Arthur Wellington Roberts

“ Corny and the wife was lyin’ awake, listenin’ to the wondherful noises that was goin’ on in the kitchen—tap! tap! like the dead-watch, only a dale loudher. Then the pig, the craythur, would let grunts out of her that was frightful. Corny gets up and stales out to thry and see what was the matther. And what de ye think it was? Nayther more nor less than the ould Leprachaun, and he mendin’ his brogues as hard as he could lick!
“‘Why, thin, what de ye mane?’ says Corny, thryin’ to look as bould as brass, for all the heart was sinkin’ in him wud the fear ”

“ Mostly all the ould people was in the room wud the corpse, the men chatterin’ about one thing or another, and the women slootherin’ and cosherin’ in corners wud their heads together, lamentin’ the dead, and keepin’ a keen eye all the while on the dandys and noggins of punch. The young ones was out in the kitchen whalin’ the flure to the ‘Crow on the Gate-post,’ or some other fine tchune, for Callaghan, the piper, was there to the fore, playin’ most beautiful. ”

“ I suppose it was the fine night that was in it, or the air took hoult of him, or may be the strength of the love; but, howsumever, it was Corny began to feel rale light in the head. He used to lay the blame on the good people, ‘for,’ says he, ‘sure it couldn’t be the dhrop I tuk that wasn’t enough to blind the eye of a midge,’ says he, ‘that id go get into me head that a way.’ So down he sot, just to steady himself and take a blast of the pipe, be the side of a big three that stood close to the road, and he wasn’t long there when lone behowld ye he fell hard and fast asleep. ”

“ A fine view of the coorse he had, no doubt, but, be me song, there was more comin’ than he bargained for, for the hate bein’ over, the people was makin’ off to the tents, and behould ye, when they stepped out of the tail of the car, up it wint, for all the world like a wadey-buckety, and down goes the shafts over the top of a tent conveynient, where there was powerful dancin’ and fun goin’ on. ”

“ Begor he didn’t know whether he was standin’ on his head or his heels wud delight.
“‘Corny, yer sowl, ye,’ says he to himself, ‘ye’r a made man from this day out. Isn’t it yourself is in the hoigth of good luck, and more power to the Leprachaun, he’s a dacent ould chap afther all.’
“So sayin’, he filled his pockets, and his hat, and his brogues—ay, and his stockins too! for he seen there was no use in thryin’ to get up the crock without a spade, and, stickin’ the three back again, he cut off home. ”