Further Adventures of Quincy Adams Sawyer and Mason Corner Folks — John Shaqi
Further Adventures of Quincy Adams Sawyer and Mason Corner FolksPidgin, Charles Felton
General
Further Adventures of Quincy Adams Sawyer and Mason Corner Folks
Pidgin, Charles Felton
New England -- Fiction
As Mr. Sweeney started to repeat the four lines of the chorus, a soprano
voice rose above his own, and, as the last note died away, Maude came
in for her share of the applause. Mrs. Crowley was delighted, and showed
her appreciation by laughing until she cried.
II
He drove the poor piggy to Ballyporeen,
And the price of it soon he did spend in poteen,
He got into a fight and was cracked on the head,
Then to jail he was carried and taken for dead.
The constable then for the Father did send,
For he thought that McCarthy was quite near his end;
He confessed to the priest, did this penitent youth,
About the pig stealing he told the whole truth.
Maude improvised a short symphony before the third and last stanza.
III
Then to young McCarthy, the Father did say:
“Now what will you do at the great Judgment Day?
For you will be there, at the bar you will stan'
The pig as a witness, and Widow Mahan.”
“Faith, what will I do?” young McCarthy did say.
“An' the pig will be there at the great Judgment Day?
Begorre! I'll say to the Widow, 'Asthore,
Take back your old pig, for I want it no more'
“'An iligant pig in ivery way,
Schwate Widow Mahan, plaze take it away.
Faith, now it's full grown, just go to the fair,
A mighty foine price you'll git for it there.'”
“Yes,” said Uncle Ike, “that's what the rich man will say. After
cheating the poor, buncoing the credulous, and 'cornering' his fellows,
he will say he is willing to give it back, for he has no further use
for it. There's a good moral in that song, Mr. Sweeney, and some of our
sordid millionaires ought to hear it.”
Quincy looked at his watch. “The hour is late--for the country, but,
fortunately, our hotel keeps open all night.”
Quincy carried Uncle Ike up stairs to his room and told him he would
come some day and have a good old-fashioned talk with him.
They walked home slowly, Maude admiring the moonlight night and the
cool, scented air. When they reached their own room, after seeing Maude
to hers, Alice repeated to her husband her conversation with Uncle Ike.
“You must do something to cheer him up, Quincy. Promise me, won't you?”
“Yes, I promise. I hope I won't forget to perform it as I have in one
instance.”
“Why--what?”
“Do you remember that young man at the Town Hall--Arthur Scates? He's in
consumption. I told him to come to the State House and I would see that
he had proper treatment. He hasn't been--or perhaps he has since I've
been away, but I will see him to-morrow.”
Alice looked up at him approvingly. “Quincy, I agree with you that the
real value of money is found in the good that can be done with it.”
CHAPTER VII
STROUT AND MAXWELL'S GROCERY
The next morning, after breakfast, Quincy asked his wife and Maude to
accompany him to Mrs. Hawkins' barn.
“I wish I had my saddle horse here,” said Alice.
“So do I,” added Maude. “I did think of bringing him.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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