AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 37 



At this the old lady looked so proud and happy 

 in her husband that I would have kissed her myself 

 had there not been a whip that might come about 

 my ears before I could have effected my purpose. 

 Surely the wife had read my fleeting thoughts, for 

 she beckoned me to draw near. When I did so, 

 she pressed into my hand, holding it fast, a small 

 cake, while she said in solemn tones : 



" Ate just the small half, the larger save 

 To give to the colleen whose love ye crave." 



As I held the cake in my hand and thought of 

 its powers, I started an interesting calculation. I 

 thought of the basketfuls I had seen which the 

 donkey was slowly drawing to impatiently waiting 

 "bhoys" ("bhoys" are of all ages); and of the 

 pretty " colleens" shyly hoping; and then I tried 

 to find a resulting product. What a problem for 

 the brain-racking column of the Globe ! 



Perhaps my photographer feared that some spell 

 was beginning its work upon me, for he woke me 

 from my thoughts by hastily relieving me of the 

 cake which had so peculiarly come into my posses- 

 sion. Faith in love-philtres and love-cakes is very 

 general, and it is more than probable that what I 

 could chronicle about the great wonder effected by 

 this particular cake would be very interesting to 

 many who are prepared to welcome further proof 

 of their marvellous efficacy. But these I must dis- 

 appoint, for that is another person's story. 



