The silver messenger., 1907-03-12

creatin' full and plenty throughout
the country, Patsy Rogan was
blacksmith living all by his lee-alone
In a little cabin at the cross roads In
Mullinafad
He was, one night dhrawin' on mid
night, sittin' in his bare soles by the
fire, after he had put from him his
shoes and socks. and was smoking his
last pipe as he warmed his toes afore
turning into bed-of all nights in the /
year it was Hallow eve night-on |
which the fairies wander most and
have the greatest power-when Pat
sy hears, coming over the hard road
| without, the sound of pony gallop-
ing at odious rate, an with one
shoe clinkin', clinkin' as it come.
The galloping suddenly stopped fair
in front of his own house, and
horse whinnied, and hurried step
came to the door, and then the knock
of some one in mighty haste entirely,
and a voice said:
PATSY Rogan, is 1t in bed you are
or out of it?"
Me brave Patsy was at the door
in a jiffy, and had it opened, and was
looking out in the dark, and re-
plying: 'In troth, and it's out OF II
/ am. Won't you step in and light
your pipe, whoever you are, an tell
me what / can do for your"
mo, no." said the voice in the dark
without, 81 have no time for that /
am on a life and death arrant, an
my pony is losing his shoe, and can
not carry me farther without it's fas-
tened. Can you bring out candle
and drive a nail in it for me?"
81 can that" said Patsy, running to
the dresser for a candle. "TsVo nails
IL you want them"
Make haste, make haste" says %e
voice, "or I'll be late"
Poor Patsy lost no time till he was
out with a lit candle, and had his
. hammer and his shoe-box out of the
smiddy, ready for his work. And as
the pony was led up to him he was
: habbergasted at the wonderful small
4 size of the little red-haired man, and
the wonderful small size of his pony
too.
Make haste" says the little man
saws he. Make haste, or I'll be late
:. Not If / can help it, my good
: man." says Patsy, says he, an he hat
:. the animals right fore foot betwee1
his knees fore We could say knife
= an was fittin' into the shoe tn
finest nails he could pick from hi
box.
He finished fixin' the shoe, an
Nov, me man, says he, drcIpin' tn
pony's foot, that shoe II carry yo
a good hundred miles without bott
erin another blacksmith.
9TH need to-" says the little re
fellow, says he, "for that's the di;
lance l have to cover between no.
an an hour after midnight. Ho'
much is the damage?" says he.
me charger" says Patsy, says hi
"For what would l be maxim
charger" says he, then, scornfull
that way, for Patsy was a manly fe
low. rs it to charge strangers that
late on the road, for dhrivin' fe
nails in a loose shoe, / would? Don
speak about charges if you don
mean to offend me, but jump on yol
horse, poor fellow; for if you are Q
life and death arrant, and have
hundred miles to make afore an hol
after midnight, / admire your grit
says he, 'but pity your plight, an
wish to Cod" says he, that evel
all dozen miles of them was only one
m When Patsy mentioned the nam
DO he noticed that the little fellow star
. ed, and trembled to his toes, anC
Don't mention that name" says b
"as you pity me-" This took squa
rise out of Patsy, an only he fouI
himself glued to the ground he wou
have staggered. The little fello
Jumped on his pony's back, and pt
ting his hand to his Naistcoat pockC
he drew something from it that il
gled, and threw them on the groul
- at Patsy's feet, and, says he: N
good man, when you are so genero
"a, as to make no charge to strange
~. you will be paid ten fold; there
ten sovereigns, and word of advi
81 with them is, Lose no time getti
,ar them changed"
op PATSY Rogan, you are dece
bat man-decent out of the ordinary, {
I'd be sorry you'd think me short
tbe surly about the affair I'm bent OF
tbe "For long years now, as ye know
,ila says he, the herrings in their thS
IN, sands of shoals have been film I
Irish bays fetchin' with them full a
plenty to the land. and all the VIII
the bays of Scotland have been fl
less; and on account of how thin
nel have been, the fairies of Ireland we
b glad and happy. and all the fair
of Scotland were unhappy and je
owe GUS, and their jealousy grew grea
OF and greater, bitterer and bitter
year by year, till now it has Co
to the breakin' point, and they hs
declared war upon the Irish fair
how for the possession of the herring fl
for cries, and this night there is to
hundred miles from here, gr
urn pitched battle between the fairies
OOH Ireland and the fairies of Scotland
In a battle that will decide for long ye
Her to come whether the herrings will