The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-05-22
IContinued.l

oContinued)
1t was a lovely evening in August.
and !, with some more of my youthful
companions, were engaged in playing
a game OF cricket A tin can served as
our wicket. a piece of wood fashioned
into the shape of a bat by Matt Roo
ney, the village carpenter served as a
weapon of defense against the incur
sions Of a gutta percha ball thrown by
Neddie Manning, our surest and fast
est village bowler. Neddie was lust in
the act Of delivering one of his fast
throws at the tin can. and l had the
homemade bat raised to defend the
rights Of the said tin can, when these
words, soaring over all the keys of
loudness and incorrectness smote upon
our ears:
Twas beyond at Macreddin. at Owen
Doyle's weddin'
The boys got the pair of us out for a
reel:
Says ]: Boys. excuse us Says they:
Don't refuse u.s.
IN play nice and aisy,' says Larry
O'Neill
SO off we went trippin' it, up and
down Steppin it
Herself and myself on the back of
the doore
Till Molly, God bless her! fell into the
dresser
An 1 tumbled over child on the
foore
Says herself to myself. Were as
good as the best Of them;
Says myself to herself, Sure. we're
betther than gold:
Says herself to myself, We're as young
as the rest o. them;
Says myself to herself, 'Troth, we'll
never grow old"
" 'Tis Terry Regain. the ballad sing
err" and Neddie Manning let's the ball
fall from his hands and makes off in
the direction of the singers voice.
g 'Tis Terry Regain, the ballad sing
err shout all our voices in chorus and |
as fast as our youthful limbs could |
carry us we followed on Neddie Mari |
ning's heels. In our mad rush to hear |
Began at closer quarters, I struck my |
toe against a stone and fell. Most o. |
us then did not know what boots were |
until we were about twelve years OF |
age) / scrambled to my feet and |
Eazed at my bleeding toe. remember |
on each occasion when such a thing |
happened to me. / used to sit down !
and hug my foot and bawl for ell 7
was worth. What was ] TODD now? |
Sit down and hug and bawl, or Spar
the ballad singer. The ballad singers
voice echoing out again with
"Come all yeh gifted songsters. atten.
ton pay 20 me-
decided me. / was a gifted songster,
at least so / thought them; I think
differently now: and despite NV pain
attention must be paid to Terry Re-
gan. l caught up on my companions
as we rounded the corner at the chapel
gate, and there, right before US, out ;
side Joe Cassidy's public house, stood !
the ballad singer. When ! first caught
a glimpse of him. he was in the act {
of selling Herself and MYSELF to jim
scully, and I well remember the lat
ter's words as he gazed. pipe in mouth,
at the ballad:
'Begob. it's d CRATE song, Terry, an
I like the ring ov it Hersalf fallin'
into the dresser an himself tumblin'
over a child puts me in mind ov what
often happened to meself I'll get
Shemus Cow, the blacksmith, to larn
me the words, an I'll sing them for (
the boys the next bonfire night"
For neself. an I always spake for
meself, ] must say I don't like the !
song" put in Phil Mcguire. the tailor.
row joining the group. There's no fire
in il. as William O'Brien says [ like
the field ov battle an the bloody
charge wud the Sassenach flynn afore
me; yis, that's what I like. Sing me
wan Wud these things in it, an I'll \
buy three from yeh to show me patriot
ism"
Il have Just what will suit yeh Mis- \
ter Mcguire" and Terry draws a bal
lad from the bundle and with his
hands extended and his eyes fixed on
Cauth Mulready's chimney, he almost
startles us off our feet with the cry:
Wildly Ger Desmond the war wolf is
howlin
Fearless the aigle sweeps over the
plain;
The fox in the streets ov the city is
prowlin' l
All, all who would scare them are ban
ished or slain.
Grasp every stalwart hand.
Hacl<but an battle brand,
Pay thin all back the debt so \
long due.
Norris an Clifford well
Can ov Tir Cornell tell. E
Onward to glory, "O'Donnell,
Aboo
Sacred the cause of Clan Connailrs
defendin
our sires:
Ruthless the ruin the foe is extendin'
Midnight is red wud the plunderer's A
fires
On with ODonnen. thin. T
Fight the old fight again,
Sons av Tir Cornell, ali valiant
an true.
Make the false SaXin feel
BTfns aveng;n steel. Z
Strike for yer country, ODonnen
-AboO'
Mcguire Aboo.
And with these words on his lips
Phil Haguire filings his hat up in the