The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-02-27
IRISH CHARACTER SKETCHES.

became the peoples hero. and no mat
ter what he asked of them afterwards,
! they We're only too willing to do il. A
few days after this occurrence the
leading people in the village called on
Father Denis to express their thanks
to him for what he had done Amongst
them was Jim Scully and Phil Mcguire,
/ the tailor After the people had eX-
| pressed their praise OF Father Denis.
| Scully approached the priest, and
| drawing a blackthorn from under his
coat, said:
Il AK yer reverence to accept this as a
little mark ov me feelin' towards yeh
! Whin / was maxim ii Cauth NIulready
aXed me, who WAS 1 Sivin' it to, an
! toWld ner it was for yer reference, an
! she laughted an said that the first use
! ov it would be on meself. An [ just
towld her [ didn't mind that ] deem
1t an honor TO get few WhackS from
| yer rlverince, but yer riVeTince," and a
| broad smile overspread Scully's face,
''iv ever yeh use il on me, won't yeh
! pick out a soft place"
! Scully's speech being ended and his
! gift accepted, Phil Mcguire, with many
bows, approached Father Denis and
said:
4. too, your riverince, have little
gift to show what l think ov yeh At
first / was doubtin' ov yer patriotic
principles, bud now [ see they're as
strong as me own, an that's sayin'
CRATE dale. The gift is not much, yer
! riverince," and Phil rendered to the
Curate a stock Il wish it was made
ov gould, bud such as it is, 1 hope yen
| accept it, an 1 hope I'll live to see the
day whin yell be Wearin' a red wan"
bishops wear red or purple stocks.)
Father Denis and the doctor were
bosom friends, and many a good days
shooting they had together. Father
Denis had few equals at the gun or
horse riding. and there was no fence
stiff enough to stop him. He has the
finest hands and the most graceful seat
in the saddle than any man ever saw,
and there's no fear in him." was Dan,
the Huntman's, remark about him.
Father Tom loved the very ground
Father Denis walked on. My curate."
he always called him. When the peo-
pie came with their sorrows and trials
to Father Tom he would kindly grasp
their hand and talk to them as only a
father could, and in the majority of
cases he would press money into their
hands and say at parting: See my
curate and he will make all things
right for you, but you won't work him
too hard, for / don't like to lose him.
1t was a treat to hear Father Denis
preach. There was no lofty. no ideal
style, about him. He explained his
subject in thorough practical man
ner and always strove to impress the
point he was aiming at in such a way
that the simplest and most unedocated
could understand il.
ITO hear him talk" remarked Jim
Scully. 'ye'd swear he knew the very
state ov yer sowl, an he lays his finger
at wanst on yer imperfecshunS, an he
pulls the very sins out ov yeh. / never
cud do a thing out ov the way bud I'd
be towld all about it on the Sunday
afterwards. A man cud trick Father
Tom. God bless him. bud the curate
bates the very divil at KNOWN yer in
most conStituShun.
1t is Saturday evening and the two
priests are coming down the village to
the chapel to hear confessions. Little
curly heads peep out at the cottage
doors at them, and smiling little faces
greet them. The grown-up people, too,
come to the doors and whisper:
There's our priests goin' to the cha
per- [ must be off. too. for next Sun
day is the first Sunday"
No pen can describe the love that ex-
lists between the Irish people and their
priests True. true to their God and to
each other, they ever were and ever
WIl be
Who, in the winters night,
SOggarth aroon,
When the cold frost did bite,
Soggarth aroon,
Came to my cabin door,
And on the eaTthen floor,
Knelt by me, sick and poor,
Soggarth aroon,
Who, on the marriage day,
Soggarth aroon,
Made the poor cabin gay,
Soggarth aroon.
And did both laugh and sing,
Making our hearts TO ring, II
AT the poor christening.
Soggarth aroon. -g.s...A
Who, as friend only met, -
SOggaTth droon,
Never did flout me yet.
Soggarth aroon,
And when my heart was dim,
Gave. while his eye did brim,
What | should give to him,
. Soggarth aroon.
BY CABIN.