1830.] Father Murphy" a Dream. 433 



riage. Instead of that, he has hardly a drop to wet his lips ; and many's 

 the fast-day he's obliged to eat a rasher of bacon for dinner, because he 

 can't get a bit of fish or a whisp of cabbage for love or money. Now 

 tell the honest truth, and no shame to you isn't this meeting that's to 

 take place to-morrow entirely instigated by yourself, that the Bible 

 people may get a heap of money out of the pockets of the poor Catho- 

 lics ?" 



" I'll tell no lie about it," said Ould Nick, " it's entirely a child of 

 my own/' 



f( Mind that, Father Tom," said St. Peter, in a whisper, winking over 

 slily at me. ff And tell me also, Mr. Nicholas," said he, " didn't they 

 put some ugly drops into Father Tom's little cruiskeen, that they might 

 prevent him from going to the meeting-house to expose them?" 



" You're too hard upon me," said the devil, scratching his head, as if 

 he didn't know what to say ; " but if I was to speak the truth, I don't 

 think there's one amongst them but would poison the priests, root and 

 branch." 



" And wouldn't it be the sin of the world for Father Tom to waste 

 his time making speeches, and argufying with them, when it's of no 

 manner of use at all ; and when you know very well, that the more he'd 

 talk to them, the worse they'd be after ; and that all they'd do would be 

 to pick up the knowledge that would fall from him as plentiful as black- 

 berries in summer, and then go about the country passing it off as their 

 own ?" 



" I'll have no more to do with you," said the devil, getting into a great 

 passion, and taking up the Bible and the tracts ; et you wouldn't leave 

 me a skreed to put on me, if you could : so I'll follow my own way, and 

 go home and write advertisements for another meeting somewhere 

 else." 



" Then I'd advise you," said St. Peter, ee never to have a meeting 

 in Father Tom's neighbourhood again ; for you see you're defeated this 

 time, and will be as long as your head is hot." 



With that St. Peter put up his finger to his nose, and after nodding his 

 head at me, got up on horseback on a horse that was waiting for him, and 

 rode off, leaving the devil in a dolderum behind him. Just at that moment 

 there was a roar like an earthquake, every thing seemed as if it was 

 swimming round and round, and I couldn't see the devil or any one else 

 for the smoke and, with a terrible start, as if I got a blow on the head, 

 I awoke out of my sleep ; and there was Shanus, the cook, shaking me 

 as if he thought I was in a trance. 



" Get up, Father Tom," says he, " if you're alive ; you're asleep 

 since last sight, and that's nearly two days ago. The Bible-men are all 

 gone off to Limerick, and there's not a soul in the place but's breaking 

 all the windows of the Orange justices of the peace." 



" Fie upon you, Shanus !" says I ; " and is that the way you come to 

 spoil my beautiful dream ?" 



Isn't my dream out now, boys ? and is it any wonder, after the 

 warning I had from St. Peter, that I didn't think of going to the meeting ? 

 Sorrow a Bible-man you'll ever see in the spot again, mark my words j 

 and that's better than all tl\e palaver of speeches you'll hear from this 

 day forward till the hour of your deaths. Amen. 

 M.M. New Series.VoL. X. No. 58. 3 I 



