bud-an'-age!' says he, 'isn't it a burnin' shame for able stout fellows
like yez to be asleep at the hour o' midnight of all hours o' the night.
Tare-an'-age!' says he, 'get up wid yez, you dirty spalpeens! There's
St. Pathrick in Jerooslem beyant; the Pope's signin' his mittimus
to Ireland, to bless it in regard that neither corn, nor barley, nor
phaties will grow on the land in consequence of a set of varmints
called Black-dugs that ates it up; an' there's not a glass o' whiskey
to be had in Ireland for love or money,' says Lucifer. 'Get up wid yez,'
says he, 'an' go in an' get his blessin'; sure there's not a Catholic-in
the counthry, barrin' Swaddlers, but's in the town by this,' says he:
'ay, an' many of the Protestants themselves, and the Black-mouths, an'
Blue-bellies, (* Different denominations of Dissenters) are gone in to
get a share of it. And now,' says he, 'bekase you wor so heavy-headed,
I ordher it from this out, that the present night is to be obsarved in
the Catholic church all over the world, an' must be kept holy; an' no
thrue Catholic ever will miss from this pariod an opportunity of
bein' awake at midnight,' says he, 'glory be to God!' An' now, good
Christians, you have an account o' the blessed Carol I was singin' for
yez. They're but hapuns a-piece; an' anybody that has the grace to keep
one o' these about them, will never meet wid sudden deaths or
accidents, sich as hangin', or drownin', or bein' taken suddenly wid
a configuration inwardly. I wanst knew a holy man that had a
dhrame--about a friend of his, it was----Will any of yez take one?--

"Thank you, a colleen: my blessin', the bless-in' o' the pilgrim, be an
you! God bless you, Mike Reillaghan; an' I'm proud that he put it into
your heart to buy one for the rasons you know. An' now that Father
Hoolaghan's comin', any of yez that 'ill want them 'ill find me here
agin when mass is over--Oxis doxis glorioxis, Amin!"

The priest at this time made his appearance, and those who had been
assembled on the cross-roads joined the crowd at the chapel. No sooner
was it bruited among them that their pastor had arrived, than the noise,
gabble, singing, and laughing were immediately hushed; the shebeen and
public-houses were left untenanted; and all flocked to the chapel-green,
where mass was to be said, as the crowd was too large to be contained
within the small chapel.

Mike Reillaghan and Peggy Gartland were among the last who sought
the "green;" as