The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-04-03
IRISH CHARACTER SKETCHES.

1t is a bitter cold evening. one OF
those evenings in January with the
snow a foot high on the ground, and d
biting east wind that penetrateS right
through you The fire blazes cheerilY
in the CRATE, and / feel quite happy as
! contrast the cold outside with the
warmth and cOziness of an Irish kitch-
en-. Seated on a stool, / was endeavor-
ing TO translate my apportioned task
ten lines of Euripides-for the morrow,
not a very easy thing to do / assure
YOU, but the fear of the cane eXerts a
wholesome influence on boys mind.
and of the two evils ! choose the least
so engaged was ] with my task that !
never hear the kitchen door open, and
/ was thoroughly frightened whenI saw
dark shadow in the light of the fire
jumped up from my stool, and as I
did so a low laugh broke from my Wis
itor, and the words. Don't be fright
ened awe shure it's only me, an OH
laws OV man. bud it's warns here" and
the speaker runs over TO the fire and
kneeling before il, spreads out his two
hands over the blaze. remarking as he
did so:
'Yere larnin' yer lesson. are yeh? I
met the bishop Yesterday, an he axed
me the cathecisnl, an whin I answered
him right, he gave he d two shillin
piece an said, | tell yeh what, Tom
we're the most laTned man l ever .kem
across. that he wondered me head
didn I burst wud all that was in it, He
gave me this coat, too, an isn't ii
grand? 1t fits me to T. only it's q lit
tie too long" and the poor creature
pats the lappels of the coat with a smile
Of satisfaction
Yes, Tenn / said. the coat is surely
YOU nov the bishop must think a lot
about you
lie thinks the world an Asah Minor
about me. an the raison is. becase I'm
MT afraid ov him. 1 danced for him
yesterday, an sang a song"
What song did You sling, Tom ,"
] forget now whether il was.
Little 30 Peep, he lost a sheen.
And didn't know where to find him.
Let him alone an he will come home
An he'll carry his tail behind him.
'or me other CRATE wan:
Bryan OLynn had no breetches to
wear.
1 bought him a sheepskin to make
Wud the woolly side out an tbe
fleshy side in,
They're nate, cool an handsome.
says Bryan OLynn'
Anyway, ! sang wan or other ov !
THIN, an maybe the two, an Father |
Tom said to the bishop whin I had !
done, that me singing bate the circus |
music to bits. bud, see here, | know |
where there's two ducks, they lighted |
talIghted) whin I was comm over to |
yer house on Nulty's pool: get the gun
an come wud me an lave yer lessons
in the drawer
It's too cold, Tom. for us to 90 out.
Just SIT there and give yourself good
warming. Ny mother is upstairs and
When she comes down she will get YOU
something TO eat"
All, your mother God bless her is
always kind to Tom," and the hands
again seek the blaze, the head stoops
Just a little at first. then more. until
finally it sinks almost on the breast and
poor Tom is fast asleep.
Innocent Tom had no home. and his
native place none could tell. Some TWEEN
ey years before, footsore and weary. he
came into the village and, finding rest
and shelter and kind hearts. kinder
perhaps and more sympathetic than
ever nc met IN his wanderings, he set
tied down in the village that 7 write
absut He was about 50 wears of 400
thih as a whipping post with a slight
stoop IN his shoulders A vacant smile .
constantly lit up his thin, sallow face. !
ana When he spoke to you the hands
we're continually twitching. His usual e
sitlt was a kind of a jog trot. and a !
Journey OF forty miles in the day was }
only exercise TO him. His clothes hing :
m all directions on him. for thew wore /!
the casio suits of the local :
ana neighboring clergy, for there was :
20, d priest within radius of sixty
nies nut knew Innocent Tom. His i,
aVorlte topic of conservation was the | i
lergy' ana he took evident delight in
'ecounting to his hearers the great
opinion they had of him and the many !
ways they complimented him unon his =
knowledge of all subjects. and especiaI- !,
Y on his clear insight of religion and II
politics. 9iOii anu a
rather Tom consulted me Yesterday =
Is 10 whether he should sind money 70 !
ne irish party. l towld him to sind If =
ne wished TO be wan ov me frinds. -
, Rather Dan from Ballyvournah axe5 v
ne should he Civ money to tramps, am :
SAID TO him, it depinds' He knew =.
ne naming at wanst, an now whin -
meet nm, he gives me half a crown =,
instead oV shillin, an all because. nv y y
ne judgment. II
Father Denis took me wud him Wis u
erday to shoot, for he said I was +be -
est ne ever knew at finding birds. that -
q ma thin on top ov the steeple ov =.
When I found Father MATHS erav- III
ound for him agin, he towId me that .,
had eyes i'm the back ov me head. AM ~
nat ~ l was a peeler I'd be ALWAYS :.
him. 0S'i Uiii X
innocent Tom would go on with sucb -
sinarks Tor hours at stretch if he had =,
listener During the summer months ~
ON earned his living by working with W
re ulHerent farmers. and esneciaIIv ~
uIlng the hay-making season his ser1,- f
es were called very much into reoui- - -.
ton, not indeed that he was anv nsa %
working, but he carried the men tbai, -
inner, and ran on many messages If SSG
ulu work at the haymaking tba %
Imer who employed him took speciaI ~,
ire 10 apportion out his work fo, him -
lar corner Of the field away from ~ ~
le other men, for if he worked with ~
em' ne was in their way and kent ny ny
eh IDLE or laughing with his stories a.
10 queer methods of expression In "a "a
e winter time he attended the vari- ~
Is nunt meetings around the country, 80
10 by catching and holding the gen -. ~
.lIeil horses many a half crown 81,
una It's way into his pocket When ~ ~,
was not at the hunt meetings Won ~.
morally found him engaged snar i,,e- ii ~,
ruS or "a bbitS and he ,.-as -, 80 Oli