Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 33, Number 203, 5 September 1908 — Page 6

THE RICHMOND PALLADIUM AND STJN-TELECTRAMj

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THE shtory I tould ye yisterdy respictin' me uncle Lanty O'Hoolahan's quare advintnre wid the Little People reminds me that I disremimber if I tould ye how the fairies showed ould Kitty Flynn the very idinticaJ shpot where the trisure wor buried, "Is It shpot?" siz you. Sure there wor shpots enough for a bad case av the measles, an' plinty lift to make an illigant dhresscoat for a leopard. It's thrue for ye, the tri6ure wornt in all thim shpots; but thin ye couldn't be so our aso liable as to expict a man to find pots av gould scatthered around as thick as butthercups, especially as it wor a woman as wor a-searchin' for JU an' ould Mistress Flynn at that, who iverybody mows wor as short-sighted as me uncle whin he used to mate me on the sthreet afther the fairies med his fortin. An' if ye'll be sayin' that she wor, besides, as deaf as a post an' as wake as wather, it 's not mesilf as '1 be onpolite enough to conthradict ye. "Tin ' mtr vnn "Phalim " sir vmi "v'ara

-wandherin' from the p'int." Right y' are, honeys, siz I, an' that 's precoisely what ould Kitty did afore she found the pot av gould. An', be the same token, she niver did find that gould at all. Ah, but it's the mane ould miser she wor as rich s a money-linderl How ould she wor nobody knew; an' even they

'daren't revale the sacret for fear av losin' their carackther for truth an veracity in the community. "Uncle," siz I," "Kitty Flynn s an ixcadingly ould woman," siz I.

fern, almost within rache av her arrum, wid his head restin' on the top av a convanient toadstool an' his legs comfortably crossed over a leaf av the bracken lay wan av the Little People, fast taslcep. "'T is the fairy postman," mutthered she. "There 's the little leather mail-bag, an the blue jacket wid brass buttons, an' the shtovepipe hat wid the gould band. Ah, but it 's the lucky woman I am this day," siz she. "The Little Man knows ivery crock av gould an' trisure that 's buried in the County Roscommon." An', houldin' her breath for fear av wakin' him, she crep' up shly. an clutched him wid both hands. The Little Man kicked an' sthruggled, but it wor no good; for Kitty had him so tight that his heart leapt intil his mouth an' his ribs curled round his backbone. "An' what may ye be a-wantin' wid me, good woman?" siz he, whin he wor fairly awake. "Good woman yersilf," siz she, in a huff. "Misthress Flynn, madam, at yer sarvice, thin," siz he. "I want ye to lind the help av yer assistance to a lone widdy," siz Kitty. "I know nothin' respictin' the trisure," siz he. "Who axed ye?" siz she. "I see it in yer eye," siz he. "Troth, ye'll see it in me pocket afore we part company," siz she. "I don't know where it is," siz he. "Ye do," siz she."T is a long way off," siz he. "We '11 tramp it,' siz she. "But I 'm late," siz he, "an' the king expicts me."

MISTRESS FLYNN DISCOVERS A FAIRY RING

"Ould I' siz he. "She wor an ould woman whin

grandfaither, rest his sowl, wor a boy, an' she's

an Infant in arrums now to what she wor thin. She's dale oulder nor what sHe appears to be," siz he. . "Bedad," siz I, "she luks it." Have yez iver taken notice, childher, that the lets toime an ould man has lift to spind the money, the more grady he is to be graspin' av it? Av coorse ye haven't; but it's thrue for air that, an' quare enough for a conundhrum. If it wor mesilf, now, I'd be for skamin' the half av me life to lay hould av the cash, an' the l'ave av it for shcrapin' the time togither to spind it aisily an' plisintly. Now the reverse av the conthrairy av that wor the way wid ould Kitty. Niver at rest but whin she wor toilin an' moilin afther money an' lands an' tinimlnts. Well, as I wor on the ave av informin' ye, ould Kitty wor, trampin' home from 'Bengoil wan blazin hot day in July, hungry as a bear, wid rheumatism in her j'ints an a big market-basket in her arrums an' all beca'se she wor too mane to pay ould Malone the carrier a contimptible thrippenny bit for a ride, an' he owin' her a matther o tin shillin' for praties, wid no more chance av gettin out av debt than he had av gettin into Parliament. It was tremindous hot, so Kitty tuk the short cut through Drumdarra wood to avoid the hate. She wor a bit narvous too, for she had come be a bit av her property sitooated close be the outskyarts av Bengoil, intindin to see how Tirrince Fahay wor gettin' along wid a job o' ditch-diggin' she had set him at. Ould man Murphy, havin' nothin' else to do, accompanied her, an' w'u'd ye belave it? there in the middle o' the field, right forninst Tirrince, an' he not a-noticin' it, wor a rale fairy ring. Now Kitty had not seen a fairy ring since she wor a little gal, an' the sight o this wan made her a bit narvous which wor not onr'asonable. ye must admit. But Kitty found it wor no betther in the shade nor In the sun, for the trees kep' out ivery breath av air, an' made it as close an' sulthry as a Dutch oven. Siz she to hersilf, as she put down the basket an s'ated hersilf on a log to rest awhile, siz she, "Quoth the Cook to the Duck, 'Which w'u'd ye prefer: to be roasted afore the fire, or stewed in a saucepan?' Siz the Duck to the Cook, siz he, If it's all the same to yersilf, I'd sooner be biled in a shtrame av cold wather.' "An' if I had the full av a cup av that same cold wather at the prisint moment." siz she, "I'd be more thankful an' less thirsty. Me heart's broke. siz she, "wid the load an the fatigue an the hate." Purty soon she began to get drowsy, an wor in the act av composin' hersilf for a nap, whin she sat up suddin-like an' siz: "Whisht!" siz she. "What 's that beyant? An well the might; for right undher the shade av a big

"Thin ye mane to sarcumtransmigrate the wiiruld, ma'am," siz he, "seein' as it 's on'y yer back as is facin' for home.." "Niver ye throuble yer head nayther about me face or me back," siz she. "They '11 moind theirsilves," siz she. "Can I carry it for ye?" siz he. "Ye cannot, ' siz she. "Ye can carry yersilf off, an' I '11 be thankful, an' good luck to ye." "Joy go wid ye, thin," siz he. An' he wint away wondherin' at her lack av appreciation av his improvin' an' intertainin' conversation. As soon 's his back wor turned, Kitty grabbed hould av the collar av the fairy's jacket an' tuk him out av the sack ag'in. "Is it much farther?" siz she. "It is," siz he. "Ye go along the road over an' beyant Benauchlan, an' whin ye rache t oher side av the hill, ye turn down the lane fornist Larry Barry's houldin', an' whin ye come to the Widdy Green's turfshtack, wid the little clamps av turf round it, ye cross the shtile, an' folly the pad road for a mile or so, through the church meadows, an' past Drum-moch-a-Vanaghan bog, ontil ye come till a large tinacre field wid a fairy fort in the cinter av the middle av it," siz he. An', be the same token, I may as well be. explainin' tp yez that a fairy fort is in the nayture av a mound wid an ilivated deprission in it. undernathe which the Little People hould their court. "An' in that field," siz the Little Man, "in a shpot I '11 direct ye to, ye'll find the gould." "Sure," siz Kitty, " 't is me own field ye 're afther describin'." For Kitty minded the fairy ring she had seen early that mornin'. "Thin," siz he, "yer title to the trisure '11 be the cl'arer." "Shmall thanks to ye," siz she, "for givin me what 's me own a'ready." Well, afther a long an' tajus walk, they kem to the .field; an' whin the Little Man p'inted out the place, she shcraped up a little hape av earth, and set the turf indways on the top av it. "I '11 be sure to raycognize it ag'in," siz she. "Ye will," siz he; an' now me conthract 's complate, I "11 be l'avin ye, av ye pl'ase." "Do n't be onaisy!" siz she. "I 'm not," siz he, "but ristless. "I 'm expicted at the king's court." "Tell 'em ye wor subpanied as a spictatin' witness in another coort," siz she. "But I 've letthers to deliver," siz he. "An' I 've letthers to resave," siz she; "an' they 're printed round the rim av a gould piece, an' whin I rade thim ye can go," siz she. "What '11 ye be doin wid me?" siz he. "Takin' care av ye for the night," siz she, "an' seein' ye do n't overshlape yersilf as ye ' did the day." An' away they wint, an' in course av time they rached Kitty's house, whin, siz she to the Little Man, "Av ye '11 give me yer word not to l'ave the room, but to deliver up to me in the mornin', I '11 let ye loose for the night," siz she; "but av ye do n't I' 11 tie ye, hand an' fut, to the bidpost." The Little Man gave his word, an' afther a bit . they sat down quoiet an' paceable over a big bowl av stirabout an' butthermilk. As Kitty wor el'arin' off the dishes aftherwards she chanced to pape out av the windy, whin, turnin' to the Little Man, she siz: "Consale yersilf! There 's that mischavous ould gossfp Bridget O'Hara a-comin. Sure av she'd stayed till she wor wanted she 'd wait ontil all the sands in Ould Father Time's hour-glass wor scatthered over Bundoren Beach," siz she. "Good aveninV siz Bridget O'Hara, as she lifted the latch and opined the door, "an good avenin' till ye, Misthress Flynn." "Good avenin'," siz Kitty. "An' how d' ye find yersilf the day?" siz she. "Tired wid a hard day's worruk," siz Kitty, "and longin' for shlape!" ' "It 's mesilf as wont be hinderin' ye," siz Biddy, "but I heard a foolish shtory from Mike Lanigan the day, an' I thought it me duty to be tellin' ye av it." "What w'u'd ye expict from a donkey but a heehaw?" siz Kitty.

"He siz that ye 've bin poachin' in Drumdarra wood, an' he mit ye wid a sackful av hares an rabbits an' wid a brace av phisants undher yer arrum," siz she. This put Kitty in a quandary; for she see Biddy wor jist aten up wid curiosity, an' she did n't know how to be explainin' the bag, whin the Little Man helped her out av the schrape by upsettin' the sthool on which Biddy wor s'ated, and topplin' her over on the flure. "Sure yer house is bewitched," siz she, as she picked hersilf up and flew out av the room in a rage. II. THE nixt mornin' Kitty wor up, an' sthirrin afore Benauchlan top wor a blushin' at the first wink av sunrise. She tuk the Little Man, who delivered himsilf up accordin' to agramint, an' put him undher a milkpan on the flure, wid a big sthone on the top for a solid foundation. Thin she shouldhered a shpade an' med shtraight for the trisure field. But, begorra! she c'u'd scarce belave her eyes at the sight that mit her whin she got there. The field wor covered from ind to ind, an' from cinter to diamether, wid little hapes av earth, each wid a turf on top exactly like the wan she med the night afore. "Millia murther!" she screamed. "Ch'atin'l roguery! rascality! villainy!" siz she. "Thim thaves the Little People have bin here the night an' ch'ated me out av me hard-airned gould. I '11 niver find it undher all thim hapes, av I dig for a cintury," siz she. An' she ran about the field like wan possessed, shtumblin' over the hapes an' flingin' the turves around, thryin' to find the idinitcal shpot she marked the pravious afthernoon. But it stands to sinse she c'u'd n't. The Little People wor too cunnin' for that. Ivery hape wor as much like his brother as two pays, an' av coorse it wor onpossible to indicate a turf, wid thousands av 'em shtuck all over the field like plums in a puddin. "At all evints," siz. she, "I '11 take it out av that desavin' little vilyun at home," siz she. "I '11 tache him to chate me out av me trisure," siz she. "I '11 mark a shpot on him that he won't be apt to mistake." An' she totthered to'rds home ag'in, wid her limbs thrimblin' undher her, br'athin' dipridation an' vingince on him. 'T is no good me tellin' ye, honeys, for ye won't belave me! But whin she got home, an' lifted the pan,, there wor n't enough lift undher it to fill a crack in the eye av a needle. The Little Man wor' gone! She s'ated hersilf on the flure, an' wailed an' laminted like a keener at a wake. An' all over the house undher the bidstead, an' in the corners, an' among the crockery, an' up the chimleys she c'u'd hear the Little People dancin' and patterinV and l'apin' about and mockin' her wid lafture an' mirriment at the cliver way they 'd turned the tables on ould Misthress Flynn! "At anny rate," siz she, whin her aggravationhad gone down a bit, "av I can't find the gould, the little ribels have lift me good turf enough for next winther's fuel widout jie disthurbin' me own," siz she. "He, he! Have they, though!" siz an invisible v'ice be her elbow. "Luk at yer turfshtack!" Kitty flew to the door, gave one luk, an' sunk all av a hape be the threshold. " 'T is the last shtroke av an evil fortin (on a poor lone widdy," siz she. "The blaggards hev scatthered me own turf all over the trisure field, an' 't will cost me eighteenpince a load to get 'em home ag'in. Ochone! Ochone! I 'm desthroyed an' ruined intirely." What 's that ye 're sayin', acushla? Did she iver find the gould? Faith, me darlints, that 's a quary I 'm onable to answer yez! All I know is that she died amazin' rich, an' an ould rusty iron pot wor diskivered in the barn which iverybody said wor the wan she found the trisure in. So yez see that, afther all, the matther remains what the gintleman av the legal profession w'u'd call an opin question!

"Av ye don't show me the shpot," siz she "ye .MI not on'ly be late, but late laminted." (Which, as yersilf can see, wor a joke.) "Lave me go," siz he, "an I '11 tell it to ye." "I '11 lave ye go, siz she "whin ye show i t to me." "Thin come along," siz she. "I will that," siz she. An' off they started, she carryin him, her two hands clasped round his waist wid a grip av iron, an' wid a bag slung over her back to hould the gould in. "Which way do I go?" siz she. "Shtraight be yer nose," siz he. "D' ye mock me?" siz she. For, sure, her nose p'inted shtraight upwards in a line wid the north star. "Niver a bit," siz he. "'T is right before ye as ye go." x An' she forgot the hate an' the hunger, an' the provisions in the market-basket, an' hobbled along" like a paydistrian at a walkin' match. They had been thravelin' for some time, whin who should happen along but Mike Lanigan, the hedge schoolmaster. Whin Kitty see him, she siz to the Little Man: "Here 's that interfarin' blatherskite, Mike Lanigan, a-comin. For fear he '11 be obsarvin' ye, I '11 jist drop ye intil the bag," siz she. An' widout aven a "by yer l'ave" or an "axin' yer pardon," she dropped him in, keepin' all the time a sharp holt on the mouth av the sack. "Good mornin', Misthress Flynn," siz Mike, wid an illigant flourish. "Mornin'," siz she, shortly, for she ached to get rid av him. "Pax taycum," siz he, purlitely, for he wor a very edicated gintleman, an' so l'arned that he aven used to dhrame in the dead languages. "What packs o' tay come?" siz she. "I niver ordhered anny, an' whoiver siz I did 's an imposthor, an' I won't take 'em!" "Ye miscomprehind me, ma'am," siz he, wid a wave av his hand. "T is a cotation from the ancient Latin, an' it manes, P'ace be wid ye," siz he. "Troth. I 'd a dale rather that p'ace 'd be wid me,' siz she, "than Mike Lanigan or anny sich jabberin' haverill," siz she. . "Ye 're complimenthary, ma'am." siz he, for he wor n't aisy to ofSnd. "An what have ye in yer sack, if I may make so bould?" siz he. "A lig av pork," siz she. " T is a lively lig," siz he, for he see the Little Man a-squirmin in the sack, "an' would make the fortin av a race-horse av he could match it" "I mint a suckin pig," siz she. "Is it dhressed?" siz he. "T is alive," siz she. "Where may ye be taken' it?" siz be. "Home," siz she.

TV Transmigration op ANUNDAm

LONG, long time ago, an ancient Hindu myth relates, there lived two pretty orphan sisters, who had industriously supported themselves by spinning since the death of their parents. The elder sister was named Gunga; and as she was the handsomer, she was rather vain, and spent more money on dressing herself than was needed by her younger and patient sister Anunda. One evening, as they were sitting spinning at their cottage door, and regretting that none of the village young men came to pay them attention, because they were poor, two fine young farm-laborers passed their way, and asked for a drink of water. Gunga sat and

talked to fte young men, while Anunda fetched them some fresh milk in a lota, or cup. j The young fellows admired the girls very much, and told them they were traveling in J search of work. Then the sisters told them the Rajah ianted gardeners for his orchard, on which the men replied : "If we obtain that employment through your kindness, we shall come a-courting you, for it is long siice we have met maidens so beautiful and so kind." j The Rajah engaged them both; aid as they were excellent gardeners, he soon gave tMnn rood wages,

and then they lost no time marrying the two pretty

orphans, ,

But Gunga wasted her husband's wages in buying fine clothes for herself and for her baby. Rami, while Anunda saved all the money she could for the benefit of her husband and their baby, Sita. After some years, when the two little girls were about five years old, Gunga's husband reproached his wife constantly, because by her extravagance he was still poor, while Anunda's husband had been able to purchase cows and goats with the money which she had saved. Gunga could bear her husband's reproach no longer. She became violently jealous of her sister, whom both the men praised, and at last she resolved to kill her. So one day, when the sisters were drawing water from the ialao, or large deep tank, on the edge of which they bathed, Gunga pushed her sister into the deepest part, where she seemed to drown. .But the god Krishna changed her so that her soul went into the body of a large tortoise which lived in that tank, and every day, when the two children bathed there alone (for Gunga was afraid to bathe again in that tank), the old tortoise swam to little Sita, and gave her good things to eat, which made her very strong and plump. Gunga asked her daughter: "What makes your cousin so plump, while your are so lean? Do I not give her only the scraps, while you have always the best food, as much as you can eat?" Little Rami then told her mother about the tortoise which fed her cousin, and Gunga's anger was great She told her daughter to feign sickness, and to ask her father (when he inquired about her health) to kill the big tortoise rnd to make soup for her of its flesh. Sita heard, and ran in distress to the tank. Finding the tortoise, she cried : "Oh mother, they will kill you to make food for my cousin !" "Never mind," said the tortoise. "I know they will

Kin me. ana inev wiu eive Kami mv nesn lor tooo.

and to you only a small bone. Take that bone and plant it in the yard, and visit the place for three days. Then you shall find me again in another form." Everything happened as the tortoise foretold. She was killed and made into broth. The meat was eaten by Gunga and her child; and a bore was given to Sita, who concealed it and at night planted it in the garden. Next day she prayed and wept there; and as her tears fell upon the ground, to her great astonishment a young mango-tree six feet high rose from the earth. On the second day the tree was twenty feet high; and when the child prayed with her little arms round the stem, the green flowers opened on the branches. On the third day the tree was full grown, and as soon as Sita came to say her prayers under its shade, the fruit ripened, and the leaves rustled and whispered kind words to her from her mother. Sita brought her basket and held it under the tree while the beautiful ripe fruit fell into it Then she took the basketful to her aunt and cousin. Gunga then went to the tree; but no fruit fell into her basket, and when she sent a man to pick the mangoes they all withered in his hands. So the farmers told the women and children: "Let no one pick this fruit but Sita; for it is plain that the gods have given her this tree for herself. There was never such a tree in the world. Every day in the year it furnished her with a large basket of ripe mangoes, some of which she gave to the family, and the rest she sold. Her father kept the money for her, and when the children grew to young maidens there were many offers of marriage for the pretty Sita, who was quite rich; but none for her cousin Rami. This maddened Gunga, who got up, one night, and cut down the tree. Her husband was very angry, bus as it could not be helped, there was nothing for it but to use the wood to feed the fire. Sita managed to save one cluster of green leaves from the tree, and this she bound up with a beautiful bunch of flowers, and, sorrowing, cast it into the rivef as an offering to the god Krishna. The god pitied her devotion, and as the flowers floated down the stream a voice called to her: "Return to-morrow." Now she knew that this was no mortal voice whith spoke to her; so the next day she returned and cast another offering of flowers upon the stream; and before they touched the water, a hand rose out of the river and grasped them. When this disappeared Sita perceived a lotus-flower floating on the streamsuch a flower as never was seen before, for it shone like the moon and soarkled as the stars.

The girl then knew that the gods had helped her again to recover her mother in another form; for when she entered the stream the glorious flower approached her and rested on her shoulder, where it spoke sweet, motherly words to her. The fame of the flower went into all the country, and thousands came to see it; but no one except Anunda's child could approach it, for when any one else tried to touch it, it closed its leaves and vanished under water. But Gunga was happy, because there were no more suitors for her niece, - now that the mango-tree was dead. At last the Prince heard of the wondrous " flower, and came to the river to see it He sent in his servant to pluck it but in vain. The whole army went after it but none of them could even touch the lotus. At last the Prince said: "I will make any man my vizir who can gather that enchanted flower; if a woman plucks it, I will give her a handsome dowry; and if a maiden brings it to me, I will make her my wife." So Sita covered herself from head to foot in a veil, and walked up to her waist into the river. The flower immediately shone brighter then ever, and approached the girl in the water. When the soldiers saw it approaching, they rushed in to gather it; but it again receded, until the Prince ordered them to come out and to leave the veiled woman alone. In another minute the flower was in her hand, and she, still veiled, stepped out of the river and offered the lotus to the Prince. , He took the flower, and as he did so he raised her veil, exclaiming: "Here is a blossom still more beautiful than. the enchanted lotus!" Then he married the maiden, and they placed the flower in a golden vase on a bracket between their thrones, and there the flower bloomed all their happy lives. Sita, the Princess, did not punish her cruel Aunt Gunga, because of her own affection for her uncle and for her little cousin; but she gave them a pension and sent them to live on a fertile island, so that Gunga should not come near to hurt her. The Princess took good care of her father, and when her eldest son grew to be twenty years old, he piously performed the obsequies of the old man, who died at that time, " - And if you look at the carved ivory thrones in the palaces of Travancore, you can see how the magic lotus is carved on them all. which shows that the wonderful story has been believed lor many years ni the land ol Hindustan.