The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-11-21
IRISH CHARACTER SKETCHES,
The Village Blacksmith.
(ContinuedO


and the other villages for miles around
are discussed. y is a low. long. badly.
matched building, with a large square
aperture in the roof which serves as 9
chimney. The entrance to the forge
is rather wide, with two half doors
hung at either side When those doors
are closed, you cannot discern what
material they are made of on account
of the numerous plaeards that stud
them over. These plgcards are OF
every size and colour and at the top OF
each you read such wording as these:
Auction of Lands in Lots to Suit Pur-
chasers,' Grazing Farm to Let,
Great Land League Demonstration in
kilkee," Order for MuZzling Dogs. "
etc. Immediately outside the door is a
circle Of stone embedded in the ground
and raised about foot high .above it,
FOR shoeing wheels, and around strewn
ln all directions are scraps Of lold iron.
plows, harrows and hay rakes. We
enter into the forge and in the glowing
light Of the fire we see the village
blacksmith. and Immediately the lines
OF Longfellow occur TO us:
The smith a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands.
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.
His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
His face is like the tan.
His brow it wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate'er he can.
And looks the whole world in the face
For he owes not any man
He is a man over six feet. and built
IN proportion, with n coal-black beard
and Slightly bald on the forehead. He
salutes you with "A fine day this
glory be to Cod and thrusts the shoe
which he has been beating on the anvil
back again into the glowing fire To
look at him you would imagine he is
not given much to talking, but Jim
Scully will tell you that "Shemus Cow
or to give him his full name, James
Patrick Koran, would talk the whole
louise of commons out of their boots
There is no gainsaying that Shemus is
master of his profession. but beyond
that his knowledge is very limited
though TO contradict his opinion on
any subject would be rank heresy, and
hence in all matters pertaining to the
welfare of the village he thinks he
should be consulted. When anything
about which his advice was not taken
went wrong. he would tap the anvil
with his hammer two or three times
saying as he did So
Man alive, I towld yez it wud be so,
for I haven't a head on me for moth
ing. Shemus was q prominent member
of the local branch of the Irish Land
League. every meeting of which he
conscientiosly attended, and he always
wore, when he went there his badge
Of membership pinned to the breast of
his coat When at those meetings any
matter of importance was discussed
the chairman would nod his head in
the direction of Shemus and say, Now
before we come to a decision on this
point. let US hear the opinion of James
Patrick Koran" always the full title.
Shemus would then give his views, al
ways a little different from the views
of the other members. but towards the
conclusion of his remarks he would
say. with a self-sacrificing wave of the
hand, amidst chorus of applause,
Though 1 differ from yez in a few
pints. in the name / agree with yez.
Me principles are Faynian principles,
wud a little mixture in thin ov the re-
publican. Mister Chairman, ] sit down
on me moshun. bud not before l bend
me head to the decishun ov the major
ity." ''Shemus manages to be always
right remarked Jim Scully, for yeh
see " the majority is right. he's right,
an iv the majority is wrong, he's right
still. for he made his loophole be diff
FERN from them in the few pints, the
crate Bismarck wudn't be in it wud
him"
In the village there was fife and
drum band, and Shemus was the leader
of it. At his house the instruments
We're kept. and on state occasions.
such as Land League meetings or cleo
ton days. he walked proudly in front
or the band with a green ribbon
around his hat, and a green sash hung
on his shoulder. and a tall staff in his
hand, which he swayed in all direc-
tions. The bands range of music was
very limited. some four or five popular
airs, with the very often repeated
''Patrick's Day. But Shemus did not
think so, for when Father Tom ques-
toned him on the musical powers of
his band, Shemus drew himself up
proudly and placing one hand on his
hip, answered:
Yer riverince, we can play almost
anything in raison. from The Wind
that Shakes the Barley to Middle
johns (Mendelshons) e'Weddin'
March. - Biddy his wife imagined the
sun arose out of Shemus head, and
she always called him Gladstone the
Second" When she saw HON proudly
marching at the head of his band. her |
eyes would sparkle with delight. and |
addressing those standing by she |
would say: There's me Gladstone the |
Second for yez; he's born laider ov
min, an may 1 niver die until l see
him spakin' across the flure ov Col |
Butt, no, nor Shawneen Dowd "a poor |
law guardian noted for his ridiculous
speeches) cudn't how'd a farthin' can
oil to him. an maybe its prime min
lister ov ROshia they'll want TO make |
ov him, yez cudn't tell until after"
No. indade yeh cudnt, Biddy, came |
a chorus of voices in answer. bud any
way, yeh ought to be the prowd wo
man to own him." and then Jim Soul
lys voice would be heard saying: ''I
always tOwld yez, James Patrick Koran
Wud wan day be king Ov Tfmbuctooh."
Git out wud yeh, yeh name scut,
would be Biddy's irate answer. What
does the likes ov you know about the
king of Timbuctooh. bud all yeh want.
Jim Scully, is to make little ov the dig
nifty ov me man. i see Shemus on an
evening in early autumn. He is just
after heading a little cock of hay in
his own garden. and is waiting on the
top OF the cock for the rope to be
thrown up. Five or six of the neighbors
are standing round, including Jim Soul
~. The latter, taking his pipe from
his mouth and pointing the shank of it
I'D at Shemus. says: James Patrick,
as we're so ilivated. yeh may as well
give us the spaich.' Now. Shemus had
q cy,ean1 rr-bicb no was never fired of