Ballyshevan in Amerikay?"
says he.

"Faith, you are right! Not much more than I did about Foxey O'Gorman,
wid his squint and red hair!" says I, laughing to think what a fool the
skipper had made of me.

"There's nothing to laugh at _here_!" says he. "There's only two things
that have been plintiful this sason!"

"Potaties and oats?" says I.

"No such luck!" says he.

"What thin?" I asked.

"_Famine and faver_!" he says pat.

You might have knocked me down wid a Jack-straw, whin I heard those
words. I raled back, and if it hadn't been for a binch that was close
against the wall, which I clutched a hould of, and managed to bring
myself up with, I'd have fallen full length on the floor.

"Have a good sup of this!" says he, handing me his tumbler of punch;
"and don't take on so," says he. "You are better off than most of the
neighbours! Sure death hasn't knocked at your door; and all you love
are living--though they have had a hard time of it--to welcome you
back."

"You are right," says I, as I started up, "and the sooner I get that
welcome the better. What am I wasting my time here for, at all at all,
whin I ought to be there--it's only twenty miles. It's airly yet, I can
be home by nightfall. I have promised to return, but I've got three
days' lave, so I'm off at onct."

I won't kape you on the road, sure it's longer than ever it seemed; but
it came to an end at last. I forgot all my fatigue whin I opened the
door, and stepped inside the threshhold; it was between day light and
dark--there was no candle burning--but I could see the forms of the four
people most dear to me on earth. An involuntary "The Vargin be
praised!" broke from my lips.

"My son!--my son!" almost screamed my mother, and if I had been four
boys instead of one there wouldn't have been room enough on me for the
kisses they all wanted to give me at the same time.

Whin the first great joy of our meeting was over, I began to ask pardon
for quitting ould Ireland widout their lave.

"Don't spake about it, darlint," said my mother; thin, pointing upward,
she added, mighty solemn, "Glory be to Him, it was His will, and it was
the best day's work ever you did. Tell him what has happened."

"I will," said my father. "You see, Phil, my son, soon after you sailed
for Amerikay, the old master died, and the estate came into the hands of
his nephew, a wild harum-scarum sort of a chap, that kapes the hoith of
company with the quality