Latest / Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry / 026 - The Confessions of Tom Bourke

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026 - The Confessions of Tom Bourke · Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry

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  Speaker 1: Section twenty five of Variant folk Tales of Irish Peasantry.
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  Speaker 1: This is only Privox recording. Only privox recordings are in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 1: visitly revox dot org. Varied Baat Tales of Irish Peasantry
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  Speaker 1: edited and selected by W. B. Yates, Section twenty five
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  Speaker 1: The Confessions of Tamburg, Tea Craft and Crooker. Damberg lives
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  Speaker 1: in a low, long farmhouse, resembling in outward appearance a
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  Speaker 1: large barn placed at the bottom of the hill, just
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  Speaker 1: where the new road strikes off from the old one,
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  Speaker 1: leading from the town of Kilworth to that of Lismore.
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  Speaker 1: He is of a class of persons who are a
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  Speaker 1: sort of black Swans in Ireland. He is a wealthy farmer.
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  Speaker 1: Thom's father had in the good old times, and a
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  Speaker 1: hundred pounds forth no inconsiderable treasure either to land or spend,
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  Speaker 1: accommodated his landlord with them some at interest, and obtained
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  Speaker 1: as a return for his civility along LEAs about half
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  Speaker 1: a dozen times more valuable than the loan which procured it.
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  Speaker 1: The old man died worth several hundred pounds. The greater
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  Speaker 1: part of which with his farm he bequeathed to his
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  Speaker 1: son Tom. But besides all this, Tam received from his
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  Speaker 1: father upon his deadbed another gift far more valuable than
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  Speaker 1: werethly riches. Greatly as he prised, and is still known
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  Speaker 1: to prize them, he was invested with the privilege enjoyed
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  Speaker 1: by few of the sons of men of communicating with
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  Speaker 1: those mysterious beings called the good people. Thumberg is a little, stout, healthy,
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  Speaker 1: active man, about fifty five years of age. His hair
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  Speaker 1: is perfectly white, short and bushy behind, but rising in front,
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  Speaker 1: erect and thick above his forehead, like a new clothes brush.
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  Speaker 1: His eyes are of that kind which I have often
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  Speaker 1: observed with versons of a quick but limited intellect. They
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  Speaker 1: are small, gray, and lively. The large and projecting eyebrows,
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  Speaker 1: under or rather within which they twinkle, give them an
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  Speaker 1: expression of shrewdness and intelligence, if not of cunning. And
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  Speaker 1: this is very much the character of the man. If
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  Speaker 1: you want to make a bargain with Tom Burke, you
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  Speaker 1: must act as if you were a general besiting a town,
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  Speaker 1: and make your advances a long time before you can
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  Speaker 1: hope to obtain possession. If you march as boldly and
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  Speaker 1: tell him at once your object. Wherefore the most part
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  Speaker 1: sure to have the gates closed in your teeth. Tom
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  Speaker 1: does not wish to part with what you wish to obtain,
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  Speaker 1: or another person has been speaking to him for the
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  Speaker 1: whole of the last week. Or it may be your
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  Speaker 1: proposal seems to meet the most favorable reception. Very well, sir,
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  Speaker 1: that's true, sir, and very thankful to your honor. And
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  Speaker 1: other expressions of kindness and confidence greet you in reply
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  Speaker 1: to every sentence, and you part from him wondering how
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  Speaker 1: he can can have obtained the character which he universally
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  Speaker 1: bears of being a man whom no one can make
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  Speaker 1: anything off in a bargain. But when you next meet him,
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  Speaker 1: the flattering delusion is dissolved. You find you are a
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  Speaker 1: great deal further from your object than you were when
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  Speaker 1: you thought you had almost succeeded. His eye and his
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  Speaker 1: tongue express a total forgetfulness of what the mind within
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  Speaker 1: never lost sight of for an instant, and you have
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  Speaker 1: to begin operations afresh with the disadvantage of having put
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  Speaker 1: your adversary completely upon his guard. Yet all that Tom
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  Speaker 1: Burke is, whether from supernatural revealings, or, as many will
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  Speaker 1: think more probable from the Teltroth experience, so distrustful of
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  Speaker 1: mankind and so close in his dealings with them, is
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  Speaker 1: no misentropy. All man loves better the pleasures of the
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  Speaker 1: genial board, the love of money, indeed, which is with
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  Speaker 1: him and who will blame him, a very ruling capacity,
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  Speaker 1: and the gratification which it has received from habits of
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  Speaker 1: industry sustained throughout a pretty long and successful life, have
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  Speaker 1: taught him the value of sobriety during those seasons at least,
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  Speaker 1: when a man's business requires him to keep possession of
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  Speaker 1: his senses. He has therefore a general rule never to
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  Speaker 1: get drunk but on Sundays. But in order that it
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  Speaker 1: should be a general one to all intents and purposes,
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  Speaker 1: he takes a method which, according to better logicians than
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  Speaker 1: he is, always proves the rule. He has many exceptions.
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  Speaker 1: Among these, of course, are the evenings of all the
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  Speaker 1: fair and market days that happen in his neighborhood. So
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  Speaker 1: also all the days in which funerals, marriages, and christenings
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  Speaker 1: take place among his friends within many miles of him.
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  Speaker 1: As to this last class of exceptions, it may appear
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  Speaker 1: at first very singular, that he is much more punctual
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  Speaker 1: in his attendance at the funerals than at the baptisms
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  Speaker 1: or weddings of his friends. This may be constructive as
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  Speaker 1: an instance of disinterested effect action for departed worth very
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  Speaker 1: uncommon in this selfish world. But I'm afraid that the
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  Speaker 1: motives which lead Tomberg to pay more court to the
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  Speaker 1: dead than the living are precisely those which lead to
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  Speaker 1: the opposite conduct in the generality of mankind. A hope
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  Speaker 1: of future benefit and fear of future evil for the
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  Speaker 1: good people who are raised as powerful as they are
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  Speaker 1: capricious have their favorites. Among those who inhabit this world,
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  Speaker 1: often show their affection by easing the objects of it
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  Speaker 1: from the load of disburdensome life, and frequently reward or
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  Speaker 1: punish the living, according to the degree of reverence paid
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  Speaker 1: to the obsequeeze and the memory of the elected death.
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  Speaker 1: Some may attribute to the same cause the apparently humane
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  Speaker 1: and charitable actions which tom and indeed the other members
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  Speaker 1: of his family are known frequently to perform. A backer
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  Speaker 1: has seldom left their farmyard with an empty wallet, or
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  Speaker 1: without obtaining a nice lodging if required, With a sufficiency
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  Speaker 1: of potatoes and milk to satisfy even an Irish beggar's
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  Speaker 1: appetite in a peasing which account must usually be taken
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  Speaker 1: of the auxiliary jaws of hungry dog, and of two
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  Speaker 1: or three still more hungry children, who line themselves well
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  Speaker 1: within to atone for their nakedness without. If one of
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  Speaker 1: the neighboring poor be seized with a fever, TM will
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  Speaker 1: often supply the sick wretch with some untenantinged hut upon
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  Speaker 1: one of his two large farms, or he has added
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  Speaker 1: one to his patrimony, or will send his laborers to
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  Speaker 1: construct the shed at the hedge side, and supplies chawfor
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  Speaker 1: a bed while the disorder continues. His wife, remarkable for
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  Speaker 1: the largeness of her dairy and the goodness of everything
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  Speaker 1: it contains, will furnish milk for whey, and their good
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  Speaker 1: offices are frequently extended to the family of the patient,
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  Speaker 1: who are perhaps reduced to the extremity of wretchedness by
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  Speaker 1: even the temporary suspension of a father's or husband's labor.
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  Speaker 1: And much of this arises from the hopes and fee
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  Speaker 1: years of which I both alluded. I believe much of
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  Speaker 1: it flows from a mingled sense of compassion and of duty,
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  Speaker 1: which is sometimes seen to break from an Irish peasant's heart,
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  Speaker 1: even where it happens to be enveloped in an habitual
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  Speaker 1: covering of evarist and fraud, and which I once heard
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  Speaker 1: speak in terms not to be misunderstood. When we get
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  Speaker 1: a deal tis only fair, we should give back a
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  Speaker 1: little of it. It is not easy to prevail on
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  Speaker 1: Tom to speak of those good people with whom he
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  Speaker 1: is said to hold frequent and intimate communications, to the faithful,
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  Speaker 1: who believe in their power and their occasional dedication of
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  Speaker 1: it to him. He seldom refuses, if properly asked to
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  Speaker 1: exercise his high prerogative with any unfortunate being is struck
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  Speaker 1: in his neighborhood. Still he will not be one unsued.
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  Speaker 1: He is at first difficult of persuasion, and must be
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  Speaker 1: overcome by a little gentle violence. And these occasions is
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  Speaker 1: unusually solemn and mysterious, And if one word or reward
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  Speaker 1: be mentioned, he at once abandons the eye happy patient,
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  Speaker 1: such a proposition being a direct insult to his supernatural superiors.
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  Speaker 1: It is true that as the liborer is worthy of
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  Speaker 1: his tire, most persons gifted as he is, do not
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  Speaker 1: scrabble to receive a token of gratitude from the patients
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  Speaker 1: or their friends after their recovery. It is recorded that
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  Speaker 1: a very handsome gratuity was once given to a female
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  Speaker 1: practitioner in this occult science, who deserves to be mentioned
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  Speaker 1: not only because she was a neighbor and the rival
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  Speaker 1: of Tom's, but from the singularity of a mother deriving
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  Speaker 1: her name from her son. Her son's name was Owen,
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  Speaker 1: and she was always called Owen's avow her Owen's mother.
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  Speaker 1: This person was, on the occasion to which I have alluded,
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  Speaker 1: persaded to give her assistance to a young girl who
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  Speaker 1: had lost the use of her right leg. Owens about
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  Speaker 1: her found a cure, a difficult one. A journey of
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  Speaker 1: about eighteen miles was essential for the purpose, probably to
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  Speaker 1: visit one of the good people who resided at that distance,
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  Speaker 1: and this journey could only be performed by Owen Savoa
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  Speaker 1: her traveling upon the back of a white hand. The visit, however,
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  Speaker 1: was accomplished, and at a particular hour, according to the
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  Speaker 1: prediction of this extraordinary woman, when the hand and her
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  Speaker 1: rider were to reach their journeys end, the patient was
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  Speaker 1: seized with an irresistible desire to chance, which she gratified
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  Speaker 1: with the most perfect freedom of the deceased lack, much
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  Speaker 1: to the joy of her anxious family. The gratuity in
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  Speaker 1: this case was, as it truly ought to have been,
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  Speaker 1: unusually large. On the difficulty of procurring a hand willing
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  Speaker 1: to go so longer journey with such a writer to
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  Speaker 1: do tomburg justice, he is on these occasions, as I
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  Speaker 1: have heard from many competent authorities, perfectly disinterested. Not many
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  Speaker 1: months since he recovered a young woman, the sister of
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  Speaker 1: a treatsman living near him, who had been struck speechless
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  Speaker 1: after returning from a funeral, and had continued so for
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  Speaker 1: several days. He steadfastly refused receiving any compensation, saying that
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  Speaker 1: even if he had not as much as would by
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  Speaker 1: him his head supper, he could take nothing in this
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  Speaker 1: case because the girl had offended at the funeral of
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  Speaker 1: one of the good people belonging to his own family,
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  Speaker 1: and though he would do her a kindness, he could
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  Speaker 1: take lun from her. About the time this last remarkable
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  Speaker 1: affair took place, a friend, mister Martin, who, with the
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  Speaker 1: neighbor of Tom's, had some business to transact with him,
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  Speaker 1: which it was exceedingly difficult to bring to a conclusion.
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  Speaker 1: At last, mister Martin, having tried all quiet means, had
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  Speaker 1: recourse to legal process, which brought Tom to reason, and
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  Speaker 1: the matter was arranged to their mutual satisfaction, and with
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  Speaker 1: perfect good humor between the parties. The accommodation took place
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  Speaker 1: after dinner at mister Martin's house, and he invited Tom
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  Speaker 1: to walk into the parlor and take a glass of
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  Speaker 1: punch made of some excellent protein, which was on the table.
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  Speaker 1: He had long wished to draw out his highly endoubted
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  Speaker 1: neighbor on the subject of his supernatural powers, and as
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  Speaker 1: Missus Martin, who was in the room, was rather a
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  Speaker 1: favorite of Tom's, this seemed a good opportunity. Well, Tom,
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  Speaker 1: said mister Martin. That was a curious business of Molly Byers,
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  Speaker 1: who recovered her speech so suddenly the other day. You
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  Speaker 1: may say that, Sir, replied Tom Burke. But I had
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  Speaker 1: to travel far for it. No matter for that. Now
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  Speaker 1: your health, ma'am, said he, turning to Missus Martin. Thank you, Tom,
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  Speaker 1: But I'm told you had some trouble once in that
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  Speaker 1: way in your own family, said missus Martin, so I
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  Speaker 1: had ma'am trouble enough, but you are only a child
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  Speaker 1: at that time. Come, Tom, said the hospitable mister Martin,
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  Speaker 1: interrupting him. Take another tumbler, and he then added, I
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  Speaker 1: wish you would tell us something of the manner in
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  Speaker 1: which so many of your children died. And am told
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  Speaker 1: they dropped off one after another by the same disorder.
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  Speaker 1: And that your eldest son was cured in a most
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  Speaker 1: extraordinary way when the physicians had given him over. Tis
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  Speaker 1: true for you, sir, returned Tom. Your father, the doctor,
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  Speaker 1: God be good to him. I won't belie him in
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  Speaker 1: his grave told me when my fourth boy was a
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  Speaker 1: whit that himself and doctor Barry did all that man
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  Speaker 1: could do for him, but they could not keep him
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  Speaker 1: from going after the rest. No more they could if
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  Speaker 1: the people that took away the rest wished to take
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  Speaker 1: him too, but they left him. And sorry to the
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  Speaker 1: heart I am, I did not know before why they
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  Speaker 1: were taking my boys from me. If I did, I
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  Speaker 1: would not be left trusting to two of them. Now.
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  Speaker 1: And how did you find it out, Tom, inquired mister Martin.
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  Speaker 1: Well then I'll tell you, sir, said Burke, when your
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  Speaker 1: father said what I told you. I did not know
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  Speaker 1: very well what to do. I walked down the little
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  Speaker 1: boy in footnote A green lane and the footnote you know, sir,
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  Speaker 1: that goes to the riverside near Dick Heafy's ground. For
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  Speaker 1: twas a lonesome place, and I wanted to think of myself.
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  Speaker 1: I was heavy, sir, and my heart got wakened me
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  Speaker 1: when I thought I was to lose my little boy.
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  Speaker 1: And I did not well know how to face his
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  Speaker 1: mother with the news, for she doted down upon him. Besides,
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  Speaker 1: she never got the better of all. She cried at
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  Speaker 1: his brother baron footnote Burying and the footnote. A week before,
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  Speaker 1: as I was going down to Boheen, I met an
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  Speaker 1: old bacco that used to come about the place once
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  Speaker 1: or twice a year, and used always to sleep in
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  Speaker 1: our barn while he stayed in the neighborhood. So he
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  Speaker 1: asked me how I was bad enough, Seamus woodnote James
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  Speaker 1: and a footnote says I. I'm sorry for your trouble,
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  Speaker 1: says he. But you're a foolish man, mister Bourg. Your
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  Speaker 1: son would be well enough if you would only do
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  Speaker 1: what you ought with him. What more can I do
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  Speaker 1: with him, Seamus says I. The doctors give him over
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  Speaker 1: the doctor's note. No more what ails him than they
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  Speaker 1: do what ailes cow when she stops her milk, says shames.
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  Speaker 1: But go to such a one telling me his name,
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  Speaker 1: and try what he'll say to you. And who was that,
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  Speaker 1: Tom asked mister Martin. I could not tell you that, Sir,
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  Speaker 1: said Borg with a mysterious look. Howsoever, you often saw him,
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  Speaker 1: and he does not live far from this. But I
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  Speaker 1: had a trial of him before, and if I went
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  Speaker 1: to him at first, maybe i'd have now some of
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  Speaker 1: them that's gone. And so Seamus often told me, Well, Sir,
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  Speaker 1: I went to this man, and he came with me
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  Speaker 1: to the house. By course, I did everything as he
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  Speaker 1: beat me, according to his order. I took the little
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  Speaker 1: boy out of the dwelling house immediately, sick as he was,
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  Speaker 1: and made a pad for him and myself in the
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  Speaker 1: cow house. Well, Sir, I lay down by his side
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  Speaker 1: in the bed between two of the cows, and he
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  Speaker 1: fell asleep. He got into a perspiration, saving your presence,
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  Speaker 1: as if he was drawn through the river, and breathed
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  Speaker 1: hard with a great impression on his chest, and was
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  Speaker 1: very bad, very baditarily through the night. I thought about
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  Speaker 1: twelve o'clock he was going at last, and I was
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  Speaker 1: just getting up to call the man I told you of,
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  Speaker 1: But there was no occasion. My friends were getting the
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  Speaker 1: better of them that wanted to take him away from me.
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  Speaker 1: There was nobody in the cow house but the child
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  Speaker 1: and myself. There was only one half penny candle lighting it,
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  Speaker 1: and that was stuck in the wall at the fore
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  Speaker 1: end of the house. I had just enough of light
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  Speaker 1: where we were lying to see a person walking or
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  Speaker 1: standing near us. And there was no more noise than
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  Speaker 1: if it was a churchyard, except the cows chewing the
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  Speaker 1: fodder in the stells. Just as I was thinking of
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  Speaker 1: getting up, As I told you, I won't belie my father, Sir.
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  Speaker 1: He was a good father to me. I saw him
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  Speaker 1: standing at the bedside, holding out his right hand to
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  Speaker 1: me and leaning his other on the stick he used
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  Speaker 1: to carry when he was alive, and looking pleasant and
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  Speaker 1: smiling at me, all as if he was telling me
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  Speaker 1: not to be afraid, for I would not lose the child.
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  Speaker 1: Is that your father, says I? He said nothing. If
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  Speaker 1: that's you, says I again. For the love of them
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  Speaker 1: that gone. Let me catch your hand, And so he did, sir,
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  Speaker 1: and his hand was as soft as a child's. He
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  Speaker 1: stayed about as long as you'd be, going from this
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  Speaker 1: to the gate below at the end of the avenue,
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  Speaker 1: and then went away. In less than a week. The
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  Speaker 1: child was as well as if nothing ever ill, And
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  Speaker 1: there isn't to night a healthier boy of nineteen from
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  Speaker 1: this blessed house of the town of Valley Pouren, across
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  Speaker 1: the Keelworth Mountains. But I think, Tom, said mister Martin,
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  Speaker 1: it appears as if you are more in debt to
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  Speaker 1: your father than to the merec mand it to you
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  Speaker 1: by Seamus. Or do you suppose it was he who
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: made favor with your enemies among the good people, and
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  Speaker 1: that then your father. I beg your pardon, sir, said Burke,
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  Speaker 1: interrupting him. But don't count on my enemies would not
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  Speaker 1: be wishing to me for a good deal to sit
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  Speaker 1: by when they are called soul. No offense to you, sir,
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  Speaker 1: here's wishing you a good health and long life, I
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  Speaker 1: assure you, returned mister Martin. I'm in no offense, Tom,
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  Speaker 1: But was it not as I say? I can't tell
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  Speaker 1: you that, sir said pork, I'm bound down, sir, howsoever,
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  Speaker 1: you may be sure that man I spoke of, and
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  Speaker 1: my father and those they know settled it between them.
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  Speaker 1: There was a pause of which Missus Martin took advantage
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  Speaker 1: to inquire of Tom whether something remarkable had not happened
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  Speaker 1: about the goat and a pair of pigeons at the
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  Speaker 1: time of his son's illness. Circumstances often mysteriously hinted at
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  Speaker 1: by Tom. See that now, said he, turning to mister Martin,
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: how well she remembers it true for you, ma'am. The
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  Speaker 1: goat they gave the mistress her mother when the doctors
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  Speaker 1: ordered her goat's way. Missus Martin nodded the scent, and
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  Speaker 1: Tom Burke continued, Why then, I'll tell you how that was.
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  Speaker 1: The goat was as well as ever goat ever was
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  Speaker 1: for a month after she was sent to kill em
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  Speaker 1: to your father's the morning after the night he just
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  Speaker 1: told you off. Before the child awoke. His mother was
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: standing at the gap leading out of the barnyard into
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: the road, and she saw the pigeon's flying from the
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: town of Kilboard off the church down towards her. Well.
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  Speaker 1: They never stopped, you see, till they came to the
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  Speaker 1: house on the hill at the other side of the river,
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  Speaker 1: facing your farm. They pitched upon the chimney of that house,
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  Speaker 1: and after looking about them for a minute or two,
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  Speaker 1: they flew straight across the river and stopped on the
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  Speaker 1: reach of the cow house where the child and I were, Alvey,
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: do you think they came there for nothing, Sir, certainly not,
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: Tom returned mister Martin. Well, the woman came in to
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: me frightened and told me she began to cry. It
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: too fool, says I tis all for the better plus
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: two for me. But do you think, ma'am, the good
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: that I gave your mother that was seen fitting at
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: sunrise that morning by Jack Cronin as Mary as a
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: bee dropped down that without anybody knowing why before Jack's face,
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: and at that very moment he sought to pigeon's fly
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: from the top of the house out of the town
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: towards the Lismore Road. Twas at the same time my
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: woman saw them, as I just told you, twas very strange. Indeed,
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: Tom said mister Martin, I wish you could give us
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: some explanation of it. I wish I could, sir, was
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: tom Burke's answer. But I'm bound down. I can't tell.
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: But what I'm allowed to tell any more than a
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: century is let walk more than his thrones. I think
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: he says something of having had some formal knowledge of
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: the man that assisted in the cure of your son,
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: said mister Marty. So I had, Sir, returned borg. I
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: had a trial of that man. But that's neither here
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: nor there. I can't tell you anything about that, sir.
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: But would you like to know how he got his kill?
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: Oh very much indeed, said mister Martin. But you can
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: tell us his Christian name that we may know he
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: met it through the story, added missus Martin. Tom Berg
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: paused for a minute to consider this proposition. Well, I
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: believe that I may tell you that anyhow. His name
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: is Patrick. He was always a smart, cute, footnote acute,
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: and a footnote boy, and would be a great clerk
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: if he stuck to it. The first time I knew him, Sir,
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: was at my mother's wake. I was in great trouble,
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: for I did not know where to bury her her people,
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: and my father's people, and in their friends. Sir, among
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: the good people, had the greatest battle that was known
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: for many a year at Dunman Way Cross to see
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: to whose churchyard should be taken. They thought that three
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: nights one after another, without being able to settle it.
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: Neighbors wondered how long I was before I buried my mother.
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: But I had my reasons, though I could not tell
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: them at the time. Well, sir, to make my story short,
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: Patrick came on the fourth morning and told me he
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: settled the business, and that they we buried her in
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: Kilcrumport churchyard with my father's people. He was a valuable friend,
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: Tom said missus Martin, with difficulties suppressing a smile. But
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: you were about to tell how he became so skillful,
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: So I will and welcome, replied Burke your help, ma'am.
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: I'm drinking too much of this spunch, sir. But to
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: tell the truth, I never tasted the like of it.
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: It goes down on stroat like sweet oil. But what
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: was I going to say? Yes, Well, Patrick, many a
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: long year ago, was coming home from a barren late
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: in the evening and walking by the side of a
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: river opposite the big inch footnote low meadow ground near
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: a river, and a footnote near ballyhaffen Fort. He had
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: taken a drop, to be sure, but he was only
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: a little merry, as you may say, and knew very
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: well what he was doing. The morning was shining, for
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: it was the month of August, and the river was
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: as smooth and as bright as a looking glass. He
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: heard nothing for a long time but the fall of
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: the water at the mill. We were about a mile
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: down the river, And now I did the crying of
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: the lamps on the other side of the river. All
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: at once there was a noise of a great number
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: of people, laughing as if they'd break their hearts, and
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: of a piper playing among them. It came from the
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: inch at the other side of the ford, and he
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: saw through the mist that hung over the river a
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: whole crowd of people dancing on the inch. Patrick was
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: as fond of a dance as he was of a glass,
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: and that sang enough for him. So he walked off
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: his shoes and stockings and away with him across the ford.
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: After putting out his shoes and stockings at the other
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: side of the river, he walked over to the crowd
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: and mixed with them for some time. Without being minded.
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: He thought, Sir that he'd show them better dancing than
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: any of themselves, for he was out of his feet, sir,
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: and I could ride he had, for there was not
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: a boy in the same parish could foot the double
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: or trouble with him, but fall. His dancing was no
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: more to dars than mine would be to the mistress.
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: Here they did not seem as if they had a
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: bone in their bodies, and they kept it up as
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: if nothing could tire them. Patrick was shamed within himself,
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: for he thought he had not his fellow in all
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: the country round, and was going away when a little
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: old man that was looking at a company bitterly, as
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: if he did not like what was going on, came
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: up to him. Patrick says he Patrick started, for he
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: did not think anybody there knew him. Patrick says he.
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: You're discouraged, and no wonder for you. But you have
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: a friend near you. I am your friend and your
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: father's friend. And I think worse footnote more and the
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: footnote of your little finger, than I do of all
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: that are here. Though they think no one is as
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: good as themselves, going to the ring and call for
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: a little don't be afeared, I tell you the best
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: of them did not do it as well as you shall,
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: if you will do as I bid you, Patrick felt
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: something within him as if he ought not to gain,
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: saying the old man. He went into the ring and
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: called the piper to play up the best double he had,
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: And sure enough all that the others were able for
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: was nothing to him. He bounded like an eel now
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: here and out there, as light as a feather. Although
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: the people could hear the music, answered by his steps
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: the big time to ever turn of it, like the
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: left foot of the piper. He first danced a hornpipe
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: on the ground. Then they got a table, and he
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: danced a trouble on it that threw down shouts in
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: the whole company. At last he called for a trencher,
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: and when they saw him all as if he was
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: spinning on it like a top, they did not know
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: what to make of him. Some praised him for the
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: best answer that ever entered a ring. Others hated him
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: because he was better than themselves, although they had a
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: good ride to think themselves better than him or any
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: other man that ever went the long journey. And what
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: was the cause of his great success, inquired mister Martin.
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: He could not help it. Sir, replied tom Burg, that
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: that could make him do more than that made him
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: do it holsoever. When he had done, they wanted him
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: to dance again, but he was tired and they could
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: not persuade him. At last he got angry and swore
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: a big oath, saving your presence, that he would not
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: test a step more. And the word was hardly out
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: of his mouth when he found himself all alone, with
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: nothing but the white cow greezing by his side. Did
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: he ever discover why he was gifted with these extraordinary powers?
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: In the dam stop, said mister Martin. I'll tell you
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: touch too, Sir, answered Bork, when I come to it.
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: When he was home, Sir, he was taken with a
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: shivering and went to bed. And the next day they
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: found he had got a fever or something like it,
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: for he raved like as if he was mad, but
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: he couldn't make out what it was he was saying,
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: though he talked constant. The doctors gave him over. But
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: it's little they knew what ailed him. When he was,
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: as you may say, about ten days sick, and everybody
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: thought he was going one of the neighbors came into
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: him with a man, a friend of his from bellin
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: Klchen that was keeping with him some time before. I
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: can't tell you his name either, only it was starving.
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: The minute Darby saw Patrick, he took a little bottle
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: with the Joseph herbs in it out of his pocket
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: and gave Patrick a drink of it. He did the
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: same every day for three weeks, and that Patrick was
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: able to walk about as stout and as hearty as
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: ever he was in his life. But he was a
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: long time before he came to himself, and he used
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: to walk the whole day, sometimes by the ditch side,
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: talking to himself, like as if there was something along
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: with him, as though there was surely, or he wouldn't
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: be the man he is today. I suppose it was
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: from such companion he learned his skill, said mister Martin,
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: you have it all now, Sir replied burke Arbe told
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: him his friends were satisfied with what he did that
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: night of the dance, and though they couldn't hinder the fever,
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: that bring him over it and teach him more than
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: many knew beside him. And so they did. For you see,
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: all the people he met on the inch that night
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: were friends of a different faction. Only the old man
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: that spoke to him. He was a friend of Patrick's family,
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: and it went again his heart. You see that the
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: others were so light and active, and he was bitter
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: in himself to hear them boasting how they'd dance with
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: any set in the whole country round. So he gave
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: Patrick the gift that night, and afterwards gave him the
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: skill that makes him the wonder of all that know him.
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: And to be sure, it was only learning he was
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: at the time when he was wondering in his mind
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: after the fever. I have heard many strict stories about
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: that each near balhiphan Ford said, mister Martin, tis a
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: great place for the good people, isn't it. Tom. You
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: may say that, Sir returned Bork. I could tell you
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: a great deal about it many a time. I sat
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: for it as good as two hours bymon night at
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: the other side of the river, looking at them playing gold,
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: as if they'd break their hearts over it, with their
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: coats and waistcoats off, and white handkerchiefs on the heads
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: of one party, and rapped once on the other, just
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: as you'd see on a Sunday in mister Simon's big field.
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: I saw them one night play till the moon sat,
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: without one party being able to take the ball from Dadder.
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: I'm sure they were going to fight, only it was
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: near morning. And told your grandfather. Ma'am used to see
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: them there too, said Bork, turning to missuss Martin. So
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: I have been told, Tom, replied missus Martin. But don't
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: they say that the churchyard of Cilcumber is just as
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: favorite a place with the good people as Bally had
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: been inch White. Then maybe you never heard, ma'am, what
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: happened to Davy Roach in the same churchyard, said Burke,
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: and turning to mister Martin, added it was a long
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: time before he went into your service, sir. He was
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: walking home of an evening from the fear of Culcumber,
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: a little marry to be sure, after the day, and
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: he came up with the baron, so he walked along
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: with it. And though it were I thought it very
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: queer that he did not know a mother saw in
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: the crowd but one man, and he was sure that
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: man was dead many years afore. Howsomever He went on
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: with the baron till they came to kill Comfort churchyard,
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: And think he went in and stayed with the rest
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: to see the corpse buried. As soon as the grave
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: was covered, what should they do but gather about the
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: piper that had come along with them, and fall to
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: dancing as if it was a wedding day. Be longed
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: to be among them, for he hadn't the bad food
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: of his own that time. Whatever he may now, but
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: he was loved to begin, because they all seemed strange
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: to him. Only the man I told you that he
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: thought he was dead. Well, at last this man saw
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: what Davy wanted and came up to him. Davy says,
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: he take out a partner and show what you can do.
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: But take care and don't offer to kiss her. That
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: I won't, says Davy, although her lips were made of honey.
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: And with that he made his bow to the pretty
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: scirl in the ring, and he and she began to
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: dance twas a chick. They danced, and they did it
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: to the admiration do you see of all that were there?
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: It was all very well till the jig was over,
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: But just as they had done day before, he had
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: to drop in, and was warm with the dancing, forgot
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: himself and kissed his partner. According to custom. The smack
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: was no sooner off of his lips, you see, than
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: he was left alone in the churchyard without a creature
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: near him, and all he could see was the tall tombstones.
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: Davy said, they seemed as if they were dancing, too,
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: But I suppose that was only the wonder that happened him,
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: and he, being a little in drink Alsomever he found
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: it was a great many hours later than he taught. It.
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: Twas new morning when he came home. But they couldn't
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: get a word out of him till the next day,
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: when he woke out of a dead sleep about twelve o'clock.
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: When Tom had finished the account of Davy roach at
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: the parent, it became quite evident the spirits of some
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: sort were working too strong within him to admit of
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: his telling many more tales of the good people. Tom
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: seemed conscious of this. He muttered for a few minutes
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: broken sentences concerning churchyard's riversides, leprecauns den Mouth footnote, the
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: good people, and the footnote, which were quite unintelligible, perhaps
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: to himself, certainly to mister Martin and his lady. At length,
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: he made a slight motion of the head upwards, as
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: if he would say, I can talk no more, stretched
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: his arm on the table upon which he placed the
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: empty tumbler, slowly and with the most knowing and cautious air,
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: and rising from his chair, walked or rather rolled, to
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: the parlor door. Here he turned round to face his
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: host and hostess, but after various ineffectual attempts to beat
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: them good night to the words as they rose, being
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: always choked by a violent hiccup. While the door, which
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: he held by the handle, swung to and fro, carried
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: his unyielding body along with it. He was obliged to
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: depart in silence. The cowboy, sent by Tom's wife, who
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: knew well what sort of allurement detained him when he
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: remained out after a certain hour, was in attendance to
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: conduct his master home. I have no doubt that he
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: returned without meeting any material injury, as I know that
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: within the last month he was used his own words
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: as stout and hearty, a man as any of his
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: age in the country cork and of Section twenty five