The Hedge School; The Midnight Mass; The Donagh: Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of; William Carleton, Volume ThreeCarleton, William
History
The Hedge School; The Midnight Mass; The Donagh: Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of; William Carleton, Volume Three
Carleton, William
Ireland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
He repeated this prayer in language which it would require one of Edward
Irving's adepts in the Unknown Tongues to interpret. When he had recited
about half of it, Owen, and those who had gone to seek him, entered the
house, and after the example of the others, reverently knelt down until
he finished it.
Owen's appearance once more renewed their grief. The body of his brother
had been removed to a bed beyond the fire in the kitchen; and when Owen
looked upon the features of his beloved companion, he approached, and
stooped down to kiss his lips. He was still too feeble, however, to bend
by his own strength; and it is also probable that the warm air of the
house relaxed him. Be this, however, as it may, he fell forward, but
supported himself by his hands, which were placed upon the body; a deep
groan was heard, and the apparently dead man opened his eyes, and feebly
exclaimed--“A dhrink? a dhrink!”
Darby More, had, on concluding the _De profundus_, seated himself beside
the bed on which Mike lay; but on hearing the groan, and the call for
drink, he leaped rapidly to: his legs and exclaimed, “My sowl to hell
an' the divil, Owen Reillaghan, but your son's alive!! Off wid two or
three of yez, as the divil can dhrive yez, for the priest an' docthor!!
Off wid yez! ye damned spalpeens, aren't ye near there by this! Give
us my cant! Are yez gone? Oh, by this and by that--hell--eh--aren't
yez--” But ere he could finish the sentence, they had set chit.
“Now,” he exclaimed in a voice whose tremendous tones were strongly
at variance with his own injunctions--“Now, neighbors, d--n yez, keep
silence. Mrs. Reillaghan, get a bottle of whiskey an' a mug o' wather.
Make haste. Hanim an diouol! don't be all night!”
The poor mother, however, could not stir; the unexpected revulsion of
feeling which she had so suddenly experienced was more than she could
sustain. A long fainting-fit! was the consequence, and Darby's commands
were obeyed by the wife of a friendly neighbor.
The mendicant immediately wetted Mike's lips, and poured some spirits,
copiously diluted with water, down his throat; after which he held the
whiskey-bottle, like a connoisseur, between himself and the light. “I
hope,” said he, “this whiskey is the raal crathur.” He put the bottle to
his mouth as he spoke, and on holding it a second time before his eye,
he shook his head complacently--“Ay,” said he, “if anything could bring
the dead back to this world, my sowl to glory, but that would. Oh, thin,
it would give the dead life, sure enough!” He put it once more to
his lips, from which it was not separated without relinquishing a
considerable portion of its contents.
“Dhea Grashthias!” he exclaimed; “throth, I find myself, the betther o'
that sup, in regard that it's good for this touch 'o' configuration that
I'm throubled wid inwardly! Doxis Doxis Glorioxis? Amin!” These words he
spoke in a low, placid voice, lest the wounded man might be discomposed
by his observations.
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