"'Larry McGee!' 'Larry McGee!' No. No. 'T is Yares Since Last----.' No.
No. 'The Byes of Wexford.'"
"Byes, I think the majority is in favor of 'Larry McGee.'--Here's to yer
health!"
And then came floating from the roof in various quavers and semiquavers
and grace-notes the following, which is all Father Letheby can remember.
"I--in the town of Kilkinny lived Larry McGee,
Oh--oh the divil's own boy at divarshion was he;
He--he had a donkey, a pig, but he hadn't a wife,
His cabin was dreary, and wretched his life."
Then the notes came wavering and fitful, as the wind took them up, and
carried them struggling over the moorland; and all that Father Letheby
could hear was about a certain Miss Brady, who was reared up a lady, and
who was requested to accept the name of Mrs. McGee. This suit must have
been successful, because, as the wind lulled down, the words came
clearly:--
"Sure the chickens were roasted,--the praties was biled,
They were all in their jackets, for fear they'd be spiled;
And the neighbors came flockin', for to fling up the stockin',
And dance at the weddin' of Larry McGee."
It was interesting; but Father Letheby's temper was rising with the
undulations of the song. He came out into the graveyard, and there was a
stampede of the spectators. Jem was lifting the porter to his lips, and
looked down calmly and philosophically at the young priest.
"Mr. Deady," said the latter, putting on his strongest accent, "I do not
think I engaged you to entertain the village with your vocal powers,
much as I esteem them. I engaged you to work,--to do honest work for
honest wages."
"Begor," said the unabashed Jem, "if I was a Turk, or a Armaynian, I'd
be allowed to ate my dinner."
"But this is not your dinner hour!"
"Twelve to wan is the dinner hour, except when I dines at the Grate
House, whin, for my convaynience, they puts it off till aight."
It was a sly cut at Father Letheby, and he felt it.
"And your dinner, I presume, is the usual quantity of filthy porter,
such as I see represented in your hand."
"It is, your reverence, excep' whin I dines with the Captain. Den we
haves roast beef and champagne."
All this Father Letheby told me, with a look of puzzled anger, and with
many exclamations.
"I never saw such a people; I'll never understand them," etc. His
magnificent impetuosity again.
"Tell me," I said, for he had given me most cordially the privilege of
speaking freely, "do you make your meditation regularly?"
"Well, I do," he replied, "in a kind of way."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account