He, who over sands and waves led Israel along-- He, who fed, with heavenly bread, that chosen tribe and throng-- He, who stood by Moses, when his foes were fierce and strong-- May He show forth His might in saving Kathaleen-Ny-Houlahan! M. CAUSE AND EFFECT, OR THE MISFORTUNES OF CHARLEY MALONE. “Well,” said Hubert Dillon to me one day, “did you ever hear or read of such an unlucky being as that Charley Malone?” “Indeed I did,” was my reply; “on the contrary, I look upon him as one of the most fortunate men in existence.” “Tut, tut! how can you say that, unless it be for the pure love of contradiction?--how long is it ago, I ask you, since he almost broke his neck riding the steeple-chase in Mullaghmoran?” “Why, my dear fellow,” I rejoined, “I consider him most miraculously fortunate in not having broken his neck altogether on the occasion; he was warned before hand that the horse couldn’t possibly carry him over such a leap; and how he escaped so safely, will always remain a puzzle to me.” “Well, I’ll give you another instance--the very morning he was to have fought Cornet Bagley, didn’t the police catch him, and get him bound over?” “And devilish well for him they did, let me tell you, otherwise poor Charley would have been a case for the coroner before dinner time. The cornet’s a dead shot, and you know yourself that Charley couldn’t hit a turf clamp.” “Didn’t he lose fifty pounds at hazard to George Byrne last winter in one night?” “Sign’s on it, he booked himself against the bones for ever and a day as soon as he got up next morning, and by consequence may be expected to have something to leave to the heirs of his body, when he has them.” “Well, talking of heirs: what have you to say to his matrimonial speculations, this last affair particularly--to lose such a girl and such a fortune by his own confounded blundering. You’ll not call that good fortune surely.” But our reminiscences of “Charley’s last,” thus recalled, were too much for mortal gravity to bear, and laughter, long, loud, and uproarious, cut short the argument, leaving me still however impressed with the belief, that, only for himself, Charley would be a second Fortunatus; at all events, that he could not justly announce himself a martyr to the frowns of the goddess.