with him at that time of day. Upon which well-become Moll, she up and told his reverence, how she was left a lone woman, without a mankind in the world, to see after her little farm, or do a hand's turn for her; and so she thought as how she'd take Murty for a husband, if his reverence had no objection, and that what brought them there was to be married that very night.

"Then the priest got into a mighty great bit of a fret, and told her she was no better than she should be, to think of marrying so soon after Paddy's death. But Moll, who had a pretty way with her, whispered something in his reverence's ear, without minding in the least his being in a fret.

"The fat pig,' says he.

“Yes, your reverence can send for her this very night,' says she.

66.6

"Why, now I consider the matter,' says the priest, 'to be sure you are a lone woman, and live in a lonesome place; so, as there's no knowing what might happen to you, I believe I'd better marry you out of hand.'

66

Well, sir, after every one was gone from the wedding, and all the family in bed, who should come to the door but Paddy Kelleher himself, after walking all the way from Buttevant, and a good step it was. So he gave a thundering knock at the door, for he was mighty tired after the journey, and was in a hurry to get into bed.

"Who's there? a pretty time of night to come knocking at a dacent man's door,' said Murty..

“Tis I, Paddy Kelleher; get up and let me in; and sure a man may rap at his own door, and no thanks to any one.'

"When Moll heard that she gave a great screech entirely, The Lord have mercy on us,' says she, 'what is it you want now, Paddy; but don't I know very well it isn't you at all, but only your ghost; and sure you haven't any business in life to be coming here now, for didn't I give you a fine wake and a decent berring, and the fat pig to the priest to say masses for the good of your soul.'

"The devil you did,' said Paddy, and away he ran to the barn to look for his pig, for he saw it was all in vain to knock or call; they wouldn't let him in, and he didn't like to break his own door; so, finding the pig safe in the barn, he lay down to sleep in the straw till morning; but he was'nt long there, when the priest's boy came for the pig, and was putting a sugan about her leg to drive her away, for 'twas settled he should take her in the night; but Kelleher, not liking to lose his pig that way, and thinking it was stealing the beast he was, for he didn't clearly understand what his wife had said, up he jumps and gives him the mother of a beating.

"I'll engage the boy did'nt wait for the pig after it, but ran off to his master as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Where's the pig?' says the priest.

"The never a pig have I,' says the boy,' for just as I was going to take her, Paddy Kelleher's ghost jumped out of a corner of the barn, and gave me the truth of a

beating; so I ran away as fast as I could, and I wouldn't go back again for half Cork.'

"A likely story indeed,' says the priest; you know well enough 'tis no such thing, but the glass I gave you, and you going, that made you drunk, you vagabond, and so you fell down and cut yourself and couldn't bring the pig.'

"May I never see Grenough Chapel again, if every word I told your reverence wasn't as true as the sun,' says the boy; but come yourself with me, and see if I won't bring the pig home, if you'll only give her into my two hands.'

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"I will,' says the priest, and away they went to the barn; but the moment he put a hand on the pig, up jumped Kelleher, from among the straw, and gave the priest such a beating as he never got before or since. Away he went without the pig surely, and the boy after him, roaring ten thousand murders. Poor Kelleher, you may be certain, was tired enough after this, so down he lay, and slept as sound as a top till late next morning, which happened to be a Sunday, so that when he got up and went into his own house, he found every one was gone to mass, except an old woman who was left minding the place, and she, instead of getting him his breakfast as he desired, ran away out of the house screeching for the bare life, at the sight of the drownded man walking in to her.

"So Kelleher had to make out breakfast for himself as well as he could; and when he was done, away he goes to mass, thinking to find all the people there before him, and learn some account of how things had been

going on at home. He was walking smartly along, when who should he almost overtake, but his ould neighbours, Jack Harty and Miles Mahony. Good morrow, Jack,' says Paddy; 'Can't you stop for a body, Miles?' says he; but when they looked back at the sound of his voice, and saw who they had after them, they took to their scrapers and ran as fast as their legs would carry them, thinking all the time it was a ghost was at their heels.

"Kelleher thought it was running to overtake mass they were, so he ran too, for fear he'd be late, which made them run the faster; and sure enough they never stopped or staid, till they got into the chapel and up to the priest where he was standing at the altar.

"Why, boys,' says the priest, what's the matter with ye?'

"Oh, your reverence!' says one, and 'Oh, your reverence,' says the other, 'Tis Kelleher's ghost that's running after us, and here he is in.'

"Murder alive!' roared the priest, 6 'tis me he wants and not you; so if he's in, I'll be out," and flinging off his vestments, away with him through the side door of the chapel, and the people after him: he never stopped to draw breath till he got to the top of a hill a good mile or better from the chapel, and there he begun to say mass as fast as he could, for fear of the ghost. But it was Murty Mulcahy, the red haired tailor, was in the pucker when he saw Kelleher; he roared like a bull, and went clean out of the country entirely, and never came back again.

"To be sure, Kelleher thought nothing at all, but

they were all out of their senses, every mother's son of them, till his ould crony Tom Barret, seeing at last that he wasn't a ghost, came up to him and tould him how they all thought they buried him a fortnight before.

"So Kelleher went home to his own house, and his wife was kind and quiet of tongue; and the priest ever after was as civil to him as may be, and all for fear he'd spake about the fat pig.”

THE POET.

SAY, who is independent?-He enrolled
Mid grandeur's servitors; proud to emboss
His chains or he who burrows 'mid the dross,
Gnome-like, which men first buy, then worship-gold?
Or he, who for ambition all hath sold,

And feverously grasps at a splendid loss,

To whom in vain her stores may Nature toss,

Her bosom open, and her eye unfold?

The POET alone is free. For him all time

Is fortunate: all Nature is his dower;

Unmoved amid the change of Fate and Tide—
His eye

doth weary not, nor want-Sublime,

.-Like that eastern flower,

His now is ever.-]

Living upon Heaven's breath, and nought beside.

T. D.