The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-03-20
lNontinued.l

soldier, whom the people called the vet.
Gran. A thin, yellow complexioned
why man, with one foot slightly lame
on account Of wounds received ia the
Crimean war Paddy was the beloved
Of the village, and whenever he an
peared there we're the children crowd
ing at his heels or drawn up in mar
tial array behind him, much to the
disgust Of his better half, Catty, who
used to scold the little brats for so
fussfng about her Paddy. Many a sum
Iner's evening IN the good old past have
made one of the throng that used to
congregate upon the old bridge on the
outskirts of the village, and the centre
of attraction for all Of us, old and
young, was the veteran, and I well re-
member how we listened with bated
breath to his recital of the gallant
deeds Of the Crimea- With the right
hand clenched and eyes in which blazed
all the fire OF battle, he would break
out into such speech as this:
Twas not thin the long artillery
boys. that did the work no. tell yez.
twas the grit and the baynit. yes the
baynit, he added, with a fierce grip of
his stick, and a fierce look around
There we wor freeezin wud cowld an
starvation. not carin' wan straw for the
big shells as they burst around us.
waitin', only waitin' for the sortee an
the charge, an whin il came | tell yez,
boys, twas the baynit did the work
All, an the takin' ov the Maly5off
twas a, grand affair entirely. There
was McMahn an his little fellows wud
their peaked caps an baggy breeches
an as they charged up the heights The
tears came into me eyes. for / seq to
meself tbs the last will ever see ov
thin. Wud cheer they wint up, an
the sight viii never lave me mind; they
won the heights. they stormed the Ma
lyl1off, the Rushin flag was hauled
down, an, me boys, l tell yez the Rush
ms wor brave min, for though repulsed
they charged again but McMahin held
his own an held it wud the baynit. an
Thin the word was STINT to him to re-
trate because ov a mine benAith the
tower. his answer was, Here l be, an |
here remain
The F'rinch wor CRATE min put in |
Phil Mcguire, an iv we had a. regiment |
or two ov thin here we'd free ould Ire |
land
WED free her ourselves" thundered |
Paddy, hitting the bridge with his
stick. If we'd only join hands an pull
together. Yis. we fight for other coun-
tries an win their independence. .
Gifted wished as I charged wud the Irish
boys around me on foreign field that
we wor charging for the ould land al
home. IT'S the spot for US to die. as the
poet says.
4 wish twas in Ireland, For there's
the place."
Said Burke, that we'd die by right.
In the cradle of our soldier race,
After one good stand up fight.
Ny grandfather fell on Vinegar Hill,
And fighting was not his trade.
But his rusty pixies in the cabin still,
With Hessian blood on the blade.
Aye. ave-" said Kelly, the pixies were
great.
When the word was clear the way
We were thick on the roll, in ninety T.,
Kelly and Burke and Skea !
Well, he's to the pike, and the sword
and the like"
Said Kelly and Burke and Shea.
All here's TO the pike. it's me favor
lie weapon" echoed Jim Scully. MAX q
ing prod with a fork handle at the |
vail of the old bridge. why can't 4
there be a risin' an thin I'd have lave I
70 drive ould Death on Wires out on a
he country and Jim glances with \
onging and non-loving look at Ryan, v
he peeler. patroling before the bar F
'ack, a quarter of a mile away 4
/
Many a summers evening passed in
his wise. and when the veteran, owing
o age, could not walk as far as the
bridge. we would be sure to come to his q
louse, and there hear him relate his u
Varlike exploits, or listen to his views \
IN the political situation. Great was our =
orrow and regret when one evening. It IL
vas in December. Catty. the veterans
wife, informed US that Paddy was all
n. got cowld in his back maneuvring
or yeZ out in the damp, an he's in bed D
low. ! put plasted ov linsade on his "
ack, an mustered his feet. an iv he &C
oesn't get better I'll call on Doctor te
ierald for a bottle, bud I'll wait yit al
while, for troth don't behave much in al
him same bottles an Father Tom in
ovid We yesterday to swate it out ov VI
i'm" m
1 remember how much disappointed W
'e were at the news. for Paddy's dear in
Id familiar figure was loved by all of ia
S, and his warlike voice was the DIR
Weetest sound to our ears. The DAYS da
assed and the veteran grew worse, for ID
Id age cannot be built up again into dr.
outh. Doctor Gerald was called in and If
Id what he could for Paddy. and when ar
atty questioned him about his patient 60
e wisely shook his head and said: eli
Paddy is an old man, Mrs. Doolin, and
is was a long day
The neighbors called every day to see
i'm. and I call to mind the words he
sed TO say to US as we stood around Al
IS bedside: G..
TN rale glad to see yez. the sight wa
! yez does me a power ov good. bud I in
el I'm goin' soon to give in me gun.
I'd shure, glory be TO God. He gave
e a long day. an I'm contint 20 so,
ough it's hard to lave the ould place ide
L the ould neighbors. an our revolu- of
inns an manuvrin. Re
You'll get better, Paddy" came our S95
ices in chorus. or
No, me boys, I feel the cowld ov or
ath in me bones bud shure we wor Sill
ade for the beyond, as Father Tom ma
VS.. an what Father Tom doesn't an,
low nobody knows. He was AKIN me Sal
/ make a win, an ! said that what
Is in II whit to Catty, wud the excep-
un ov me ould bacca box, an l said =,
at willed that to me frind, Jim Soul M
he's to do the drillin' an manurin' -, ilc-
: yeZ whin I'm gone. bud Father Tom NJ
ISN'T complimentary to yeh, jim" t-o
Wasn't he. Paddy" asked the latter, -
ewing a straw. 80
No, whin ! towld him about the bac- nj,
box he laughed an said, 'Ye wor a cir,
seal an that he'd bet bit ov bread
I weren't at yer Aister duty yit.'
amongst those who called to see Pad
was a certain Colonel --. who u