Bog-land Studies :: :: University of Virginia Library

Whiles I've seen a big elm-tree the storm's afther blowin' clane out o' the ground,
That lay stark where it fell all the long winter thro', till the spring-time came round,
An' the twigs on its boughs in the grass 'ud be greenin' wid leaf-buds an' shoots
Same as if they were wavin' above; but one knew it was up by the roots,
An' the life dyin' out of it. That's what I thought on whinever I seen
How th' ould master cheered up wid the news. He that wouldn't ha' cared a thraneen

If they'd tould him his best cow was dead, or say- wather had boiled wid his tay,
He was askin' for this an' for that, an' discoorsin' and orderin' away;
An' remimb'rin' whate'er Misther Denis was plased wid in th' ould times long sin':
‘Lest he'll find things amiss here to-morrow,’ sez he, ‘whin we have him agin.’
Yet he scarce could set one fut 'fore t' other, tho' for pleasure he couldn't keep quite;
An' we thought, sure, young master'd find more gone amiss than he'd aisy set right.

But the first thing th' ould master'd go do, was to send the boys over beyant
Wid a boat-load of orders for aught he could think Misther Denis might want—
Ale, an' baccy, an' cheese, an' the round little cakes that he liked wid his wine,
And a rug for his room that the rats had ate up into ravels o' twine;

And a couple o' chairs, 'cause the rest had got burnt by some manner o' manes
When the girls would be short o' dhry sticks for the fires; an' some glass for the panes
That was out of his windy since ever the cord had gev way wid a smash;
And his tongs had been broke in two halves, so they used it for proppin' the sash—
And I dunno what else all besides. But before we expected thim home,
They were roarin' like bulls up the beach wid the news Misther Denis was come.
For who else but himself had they met on the quays, safe an' sound, on'y grown
Somethin' oulder; white sthrakes in his hair— ‘Och,’ we sez, ‘let that story alone:
Where'd the lad get white hairs on his head?’— And he'd bid thim be rowin' back sthraight,
And himself 'ud be over and afther thim soon, for he had but to wait

Till his thraps were on board. There was news! Howsome'er we agreed 'twould be best
To tell nought for a while to th' ould master, who'd gone to his room for a rest,
Or he'd likely enough get his death standin' round in the could out o' doors;
So we settled to call him whenever we heard the first crake o' the oars.