DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 215 



that closed to cheat often lost power to open. You 

 have heard a voice as sweet as my mother's was. 

 It's sweet memories that lull us to content and 

 sleep." 



I heard the echo of a voice in the waves that 

 lovely Autumn morning and could plainly see the 

 face and form of the little maid I married, and, quite 

 forgetting that a son of hers sat near, I whispered : 



" And I as rich in having such a jewel 

 As twenty seas, if all their sand were pearl, 

 The water nectar, and the rocks pure gold." 



Then my boy's strong arms came under mine to 

 lift me up and march me off. 



The bustle of an Irishman who has overslept 

 himself is out of all proportion to its effect, except- 

 ing only the soothing influence it has on himself. 

 He is inclined to think the first half of a day well 

 spent when he has thus asserted his manhood and 

 is quite prepared thereafter to stretch himself or sit 

 upon a fence. Where's the need for hurry ? The 

 waves still roll and the fly-fisher waits for rain ; he 

 knows this and perhaps handsome, happy Boniface 

 is right in saying by his actions: "Take it easy, 

 boys ; sun yourselves ; to-morrow's near ; leave all 

 till then." A sixty-miles-per-hour man who thinks 

 himself the only person who has a right to be upon 

 the road is a lively creature that is only a temporary 

 bore, but the late-rising, lazy man is so much with 

 you in the briefest time that you have fears he is to 

 be with you for evermore. He worries me quickly 

 and I hunger to kick him when he stretches and 

 thirst to put a thorn betwixt his sitting and the 

 fence. 



