the young folks.'

"'In troth,' says Jemmy Finigan, 'and begging your Reverence's pardon,
the sorra cow you'll sell this bout, any how, on account of me or my
childhre, bekase I'll lay down on the nail what'll clear you wid the
bishop; and in the name of goodness, as the day is fixed and all, let
the crathurs not be disappointed.'

"'Jemmy,' says my uncle, 'if you go to that, you'll pay but your share,
for I insist upon laying down one-half, at laste.'

"At any rate they came down with the cash, and after drinking a bottle
between them, went home in choice spirits entirely at their good luck in
so aisily getting us off. When they had left the house a bit, the priest
sent after them--'Jemmy,' says he to Finigan, 'I forgot a circumstance,
and that is, to tell you that I will go and marry them at your own
house, and bring Father James, my curate with me.' 'Oh, wurrah, no,'
said both, 'don't mention that, your Reverence, except you wish to break
their hearts, out and out! why, that would be a thousand times worse
nor making them stand to do penance: doesn't your Reverence know that
if they hadn't the pleasure of running for the bottle, the whole wedding
wouldn't be worth three half-pence?' 'Indeed, I forgot that, Jemmy.'
'But sure,' says my uncle, 'your Reverence and Father James must be at
it, whether or not--for that we intended from the first.' 'Tell them
I'll run for the bottle, too,' says the priest, laughing, 'and will make
some of them look sharp, never fear.'

"Well, by my song, so far all was right; and may be it's we that weren't
glad--maning Mary and myself--that there was nothing more in the way to
put off the wedding-day. So, as the bridegroom's share of the expense
always is to provide the whiskey, I'm sure, for the honor and glory of
taking the blooming young crathur from the great lot of bachelors that
were all breaking their hearts about her, I couldn't do less nor finish
the thing dacintly; knowing, besides, the high doings that the Finigans
would have of it--for they were always looked upon as a family that
never had their heart in a trifle, when it would come to the push. So,
you see, I and my brother Mickey, my cousin Tom, and Dom'nick Nulty,
went up into the mountains to Tim Cassidy's still-house, where we spent
a glorious day, and bought fifteen gallons of stuff, that one drop of
it would bring the tear, if possible, to a young widdy's eye that had
berrid a bad husband. Indeed, this was at my fath