slowly, for he had just time to think what to do. Off he took the lid of the churn. and in with him like a flash into it, with the lid on top of him. Then up came the little men with their coffin and stopped at the churn and crowded around it. There were about thirty of them. and they had clear, shrill voices, and were talking in Irish like mad.
 Who's in this?" said they, mak- ing a great racket and hitting the sides of the ChIrn.
 One of them said, "Oh, would it be only Johnny Mohun."
 Johnny Mohun is it? Come out, Johnny Mohun. Come out, Johnny Mohun." they all cried
 But Johnny didn't come out, and there wasn't I sound within the churn only tine quick breathing of him.
 Are you there, Johnny" they cried out then. But not a word did Johnny say. Then the fairies began to laugh at Inc thought of the great big man keeping so quiet there in the church. and not a sound out of him at all. And when they laughed it was like the sweet tinkling of gold and silver bells, and anyone that ever hears them laugh has always kind of music in his heart after wards. Well, when they had done laughing, they put the coffin, with lighted candles on it and all on top of the churn. and poor Johnny shiy- | cred more than ever.
 What will we do with him?" said they. Shall |e pull him out and make him come with us and dig the grave?"
 They couldn't make up their | minds for while, but the laughing had put them in good temper. and one of them sid: Wen let him be. He's a decent man. this Johnny Mohun, and if he's a bit of a coward when he has a supper in, he's a wise 1 man not to light with us anyway. Then there's his wife Molly. and the baby. and if Te take him away with us tonight he'll not he the same man afterwards. because he isn't one of the living peoGle that have some of our nature in them and that look at us and talk Io us without harm. This man would die. maybe. and there would be no use in that
 ''TheTe'd be no use in that" they all echoed. Thnn they tnok the rnffn