The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-05-18

Fairies, whom Murty took to be the
King of Hearts and the Knave of Dia-
monds, wearing short, green coats,
silk velvet knee-breeches and gold
buckled shoes, approached him, and
in the most polite and fascinating man
ner invited him in the purest of Gaelic
to take part in the festivities.
Away in the dim distance could yet
be heard those soft, silver notes of
Irish melodies, sounding from those
! golden harps, such as the warrior
bards oft discoursed from the ancient
halls of Tara.
when her Kings with banners of
| green unfurled
Led the Red Branch" Knights to
danger,
Ere the Emerald gem of the western
world
Was set in the crown of a stranger"
The fairies now informed Murty by
many signs and gestures that he must
take off his shoes and don an entire
fairy suit. He was now introduced to
| the Queen of Sheba, and like Solomon
| in all his glory, was soon the wonder
and admiration of the whole court of
Fairies. He moreoverR discovered he
could dance on four leafed clover
or the top of rush with the utmost
facility and grace.
| Suddenly the music and dance
ceased. The two Fairies who first ap-
preached Murty now came forward to
inform him, that being in possession
of their secrets, he must now promise
secrecy, go with them and dance a
reel or hornpipe on the top of "Slieve-
Na-Mon" and take a trip to the moon
It is well known in Ireland that a
long, slender weed called tBouchel-
aun' is the favorite mode of travel
by the Fairies. All one has to do is
to sit astride the Bouchelaun, much
as child rides a broomstick, wish
yourself anywhere, and instantly you
are there.
The Fairies now waived their
Wands again, which was the signal
to mount, and in the next moment
Murty Crehan found himself seated
on the projecting horn of the new
moon. Here he held his perilous
place, until the Fairies again waived
their wands, when in an instant he
was down through Roscommon, over
Galway Bay, through Cork and Kerry
and over the Wicklow Mountains, up
to Tyrone and Antrim, the Giant S
Causeway in the north, down through
those lovely Aran Isles on the west
coast of Ireland, and finally back to
Athlone and all this before midnight
and morn. Murty Crehan thought of
those days he wandered young and
free around those same Aran Isles
Full many a path I've tried since
| then
Through pleasures fiowery maze,
But ne'er can find that bliss again
felt in those sweet days."
AS daylight approached, Murty Gre
han found himself back again, safe and
sound in Athlone, and at the very door
of the "Boreen" down the lane The
black deck o'cards which he once car.
ried, were scattered all over the very
spot where the Fairies danced so rap
turously-Hearts, Spades and Dia.
monds could be seen everywhere,
betraying the fact that the mountain
'Fpoteen' he tasted at Neal O'Rourke' s
was too strong for his head.
But what could he say to Eileen
More, the pulse of his heart, the very
idol of his soul, the Gram Chree'
of his most tender affections.
A few days after this, Murty started
again over the mountain, this, time
! avoiding Meals hospitality. He met
Eileen at the door of the neat, white
cottage. 1T heard you were gone with
the Fairies" said Eileen, land that I'd
} never see you again." Murty sheepish,
} ly hung his head "Ah, say no more
!, about that, Eileen, I only came over
to ask you what good day you would
name for the wedding, when Father
J O'Brien is not very busy, Andy
, O'Rourke will be my best man, and
as for yourself, you can make your
!, own selection
"The good Lord save u.s. said Eli.
leen, "sure all days are good, Murty,
besides Father Tom is not as busy as
you may think he isl 81 have three
more words to spake," said Murty
'Tl never carry black deck o'cards
agin, I'll take the pledge from Father
Mathews own hand, and I'll always
carry a blest Rosary with me, for it
was that, and nothing else, that saved
me from falling off the horn of the
new moon, where the Fairies surely
placed me-
: Some weeks after this there was a
wedding in the little church of Coot
Hill down in Cavan. The Crehans and
Mores invited all their mountain
neighbors. Father Tom O'Brien gave
the young people his blessing, and in
J few weeks more they sailed away
|, RI CnQR their fnrfunoc in now,