THE LOVE TOKEN. 319 



three weeks to-morrow since they war all, themselves and the father of 

 them, sitting at their dinner ; and no great things of a dinner it was 

 eether, but a pratee and a grain of salt. Howsomever, that's nothing: 

 if they lave us to ate that same in pace, 'tis enough: but, as I was say- 

 ing, they war sitting to it and who should come to the door, but 

 the procther. Well, Ned Sheedy got up, and he axed him to eat a 

 pratee. " No," says the procther, " I'm in a hurry: but how are you 

 off for the tithe, Ned ?" " Oh," says Ned, " bad enough." " I'm sorry 

 for that, Ned," says he ; " for the tithe I must have." " Sure you 

 won't mind a month or so," says Ned; " for the dickons a manes of 



v * * A T ^ , i A~I 3 ,1 j-T* .! 4-"L ~*. 



must have the pig ; and if that won't do, I must have the table, Ned, or 

 the chairs, or the dresser and the chaney; and if them won't do, I must 

 have the bed, and the things on it, Ned." Well, why, Ned said no- 

 thing; for what could he say? but he only looked at his childer: 

 and the wife aftherwards told me that one big tear rolled down his 

 face ; but if it did, the procther did not mind it, but only said, " Mr. 

 Sheedy, I'll give you one week longer, and let me have the tithe then ;" 

 and away he went. Well, 'twas the very next day afther, two soldiers 

 corned into the house to them, and sat down, like two lords, on the bed. 

 Ned didn't say much, but quietly axed what they plased to want ? One 

 of them laughed, and desired him go and be damned; and the other 

 went over to Ketty Sheedy herself, that's his wife, and gave her a kiss. 

 Now Ned minded nothing at all but this ; and so he did what any man 

 that was a man at all, would do he up with his fist, and knocked him 

 dead on the floor. The other runned at him but Ned was a strong boy, 

 and, 'faith, he'd have mastered him too, only that the other came to 

 himself, and both war too much for him. They took and tied him with 

 the leather belt of one of them, and left him on the floor, gibing of him. 

 What else they did, I need not tell. When they went out, by and by 

 Kitty loosed him. Ned went to your own father, Mr. George, the ma- 

 gistrate that is ; and when he sent in for him, Mr. Leslie was at dinner, 

 and so Ned had to wait better nor two hours ; and when the magistrate 

 opened his window, and Ned, with his hat off, toult his story, this good 

 magistrate toult him to go and be damned for a croppy and a rebel, and 

 that he'd have two more of the soldiers quartered on him ; and as to his 



wife, she was no better nor a . I won't say before her what he 



called her ; but Ned came away, and sat down in a chair under the 

 chimney all night, and the poor woman herself was crying by him, with 

 the infant at her breast. For the week Ned wasn't himself, to be sure ; 

 but when the time was out, the procther came. " Well, Ned, the tithe. 

 You won't refuse it me now, any how.*' " I have no tithe for you," 

 said Ned ; and little blame to him to be vexed now. " Well, no matther 

 for that eether," said the procther; " but you have the pig, Ned, and 

 the chairs, and the bed. Come in," said he to a parcel of people he had 

 outside to help him. " A fine pig he is too," said the procther, as he 

 drove him out the door ; " but we must take the bed too, Ned." 

 " Can't ye take the chairs, or any thing else ? Don't ye see my wife is 

 lying on the bed now?" " I can't help that," said he; and he desired 

 the woman to get up, laying hoult of her arm. " Don't touch her," said 

 Ned ; " don't touch her, I tell ye I warn ye not." " God damn your 



