University of Virginia Library

But when the winter weather come,
Mrs. Moore was keepin' the sarvints at home,
And a surt of a praychin', just to shuit
Their hours, and I'm tould it's well she could do't—
For the Captain and the son, ye see,
Were at church as strick as the pazon would be
So what was Tommy to do? Every man of ye?
What would you have done? Now, one of ye!
Spake now!—Billy!—all right! You'd ha' gone
After dark, and had some fun
At the Ballaglass? Well, there's a quid
For your guess! That's just what Tommy did.
But the fun? is it fun? aw no, no, no!
Poor Tommy! Bless ye! if he could only go
To the house at all, it was just as much
As ever he could—aw, bless ye! to touch
A thing she'd touched, a can, a besom—
It was wonderful the trifle 'd please him—
Pleasin' isn' the word! He'd get it
Away with him somewhere, and coax it, and pet it,
And listen (he tould me, and I wouldn' doubt it)
If there was any sound of her about it,
And put it back. Did he ever see her?
Never to spake to her—aw dear!
Says you—why, bless ye! you don't know the fellow—
He'd ha' been turnin' blue and green and yellow,
And red, and primin', and black and white,
If anybody'd seen him and brought a light!
Fancy Tommy in the sarvints' hall
At the Ballaglass, and ould Missis Ball
That was housekeeper, and all the rest—
And Tommy lookin' east by west!