HAVING dismissed my trusty Indian, I encountered, after a little time, a very different character-an Irish emigrant —and as I had been vainly endeavouring to reconcile my mind to the pros pect of another night beside a watchfire in the wilderness, I learned, with no small satisfaction, that we were within a few miles of a lately established settlement, whither my fellowtraveller undertook to conduct me. The sun was low in the west; and as we journeyed on through the dusky paths of the forest, the emigrant beguiled the way by the following homely narrative. Having dwelt with natural enthusiasm upon the recollections of better days, and distant homes, he thus proceeded :

"There was a neighbour's son of our's, one Brian Donnelly, a comely boy, faix, as you'd see in a day's walk; but beyant that no one had, nor could have, a good word for Brian. It isn't fittin', your honour, to spake ill o' the dead, more partic'lar iv one that died without the holy hand bein' over him; but it's far away the sperit walks; and sure the world knows that unfortunate crathur was never marked with luck nor grace. He had well-wishers, to be sure, for he was a friendly chap enough, and myself often thought that wanst he'd get over his wild ways, he'd be a credit to the town ; but it wasn't betther but worse he still grew, till at last we agreed to let him run his coorse--and a woeful one it was for him and his.

He was wicked every way, in troth. Many's the blessed Christmas and Easter was gone by, without him bending his knee to a priest; and while you'd pity the ould man, the way he worked late and early to keep the bit in the son's mouth, sorra hand's turn would Brian do; but if he wasn't coortin' the girls, and gettin' into all sorts o' divilment at home, maybe it's an ould gun he'd borry, and off over the mountains wid him, by the dawn of a summer's mornin', as gay and pleasant as a young lord. They say his people had seen betther times, and some allowed it was that turned him agin' humblin' himself to the work; but it's remarkable neither him nor the father ever let on a word about it good or bad; only still when you'd offer the fellow a piece o' neighbourly advice,

6

Och tundher an' agers, boys!' he'd say, where's the use iv a man workin' the life out iv himself? Sure who knows what luck's afore him?' and thrue for him, the unfortunate sinnerlittle did he know what was afore him, when he ris that mornin' wid a guilty heart, and kem afore night to his sudden and evil end.

"Well he was a wonderful upsettin' chap this Brian, and in the coorse o' time didn't he take it into his head to be made a district captain! I suppose he thought the boys were as mad as himself; and certainly there was some foolish crathurs would have him chose right or wrong. Howsomdever, myself was the man they elicted, and from

that hour Donnelly and me was two. There was an other raison forbye the cliction; but I'm goin' to tell you now how I first persaved the heart-hatred that soon brought sorrow on us all.

It was one stormy evening, as we were comin' home from Moneycarig, afther buryin' a neighbour's wife, when a lock iv us turned into a shebeen, to take a dhrop o' refreshment. We were gettin' middlin pleasant, for it was comin' on a rough night, when all at oncet a little ould man, that was sittin' by the hob when we kem in to dhrink, raiches over behind one or two more, and whispers into my ear, 'Do you mind him pointing to Brian Donnelly, that sat, with a curl in his lip, lookin' mighty keen at me, and the liquor coolin' afore him. I took no notice, but he still kept starin' just the same as ever. Well I thought it was unnatural the way he was gettin' on, and faix, I was becomin' a little unaisy; so I says, thinkin' to rouse him, Brian,' says I, 'your health I wish.'

666

666

I thank you, captain,' says he. And betther manners to you,' says I, in my own mind. That was all passed atween us; but afther a bit Donnelly gets up.

666

Boys,' he says, 'I'll give yees a toast Here's confusion to him that doesn't folly up the bould beginnin'!'

Of coorse, your honour, it's hard for me to know what was the raison, but a notion crossed me as he said the word-thinks I to myself, there's more in that than he'd be willing to let on; and maybe others had the same doubt-for when, afther swallyin' as good as a naggin o' whiskey, he looks round, and-Lord save us! but his eyes were red and wild-like--the divil resave the man iv us had lifted a glass. So Brian laughed! but I'm tould he laughed the night his mother died. You'll think it odd, sir, but when he gave the toast, the little ould man that was sittin' by the hob, whispers to the boy convanient to him,

"Somethin' tells me,' says he, 'that's an unlucky toast for him that drinks

Success! Brian,' shouted the lads ; for you see they thought they'd take their divarsion out iv him, when they seen him angered; but myself begun to suspect there was somethin' wrong, or, you know, sir, why would he be angered at their jokin' about his acquaintance with the agent? and, to be sure, if it wasn't for the dhrink, he'd have had more wit nor to let on that he cared for their bantherin' ways.

66

Well I mind we had a quare walk home that night; but the stars was all out, and the moon -faix she was twenty times brighter then I seen the sun many a day; and if it was a little windy or so, why the whiskey bein' good, the not a much we cared what the weather was. Brian and me soon got on a good piece afore the res', so we turned into the valley, by way o' makin' a short cut home, and kept as good as half a mile along the river, till it brought us into one of the wildest

Och, ay,' says he, that's thrue; and yet,' says he, mighty bitther, don't you know it would be as well to be hanged, as still be crossin' the way iv an unfortunate man. McMahon,' says he, I'd be sorry any thing would happen you, but I don't know how it is, I have a notion either you or me 'ill come to an unlucky end.'

"God bless you, Brian Donnelly,' says I, crossin' myself, will you whisht!' and small blame to me, your honour, if I didn't care to be alone with such an unchristian erathur, down among the dark meandherins iv a glen that had a bad name over the whole country round.

But when we got at last nigh the foot of the waterfall, where the hills were a taste wider, and let the moonlight partly down to where we stood, a thought kem across meStop a bit,' says I; 'you say there's a sorrowful death in store for one iv us, and maybe your words are thruer nor you think. I know you consate

you're a better man nor me; but, Briny, it's a foolish thing to be in a lonesome place at night with one you have betrayed. You false villain,' says I, I'm sould! but are you positive sure you'll ever handle the bloodmoney?

66

Well, sir, when he swore by the bright heavens that I wrong'd him, wasn't I the fool to believe his oath? for divil as he was, I never thought he would bring on his sowl the perjury of that beautiful and holy light. Howsomdever, I had my fears, for I knew he was false-hearted; but, God help me! little did I know the lengths he had gone.

He

"You mind I said there was another raison, forbye the eliction, why Brian had a spite again' me. There was a gentleman wanst lived in our counthry,-a poor gentleman he was, and more's the pity, for he was betther nor them that maybe thought much o' themselves, and though he had little to give but good will and good counsel, it was allowed by all that a word from him was worth goold from another. It would have been tellin' us a power that God had spared him longer; for throuble never kem on us till he was called away. lived in a little cottage quite solitarylike, himself and his daughter, the beautifullest young lady at all, but what's beauty without the kindly heart! and sure it wasn't her beauty made the poor think the grass was greener where she trod, and brought blessin's day and night on their lonely home. Now it would do you good to see the two wandherin' late iv a summer's evenin', up beyant the fort, and talkin', I'll be bound, iv ould times, and them that was gone; for when they'd call in at some poor body's cabin on the way,-and och! he was the free and hearty gentleman with us all!-the smile would be off her face, and her lovely blue eyes full up of tears.

"At last the sorrowful day came, when she was left on the wide world, without home or shelther! Her friends were mighty grand entirely,-but it's a notion myself has, that them great people doesn't think a power iv either beauty or goodness; and barrin' you have something else they like betther, the sorra much consarn they give themselves about you,-and that's

what I call unnatural, sir; and bad as the poor are, and God help us, we're bad enough, I think, somehow, they have more feelin' for their own than them that ought to know betther. Any way the poor young misthress's people never let on they knew there was such a one alive; but they mightn't have been one bit afeared, for she had a spirit above bein' thrustin' to them; but with the thrifle the masther left she went to live with a quiet, decent couple; and sure it's them was proud and happy to have the likes iv her undher their humble roof. The Doolans had the purtiest and comfortablest farm in the whole town; but there was more than the ould couple in it, and there's no use in sayin' that Nancy Doolan was the glory o' the country around, she's gone now, my colleen dhu! and I wish her likes may be ever seen again among the valleys of Lisnashara. There was lads enough, you may be sure, dyin' about the same Nancy; but, somehow, her and me had always a kind o' likin' for other; for, you see, there was only a mearin'-ditch between the farms, so we'd sometimes meet by chance, down in the hollow, when the dew 'id be fallin'; and as that's the greatest time at all for the boys and girls to be courtin', why we grew fonder and fonder, till I thought there was none on Irish ground like my own black-eyed jewel; and no more there wasn't; for och! she was the world's wondher for beauty. Brian never had any acquaintance with Nancy, beyant a word o' civility when they'd meet on the road, or in a neighbour's house; for though he had the wondherfullest way of humbuggin' the girls of any chap ever you met, faix Nancy seen the sort he was; and it would have been tellin' some poor deluded crathurs, if they had seen, afore it was too late, that no female could gain either credit or characther by having any call to the likes of him. Howsomdever, a while afther the poor masther's death, he used to be still sauntering about the place, and would sometimes dhrop in, by way of havin' a bit of discourse with ould Owen; but soon it came on that he'd sit the length of the evenin' talkin' one kind o' nonsense or another, and now and then throwin' in a word o' flattery to Nancy, and sometimes stealin' a quiet

But,

look at the misthress herself. I'm tould, whenever she chanced to persave him, he'd turn as white as a sheet, and never say another word till he'd get up and lave the house. But it isn't home he'd go then, but wandher about the hills for as good as three hours afther night-fall; and sure some that seen him, thought it was out of his mind he was; but not a sowl, barrin' myself and two more, knowed, for many a long day, the raal raison iv it all. I didn't know it at first, and to tell you the truth, I didn't much like to see him gettin' so great at Owen's, 'specially, as the whole parish was beginnin' to say he was goin' afther Nancy-and by dad,' says some, Nancy's the very girl 'll soon give Jemmy M'Mahon the go by, when Brian gets alongside iv her with that oily talk iv his.'

"I had another notion; but any way, I thought it as well to speak to her about what the neighbours was sayin', and what myself thought o' such a notorious vagabond frequentin' an honest girl's company. And he was a dangerous vagabond wanst he'd get in with a woman, for sure enough he had the divil's tongue for coaxin'. So one evening, afther letting the horses loose, I sthrolls along, thinkin' o' what I'd say, for I was afeard, in my own mind, she'd think it was jealous I was, when, just as I turns up the little path ladin' to the cottage, who should I meet but Brian, comin' whistlin' along, his hat stuck on the side iv his head, and a kind iv uneasiness about him, that it was plain enough seein' he wanted to consale.

"God save you, Brian,' says I. "God save you kindly, Jemmy,' says he; and with that he was passin' on, when I says to him

Hut, man,' says I, dont be in such a murtherin' hurry-the evenin's long, and you're no ways far from home. You'll be there afore midnight yet, Briny!' for I thought I'd tell him a piece of my mind.

"What do you mane?' says he.

666

Oh, nothin', says I; only the neighbours thinks it remarkable for one, that's not overly fond iv hardship, to be lookin' afther another body's place all night, and him not so much as paid for it. They have quare stories about you, Briny. Some says you're