Year: 1877

tie boys OF the priory school.


80 Well, Mike, I'm sure it was very
fine but for heavens sake spare me all
these descriptions, and get on to the
ghost"


Faith, your honor's in a great hurry
for the ghost maybe you won't like him
when ye have hun, but I'll go faster if ye
please. Well, Father Dwyer ye see was
born at Aghan-lish, Of an ould family,
and he left it in his will that he was to be
buried in the family vault ; and as Afghan
lish was eghteon miles up the mountains,
il was getting late when they drew near.
BY that time the great procession was all
broke up and gone homo. The coadju-
tors stopped to dine at the Blue Bello's
at the cross roads ; the little boys took to
pelting snow balls there was fight or
two on the way besides and, In fact, OK
cept an ould deaf fellow that my father
took to mind the horses, he was quite
alone. Not that he minded that same I;
for when the crowd was gone my father





deaf chap it was lamentaton. At last
they came in sight of Aghan-lish. IL
was lonesome, melaucholy-lo looking
place, with nothing near it except two or
three oud fr.trees, and small slated
house with ono window, where the sexton
lived, and even that same was shut up,
and paddock on tho door. Well, my
father was not much pleased Mt the look
of matters +; but as he was never hard put
to know what to do, ho managed to get
the coffin into the vestry and thon,
when he embarrassed tho horses, no sent
tho deaf follow with thom down to the
village to tell the priest that the corpse
WAS there, and to como up early in the
morning and perform mass. The mex,
thing to do was to make himself comfort.
able for the night, and then no made O
roaring fire on the old hearth-for there
was plenty of bog fire there-cosed tn,
windows with the black cloaks, and wrap
ping two round himself, he sat down tC
cook IL little supper he brought with hin
in case of need.


"Well you may think it was melan
choly enough to pass the night up ther,
alone, with corpse in an old ruined
church in tho middle of tho mountains
tho wind bowling about on every sido
and tho snow-driit boating against thu
walls as the fire burned brightly, ant
the little rashers and eggs smoked tempt
ingly before him, my father mixed II jul
of tho strongest punch, and sat down n
happy as king. AS long as ho was eat
ing away, he had no time to bo thinking
Of anything else but, when all was done
and ha looked about him, he began TO fee
very low and melancholy in his heart
There was n great black coffin on three
chairs in one corner and then tho mourn
ing cloaks he had stuck up against the
windows moved backward and torwarC
like living thing. and, outside, the wild
cry Of tho plover as he flew past, and the
night-owl sitting in nook Of tho ole
church. wish it was morning, any
how said my father for this is II lone
somo place to be in and fax, ho'll be q
cunning fellow that catches me passing
the night this way again. Now there
was one thing distressed him most Of all
my father used always make fun Of thu
ghosts and spirits tho neighbors woulC
toll Of, pretending there was no such thing
and now the thought came to him. May
be- they'll revenge themselves on mo to
night, when they have me up here alone;
and with that he made another jug strong
er than the first, and tried TO remember
few prayers in case Of need but some
how his mind was not too clear, and h
said afterwards he was always mixing ~
ould songs and tonsts with the prayers
and when he thought he had just got hole
Of beautiful psalm, it would turn out t
"Tattcr John Walshe,' or Limpinl
James, or something like that. Th
starm meanwhile, was rising every mo
ment, and parts Of the old abbey were
falling, as the wind shook tho ruin ant
my fathers sperits, notwithstanding th'
punch, were lower than ever.


80 made too weak, said he, ms he SC
to work on IL new jorum an d troth thi
time it was no: the fault Of it, for the frs
sup nearly choked him.


" All = said he now, knew what
was this is moro like the thing an
| NJ No ,,o, aro hooippiuo, IA gnal na q,
and comfortable pass the jug; your very
good health and song. I'm little hoars
it's true but if the company will ex
cuse


And then he began knocking on tn
table with his knuckles, rs il there was I
room full Of people asking him to sing. =
In short, my father was drunk as fid
dler the last brew finished him, and h
began roaring away all kinds Of drol
songs, and telling all manner Of stories
as il he was at great party.


While he was capering this wa
about the room, he knocked down his ha
and with it a pack Of cards he put into
before leaving home, for he was might
fond Of a game.


" Will ye take hand, Mr.. Free
said he, as he gathered them up and sd
down beside the FIRE.


"I'm convanient,' said he, and bega
dealing out as if there was q partne
fornest him.


"When my father used to get this ia
in the story, he became very confused =
lie says that once or twice he mistook th
liquor, and took pull at the bottle {
potteen instead Of the punch and til
last thing be remembers was asking poe