mm T'T^ii^'itTfl^lr. vummmmmm t9 * »y ^'>^ '' mt mi fmes£at«»^:!i^.' THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY or CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES THE MANX WITCH AND OTHER POEMS ^, THE MANX WITCH AND OTHER POEMS BY T. E. BROWN AUTHOR OF 'BETSY LEE,' ' FO'c'S'LE YARNS,' ETC. Hontion MACMILLAN AND CO. AND NEW YORK 1889 Aii rights reserz'cd /5r CONTENTS PAGE I. The Manx Witch. By T. Baynes . . i II. The Indiaman, By T. Baynes . . .148 III. The Christening 171 IV. Peggy's Wedding 178 V. Mary Quayle. The Curate's Story . .193 VI. Bella Gorry. The Pazon's Story . . 234 870aG9 First comes Tom Baynes among these sorted quills, In asynartete octosyllables. Methinks you see the " fo'c's'le " squat, the squirt Nicotian, various interval of shirt, Enlarged, contract — keen swordsman, cut-and-thrust : Old salt, old rip, old friend, Tom Baynes comes fusL Succeeds our Curate, innocent and good, The growth of Oxford in her sanest mood ; Dame Nature's child, though bred among the Stoics, And, if he gush, he gushes in heroics. Forgive the youth if sometimes he relax In extra gush of pseudo-dochmiacs. Last hear our Pazon, reverend and meek ; In unadorned verse I make him speak. As is most fit. To him Tom Baynes' rude style Were " simply barbarous " — I see him smile H/s smile — " Poor Tom has thoughts beyond his station, But language I sir — unfit for publication." The Curate's rhymes he haply thinks audacious, Emphatic, overwrought. " But 'twere ungracious Of me to criticise a gentleman That is so kind and clever." There again You have our Pazon. So he says his say, And all my dreams of Manxland fade away. T. E. B, Clifton., April 1889. THE MANX WITCH A STORY OF THE LAXDALE MINES The Pazon that overtook her there Comin home from HoUantide fair — The Pazon ? No, but Nessy Brew — Overtook her at FoUieu, Past Bibaloe — aye, man, aye — Middlin near the Never-say-die — Toplisses — you'll know the spot — Nessy Brew though, whether or not — Nessy — her of coorse that had been xA.t the fair— The Pazon ? navar was seen, Nor navar could be at the like of yandhar- Pazon Gale ! you goosie-gandhar — B THE MANX WITCH What are you thinkin of? Navar ! navar! Some people's got a notion they're clavar — Witty— eh ? But navar mind. Cryin ? most despard ! cryin, cryin, Cryin fit to break her heart, The Pazon was sayin ; and her that smart, Of a rule, and noways apt to be freckened ^ Night or day. So the Pazon reckoned She must have got in some trouble, and hauls Ould Smiler back in the breeches, and calls ; And " Nessy," he says, " is that you ? It's Nessy, isn't it ? Nessy Brew ? ' Dark, you know, and drizzlin rain — But Nessy wouldn answer again For a bit — don't ye see? Ick didn want The Pazon to know her, and made a slant, •And stoopin there, and in on the ditch. But the Pazon gave a little s/a'/c//, And got in front, and jtinned her as nate As pozzible, and — *' You're very late ' Kriglilcucil. THE MANX WITCH On the road," he says — and waein and worn — And — " How are you on the road alone ? Extrorn'ry ! " says the Pazon — " What ! Alone ! " he says — and this and that, But kind — aw bless ye ! kind thallure ^ — And — " Nessy, Nessy, to be sure ! " And — " Get up, and tell me all aburrit." - So Nessy seen there was nothin for it But up she must in the Pazon's gig : And then she tould him all the rig — Well — maybe not all — not raisonable — A gel, you know — they're hardly able — Aisy ! aisy with the lek ! All ! God bless ye ! you musn expeck^ — And talkin to a Pazon — eh ? And didn know hardly what to say, But tould him — Says she, " I didn lave Doolish ^ Alone at all ; " and rather foolish She was feelin of coorse, aw sartinly — "There was two people tuk the road with me," Says Nessy. " Two," says the Pazon, " aw dear ! And did you meet them in the feer ? " '^ ^ Enough. - About it. ^ Douglas. * Fair. 4 THE MANX WITCH " The fecr ? " says Nessy, " no — at laste It might ha' been — a nisy place In a field.'' she says, " there was bosses there — Is that what people is callin the feer ? Hosses, and gingerbread, and pop, And cows, and calves — but I didn stop." " Didn yc ? " says the Tazon then ; '* And was it two women, or was it two men Vou tuk the road with ? " Aw, not a word From Nessy. " I think," says the Pazon, " I heard Vour friends down there on the ^\'hitcbridgc hill." ".Aw," .says Nessy, "are they fightin still?" " No," says the Pazon, " they warn together, One was far ahead of the other, Shoutin though, the two of them — Ves, I think it'll be the same; And you'll 'scuse me," he says — sittin up like a crowbar Was the Pazon then— "they were hardly sober, Hardly," he says; and then his vice (icv a little hem ! like puttin a splice On his kind ould throat— "a little," he says, " A little tossicated — yes — A little, I think ; a little (|ueer ; THE MANX WITCH 5 And usin language, I think they were, Language — aye — -" " They were fightin," says Nessy, " When I left them — aw messy ! ^ messy ! '"' She says, " they've lost one another, that's it. Lost they have, and '11 hommer and hit And grab in the dark there, and navar get hould, And '11 take and get their death of could — Oh dear ! oh dear ! " and began a sabbin. " I suppose this homm'rin and hittin and grabbin Is about a young woman called Nessy Brew," Says the Pazon. " Oh ! they'd come for you," Says Nessy, " they'd come for you they wud ; " And " Aw the muck ! and aw the blood ! Yes, sir, aw yes, sir ! aw poor Jack— And Harry too — " And—" Let's turn back ! " " And why did you lave them ? " says the vicar ; And — " The two of them," she says, " in liquor ; And I thought, sir, I thought, when they hadn me, It's peacefuller they'd be sure to be, And helpin each other, and takin rest," 1 Mercv. ^ Pacified. 6 THE MANX WITCH And forgettin me." — "Aw, indeed," he says, " Forgettin you then — aw the poor chile ! " And he smiled, and bless ye ! you'll feel a smile In the dark — "forgettin, and lost the bearins — Poor thing ! and have you got your fairins In your handkecher ? And—" Yes."—" All right ! " .Says the I'azon, " you'll not see these young men to-night Again," he says; so — " Come up, Smiler ! " And away, and tryin to reconcile her. liut scouldcd a little too, and Jhno Did the father a'cr go and allow The like of her, that hadn no call. To be goin to Hoi lantidc fair at all'l But gain l>y herself? " 1 went with my auni," Says Nessy. " She's a woman that's scant Of prudence," says the Pazon, says he — " liilly's widow — and where is she ? " " I think she's tuk at these poleeses," Says Ncssy. " There's aunts that's worse till their nieces," The Pa/on said ; and indeed hed spake To her father, he said. Au< the sake I the sake! And beseechin he wouldn. " I owe it," he says, THE MANX WITCH 7 "To your father," the good-naturedest, The simplest man that ever he ktieiv — " Poor Brew ! " he says, " poor Jemmy Brew ! " And then he spoke though, terble nice — Aw the beautiful advice ! Delicake though, delicake — Aw that was the Pazon, bide or break. But when they came to the steep hill At the Cloven Stones, " Sit still, sit still ! " Says the Pazon, and down on his tippitoes, And a hould of Smiler by the nose, And leadin, and thinkin, and hoic he must warn her, And " serious very ! " turns Kelly's corner At the bottom yandhar, and a stip and a step. And a heave and a plump, and where was this rep ? ^ Maybe a mile aback on the road By gough ! and him that navar knowed— Tuk her opportunity, Slipt out, and away, of coorse to see Could she find these chaps, aw, I'll be bail — 1 Rip. THE MANX WITCH "The little monkey ! " says Pazon Gale. Aw, bless ye ! I've heard him tellin Another Pazon, ould Pazon C.ellin, That was on St. Mark's, I did, I did, Yes, and shakin his dear old head : " :\nd I'm not in the habit of the lek, .Mr. Cicllin," he says, "and you'd hardly expeck, But tuk like that, and the way she'd fled, I called her a little monkey ! " he said. Little she wasn, no ! doodoss ! ^ But aw the funny the Pazon was ! Oood though, good ; aw, bless your heart ! That's the timber '11 navar start. 'Bout ship, sir ! aye immadicnt, .And then this poor ould reverend gent, Backards and forrards the best of the night Drivin there, a most shockin sight, If he could ha' been seen ; Ijui made up his mind .•\t last to go on to Ballaquine, Brew's farm that was lyin east. Far beyond the Pazon's place, I'.y Jove (or some such expletive). I p. THE MANX WITCH And he^d tell the father and see would he go To look for his daughter himself . . . and so Off with him straight, and hardly awake — Aw, bless ye ! the day was begun to break, And — Mrs. Gale — aw well of coorse. And nathural, and shuttin the doors Every night at nine o'clock ; And let a man be as studdy as a rock. And a Pazon too, but still, dear me ! Lookin terble like on the spree — Backard and forrard, and niddin and noddin, Just like ould Jemmy Ballavoddin — And the Misthress Well, I'll say no more, But up with him there and slams at the door With the end of his whip, and hurroosc ! Incrroo I Jemmy ! James I Mr. Brew ! Air. Brew I And Jemmy to put his head out of the windy, And — Bless his sowl ! and ivhat was the shindy ? And — " Is Nessy at home ? " says the Pazon then : Nessy at home ! " Why Nessy ven ! ■' 1 Dear. lo THE MANX WITCH Nessy ! goodness grayshers ! Pazon — Ncssy at home I a queer thing to be as'in ; D'ye think she's out agate o' the priddhars ' As arly as this ? " So the Pazon considhars A bit, and — " Call her then," he said, "Call her." — ** Nessy, ger up urrov" bed. And spake to the Pazon — funny work ! " And shuts the windhar with a jerk. And then another windhar went down. And out come a bunch of curls as brown As a nut, and a face as fresh as a rose. And just the smallest taste of clothes. And the sun all dabbin her like fire. And looks at the Pazon as modest — " Retire, Retire," says the Pazon ; " that "11 do, that '11 do," And not another word to Brew Nor the daughter neither ; but turns the boss, And home with him. It wasn cross He was lookin, no ! but sad though, sad, Lck sorrowful, lek a way he had. ' ToLitocs. ■•* Out of. THE MANX WITCH li Aye, but Brew was puzzled greatly, Bless ye ! he was beat complately— The Fazo?i wa?id''7-in about in the dai'k Of a HoUantide night — a 'stonishin lark, Wantin Nessy before she was itp ! Dear me ! Could he have had a sup, Or what ? but no ! iinpozzible — The Pazon — aye there's some of them will, No doubt ! no doubt ! bid drinkin ! him I Aw, bless your granny ! sink or swim, That zvas the Fazon — "What cud it ha' been, Nessy ? " he says, " I navar seen The lek," he says : " was it walkin he was In his sleep, or drivin, at laste, and the boss Tuk for the Ballaquine on a chance ? " But 710 ! God bless him I there wasn no sense In that ; and the late or the arly — which ? And beat all conscience and as dark as pitch The jnost of the time — and " Nessy gel, What could he be wantin ? Was he lookin unwell ? But my goodness grayshers ! just to ax 12 THE MANX WITCH Were you up, and then to be makin tracks Lck immadient there — d'ye see ! And no satisfaction for nobody. And Smiler — aye — nearly druv ofT his legs — What could it be, Nessy ? " "Maybe eggs," Says Nessy — " Yes, he's thinkin a dale Of our fresh eggs is Pazon Gale — Tould me so." — " Aw dear, that's rum," Says Brew, "and why didn ye give him some?" " Because he didn ax," says she — " Ax ? is it ax ? " and " Fiddledee ! Eggs ! woman, eggs ! it couldn ha' been — Bless my sowl ! the man 'd be keen For his eggs that 'd come that arly — ch ? Nessy, Nessy." 'MN'cll, anyway," Says Nessy, "the Pa/.on's allis talkin About our eggs ; 'They're nice though shockin,' He was sayin, 'just like wax.' " " My goodness grayshcrs ! why didn he ax ? " Says the father. " Maybe he forgot," Says Nessy. Then Hrcw got middlin hot. And " You're just talkin nonsense," he says, " be quite, THE MANX WITCH 13 Not another word ! " Then he laughed outright When he thought of the Pazon and the way he cut, And then he gev a Httle chut ! ^ And " I have it ! " he says, " it's Copper, guy heng ! - Copper ! that's the very theng ! " Copper — a maihe ^ cow that was arrim,^ Three cows, I think, not much of a farrim,^ More hke a croft, or the hke of that — " Copper — that's what he was at : And knew I was wantin to sell her — eh ? But couldn go with her anyway To the fair — that accounts for this scarum-scorum,'^ Freckened some would be before him — That's the arly dear me ! The anxious lek the man must be — It'll come in the price, aw 'deed it will — He's hot upon her — she's very lill,'' But good uncommon — twelve I'll take for her. Twelve pound ten." — " And why didn he spake for her? ^ Tut (interjection). - A harmless kind of oath. ^ Without horns. ^ At him, that he had. ^ Farm. ® Eccentric conduct. '' Little. 14 THE MANX WITCH Surely he might have axed," says she. " I suppose he forgot it." — " Fiddlededee ! " Says Nessy — *' Like the eggs," says Brew, And hc-he-he and Jioo-hoo-hoo — They laughed and they laughed— " forgot ! " " forgot ! " " Like the eggs," "like the cow," like the go to pot ! " Forgot, no doubt, forgot ! " and as merry The two of them there — aw very, very. That night I was up at the Ballaquine ; And there was Nessy, and Sally Behind — The aunt, you know, a widow woman. And a sister of Brew's, that was imi)rint uncommon. And bad with the tongue ; she was goin a-callin Sally Behind, for the way she was f^illin Abaft of her midships : Manx? yes, Manx, For all hur married name was Banks — Brew's sister — and the talk that was there ! .\nd the I'azon comin home from the fair And as drunk ! aw bless ye ! as drunk as rosin ' — That was the aunt. " He wasn ! he wasn ! " Says Nessy, " no such a thing ! " — •' And how ' Rc»in (probably an allusion to the convivial habits of fiddlers). THE MANX WITCH 15 Do you know ? " says the aunt ; aw then the row ! My gough ! they went at it ! But Jemmy Brew Was smiHn there, and " Hush then ! shoo ! " He says ; and " Here's a chap with brains — What's your opinion, Thomas Baynes ? " " My opinion," says I, " it's aisy given — If ever there was an angel in heaven, It's Pazon Gale. Did ye ever hear," Says I, " of angels the wuss for beer ? Gerr^ out ! " I says, " I know his trim, If you don't, and I'll fight for him, I'll die for him, I'll be cut in pieces. And fifty aunts, nor fifty nieces But — as'in your pardon, Nessy," I says, " You've tuk his part — all right ! success To the handsome gel you allis were. Aye, and gennal but that woman there," I says, " I think she'd better be cookin Her own mate," I says, "and lookin To herself a bit both before and behind her — ■"■ Get. - Genial, kindly. ,6 THE MANX WITCH And look slippy," I says, just a lill reminder, A sort of a dig d'ye see ? woahup ! Look out for squalls ! My gough ! She up With a clout, and made a drive that vicious She didn strike me, hut she knocked two dishes And a pazil ' of plates there off the dresser ; And the niece to shout whatavar d possess her To do such j eel with the crockery Of other people — very free^ Very — and batthar remember the cost — And it 7i>asn her house — And no more it was ; For she lived in a thalthan - up the river Belongin to 13rew that wouldn have her In the house with him at all — no, he wudn ! Not even when the wife died, which died very sudden, And Xessy only a child — no, no ! So I thought it was just about time to go — I5ut I stood for the I'azon — aw, cut and thrust ! Ye sec, I was lovin him scandalous — Aye and i'vtrvl)f)dy — and no thanks ! Only thib ( laylliur — this Mrs. 1 tanks — ' Parcel. " I lalf-ruincd cottage. THE MANX WITCH 17 She didn love him, and she didn hate him, And she knew she couldn aggravate him No more till a magpie, or a sparrer — But just the dirty tongue that was arrer ^ — A miser'ble thing, that deserved to be skelpit — Only it's lek she couldn help it. Now what d'ye think this Nessy had done That Hollantide night, the time she run And left the Pazon ? There was one of these parties She never seen, for, behould ye ! my hearties Tuk diffrin roads, the one to the shore. And the one to the mountain above Slieu-Core. So Nessy happened on the track Of the mountain beauty — and that was Jack — Jack Pentreath — aw Manx thallure ^ — But his father was Cornish to be sure — Neddy St. Ives they were callin the father. But Jack — aw Jack — that was flighty rather — Jack Pentreath — well, no, I'll not say Flighty either ; but ye see the way It was — but hould on, you'll hear, you'll hear. ^ At her, was hers. - Enough. C i8 THE MANX WITCH The other chap was Harry Creer — From Dalby he came, and so he was gettin ^ " Harry from l)all)y." AN'ell, Jack was sweatin Up the mountain, and a hullabaloo, And a quiv'rin and shoutin what would he do. And 'ichere 7i. It u .s the thing— aw, belly or bark ! THE MANX WITCH 25 See him stripped, and there was Jack. He was raelly awful, a sort of a shine Like shells, like aw it's no use try'n — Comin off him lek a kind o' brassy — Lek these yallar images, aye was he. Lek the blood, ye see, was a sort of a venom, Or varnish, or vitriol that was in him. Quick though, quick — for Harry would swing His arms like a windmill, but Jack would spring Like a goose's merry-thought, and at ye he'd come Like a dart, like a wasp, like a rocket by gum ! So there was two of Miss Nessy's beaux — Miners, I tould ye — but goodness knows The chaps that was after yandhar gel — Respectable ? respectable ! I should think so — respectable is it ? Eiras,^ bless ye ! would be payin their visit To the Ballaquine — yes, eiras, drapers From Dhoolish, bless ye ! with their capers, Foremen, overseers, a cap'n, Loadin there on the beach, would drap in Now and then — I've seen the lek. ^ Heirs. 26 THE MANX WITCH But, just azackly the way you'll expeck, The young miners it was that was schamin To get this Nessy ; just like chimin She belonged to them whocver'd be The lucky chap — lek proppity, Lek shares, lek swore together to watch That none of these dandy divils 'd snatch The prize, the beauty of Ballaquine, This rose that had grew at the f/iouth of the mine. That was their talk. And a sort of a club, Or a saycret 'ciety, and hul)-and-nub, And sentries just lek souldiers placin. And takin their turn of a Sunday facin The chapel, and up the road, and grips, And officers, and passes — " Lips " Was the word, I believe, and the countcrword — Well, I forget ; but still I've heard — But — Lips — that's Nessy — the mouth ? just so- Like a pudeck ^ rose in the full blow — Eyes, of coorse, and ni( e they were — Blue — )«.>, blue; but the most that was there, ' I'crfcct. THE MANX WITCH 27 I tell ye, couldn see nothin but just The mouth. It wasn a sort of a puss,^ Puckered and quilted and hemmed and hitched And gored and eylotted and stitched — Plenty of it reefs and reefs, And more to come ; and then the teefs ^ All set round — aw I'll be bail Drew to scale, drew to scale — The mouth she had aw, hit or miss, For all the world like a big red kiss. So these chaps was jealous you navar seen. And had her for a sort of a queen ; But every miner to have his chance, And whichever she'd chose, the rest at once To give in, resign her, they said, resign her ; But only she must marry a miner. Aw many's the blade has been tuk and ducked In the big dam yandhar, or clouted and mucked. And all his fine clothes a-soakin like runnet,^ And navar the wiser who was it that done it ; 1 Purse. 2 Teeth. ^ Rennet. 28 THE MANX WITCH Aye, and caught in the dark, and pounded At these divils, and navar the one of them rounded Upon the others — aw true as wedges, And huntin these drapers over the hedges, And sthoo'd ^ a chap by the name of Jones Ever)' step to the Cloven Stones. Was I in it? ho-ho-ho ! Sailors and miners — bless ye — no ! Wouldn ha' had me, couldn neither — DifTcrn cattle altogether, Rovin divils sailors is, Navar much in the one place : Besides these miners is more of a clan, Keepin more on the one liand ; And I rouldn for sartin allis agree with them. But aisy enough for th' * get on the spree with them- Rathcr too aisy, for the matter of that ; But every hatter his own hat, And every trade its own tricks, And its own saycrets — nix is nix, \VhcT'V' r \ ..ii"l! be. ' Chased (wiih opprobrious shouting). - To, THE MANX WITCH 29 But, houldin their own, There they had me the rose that had grown At the mouth of their mine and chaps to be comin Sniffin and snuffin hke bumbees hummin Around their rose — — it isn raison, And it isn sense — the same with grazin On the commons, the same with fishin-ground, The same with everything ; and you're bound To stick to it too. And a gel Hke Nessy — Dear me ! if it was Dick Quayle-vessy,^ He's yours for all ; look after the lek — " Cair !"- cair ! " says Billy Injebrek. But a splendid gel like Nessy — chut I It's nothin but reg'lar poachin : " Cut ! " Says you to this draper from Dhoolish, "be off! You Ramsey sneak." You'd be middlin soft If you didn — to let them gather your rose That handy from under your very nose ! "She's ours," you'd say, "and we mean to keep her." If he stands to it, hit him a tap on the peeper — They're not much these dandies — down with the fut ! " Cut ! " says you, and by gough they'll cut. 1 A notorious idiot. " Property. 30 THE MANX WITCH So that's the way they'd all combine For the honour and glory of the mine. Supposin she didn marry the one o' them All right, all right ! still every man o' them Had had his chance, and equally She wouldn be marryin nobody. Friday is pay-day : one Saturday I was in at Callow's as you may say, Lek a little sociable or that ; And a hape of miners ; and there they sat Like a Quakers' meetin, no talkin, no laughin. Not the smallest taste of chaftin, Till all of them w-as in the room. Bless my sowl ! a sort of a gloom Over the lot. It'd be very near A week or so after Ilollantide fccr, And every chap, as he tuk his i)lace On the settle or that, you'd see the rest Lift up their eye as solium though, Lek axin ; and him with a sort of a no^ And a shake of the liead, and out wiili his clay, .\nd charges and sucks and draws away. THE MANX WITCH 31 I was noticin ; and Jack, d'ye see, Come in, and the shake accordantly ; And Harry last ; and the whole of them lookin. But Harry had a pipe arrim ^ smookin, And navar no shake o' the head they'd get. But just a little sort of a spit At 2 Harry. Now it appears they were signin Articles — I think there was nine in — Rules, is it ? I don't care — Rules then — that they'd run it fair ; No chap to take advantage lek Over the rest ; and the smallest speck Lek it would be of encouragement — Lek a word, or a nod — then this here gent To kermoonicate it to the lot Under penalties to be shot, For all I know, or hung as high As Haman, if he tould a lie. Honour bright ! I seen the book Years after, and even a look 1 At him. - On the part of. 32 THE MANX WITCH Was down, and how much was countin for it, 'Longside the name of the chap that gorrit ^ — Somcthin Hke Jeremiah AN'ilde — Looked at him in the chapel, and smiled — Two marks ; Dick Clucas passin the farrim,- And Nessy hove a priddha ' arrim/ One mark and a half Nathaniel Fathom — Nessy held the hymn-book with him Last Sunday, countin seven marks — Lek that ye know — aw dear, the larks ! Nonsense you're thinkin ? Aw, Ick enough ! But I hardly think ye know the stuff Them Laxdale chaps is made of, no — Curious very, treminjis though. Now it wasn a mectin they had at all. I.ck they're callin it special ;^(ncrnl, r)f the 'ciety, but just drop in Anybody, and yarns to spin And talk to talk. So Harry Creer Wasn bound to tell ihcm thecr Why he didn shake the head, ' Got it. ' I-"arm. * Potato. * \\. him. THE MANX WITCH 33 Lek meanin nothin done or said At ^ Nessy to him that week, you know, But Jack was feelin dreadful low, For Nessy had spoke to him sure enough, But terble savage, terble rough, And the dirty turn-out ^ and sent him flyin. And he must never come near the Ballaquine — " Ye nasty thing ! you're not fit. You're no better till a ideit ! " So Jack was mad, and " Come out ! " he says — And terble winkin at the rest — " Come out ! " he says, and as grim as grim ; So out they went, Harry and him. Aw dear ! when he had him out on the street The row that was at them ! I didn see't Nor nobody, but Harry was tellin — " What's this ? " he says, " what's this, ye villain ? " And a grip of his throat, houldin on like a ferret. " That's not azackly the way to gerrit," ^ Says Harry, chokin. " Let go ! let go ! " He slackened a bit, but very slow — ^ By. 2 Repulse, snubbing. ^ Get it. D 34 THE MANX WITCH Greedy lek — " It wasn much," Says Harry, " bless your sow! ! don't clutch Like yandhar — only a handful of gravel I hove in the window."— "The devil ! the devil ! " Says Jack — " you hove — and — well then, well ! She come, she come — aw it's aisy to tell," And begun a cryin. " She come," says Harrj', " Yes, she come, but she didn tarry ; ' Harry Crccr,' she says, ' the sot,' And down with the window like a shot." " Aw Harry, Harry ! " and grips his hand, " Harry, Harry, Harry man ! " And — " Harry, you're a friend of mine ; Keep away from the Ikillaquinc, Aw do, la ! ^ do ! aw yes ! aw dear ! You're not lovin her, Harry Creer ! Harry, Harry ! just only the pride, And Ick not likin to be put o' one side When all the chaps is sportin their figures — Of coorse, of coorse ; it's not the biggerst That's lovin the most, you know it's not, Harry, you know ! aw promise to'l ! ' Interjection of cntrcity. THE MANX WITCH 35 Promise ! " and Harry half willin there — A good-natured sowl. But — " Swear it ! swear ! Swear, Harry ! " and an oath Hke your arm For the long, most despard, like some charm At these wutches, awful ! " Liver and lights " — Lek cussin all his odd jints — Till Harry got freckened altogether ; But he didn like to deny him either — "With blood," says Jack, "with blood, with blood !" And out with the knife. But Harry stood Again the notion very stiff, And — No, and he didn't Hke. " Your shift," Says Jack like lightnin, the quick he was — But Harry gettin rather cross — " Will you change your shift with Tommy Mawby ? " " Well, what for ? " says Harry from Dalby. " What for ? " says Harry — stupid rather. " Because we'll be up and down together, And then I'll know where you are," says Jack ; Aw as straight as straight ; no keepin back. No sneakin hoky-poky ways With yandhar fellow, if you plaze. 36 THE MANX WITCH Semple, you're thinkin ? that may be, — Love is just semplicity — Real love, of coorse — chat ! ^ Semplicity ! why, bless ye ! that Is love, is, is, is, is, or oughter — Is fire semple ? is air ? is water ? SetfiJ)ie ? " Sincere," the Pazon was sayin — Sincerity — oh, isn it plain ? One thought, one thought — aw, through and through, One in her, and one in you — Semple, single — isn it clear ? Nothin else but just sincere — A great word with the V:\7.ox\— foolishness ? No, no, my lads ! it's the best thing, the best, It's the only thing, just the one bright flash That (juivcrs through this world of trash And make-believe ; it's swift, it's short, It's gone — and we're all the better for't. Aye, and the wiser — couldn stay long, Not like that — you need to be young To work that horse-power, mind ye, my men ! Aw yes, you can love again, ' Tut. THE MANX WITCH ll But not like that — it's only the once — Aw give it a chance ! give it a chance ! One wave flung in upon the shore, That bursts and breaks for evermore. So none of your humbug, backin and fiUin, But just straight off— Would Harry be willin To work, you know, on the shift with him, And then it would be the same trim ^ For the two of them ? " What ! navar free To go by myself?" says Henery, " And try my luck ! lek fastenin us Together like dogs " — and he gev a cuss — " I won't," he says. Aw Jack made a run. And caught him, and gript him, and cryin like fun, And beggin him for God's sake. And the tears ! the tears ! like urrov " a lake — Aw the slush of tears — " Harry, Harry ! " A nice chap for the gel to marry ! The tears then, is it the tears ye mane ? The tears — yes, yes, but comin like rain — 1 Conditions. " Out of. 38 THE MANX WITCH There's everything in tears — of coorse ! Look at the pressure, look at the force ! Shallow water ? go to pot ! There's shallow water, and there's water that's not Pumpin ! says you ; tlicrc's some people can, But the tears of a man that is a man Is wantin no pumpin, nor no tap, nor no cock, I know I've got to the real rock \Vhcn I sec the lek. Vou may grin like apes. You may squeeze your face in a thousand shapes, You may smooth it till it's like pin-janc,' But the tears, the tears that comes like rain — Then you have him — see ! he's cryin ! That's the chap I aw there's no denyin. And childhcr — is it only pushin Their finger that makes the tears come rushin Till they're nothin hut tears, just a livin spout? It's because they're turnin inside out Easier till grown-up people, being pli'ble. Aye — but us that's ouldher is li'ble To get hard and stiff, or else all llabhy, ' Curds-and-whc-y. THE MANX WITCH 39 Just a miser'ble sort of drabby,^ Lek feelin nothin, or seemin we didn, Like an ould boot upon a midden. God bless the childher ! God bless their wayses ! They're spinnin no cobwebs before their faces — Not much like spiders isn them — Yandhar David too the same, In the Bible you've got him, like it appears— Aw David was the boy for tears ! I don't hould no more till you With allis cryin, boo-boo-boo ! Shlishin-slushin, snittle-snottle ; But " Put my tears in thy bottle," Says David, "thy bottle," lek God, it's meant. Had a bottle arrim," lek fillin with scent, And like enough a goold stopper — Aw beautiful ! but must be a whopper To hould all the tears— a sort of decanter, Lek silver-mounted— but I wouldn vanture To say it was really that, but just To give you a notion, the way we must 1 Droppy. ' At him, in his possession. 40 THE MANX WITCH With the lek, of coorse, bein what ye may call — Aye, man, aye — but aisy all I So Harry couldn stand this cry'n, And promised there, but he wouldn sign In blood, no, no I " It's usual done," Says Jack, but didn see the fun, Didn Harry, but just to be On the same shift, and glad to get free Of this chap and all his hollabaloo — A day shift it was too, Comin off about five in the everin, And washed, I tell ye, and as nate as a pin, And no hurry at all, but the smile on the face, And plenty of chaps about the place, Souljerin ' there, but off on the sly One after the other — " I think I'll try Is the troutsis ' bitin," they'd say, or hitendin '' To meet the coach, or had to he mendin Something at home ; and 'd walk that slack, And the hands in the pockets, and the swing of the back. And the slink and the slouch. Hut, out ui sight, ' Loafing about. ' Trouts. ■' I'rL-tcnding. THE MANX WITCH 41 Up to the Ballaquine with them straight — Hedges and ditches ; but, when they'd get near, They'd slack again — aw never fear ! And standin and starin very hard At some oats, or some clover, or a pig in the yard, Or — anything ; or lookin lek wond'rin How they come theer at all, and blund'rin In on the back, and in on the front. Or the barn, or the haggard ; ^ and a surt of a grunt, And a heave, and a start, lek " Bless my sowl ! Is this the Ballaquine ? " And 'd rowl Their eyes most terble, and amazin to meet The lot of them theer upon the street. And the nudgin and shovin there'd be in For one of them to make a begin And talk to the gel ; and whichever spoke, One of the chaps 'd gev a poke To another, and then the lot 'd buss Out a laughin, and Nessy would puss Her mouth, and give a little shy With her head ; and another chap 'd try, ^ Stackyard. 42 THE MANX WITCH And then the roor, and " Woa, man, woa ! " And " He-he-he," and " Ho-ho-ho ! " Miners 1 Miners! sartinly not ; Miners — they're another lot ; Miners' sooreyin ' — aw ye needn doubt it I They goes another way about it, Does miners, aye, bein chaps that way, That's rather for turnin night into day — Down in the mines — the way you'd expeck — Fond of the dark, and used of the lek, Suckin it just like li(iuorice-ball, They can't take up with the dayUght at all. I've heard of people born in a mine. Poor divils ! aw just as good as blind — At laste they got no eyes to spake of, Just a little bit of a strake of Light, like a groove, like a seam, like a slit, Livin and dyin in the pit — That's England — that's these " lower urdhcrs " -- A despard country, full of murders — ' Courting. ' Orders. THE MANX WITCH 43 But coals, of coorse, most horrid dirty, And iron very near as clarty.^ Aye ; but in the Isle of Man It's lead that's goin, you'll understand — And a dale claner to work it is, A dale claner — aw 'deed yis ! Claner — but still they had to clane — Sartinly — you know what I mane — Titivatin — " In the dark ? " says you, Lek you're thinkin the differ wouldn be knew?'^ Nonsense ! where's a fellow's pluck To coort, if he's feelin all of a muck. And sticky and sweaty — no, la ! no ! A nice clean shirt and a collar though — It's what you're feelin, not what you're lookin. That's the style, or you'd better be hookin. And sure enough it's dark they hev ^ it Often enough ; but as right as a trevit. And comfible that way in your clothes — Aw it's doin a dale, and goodness knows Why, but it does; and maybe two'n ^ Filthy. ^ The difference would not be known. ^ Have. 44 THE MANX WITCH The mornin at ye, a big strong moon 11 swim out of a cloud, and you to stand there Lookin up, and her in the wandhar Lookin down — and you like her to see Vour face as bright as a thingummagee, And your handkecher, and all to that, Nate, man, nate, and a cock on your hat, Like a surt of a buck ; and look at her — The clane she is, and the tickelar. Bless ye ! don't I know the lek ? And the little shiver, and wrappin the neck, And lookin at the moon and sigh'n, And whisp'rin — aw the Ballaquine W'asn the only place, d'ye hear — Not it ! not it ! aw dear ! aw dear ! Strainin out through honeysuckles, Or ivy, and her hair in buckles Of coils and coils ; and her body stretchin Lek far away, lek longin, lek retchin To heaven itself, lek tuk and caught At ' some angel — and even you forgot — ' Ky. THE MANX WITCH 45 Yis, and then a sniff and a sniggle, And just the smallest taste of a giggle Lek — bless my sowl ! you'd think it was sporras In the thatch beginnin their little good-morrows. And then the coolin of the mornin air, And things goin a seein everywhere, And the crow of the cock, and the stir of the cows, And the dead white light on the front of the house — Aw they do'n' like that ! aw no they do'n' ! Aw bless ye ! it's just about time to be go'n' Then ; but still you'll not be off Till she shuts the window ; and often enough It'll be broad day in the garden there, And she'll see you, if you can't see her. So mind you'll be smart — d' ye hear me, you sir ? Just take my word — it'll be well to do ser.^ Aye, and this Nessy had a way That lots of them has, to take and stay A bit behind a curtain or that — Aw, bless your life ! just a bit of a cat ' So. 46 THE MANX WITCH In the whole of them — aw, I'll allow — Lek seein how are ye actin now. You think her eye isn on you — take care ! They're rather dangerous, they are, That way — aye — bein it's mornin — And just, ye know, to see if you're yawnin. Or the lek o' that ; and 'scusaijle If you are, you know ; but they navar will. No, not them — no use ! no use of ye ! Bless yc ! they'll navar take excuse of ye ! Navar ! navar ! and all the same You don't want to be slopin — it's just like a dhrame ; You're greedy of any chance she might come Back to the window — the way with some — Back, and back. And you're still as death, And the honeysuckles seems full of her breath — And — yes, it is ! and — no, it is'n ! She's gone ! she's gone ! ami the sun is risen. There, there ! I couldn help it, my men — Aisy then ! aisy then ! Well that was Jack and Harry's style, And lek enough the best of a mile THE MANX WITCH 47 To the farm, but takin differin ways Reggilar ; and Jack 'd ha' erase ^ Mostly of Harry, but couldn hinder But the two of them meetin under the winder. Jack fuss, and Harry to folia — And Harry more like a dooiney-moUa ^ For Jack, lek helpin him to woo. But takin his turn at the winder too — Aw honour bright ! but not much, ye see. To say for himself, this Henery — Not him — and puzzled, I doubt. Puzzled enough to hould out The time that Jack was givin him — shy, And hum and hem, and " Aye, woman ? aye ? " That was the most she got out of Harry — Aw, a dacent chap ! aw varry ! varry ! But 'lowanced of brain — that's it ! that's it ! 'Lowanced enough, and navar fit For the likes of her, that could dance all round him With the tongue, and altogether confound him — And — "x^ye, woman? aye?" till at last she says — ^ Would have the start. "^ Man-praiser, the friend who backs, and speaks praisingly of the suitor. 48 THE MANX WITCH " It's no use o' churnin away like this, And navar no butter." And — " Come I will ye talk About JackT' she says, and he wouldn baulk The young woman of coorse. " Very well," says he, And on al)out Jack, and fiddlededee — And what did he think of Jack 1 'was he right In his mind, did he think 7 and rather a flight Of a craythur — 7vhatl and no doubt takin care — The way she was spakin — that Jack would hear — And Jack nearly choked with the rage — good Lord, But bitendin not to hear a word. And then she'd make her note that sweet And soft and trimblin — it was like the tweet Of a young duck. .And — Wasn he nice This Jack 1 — a7i> dear ! and could n he tice The arm off a gel? And — Wasn he a love ? And 7vasn he a darlin 1 — and a surt of a shove With the words, like arrars ' from the quivers, Sendin Jack in the fits of shivers. And couldn stand it, poor fellow, of coorse, ' Arrows. THE MANX WITCH 49 And rushin on Harry, and as hoorse as hoorse, And whisp'rin, " Look here ! the time is up." Then says Nessy, " Suppose I want him to stop — Time, indeed ! whose time ? bad 'cess ! You're thinkin a dale of yourself," she says, " It's for me, not for you, to tell him to go — Time did ye say ? But I'll have you to know." And stoops — and — •" Listen, Harry, will ye ? I've got something partikkilar to tell ye. Jack musn hear. Be off with ye, Jack, To the apple-tree, and don't come back Till I tell ye." The apple-tree — ^that was the place They had to stand, in any case, When their coortin was off, just like it would be Their watch on deck — aye — the apple-tree " Apple-tree, apple-tree, Cover me, cover me, Branches of the apple-tree I While night's shadows drift and flee, Fall on me, fall on me, Blossoms of the apple-tree — Pink-tipt snowflakes tenderly Gliding from the apple-tree ! " Aye, them's Tommy's, Tommy Big-eyses ^ — •" See Fdcsle Yams. E 50 THE MANX WITCH Terble for rimin — all surts and sizes, Tommy, bless ye ! But Brew, the father — It's lek you're thinkin it curious rather He was navar hcarin them at these games. Well, lizzen to me ; that man was the same's A pig for the sleepin and the snorin — See-saw ! Margery Daw ! Roarin, borin — No starts, no snarts arrim ' — studdy he done it, Studdy directly he begun it — Say about half-past-cight or that Till maybe four in the mornin — chat ! ' Yandhar man ! you could hear pretty farrish The snore of him — fit to shake the parish. So of coorse. But ick enough you'll be sayin Boosely music to be play in Li'k a surt of accompUimink To the coortin — and aisy so to think, Aisy, natheral ; but still People that's coortin, yc sec, they will ; ' At him, on his part. * Chul, tut. THE MANX WITCH 51 And somethin to know the ould chap's safe — I'd rather trust him snorin than deaf, 'Deed I would. But you wouldn sundher From the gel you love for the roots of thundher. But couldn help laughin sometimes — pirry us ! ^ Special Harry, that wasn that sirrious,^ Nor that deep like Jack : but often corrected At this fellow — Her father must be respected To his very snore, says Jack, as solium As avar ye seen a what-d'ye-call-um. A7id had they it all to themselves that tune ? What was all the other chaps doin ? Well, you'll obsarve, it wasn none But the miner lads that ever done The reg'lar sooreyin that's in,^ Lek what they're callin sooreyin — Proper lek — you know the surt — Them other chaps I was tellin, that dirt Of shoemakers, and tailors, and jiners And that, was freckened ^ of the miners, ^ Pity us, good gracious ! - Serious. ' Courting that is courting, * Frightened. THE MANX WITCH Reg'lar freckcncd, and navar dar'd Show a nose inside of the yard After the milkin — no — they dar'n' — Aw they're not to be trifled with, miners ar'n' — You'd batthar bclave it I one or two of them Tried it a bit, but all the crew of them Jined — these miners down at the Pub, Memljers of the " Nessy Club " — Yis, that's what they were callin the 'ciety — And they tuk such urdhcr,^ and worked such variety Of ghoses and goblins, and big bogganes,"'* Like divils growlin in their dens, And groanin terble behind the fences. That they freckencd these fellas urrov"' their senses. So that was all right ; and Harry and Jack Had no more trouble with the lek. But every one their own troughs — That was the co(Jilin of these boughs'* — Houghs, ye know — yis, that was the name — I'ushin each other — a rum surt o' game ' Order, made such arrangements. -■ The " lubber fiend " of Milton. • Oul of. ' I'oor (creatures). THE MANX WITCH 53 To plase a gel ; and laughin that rough — A passil o' donkeys, sure enough ! But still these two had another plan — Jack, of coorse, the head man, And Harry was willin either way ; But Jack persuaded him to lay The thing before the committee Of the club, and — Couldn they all agree That Jack and Harry had the chance. And let the others go to France, Or Jericho ? And statin their case — And " for-as-much," and " the year of grace " — And signed and sealed, and made declar^ That Nessy was favourin them far Above the other chaps ; and so What was the good for them to go Any more ? and the register at them -' To stop at once, and jtist to let them Settle it theirselves, whichever Nessy 'd chice^ and for him to have her — Aw, as true as I'm a sinner — 1 Declaration. - Their register. ^ Chose. 54 THE MANX WITCH And fair play, and back t/ic winner ! And tuk their davies^ bein as't^- And proposed and seconded, and passed Umnanermous ^ — and " Do-to-wit," ^ And " Amen," and " So be it " ! Very solium — makin motions — Aw, these miners has their notions. From that very day there wasn a sowl Interferin ; but Jack got foul Of these tailor-lads and all the rout, And he wouldn have them comin about. And he went to IJrcw, and he axed him to act- "It's puffeck'' scandalous,"' says Jack, " Puffeck scandalous." — " And you, What are ) ou after then ? " says Brew — "Aye, man, aye? if I may make so bould." So Jack bucked up to him, and tould All about it. And — " Bless my life ! And is she goin to be your wife ? Yours?" says Brew, "engaged, it's lek ? ' AflTidavits. '■' Askcil. ^ Un.inimously. * P'ragmcnt of diplomatic phra<>c. * I'crfcctly. THE MANX WITCH 5 5 Engaged is it ? a purty speck ! " ^ " No," says Jack, " but goin to be — Coortin." — " Coortin ! fiddlededee ! Botheration ! what d'ye say ? Yoii're coortin regular ? Coort away ! But these coUaghs - that's comin about the farm Of an evenin — bless my sowl ! What harm ? Rather company, lek a surt of a cheerin." But Jack was terble perseverin — " They're jokin her," he says, " and provokin her," he says, "Till she up's and at them out and in. And gives them the imperince of sin — And isn nathral in her — no ! And it's spilin the gel ; and it's boosely show ! ^ And she isn nice that way a bit, And it isn right, and it isn fit ; And you've got the torrity,"^ Masthar Brew, So give them it ! aw do, aw do ! " " Torrity," says Brew, " gallivantin ! I'll torrity them, if it's that what you're wantin." 1 A pretty speculation. ' Lads, =* Very beastly, very bad. ■* Authority. 56 THE MANX WITCH "Torrity !" and as grim as grim — So this was the way he torritied them. The very next evenin — aw navar fail ! He come upon the street with a flail — ' Clear out of this !" says he, and a slash Lek every way — "clear out, yc trash ! Clear out !" he says, " ye Skilligalee ! These wayses isn shuitin me — Clear out !" and he made another quiver. And they cleared that yard pretty ([uick, however. Aw yis, I tell ye — and Nessy that white ^^'ith the mad, and standin on her right, And — " Nice work !" and wouldn speak To the father or Jack the best of a week. liut coaxed, did Jack, aw coaxed iier though, And Harry to help him, and the orchard like snow That year up yandhar, like snow ; you'd see't The best of a mile — aw a rcg'lar sheet — Most beautiful. And Lord love yc ! The nice it is to have yandhar above you And all around you, as you may say — Apple-blossom in the middle of May. THE MANX WITCH 57 That's the coortin ! Aw, lave it alone ! The Queen of England upon her throne Might envy you then. The trees like nets All knotted over with white rosettes, Like white ladies standin theer — In the spring — of coorse : in the fall of the year I don't know ; but still, for a chice — But bless ye ! an orchard is allis nice : It's like heaven, I think, and the angels flittin From tree to tree, and you to be sittin With . . . well, well, well ! the Lord can save, The Lord, the Lord it was that gave, Gave her, gave her, and tuk her the same. And blessed be His holy name ! Aisy, lads ! it's a finish night — All right, all right ! So, as I was a-sayin — aye, aye, in the fall Maybe not so nice ; but still the smell Of the apples— aw dear ! they'll do ye ! they'll do ye ! Aw through and through ye! through and through ye ! It's a very lovin smell is apples — 58 THE MANX WITCH This stuff the Romans burns in their chapels Is very sweet ! but what is it comparin To apples, special goin a-bearin In an orchard — all a surt of 'spicion Of rum things about, like some faery was fishin With a smell for a bait — invisible — Aw sartinly — but a smell, a smell. And sure enough the sarpint knew't — 'Deed he did, the ugly brute — There's no mistake it's that that done Eve altogether I mean, begun, Kor ate she did, and so did Adam, But ate she needn — this tasty madam. No — but smellin she couldn help — That's where he had her— this divil's whelp, Had her for sure. r>ut what a place That garden must have been ! bad 'cess To them that lost it for us — aye ! And let them boo, and let them cry. Had to turn out that very minute — A garden ! ^Vhy, (iod was walkiii in it THE MANX WITCH 59 In the cool of the day, the Bible's tellin — Dear me ! the grand it must ha' been smellin ! Talk of gardens ! talk of loss ! But what a donkey that Adam was Hidin himself aback o' the bushes, Him and Eve, like a pair of big thrushes, And only — but bless me ! the foolishness ! But loss ^ the place ! loss the place ! The garden, aye ! the garden of Eden — But an orchard too — the way we're readin About yandhar fruit, and the terble desi'ble ^ For food and that, but scandlus li'ble To die if you eat. But the Ballaquine Had a orchard — aw dear ! but — never mind ! There's no doubt but God Himself might ha' walked In yandhar place, and heard what was talked. Sooreyin ? ^ yes, sooreyin ! I'll tell ye what it is, my men — You don't understand — -this gel was gud, And so was Jack : there's love that's mud, 1 Lost. 2 Desirable. ^ Courting. 6o THE MANX WITCH Xot love — I know, I know, liill Mat, Ah ! no need to tell me o' that ! But love that '11 take a gel, and lifl" her To the heaven of heavens, that's the differ ; No black disgrace, but pure, man, pure As the sthrames that gathers in old Ballure — Why wouldn God be with the lek ? Walkin, list'nin, I expeck, Aye, and blessin — fruits and flowers, \\'hat arc they all to the hearts that pours All their joy and all their love Into one another ? God above ! An honest gel and an honest lad ! Can Thou sec them, and not be glad ? Thou sees, Thou knows, Thou loves them — aye ! Every kiss and every sigh, Iwcry sigh and every kiss, I'A'cn if it's not in Genesis. lie happy then, my lovin birds ! God bless true sweethearts ! them's the words — A holier thing, and no mistake in,' ' There is no mistake. THE MANX WITCH 6i He navar made in all His makin — True as steel — but don't forget, God's walkin in the garden yet ! Queer sooreyin ? you're thinkin, eh ? Well that depends, as one may say. On who you are, and what you are — Of coorse ! of coorse ! my man-o'-war ! There's sarpints in the garden too, Aw, as common as hoiv-cTye-do ! Yis ! and howavar the happy you'll be, It's well to remember Him that can see Your very heart, and if it's clane, He'll make you twice as happy again. Terble religious I got on the sudden ? Jemmy, ate your own pudden, Do now, do ! it 'd be a dale batter ; You don't know much about the matter, Not much, I think. There was used to be once A thing they was callin innocence — Now then, Jemmy ! It's God that picks them, These lovers, and He stands betwix them ; 62 THE MANX WITCH Every look, and every breath Is God's ; they're faithful unto death, Because God is faithful ; not thinkin of Him, Lek enough, but Him of them Sartin sure. No saint wasn Jack, Nor Nessy ithcr, lek you'll see in a track — No ! but only the nither 'd ha' seen The other in trouble for the wealth of the Queen ; And if it had happened, I'll tell ye what — Jack 'd ha' cut his throat like a shot, And Nessy's too — bless ye ! outragers ! Hot as fire ! so that's the rclajers ! ^ Yes, and still this Nessy was tazin him Despard though, aw nearly crazin him — And touch-me-not ! and sniffs and snuffs, And sulks and sulks, and huffs and huffs. And was the I^yrd behvix than then 1 Aisy ! with them ? with them, my men ? With them ? with them ? . . . and what for wouldn I k ? With them ! with them ! and what for shouldn He? With them ! with ihem \ -sartinly ! ' The religious. THE MANX WITCH 63 And d it all ! don't talk to me ! D'ye hear ? But lizzen now what will folia — This Harry was chiced ^ for a dooiney-moUa, Chiced complate ; and went with Jack Every night — aw he wouldn be slack ! Givin up all notion of Nessy, Aw, aisy-goin urrov messy ! "^ And made up his mind it wasn no use, And dooiney-mollain like the deuce. Fuss-rate — ye see the chap Wasn worth the smallest scrap At lovin, no ! it was dooiney-mollain That he was good for, follain, follain,^ Buckin up, lek what you'd call a — Well, you know a dooiney-molla — That's it — lek semperthizin Pirriful * — aw quite surprisin — Yis — lek lovin just to be theer, Just to lizzen — this Harry Creer — 1 Chosen. - Out of mercy, extraordinarily. ^ Following. "* Pitifully, wonderfully. 64 THE MANX WITCH Aye, and, every kiss that was go'n, Just to give a little moan Urrov ^ him, very low and soft, Or maybe a little bit of a cough Or the Ick ; but keepin as close as close. That he wouldn be missin the smallest ghost Of a sound or a sigh, and laenin his chin On Jack's shouldhcr, and lizzcnin, Lizzenin — and his breath goin jjourin Agen - Jack's ear, and had to be cowrin Rather — stoopin, ye know, for the big He was compared to Jack ; and 'd twig I^vcry little hil•. THE MANX WITCH 7 5 But a woman that shouted, and lek enough whopt to 't At^ the scamps that kep her; but Paul put a stop to 't. Not much of a 'sample for Nessy, you'll say — Well, hardly, hardly anyway. So that's the raison Brew wouldn hev her In the house arrim theer," and tuk and gev her The thalthan — wouldn hev her, no ! Wouldn ! wouldn ! wouldn though ! Did I tell you about the chile she had ? Job he was callin — a lump of a lad Them times, but younger till his cousin. Short was Job — of his body he wasn ; But short of wit — the innercent Ye navar — that's the way I meant — Soft, no doubt, aw soft ; but grew A splandid falla ; soft, but true As steel, and gud, and full of grace, And a beautiful face ! a beautiful face ! Aw the gentle ! aw the sweet ! I tell ye what — you wouldn meet The lek of Job on a long day's march — 1 \\Tiipped to it by. ^ With him there. 76 THE MANX WITCH No you wouldn — and as straight as a larch — Lovely made — and the big blue eye, Aw fit to make a body cry ! And grew— — but that was years and years Afterwards avast these tears — Look at me ! — another night I'll give you Job all right ! all right 1 Aw a tcrble story but he wears the robe — Washed, ah washed ! poor Job ! poor Job ! But the nither Job nor the mother was gettin Admission to Brew's, except she'd be lettin In at ' Nessy on the sly, When Brew was in bed — aw, she wouldn be shy Wouldn yandhar ; but freckened enough Of Brew that cud be despard rough, For all the aisy ; but freckened though, Kreckened himself — aw, I'd have ye to know ! Freckened thallure ;- for he knew she could wither The heart of him into ould shoe-leather, Or any other diviliiicnl — Wit< bin, wutchin, wherever she went, ' Let in by. * ICnouKh. THE MANX WITCH 11 Wutchin sartin ; but kep it off With this thalthan, and the cow, and the crof — He had her there, and middlin safe, He was thinkin — aye, but didn hafe ^ Like the thing ; and made up his mind She shouldn get in on the Ballaquine, Her nor her child. But the woman was fond Uncommon of Nessy — or was it the bond, And Nessy in it ; unknownst, of coorse, To herself? but anyway such a foorce She done of charms there, early and late. That she put the comedher ^ on Nessy complate, Clane ^ comedher, harpooned, and haulin it — Fascernatioti the Pazon was callin it — Fascernation — and might have been — " Kayar !* kayar ! " says ould M'Queen, " That'll bring her up " — and maybe it will : Tremenjers though, aw terrible ! Kayar, for the strong it was houldin the gel, And spun from nothin but the wind of hell — That's the Kayar ! and wasn it a pity ? 1 Half. - Spell of attraction. ' Downright. * Strong rope. 78 THE MANX WITCH Poor thing ! the sweet and the pretty, And the lovin too, and a d ould cat To have her in her power Hke that ! So she tuk a notion of a surt of suppoortin Nessy, Hke a shuperintendin the coortin, Lek backin, lek watchin, Ick a kind of encouragin ; And waitin till dark, and goin a furragin About the house ; and creep and creep — And aisy to tell if Brew was asleep With the snorin, bless ye! And — "Come in! come in!" And whisperin and whisperin ; And a bit of supper : and then Nessy 'd say " Time for bed " — and — " Let me stay ! Aw let me ! let me ! " And only ri^^ht — And her aunt and all — and " Good-night ! good-night ! " At ' Nessy. Aw then she'd dart in her car Most despard cusses — navar fear ! And tellin the charms she had on Jack — Sfic could turn a>ry bit of his body black — She could make hint hate her — poor Nessy 15rew ! Nothin she ( ouldn and wouldn do ! > Said l.y. THE MANX WITCH 79 And the gel, you know, as freckened as freckened, Because of coorse she navar reckoned But Misthriss Banks could do the jeel ^ She was braggin she could, and she'd take and kneel On her bended knees, and she'd cuss — the baste ! Cuss the very skin off your face — But low, very low, that Brew wouldn wake — A surt of a spittin like this new kind of brake They've got on the railways — air brake, is it ? The dirty thing, goin fizzit ! fizzit ! And spittin there. So up to the room ! She should ha' been cocked on a lump of a broom Sky-high — the ould Turk ! And then the comedher 'd begin to work ; And she'd coax, and she'd elapse, and she'd play the deuce. Till the poor thing was gettin all a confuse," Lek foolish lek ; and she'd kiss and she'd cuddle, Till Nessy's head 'd be all in a muddle — Swimmin lek, lek heavy — aye ! And when Jack 'd appear, poor Nessy 'd sigh, And come to the window. But the wutch 'd be lookin Over her shouldher — and crouchin and crookin — ^ Damage. - In a state of confusion. 8o THE MANX WITCH All eyes and ears — but the hitch on the tongue, Lek the ould moon keekin behind the young, You know — and the little thing middlin shy To step out there in the big broad sky Before all the stars — like a panerrammer, Mostly. But the ould one — damn her ! She's up to no good that ever I knew, At least for the likes of me and you. But — wutches in front, dooiney-mollas aback- What surt of coortin was that for Jack ? No coortin at all. And bore it wanst, And bore it twicct ; and then he danced AVith ragin fury — Such dirt goin muckin About the gel, he said, ami suckin, YeSy he said, suck in her blood , Like a spider a Jly\ or viakin crud ' 0/ it a/together ; and 7vhtre would it stop ? Drainin her heart to the last drop — Qiiitc aisy to see — the gel gettin white Most pitiful — a regular blight On the gel, he said. He could /fv7 her dra^vin ' Curd. THE MANX WITCH 8i Back and back, lek some divil was clawin And pullin her theer, andfiirder a?id furder, Lek innards someway, lek some hole of mia-der They ivere haulin her ttito : yis, and lavin Just a shape, lek a siirt of a graven Image of Nessy at the windher, And herself goin burnin into tindhcr, In some place at ^ these divils — aye tuk and hove her In a pit, and roullin her over and over On coals of fire — and hotter and hotter — Yis, yis, yis — and whe?-e had they got her ? That wasn Nessy — and he'd hev his revenge And he'd stop this work, and this WJitch should senge In the deepest of hell herself. And he spoke Middlin plain ; and // luasn 710 joke For hi?n, he said, nor for Nessy, he said : And — " Go home with ye ! go ! go home to bed ! Who's wantin ye here — with your skinny throat ? You're a big bLick wutch, and I'd have ye to know't." So the Banks to go and Jack to stay. But the coortin was bruk at them anyway, 1 By. G 82 THE MANX WITCH That night at least ; for the aunt was gone Like whisked through the keyhole ; but Nessy was done, I )one complate, and trimblin theer Most awful. And—" Darlin '. " and " Navar fear ! "' At ' Jack ; but no use, and tuk and crept Back in her bed, but never slept. And worked at "" this wutch like the say is workin With a tidesway, and all her body jerkin And tossin like a fever ; and o/i / U7iat xcoiild she do ? And she'd go, she'd go First thing in the mornin, she muss ! she muss ! And coax her that she wouhin cuss This Jack. Ikit still the gel was fcarin The cuss 'd be done afore daylight appearin — Burnin soinethin, or raisin the divil, Or God knows what. And "tohy icasn he civill Civil, just civil ! Aw Jack then ! Jack then ! The pity ! And — Would she call him kick then ? Back ! back ! back I .And jumps to the windher — But Jack was gone. " He'll be burned to a cindher," Says Nessy — poor sowl I You see, she knew The despard things these wutches can do ' Saiil by. "• Hy. THE MANX WITCH 83 On all your body — aw horrid they can ! Horrid, I tell ye. But that was the plan, For Jack was for bustin in the door. No matter whether Brew to snore Or not to snore. " Who knows if she's dyin ? " And even to think of her theer a-lyin ! God bless hhn ! And he made a run, but caught At -^ Harry straight, that said he thought They'd better make haste, you know, and give sheet ^ After this wutch. And over the street. And over the hedges and over the ditches. And away for the Gill, but Harry got stitches In his side or the lek, and puffin and pantin. And couldn hould on, and began a slantin For the road, bein middlin freckened she'd come In some shape or another, like a corpse, by gum ! Or a modda-doo,' goin bawwawin. Or a tarroo-ushtey,^ or a muck-awin,^ Or — " Stop ! " he says, " aw stop then ! stop ! " And — Bless his sow/ ! he was like to drop ; And a cow gave a cough — aw Harry roared, 1 By. " Chase. ^ Blzzk dog {ste Peveril of the Peak). * Water-bull (fabulous). ^ River-pig (fabulous). 84 THE MANX WITCH And Harry screeched, and Harry implored, And Jack that bothered he had to give in ; And the two of them home with a safe skin To Harry's lodgin, and slejit logetlier, But beat, and feelin foolish rather. The day was hardly bruk when Nessy Was up to the Clill, and beggin for messy,' \x\dfor a/I the sakes ! and what she would give her; And coiildn t/iey be as thick as ci'cr? And /aik loas onpatient, but Jack was gttd ; And shc^d give Iter anything ! yes, she 7vud ! Shed gi~'e her her brooch and her beautiful pin, And her clasp, and the rael gool sovereign She got in her box, and a velvet belt That was speckled with flowers, and the buckle gilt Most lovely — aye ! poor thing ! poor thing ! And ribbons and scarfs I "Will you give me the ring You've got on your finger then ? " says the aunt — Her mother's weddin-ring she meant — '• Will y(Hi give me thai?" Then Nessy shook All over, and she gave a look ' Mercy. THE MANX WITCH 85 At the woman, and aw, the pitiful ! And then at the ring, and begun to pull, And stopped, and pulled, and stopped again. And the tears come pourin down like rain ; And she snuggled her hand agin her breast. And kissed and kissed and kissed and kissed — The ring, of coorse, and looks up at the aunt, And just a whisper—" I can't ! I can't ! I seen him take it . . . take it," she said, " From her finger . . . — and the straight in the bed . . . And the could, auntie, the could ! the could ! . . . ' And the poor gel shivered. But the aunt to rowl Her eyes like wheels, and her body stretched To the full of her height, and tuk and retched All over the child, till she fell right down, Like stiff, Hke dead — aw then I'll be bound She had her up and in her lap, And hushee bowbabbied^ and on the tree-top} In a minute — aye, and stooped lek to cover her, And sthrooghin " her theer, and breathin over her The wutches breath, and hummin charms In her ear ; and all the strain of her arms, ^ Fragments of a cradle-song, ^ Stroking, 86 THE MANX WITCH And the warmth, and the squeeze, and the curl, and the ply Of all her body, till Nessy to sigh. And Nessy to move. And then . . . and then . . . She'd got another plan, my men. " Aw no ! " she said, " well no then ! no ! Aw not the ring ! but . . . lizzen though ! Lizzen . . . the key of the ould man's chist " (Her father) ..." five pound wouldn be missed Urrov ^ yandhar lot." . . . Could she get the key ? And . . . sometime he'd be out of the icay . . . What/ Aw Nessy gave a spring, And " Take it ! take it ! take the ring ! For God's sake ! take it ! take it ! take it ! Here ! here ! will that do ? will that make it All right?" she says; "you'll not wutth him — Jack, you won't ? ' " I'll never touch him,"' Says Mrs. Banks ; and she'd come next n/'j^ht For the other thin}:;s. So Nessy luk flight Like a partridge : and — " She driv - me ! she driv me ! " And " Mother ! mother \ forgive me ! forgive me ! " Poor Nessy ! and all the way she was goin ' Out of. a Drove. THE MANX WITCH 87 She was sighin and sobbin and makin her moan — " This is love ! " she said, " and the nice it 'd be If it wasn for the misery ! " And I'll tell ye what, the gel had raison. She had, aw yes ! for it's just amazin The work that's with it. But still for all A'^ho'd be without it ? to stand or to fall, The sweet with the bitter ! But the poor young things. That's feelin love like birds feels wings. And up's like the lark, and love to crown them With joy, and the sun all round and round them — And then comes hail and frost and snow, And the thunders rowl, and the winds they blow — Aw dear, the poor birds ! Ifs better, you'd think, To have nothin to do luit/i it? Chink-chink-chink ! Chunk-chunk-chunk ! ^ Well, of coorse ye needn : Bless ye ! there's different sorts of feedin — Pigs isn larks, not them ; and still Pigs is very comfible — Jine the pigs ! it's the easiest way. Shove your snout in the trough, and suck away ! ^ Imitates the sound of coin. 88 THE MANX WITCH Now Nessy had lia' done much batthar If she'd ha' come and tould the matthar To me. For I was young, that's true, But still I was gran' for advisin : there's few Could ha' beat me, no ! And of coorse I'd ha' gone And tould the Pazon, and the thing had been done At once — God bless ye ! sartinly ! The Pazon ! done ? my goodness me ! But I suppose I 7C'iis too young For a gel like her to have took and brung Her sorrow to — it was years and years, After all her hopes and all her fears Was settled lek, she was tcllin me, Aw, no mistake, and as free as free — Tellin — bless ye ! tellin uncommon — Aw, I knew the woman ! I knew the woman I fackl well . . . Jack . . . go tellin him? Not her ! not her ! This despard limb Was no good for advisin — lovin, yes — But that's another sort of guess — Lovin — and dooiney-mollain too — Well, you sec, it 'd hardly do — It's not what they're for, being wanted to praise THE MANX WITCH 89 A chap to his sweetheart- — let them keep their place These dooiney-mollas, not 'visin ^ her — Lek I tould ye, eh ? that's not what they're fur. And as for Harry — Harry advisin ? Bless ye ! Harry was stupid supprisin. No, it was me — aw never fear ! But still it couldn be ; so . . . theer ! And did she come doum in the evenin For the rest of the thitigs ? Aye did she then. And had them too, most sartinly. And as good as money, and away on the spree To Ramsey, and not a public-house Goin or comin that this boosely throuss ' Didn have her dhrop. So Crow, That was drivin the coach, he found her though Next mornin at King Orry's grave,^ Drunk as a fish, and tuk and gave Her a tip with his whip, and waked her up — Aw fond of a sup ! fond of a sup ! But she kept her word though — curious ! ^ Advising. - Slut. ^ Near Laxdale. 90 THE MANX WITCH Not the smallest taste of a cuss Done on Jack, by night or by day : But she worked the job another way — 'Deed she did though, worked it gran' — Bless ye ! Harry was her man. Sent for Harry to come and see her. Which he went, but in terble fear. Aw, mortal uncommon ! liut — "• Come in ! " she says, " And a cup of tay ; and nice it is To see a friend," and all to that ^ — And Harrj' lookin hard at the cat, And all about, and wondherin W here was she kcepin the rum and the gin, And her dirts and her divilments — in crocks, Harry was thinkin, or — was it a boxl Or bladders 7c>as it ? or under her clothes. Or hid in the Jloor, or goodness kmncs ! Up the chimley lek enough, And \i come to take him by the scruff. All of a sudden, as black as ink — The divil — aye — didn know what to think. But the place was swept, you know, and clanc, ' So forth. THE MANX WITCH 91 And the taypot singin, and pinjane ^ — And the kettle you might have seen your face in't, And everything as dacent as dacent — Till Harry took heart, and eat like a melya,^ Made a very good tay, I tell ye. And they talked of the croft, and they talked of the garden, And they talked of her son, tJiat was only herdin Yet, she said ; hit she hoped he'd soon Have a job at the mines, and tJien he'd be dd'?i — At an engine, perhaps, but hard to tell. And the cows was shuitin him very well, And away on the mountains mostly he 7C'as, Herdin for Clague's of the Ballacross, And only home at odds of ti^ne, lust that Clague woidd take and trfm — And a child, you know, and coiddn expcc\ And rather weak in his interlec\ But not so bad. " But, Harry Creer, How is it there's some not far from here That's got pluck and wit, and all the rest, And handsome chaps, and a match for the best, 1 Curds-and-whey. - Feast at Harvest-home. 92 THE MANX WITCH And still they don't see it ? Plenty of sanse And everything . . . and don't see their chance, Don't see it . . . but there's some that does, Sees it plain does some of us.'' And then she set upon him, and — JJ'/io JVas this Jack Pentreath 1 and Nessy Brew ! Bless her smvl then ! was he blind 1 Nessy at the Ballaquine ! Nessy . . . cravin for Jiim ! Jack 1 Nonsense I nonsense ! just a pack Of stuff and nonsense, a trick, a dodge To (^et to he with Harry— fudge ! Make a fool of him 1 No, she wudn, But worshil>pin the ground he stood on. Aw she worked him well, till the chap was gapin Willi his mouth like an oyster, the way she was shapin The fool to her plan. " By gough ! " says Harry, " I'll try it this night, and aisy — very — To try — and Sartinly ! that's it ! Buck up ! buck up a bit ! And hed soon see. And ///(// little black imp To be coortin Nessy I a surt of a shrimp THE MANX WITCH 93 Of a cockcroach coortin Nessy ! No ! And — he-he-he ! and ho-ho-ho ! " It's you, Harry, idikkilis ! And the handsome ye are ! and give me a kiss- • There now, Harry ! and spake to him, will ye ! Spake to him ! spake to him, m'gilya ! " ^ Poor Harry ! aw kissed her fair and fit, But wiped his mouth, and gave a spit When he got outside, bein freckened, poor chap ! What pison 'd come from the divil's trap Of a mouth, that wasn a bad mouth ither — Not ugly, I mean, but well-looked rather. So that night no wutch ; but Nessy like chalk, And Harry first goin up the walk : And — "Wait ! " he says to Jack, "just wait ! You see, I've been thinkin a dale of late. And I don't know azackly, but still I'm wantin To have a understandin or sonthin '"^ — A understandin — that's the tee, A understandin is it you, is it me. 1 My lad. - Something. 94 THE MANX WITCH I'm not for no more dooiney-mollerin, I've had enough of humbuggin and follerin ; And I've raison to think — for I've heard at ^ them That knows — tliat Nessy is . . . well . . . ahem . Gettin rather fond — " " Of you ? " Says Jack ; " all right ! that'll do ! that'll do ! " And darts to the windher, and just a word To Nessy, that maybe hardly heard What was it he said, the treih " she was. Poor thing ! and turns, and gives a toss With his head. " Now then," he says, " now then ! I've said good-night : down glen ! down glen ! This must be looked to." And the fiery he spoke Poor Harry seen it wasn no joke, And had to go. And directly they come Upon the road — nw. sword and drum ! At it ! at it ! tongue, not fisses — Jack's tongue mostly; and " I insisses," Says Jack, " you'll 'splain the for and the how. And what the deuce you're meanin — now, Now," he says, "go on ! " lUil he didn Wait for Marry, "'i'urn up the midden ! ' From. - Sad. THE MANX WITCH 95 Turn it up ! " he says ; but he turned The midden up hisself. And he girned, And he stamped, and he called him all the names That ever was called. And — Fire and flames f What was this ? And — JVas he mad'? Or what %uas lie ? Was it a divil he had 2 Possessed! was that if? limb from iimb ! Nessy gettinfond of him ! And — Aw tlie fool ! and aw the ungrateful ! And — Aw the donkey ! and aiv the decateful ! And — Aiv the horrid ! and aw the hateful ! " Me that was lettin ye come spoortin Under the shadder of my coortin ! Me that was lettin ye see the white She was in the moon ! and standin quite Near, near ! Didn I let ye ? And feelin her breath — and didn I set ye To spake to her too ? and what could ye spake ? And warn't ye hangin on my neck, And her face agin mine, and smellin, smellin Love's very flower, and hearin me tellin The deepest saycrets of my heart ? And never to stir and never to start, 96 THE MANX WITCH And never to make the smallest objection, But delighted^ )e said, to see the affection^ Ami the sweet soft coo there was in,^ ye said, // was music fit to walr tlic dead — And ticvcr tired, and tit for tat, And purrin there like a big tom-cat The satisfied ! But now I see ! Is it you 7 or is it me 1 Listen then, if you want to know ! It's me, you thund'rin lump of dough ! You ideit ! " and on like crazy. But Harry could only get in an " Aisy ! " Now and then — " Aisy ! "' he'd say, " Aisy for all ! " lek a sort of a way To be hum'rin the chap. And hotter and hotter ! Till Harry must ha' been made of botter. Or porridge or sonicthin, if he could have bore The jaw any longer. .And at last he swore He wouldn stand it, and took and gript This Jack, that ducked, and dipt, and slipt, And quivered, and danced ; but couldn hould him And Jack made a run for Harry, and bowled him ' /;/ is pleonastic. THE MANX WITCH 97 Over like a cock, and on to him, And kep' him under, that was aisy done to him, Bein heavy, and Jack Hke a bull pup, And pinned him, and wouldn let him up Till Harry would ax. And then they stood The two of them out of breath : and the blood From Harry's nose, lek after an action Two ships. And " You'll give me satisfaction," Says Harry — " eh ? " And — the where and the when. And the how. " At the mouth of the Dragon's den," Says Jack ; " let's see which '11 put the other Down the ould pit, and finish this bother. For you know d well whichever '11 lose That bout," says Jack, " he'll have a long snooze Down there, he will. Now then, d'ye see ! It's death ! it's death 'twixt you and me ! Will you try the fall, my bloomin boss ? Hands on it, Harry ! " So it's hands it was. The very next night no coortin in ^ — No, and Nessy wondherin — And no sooner they were off their shiff" 1 Going on. ^ Shift (miner's term), time underground. H 98 THE MANX WITCH Than the two of them there to cHmb the cliff Under the Dragon's den, that was high Up the mountain, and not very nigh To the new workins — a lonely place, And savage, if there ever was — An ould shaft they'd worked out Long ago, and nothin about, No timb'rin nor the lek, just a hole. And fifty fathom — no, not coal. Lead, lead, like all these mines. And worked accordin to the finds. And when they're findin nothin more, They never don't do nothin to her To make her safe, no more till a quarry — So that was the spot for Jack and Harry. They were at it still when I come down From the side of Snaefell, and I'll be bound — Mc ? yes, me ; from Sulby over, Sulby Claddagh — Tommy Red-clover, They were callin the chap, and married that day, .And a.xcd to the wcddin, and couldn stay, -And the sober amazin. So on and on. THE MANX WITCH 99 Souljerin ^ lek, and thinkin the fun I was leavin behind, till I come in my cruisin Where the Northside gels is puttin their shoes on When they're goin to Laxey fair — Till they get up yandhar, aw bless ye ! as bare As an egg ; but there — aw I've seen them arrit ^ Afore now, aw I have ! and some like a carrot That red, and others like white stone The smooth and the shiny — but lave it alone ! Comin, I tell ye, and the sun was set. And the moon was rose, but hidin yet Aback o' Slieu Lhean, that was throwin a shaddhar Terble black below me. The Laddhar They're callin that slope. And I had to steer Middlin careful,- you know, to clear The Dragon's den. So — no humbuggin ! I thought I heard a despard tuggin, No thrashin, no smashin, no click o' the clogs, No trampin like bulls, no raggin like dogs. But ugh-ugh-ugh, like the chaps is goin When they're working a blast-hole — it's lekly you're knowin — ^ Sauntering. " At it. loo THE MANX WITCH Ugh-ugh-ugh I didn lek it, I tell ye, at all — how could you expeck it ? How did I know that it wasn bogganes, That's after takin ^ up these glens, Or the ould chap himself with some of his friends Agate of their shindies — aw, might have been. Might ! But I crep a bit nearer, and seen There was two of them arrit ; - and the nearer I crep — Harry ! Jack \ Aw, al them I lep, At them ! on them ! " Divils ! divils ! What's this ? what's this ? "' But they turned like swivels. And the hank was givin way, and the muck Rattlin down, the way it's shook On a coffin at a funeral — And the two of them twisted like a ball— Couldn get them out of grips, Couldn — and Jack to stagger, and slips, And Harry swings him out right over The mouth of the pit, and could hardly recover Hisself ; but held on — aw didn lei go ! Wouldn ha' done it — no, no, no ! ' Making their lunnl. ' Al it. THE MANX WITCH loi Couldn, for the matter of that ; For Jack was stuck to him Hke a rat To a terrier's nose. So I seen my chance, And I gript this Harry — " Now then, once- — . Twice — three times ! " I said, and these rips Come in on the grass, but still in grips. And I couldn have done it, but Harry helped, And glad enough. Aw, navar was whelped A good-natureder chap ! But done they were, Done complate, aw, done I'll swear — Not the half of a breath in the two of them. So the moon come up, and I took a view of them— " Well you're a pair of beauties ! " I says ; " Come ! drop these grips ! I tell ye you'd best ! " But they couldn, no ! they could only lie In each other's arms. And Jack gave a sigh. And so did Harry : but I got some water, And I slished it on them. And Jack held tauter ' Till Harry ; but at last they were sundhered, And you'll aisy suppose it's me that wondhered What divil's work they'd had in hand ; ^ Tighter. I02 THE MANX WITCH And, as soon as ever they could stand, I made the two of them look down The shaft ; and they seen it lighted round Very clear with the moon, that was shinin brave And full by now — " If you're wantin a grave, You'd batthar spake to the Clerk. " I says, " And get a comfortabler place Than that," says I ; " it's like a well Dug down to the deepest depths of hell. " And it really looked most horrible. The black and the deep ! And Jack to shudder, And turn away ; and Harry's rudder Not over studdy, but aised, it's lek, Aised in his mind. "And now be quick, And on with your clothes ' " Vot the chaps was bare To the very buff — aw deed they were ! And the moonlight shinin on their skin — These naked divils — astonishin ! " On with your boots and your clothes ! " Aw, the one of them W'ouldn resist I aw, I took the command ol ihem Fuss-rate, I tell ye, uncommon though ! THE MANX WITCH 103 They were both that wake and 'zausted, ye know ; And had to give in. But Jack was mad, And wouldn spake, hke sulks he had — Sullen, sulky. But Harry, so soon As he got his wind in a bit, was in tune For a talk, and talked, and tould me the row. And he said they'd been at it from seven till now ; And what time would that be ? And I looked at my watch — The best of two hours ! — " Why murder's a patch To divils like you," I says. " I doubt It was swingin in and swingin out All the time," says Harry, " wheelin Like a windmill," says Harry, " toein-and-heelin, Despard ! " he said. And him to be houlin Jack right over, and rowlin and rowlin, But wouldn dhrop Jmn — no ! but try' 71 To haul him back from the mouth of the mine. But Md stick his feet agin the bank. And stiffen his body like a plank ("I see ye," I says), and ditch and clutch, Atid all along of a dirty wutch. I04 THE MANX WITCH " A dirty wutch 1 what's that you say ? " (Jack spoke at last). " Round turn and belay ! " Says I to Harry : " hould on at that ! That's somethin like business — I know the cat ! Now," I says, "let's hear it, my son !" Which immadient Harry done. Says he — " She tould me that Nessy Brew Was lovin me far more than you." Jack danced. Jack danced — half joy, half rage, Clasps Harry round the neck, ril engage. Like the hangman's hug, and cried and cried, And kissed him, first on the one side, And then on the other, as cjuick as a treadle — And Harry's big face as round as a griddle, And the wondhrin there ! " I see it ! I see it !" Says Jack, " of coorse !" And a scream like a pewhit ; And tlie divil might ^vVr /ler a longish tether^ But blmu him .' hed be ei'cn with her. \Vell, I got them down to the washin floors Very friendly ; and then these cures Begun a scliacinin what would they plan — THE MANX WITCH 105 And — Would they try the Ballawhane ? ^ And axin me. " Aw, that's no use At all," I says : " it's the very deuce," I says, "this wutchin — the horriderse" goin, Black, yes, black." But sure they were knowin , The Ballawhane was workin the white ? " Aw, diffrin, bless ye ! diffrin quite ! Lek cows and that— and gives you some sperrit. Or harbs in a bottle ; and as soon as you'll gerrit ^ In your fiss, the baste, that's very lekly Miles away, is batthar toreckly.'* Aw I've seen the ould chap, and the big book And the wise he'll talk, and the solium he'll look — Aw, diffrin, aw, that's understood — Aw, doin good, doin good ! Aw, bless ye ! the Ballawhane to wutch her ! Goodness grayshers ! he couldn touch her ! Wutchin a wutch ! aw, there's no sanse, Sartinly not ! Now, a little expanse," I says, " and you'll do her ; yes, you will ! Do her as nice as pozzible — ^ A celebrated herb doctor. - Horridest. 3 Get it. " Directly. io6 THE MANX WITCH Ned Kissack's gun — I know he'd lend her— Now then," I says, "what's goin to hcndcr But we'll make a silver bullet for her — A silver bullet — there you've gorrer ! ' Melt some shillins — that's the way I 'Spansivc ? yes, but bound to pay ! That's your surt ! Now, let's go spy'n The hedges on the Ballaquine, And along to the Gill ; and see if a hare Or the Ick is often takin there — The wutch — as sure as eggs is eggs, Fire at her legs ! fire at her legs ! And she'll disappear : but lo and behould ! Up to the Gill ! and — Makin so bould, Hoiv are ye, Mrs.. Banks, this viornin ? Aw, limpin ! aw, I give you warnin ! Limpin ! of coorse — or a surt of a hop — Limpin, aye limpin all over the shop. A silver l)ullet — eh ? Jack, my hearty I That's the way lo fix the party." So wc settled to try, and I down with my shillin, ' Got her. THE MANX WITCH 107 Lek contributin — ^aw puffeck willin ! Contributin — lek these meetins they've got, Andi goUy^ this f and golly that I — Missionaries — and round with the hat — 'Cited rather — -and who would blame ? And longin to be at the game. "But," says Harry, " wutchin, I'll allow; But me or Jack ? " — " It's Nessy now, Nessy," I says ; "aw that's the warp She's agate of now ; so you'd batthar look sharp." So we got the shillins, and we got the gun, And we got a mould, and tuk and run A bullet as big as a hymenanny,^ Fit to dhrop the divil's granny. And started a hare the first thing ; And Jack let dhrive, and she made a spring. And away in the goss. " Hit ! hit ! " says I, " Hit in the thigh ! hit in the thigh ! " And up to the Gill the way we planned ; ^ Some faint echo of an anecdotic, nigger-dialectic " deputation." " A large shell. io8 THE MANX WITCH And there was Mrs. Banks as grand As grand. And — "What procures me the honour Of this visit ? " A reg'lar Primer Donner — Aw, it's her that could. And "We want no talk, ' Says Jack, " but just let's see you walk.' Aw, she up and made a run at us, And we cut like the mischief; and she gave a cuss ; And then she laughed like fit to split — *' She was never hit ! she was never hit ! " Says Jack. " No ! no ! " says I. - 111 swear There's no mistake you hit the hare. But that ould caillagh dim ! ' what nex' ! Treminjis wutchin, xxx ! " And right I was ; for there's wutches in That actual don't care a pin Not even for a silver bullet. It's lek they've got an art to pull it Aslant some way — aw black as tar ! Black ! bla( k ' Ii1.t( k ! so there you arc ! And was the coortiti mrr and done ? * JJl.ick witch. THE MANX WITCH 109 No, but, the winter comin on, It had to be in the house, you see ; And the dooiney-molla for company For ould Brew, that liked him well — This Harry. And sometimes they'd take a spell At the paper they got, the Sun, or the Times, Or Mona's Harral"^ — latthars, rhymes, Speeches — not much odds to them What they had. And the ould chap's hem ! Ahem ! dear me ! and rubbin and rubbin His specks ; and the two of them goin a clubbin Their heads together ; but couldn make much of it — Ould Brew, it's lek, could make some surt of Dutch of it ; But Harry could only scratch his nut — • Didn know B from a bull's foot. And — "Can you see it, Harry?" and Harry pretendin. And — hadn azackly got his hand in, No — and another rub on his sleeve At Brew, and eyein, and luhat to believe 1 And — tvas Harry himbuggin ? and 'spicious rather ; And then he'd dhrop it altogether. But Harry could look, and Harry could smook, 1 Herald. iio THE MANX WITCH Aw, bless yc ! company for a duke Was Harry — fuss-rate ! He'd a trick of spittin He lamed of me, thought nothin of hittin A fly on the wall, or a spark in the chimbley, Any distance you like, the nimbly You never saw. And the buzz and the bizz And the 'twixt his teeth, and the fo'ce and the fizz Like fireworks mostly ; and his mouth like a flute, All to make the puffcck skute ^ — For a chap from Dalby that way — eh ? You'd hardly think now — what did ye say ? Learnt frotn vie 7 But a splendid scholar, Aw, bless ye ! baetin his masthar holler — Yes, he did, aw beat complately — Beat ; and amusin the old man greatly. " Hit the rose on the side of that mug ! " Or " Spit through the handle of yandhar jug r)n the dresser there ! " or " Make a ring Round yandhar cup ! " He'd do the thing, Would Harry, five times out of six. But Nessy didn like such tricks ; And she'd say— " Now what are ye after there? ' .S(|uirl. THE MANX WITCH ixi Behave, behave now, Henry Creer ! " And Harry to look a bit to one side, And Brew to laugh till he fairly cried. " What's the use o' talkin ! chat ! ^ Jack couldn do that ! Jack couldn do that," The ould man would say, and " I hope he cudn," Nessy would say, " and I hope he wudn. And even if so be it's allowed of, It's nothin to be so very proud of; No ! " and she wasn takin the huff ! And some people s maimers was i7iiddlin rough. I believe in my heart the poor gel was ailin All over some way, like a surt of a failin. Yes, even her temper a little touched — Wictched ? — did ye say, of coorse she was wutched. And wutched bad ; why, a sweeter gel Or a gennaler " never bruk the shell. Nat'ral lovin, nat'ral wishin To be kind, aw a beautiful dispogition. But now she was often quick and cross, Sharp and short lek — no, not sauce, 1 Tut. 2 More genial. 112 THE MANX WITCH Not that ! not that I but lek she'd been goin Awakin up sudden, and hardly knowin Where was she at all ; and the white her face ! And when Jack was puttin his arm round her waist, She'd start like needles runnin through her, And away from him, and get to the door. And look out, and come back, and her eyes to stare Like seein somethin that wasn there — Despard uncomfible ! aw, despard ! But special for Jack ; for, if he whispered In her ear — the way they will. Lovers — or squeezed her hand a lill ' (And all in raison), she looked that scar'd And that frcckcncd, or else that stiff and that hard, That Jack was nearly out of his mind. And Brew would see, and pretend to be plyin His spells— y/«/ sovte of their little tiffs, Thinks Brew, and drops the paper, and sniffs ; And "(Jood-night !" he'd say, and '"Deed I've read Till I'm tired urrov-massy," - and off to bed — "They'll be makin it up all right," thinks Brew, '• When they're left to theirselves. " But wouldn do. ' Little. ' Out of mercy = excccdinijly. THE MANX WITCH 113 For Harry would fall asleep, the baste, And a big slop of a smile all over his face, And snore like the roots of ragin thundher ; And Nessy vexed, and 'deed no wondher, That was used of the ould man's hollabaloo. But didn like Harry's. And " I'll go too," She'd say ; and the loud this Harry roort ^ It raelly wasn fit to coort — You know the terble distressin it is. So Jack to get some sort of a kiss, Very skim-milky, very could ! And wakes up Harry, and off, poor sowl ! But the wuss of this wutch was Nessy was fond of her, For of coorse she was gettin the upper hand of her With the wutchin. But that wasn all, not a bit ! Fascernatin, is that it ? Aw, you may call it any name, Comedher, 'tractin,^ all the same. You see, she was used of her from a chile. And, by gough, the woman had a style That was off the common, knowin hapes ^ Roared. ^ Attracting. 114 THE MANX WITCH Of sin, I doubt ; and been in scrapes And scrapes, it's Ick. But a surt of a llash with her, And a cut, and a never-say-die, and a dash with her. That was seemin grand to a country gel Like Nessy, aye. And the stories she'd tell, Dear me ! and the 'spcrience she had, And the riddles and witty things that she said. And Nessy, ye see, that innocent, She didn twig the divilment — Muck, man, muck, goin mixed with spice. But divilment, no matter the nice, Like some of these flowers you'll feed your eyes on. Feed your belly ? — look out for pizon. A bad stick ! a bad stick ! But terble bright ; and 'd give a slick Of a polish lek to all her stuff, And knew who she had, and 'd hould her luff,' Manoeuvcrin accordintly : The woman was fuss-rate company — That's the words — not mine ; no ! no ! Me? in a woman? High or low, ' Knew how to steer. THE MANX WITCH 115 Young or ould^I beg to state it — The lek of yandhar I hate it, I hate it ! Fast she was — aw botheration ! She'd been in England in a sitchuation. Lady's maid, or something o' the surt — They're pickin up a dale of dirt And mischief is them, aw I'll be bail ! And draggin it behind their tail, When they're comin back to the Isle of Man— Aw, bless ye ! I know them, I know them : bad scran To the lek, says I. They're callin it life : But a gel that's to make an honest wife For an honest man, for a chap that's worth, He'd better give them a wide berth. But of coorse she was seemin a terble swell To Nessy, pretendin to feel with the gel, Understandin all that was at her ^ In her very sowl ; and chitter-chatter About lovers and love. Aw, Nessy thought It was beautiful ! and the way she brought ^ All that she had. Ii6 THE MANX WITCH Everything to the one stress, Like floodin her heart with happiness. And the poethry ! aw dear, the nice ! And could sing — aw, bless ye ! a fine deep vice. And whatever she said, or whatever she sung, Had it at the tip of her tongue. Now Nessy was a gel that had got A good head on her shouldhers, whether or not. She was puttin very pretty talk urrov ^ her ; But thinkin her aunt was nobbier far Till her ; lek much more spicier ; Lek up-to-the-rigs. And, you never can tell. There's a bit of the divil in every gel — Aw, there's no mistake they've gorrit," Yes, they have, and bless them for it ! But t/iiil drunken ould brute 1 Now aisy ! aisy ! I know she wasn azackly a daisy Of the field, this ould skunk ; But still she wasn always drunk. .\nd these fiighty people '11 have a go with them, » Out of. ' Got il. THE MANX WITCH 117 Bless my sowl ! a kind of glow with them, Like fine ould rum or somethin, is it ? Stirs you up, warms your gizzit ^ — Potes is Hke that, and fiddlers is, Play-acthors, singers, circusis — They'll put a pinch of somethin tasty In coortin and everything — don't be hasty ! Fond of liquor ! I don't deny it — Special when they haven to buy it- Poor sowls ! But hoio could Nessy be longin For the woman that There you go ding-dongin ! Who talked of longin ? But the cruel she trailed her About the ring, you'd thhik she'd ha' hated her. Well lerrit ^ be wutchin, if you choose, And nothin but wutchin — I don't refuse. But maybe there's curiouser wrinkles Till wutching even, my pennywinkles ! But drop it ! drop it ! Now Jack was a caution ! What d'ye think ! he tuk a notion He'd have the law of her ! " Isn there laws ^ Gizzard. " Let it. iiS THE MANX WITCH Agin wutches?" says Jack, "Til trim lier claws; I'll go and see Kinley aburrit ^ at once." He might as well have gone to France. Says Kinley — " Do ye think I'm a d d fool ? " Says Jack, " Well, no, sir, not of a rule — But isn it law for a wutch to be rowlin Down a brew ' in a barrel, and bumpin and bowlin Over the rocks, and nails that teases And rags and cuts her all to pieces — Pintin innards ? Lek they done at Slieu Whallion ■' Afore now. Well, we've got an ould rapscallion At Laxdale. ..." But Kinley got dcspard impatien' — "Well then, would it be sufTayshin' To burn her ? " says Jack. " Be off, you brute ! '" Says Kinley, " you donkey ! you thundh'rin toot I " " Is that your 'pinion ? and what are ye chargin ? " Says Jack. .My gough ! you may aisy imargin Ould Kinley ! and turns to the clerks, and he roors — " Pack this bumpkin out of doors ! " And bundled out like a sack o' potatis — Says Jack — "I've gor'' a 'pinion gratis." ' About it. -' Hill. ' A mountain nonr 1'. .1, in the Lslc of .Man ; the legend referred to is well known. * .Suflficicnt. " Got. THE MANX WITCH 119 So it was woe Bethsaida ! woe Chorazin ! "Jack," says I, "will you go to the Pazon ? You've had a shot at mostly everything posbil, You've tried the law, let's try the gospel. Let's go to church to-morrow," I said, " And hear the Pazon goin ahead. And after he's done the sarvice we'll foller him Into the house, and then we'll collar him." So the three of us went — that's Jack and me, And Harry ! yes, Harry, unfortnitly — I wasn much used of church, I'll confess. Not them times — -aw, younger, yes — In the Quire, and the Pazon theer — Good Lord ! how I loved him ! aw dear, aw dear ! But knockin about, and often at say. Aw, a lill church '11 go a long way. But still I was useder till Harry, that never Went to any place whatever — A reg'lar haythen surt of a chap, Lek these Dalby fellows is very ap',^ Ap' enough — and hadn no notion 1 Apt (to be). I20 THE MANX WITCH How to behave, and a surt of a ocean Of spit at this divil ; the whole of the pew Nearly swimmin — aw it's true ! it's true ! And 'd mark some speck in the grain, or a knot In the timber, and fire a splandid shot. I know he could do it — of coorse he could — Bless ye ! that was understood. And I warned him once, and I warned him twice- I did, I did ! and it isn nice. No it isn, in church, ch ? what? It's a dirty, savage thing is that. The Clerk's wife had to clanc it out Agin the next Sunday — trcniinjus stout That woman was — and then the churchwardens — Kneale Ballagill, and Stole the (hardens — Made a presantment — is that it ? That they couldn pozzibly do with spit In the church like yandhar ; but just to annoy The Pazon, because he was takin joy Of the Icks of me — I knew them, blow them ! And so did everybody know them. iJut however wc got him middlin quite ^ ' Quiet. THE MANX WITCH 121 Sittin there. I took a delight To hear the Pazon readin the sarvice ; Lek, you know, a hll bit narvous — Aw, beautiful ! For praechin — - — well I was likin him terrible ; But others was sayin he hadn the power : And of coorse he cudn go on by the hour Like these Locals and that, nor he cudn shout And rag, and fling his arms about Like a windmill theer, and his body goin drivin Half urrov ^ the pulpit — and how they're contrivin To keep their balance God only knows. And sweatin and stranglin in their clothes Most awful they are ; and " Awake ! awake ! Ye sinners ! " and roors. But delicake — • That was the Pazon — not raw, but ripe. And mallow, like berries, like a aisy pipe. That draws like a baby the smooth it's goin — There's some that's bad to rattle and groan Boosely — what ? just wantin clanin — Aye ! But the Pazon that putty " strainin Like God was takin him for a flute, 1 Out of. - Pretty. 122 THE MANX WITCH And playin on him — tootlc-tootl Not Him ! but lovely music, clear And sweet. You'd think, if you could hear An angel sniilin, it 'd be rather Like that what ? " I'll go to my father," It's sayin theer, "and sinned," d'ye see ! "Against Heaven,"' aye ! "and before thee, And no more worthy to be callin Thy son." And " Dearly beloved," and fallin Down on their knees. And " no health in us," And " lost sheep," and wuss and wuss. And then the Pazon on his own hook. And the solium, and the lovely look On his dear ould face — and the sun of a tenor, And " desireth not the death of a sinner " — Like just a mosscl higher — aye ! Aw fit to make a body cry — • Fit enough ; and saftcr ^ and saftcr, And " that the rest of our life hereafter "" My gough ! like drops upon a wound. And all "through Jesus," you'll be bound. » Softer. THE MANX WITCH 123 The way he had ! the way he had ! Say the words now, Janies, good lad ! Say them ! try ! — you can't ? no, no ! Nor you, nor the one of us. We must turn to And be Hke the Pazon, that's it, Jem- Innocent and pure hke hhn. But O the hard ! O night and day ! " O Lamb of God, that takest away The sins of the world, have mercy upon us ! " (Kneel, men, kneel !) " have mercy upon us ! " " O Christ, hear us ! O Christ, hear 71 s ! Lord, have mercy upon us ! Lord, have Jiiercy upon us I Christ, have mercy upon us ! Christ, have mercy up07i us ! Lord, have mercy upon us ! Lord, have mercy upon us ! " (Silence for a time.) I'll go on. The service was over for sure, And then we in on the back door, And axed would the Pazon see us two, 124 THE MANX WITCH Not Harry of coorse, that cudn do With the like o' yandhar, hadn the wit in — Bless ye ! a good-sized field to spit in Was Harry's notion, and, rocks or reels, The Pazon's fields was beautiful fields. But the Pazon was in his study theer, Sittin in the arm-cheer, And the servant brought the two of us in, And sniffed, and cut, but lizzenin Outside no doubt, aw, lizzened, Aw, as sure as she was chrizzened — Bless ye ! how could she help it — eh ? Just natheral, as you may say — Natheral. So — " Pazon," I says, " Here's Jack Pentreath, that'll not take rest About wutches," I says ; and I up and tould All the jccl ; ^ and the Pazon to fould His bands in a book, and as aisy as aisy, And no hurry whatever ; and Jack half crazy, And "do on then, Tom ! go on ! go on ! " And cudn wait till I was done; ' Damage, trouble. THE MANX WITCH 125 Like a thunderstorm ! aw fire and hail ! And "Yes, Pazon Gale ! " and " No, Pazon Gale ! " And lovin Nessy, atid Nessy him, And as happy as Jerusalem, Till this dirt begun her diviPs tricks, And linitchin the gel, " and puttin betwix Hal Creer and me," he says, "thai was allis The best of friends ; " and the gallis, the gallis Was too good for the lek, and if they got Their rights, its lek they d find it hot — "Hot," he says, "rather hot, rather hot," Says Jack ; but however, and whether or not. They'd get it at last aback of the bars Of hell, these diviTs sassingers, Fryin, yes ! Bid coidd nothin be done Afore that to stop their carry in on ? And — " Look here, Pazon, here's a go ! Think of Nessy — as pure as the snow, And as sweet that shuggar cudn be sweeter. And this ould scoundhrel, this ould blue Peter Of a rag of a vagabone to pizon The loveliest craythur ye ever set eyes on ! Pizon I pizon ! sartinly ! 126 THE MANX WITCH Body and sowl — machrce ! ^ machree ! Pazon, Pazon ! it shudn be ! It shudn ! it shudn ! "— " What pizon then ? " Says the Pazon, '• what pizon is it that's in, Jack?" he says. "You surely don't think She's givin Nessy stuff to drink, Harbs or the lek ? "— " No, no ! " says Jack ; " My gough ! she's on another tack Altogether. What odds' the drinkin ?- Pizonin, pizonin like winkin ; Sartinly ! " not givin ^ but doin^ That was it — at the full moon — Harbs — and what 7c>as to hindhcr her? d it / (The Pazon looked funny.) Did he think they'd ram it Down a gel's throat? Afy gough ! what sense ? " Harbs ! charms ! did ye ever? — go to France ! " " Now Jack," I says, " you'll spake rcspactful To thu Pazon," I says. " Harbs ! many a sackful Pve seen at her," says Jack ; " but dose And drug the gel ! — Hut the Pazon knows Of coorse — no frankincense nor myrrh Wasn that ; and ask your pardon, sir — ' My heart. - What difi'crcncc does the drinking make ? THE MANX WITCH 127 Brewin, that's it ! and these divil's birds, And the evil eye, and sayin the words. And the strength, and the steam, and the black art — And lawyers — bless ye ! takin their part — Lawyers — much on the same hand. But the Pazon's the man ! the Pazon's the man ! Eh, Tom ? Let the Pazon go to work ! That's the boy that'll draw their cork ! " ^ " Respactful," I says, " then, Jack, if ye plaise ; Respactful, respactful ! " And the Pazon to raise His eyes a bit ; and — " Do you believe In this nonsense ? " he says ; and lek to reeve A surt of a laugh through his shouldhers lek. And — -"Thomas," he says, "aw well I'd expeck Better of you."—" What for then, Pazon ? " Says I, " if you'll excuse me as'in." But Jack gave no time— "A Bible ! " he says, " A Bible ! a Bible ! chapter and vess ! Here you are ! do you want to make fun of me ? " And the leaves goin flyin, and " Deuteronomy," And — A wutch shall be put to death — very well ; 1 Triumph over them. 128 THE MANX WITCH And whips him over to Samuel — " Wutches : " he says, "all right ! all right ! And risin the ould man in the dead of the night, Ordered at ^ Saul, ordered at Saul — Sartinly, and hadn no call. Not the laste."— "The witch of Endor," Says the Pazon ; and " Ves ! and how he'd befriend her, And no punishment, he says ; and look ! Look here !" says Jack, and shoves the book Under the Pazon's vcrv nose, " Look here, man ! look ! and Samuel's ghose Ascendin urroi' the earth — see, see ! Like gods." — " You're makin very free, Jack," I says ; " respactful now ! Respactful, will ye ! " — " Stop your row ! Says Jack. " Lek gods, it's sayin — what ? Eh, Pazon ? liut Samuel gev it him hot, Didn he, I'nzcjn? llcv ye forgot? Lizzcn, lizzen ! vess " twenty-two ; And she made him ate his supper too — To be sure ! 'iwcnty-thrcc, twenty-four— ' Uy. ^ Verse. THE MANX WITCH 129 Afid she /lasted and killed a fat calf- — See, see ! and unleavened bread thereof — There ye are ! went away that night — Fuss ^ of Samuel, twenty-eight. Now then ! now then ! N't-) wutches, eh ? No wutches, Pazon ? Is that what you say ? In the Bible ? " And goodness grayshers I What was the gud 0' Pazons and praechers, If they were gain a defiyin the vety texes In the Bible itself? " And — " The laste ye expecks is Give in to the Bible ! " And the Pazon smilin Very paceful. " Well, don't be vi'len' ! " - Says the Pazon, "but let me 'splain the thing." Aw Jack to sulk, and Jack to fling — And tuhat was these Pazons but all a sham ? And didn care a twofemzy d — n ! "Be quite ! " I says, "be quite now, Jack ! Look here ! we'll have no disrespack To Pazon Gale ! No cussin here ! No cussin before the Pazon, theer ! " 'Deed I spoke savage ; for, traycle or hotter,^ ^ First. - Violent. ^ Treacle or butter. K I30 THE MANX WITCH Manners is manners — that's my motter. But bless ye ! the Pazon didn take The smallest notice ; he'd hev gev ^ him a shake Sure enough, if it hcdn lia' been The terble bothered and 'cited he seen Poor Jack was — for ye musn suj^pose The Pazon 'd hide his head under the clothes When cussin was goin — not him ! \\'hat ! cussin Before the Pazon ? My gough ! ye dussin — The chaps wudn have it ! It wasn him, But us, by G — d. It's limb from limb We'd ha' tore the divil that dar'd to 'suit Ould Pazon Gale. But Jack was pull't " Very sore in his heart ; and the Pazon was kind, And so, ye see, he didn mind — No— And then he 'splaint'' and 'splaint, Aw, uncommon ! And — The Testament, And the Ouhi atid the New, and close akin, But still for all the dijjcrin— And dispensin and that. And ;i!l about glioses, And divils, and Samuel, and Moses ; ' Have given. ^ Pulled, ^ Explained. THE MANX WITCH 131 And the poiuer of the evil Ofie, and them dirts That W3.S J>ossesszn people, unclean spir'ts, And sj>ir'ts of infirmity — ^just so ; And that muck of divils that was suffered to go Into the pigs, that was feedin away — Muck ^ to muck ! lek a body might say — And drowned in the waters. And Christ to send them About their biznuss, and take and pin them In the only place they gor a right to. And sure enough that's hell. And they'll try to Ger" out for a sthrowl, no doubt ; but they can't — And their power is gone ; and no matter the haunt Or the used of ^ a place, or a pesson's body, They're done complate. Some niddy-noddy Of a poor craythur you'll be seein still On the counthry goin ; but unpozzible For these divils to touch them, bein innocent — Wutches ! no ! But others rent With fire and fury, and they're callin, Insane, and that, and shoutin and bawlin — Aw, as mad as brute bases — 1 Pig (Manx). - Get out. * How much they are used to. THE MANX WITCH But just a disase like other disases. But wutches ! we've got nothin to say with — Wutches ! They're tuk and done away with Altogether ; got the sack ; And Christ that done it, and that's a fact ! And Baalim and Ashtaroth, HeaverHs quee?i and mother both — Somethin like that — but I'll take my oath — A Roman 1 the Pazon ! God bless your sowl ! Not him ; but, if I may make so boul', Just houl' your jaw ! And — The Libyc Amnion, The chap with the horns ; and ould Mammon, That must ha' been a surl of a fool, With his eyes on the floor for the fond of the gool- Hapes — but druv away like chaff Afore the babe that was burn in the laf ' ^ — At laste, the manger — -and no use a' rebellin — That's the way the I'azon was tellin. The Bible f No; but a blind ould party iJy the name o' Milton — blind, but hearty; dor" an eye inside of him thecr, » Loft. 2 Got. THE MANX WITCH 133 Somewhere or another, an eye that clear It could split the bottom of darkness in two, And hev ^ a view, aw, he'd hev a view, Fuss-rate, would Milton ; aw^, he wudn fail ! But the Bible But the Pazon was thinkin a dale Of this Milton, and the grand he wrote — A pote, ye know, of coorse, a pote. But still, for all a pote, yis, yis ! But somethin about it in Genesis. Beautiful the Pazon purrit." But, bless ye ! I might take and worret My brains till next week, and I cudn give it The way the Pazon did — like a rivet, The close and the sthrong — uncommon though ! And still, for all, was there wutches or no — Aw, my gough ! it's hard to be sayin — Aye — but seemin terble plain When the Pazon was agate of the arguin talk ; Nor me, nor even Jack didn balk The Pazon, nor never stirred nor winced, But let him go on ; but whether convinced — 1 Have. - Put it. 134 THE MANX WITCH It isn me — my goodness, no ! But terble quite and pleasant though. And then the Pazon said he'd spake To Nessy herself ; and he hoped she\i fake Heart, he said ; " for, Jack," he says, " If you're lovin each other in truthfulness ; If your love is rael, if your love's simrre (He was fond of the word), then never fear ! There's no power on earth, or anywhere else, That'll harm ye, no ! " And the ould eyes fills — Aw, they did ! aw they did, and the hands was gript. And Jack in the slush of tears, and slipt On his knees — poor sowl ! aw, feelin ! feelin ! And the Pazon blessed him where he was kncelin- Sol)l)ed, did Jack; and "You'll .s]iake to her, yis ! You'll spake, you'll s])ake ! " and sobbed, and ris,^ And out on the door, and off with us there. And the two of us cryin like fools wc were — " D d fools," says Marry, when he met us — But Harry was Harry, so that didn fret us — ' Rose. THE MANX WITCH 135 " D d fools, is it ? well grantit ! grantit ! But lave us, Harry." So Harry slantit. And the Pazon kep his word, for he went The very next day to see Nessy, and spent The best of an hour with her there, and he tould her All about wutches ; and a mind to scould her For the fearful she was : but all he done Was spoke to her, and made the run ^ Much the same he did with us — And Nessy cryin fit to bus' — And about the poiver ; they cudn hev it. These wutches, no ! And who was to gev it ? — Most of them wake in their intelleck ; But others wicked ; and the fay male seek In general, the Pazon said — Aye, wrong in the head, wrong in the head. But mischievous enough 7aas a wutch — Sartinly — and spacial for such That believed in the Ick. But believe them not, And whereas their pozcer? it's gone like a shot. " It's you that gives them the power," he says, 1 Took the same line. 136 THE MANX WITCH " By believin in all this wickedness — Power? It's you that's 'sponsible for it ; Don't give them the power, and they hevn gorrit.^ Poor thing ! " he says, " poor thing ! poor thing ! Poor Xessy then I " And the hands to wring At - Nessy — aye — " And your aunt," he said ; " Vour aunt ! aw dear ! it's very bad — Very bad, and very hard " — But the door of messy 7vasn hamd Agin tlie Ick. And then lie tuk A little prayer, and Nessy shuk All over ; but got more pacefuller. And then she said — " Will you spake to her, Masthar Gale?" she says. Aw, his lip was goin. But never a word, and never no knowin Azackly what was arrim "' — his head All stooped, you know. But at last he said — "I will" — very low, like a sun of a pride, That humble and that dignified. And the hat and the stick ; and Nessy freckened To sec him like yandhar. Now it's general reckoned ' Got it. ' On the part of. ' At him (wh.il was the matter with him). THE MANX WITCH 137 That Pazons is special — what, special ? my gough ! A Pazon can spit, and a Pazon can cough. What is it botherin you and me In our sowls ? We know we've done wrong, d'ye see ! Give it a word now ! chrizzen ^ it, chrizzen it ! In our sowls, in our sowls, man — Conscience, isn it ? Conscience — sartinly. And the same With Pazons. Pazons feelin shame ? To be sure ! aw, good enough some of them ; But still a conscience ! You're thinkin it's rum of them ? They should be angels altogether ? But bless ye ! bless ye ! just considher Or drop it ! Anyway, I'll be bail There was conscience plenty in Pazon Gale. And he knew he shud ha' spoke to this beauty Long afore, lek bein his duty As clear as clear : but didn, no ! That's the way — just so ! just so ! The delicake — that's the way he spar'd her : Bless ye ! the delicaker the harder ! Isn it ? reg'lar ? the harder to spake To such dirts, the harder to have or to make ^ Christen. 138 THE MANX WITCH With their doins, the natheral to keep Urrov ^ their road, lek the way with a sweep, And his rope, and his brush, and his bag of shoot. But wrong, I tell ye, and the Pazon knew 't. So that's the way his countenance fell Lek you'll obsarve before this gel — Remindin me of Peter though. And Jesus to look, and the cock to crow ; But cussed did Peter, but went out in the rain. And wept bitterly, it's sayin. Yes, I've seen some of your touch-me-nots Of Pazons, machine-made Pazons — lots ! Castins o' Pazons, that moulded and squared, Blackleaded and polished, that how are they rared I don't know in my senses, no more till I'd know How a stove 'd be rarin — toe to toe ! Aw beautiful ! but rarcd they ar'n, But that prim and that puffeck the divil dar'n Come nigh them, it's lek. And they never done wrong, And they never done right . . . ding-dong, ding-dong ! Ah, my men! when Pll die, when I'll die! » Out of. THE MANX WITCH 139 Who'll meet me yandhar up in the sky ? Who'll hould me theer that I can stand ? Who'll take my hand ? who'll take my hand Afore air that glory ? Not one of them — No, no ! but hmi ! but him ! but him ! The dear ould head ... he stooped it, did he ? Well, but off to see the widdy — This Banks — that very minute, aye ! But never saw her . . . why then, why ? Never saw her, that's it ! Never, never ! but wait a bit ! She wasn at home when the Pazon knocked, No answer, at laste ; and the door was locked, And Job away at the Clague's ; and so Of coorse the Pazon had to go. But tried again next day ; but never No Mrs. Banks, that dodged him clever, You'd be thinkin— what ? aw, well, well, well ! And next day, and next day ; and it's hard to tell — Weeks, it's lek — the Pazon was off Every day to yandhar crof '; I40 THE MANX WITCH AVeeks and weeks — and no use ; And poor Job tuk in at Brew's ; And wond'rin greatly what had become Of the mother ; but still he had a home, Of coorse ; but terrible forsaken Was Job, and sorrowful, and takin Up on the mountains and callin, callin " Mother ! mother ! " And chaps that was trawlin Down on the shore would feel a Ict,^ And think they'd got her in the net — But no ! And Brew though, very kind ; And — " Never mind ! never mind ! She'll be in Ramsey." And axin theer, And Douglas, you know, and everywheer, Till at last says Brew, " I'll wager she's gone To LiveqDool ; " and " Lave her alone, And she's all right." And Jack to coax This Nessy to marry him ; and little jokes - And a bit cheerfuUer ; but wudn consent ; And— "Oh, 1 (ant! O Jack, I can't!" And the cruel it was of him to persist^ ' Hindrance (something that caught the net). THE MANX WITCH 141 And shiver, and hide her head in his breast. And never no forrader, and Har^j, The dooiney-molla ? Of coorse, to marry. And to marry at once — " What capers ! blow it ! " Marry away ! hoto the deuce would she know it ? " Chance it ! " says Harry, " chance it ! "— " Take care," Says Nessy, "what you're talkin there ! This strong wutchin is hard to clane Urrov ^ things ; it gets in the grain, The very subjecs," lek no bleachin '11 fly ^ it. Nor nothin else won't purify it. It's all about in the fields and the bushes, You'd think you could see it among the rushes, Creepin, crawlin, like a blue mist, Like the breath of some spir't." And she took and kissed Poor Jack, that looked lek rather onaisy, I tell ye. But Harry jumped like crazy — "You're right," he says, "I'm feelin it . . . what? All round me," he says ; "it's could and it's hot. And it's stickin all over, like these webs," he says, " That's spun in the air ! I'll cut urrov this," Says Harry— I'll cut ... I will though!" and off, 1 Out of. - Substance. ^ Make it fly. 142 THE MANX WITCH That Nessy cudn help but laugh — Poor sowl ! But when the summer come round, And the apples in blossom, and all the ground Speckled with daisies, then Harry tried To get them to do the coortin outside. The way they were used. For the chap had a notion That the lovely smell, and the draught, and the motion Of the wind through the trees, and the sweet and the fresh, And the wholesome lek would unfasten the mesh Of this divil's net that their hearts was caught in. Ikit Nessy wudn ; she said — they ouglttn, Nor no pleasure nor nothin^ she said. Till thcyd kinnci at laste was site live or dead — This Banks. Belirc'in in unitches still? Of coorse ! of coorse ! dear me ! they will — The women— and /ne ? Vcs me, and you, For the matter of that. So dunl give st/ioo ^ Quite so hasty. T/ie Pazon — you're sayin ? Fuss-rate ! fuss-rate ! But you know what I mane — The Pazon was arguin capital — Arguin — but that's not all, * Chase, find fault. THE MANX WITCH 143 Isn arguin — it grips The head of a fellow ; but what is it rips Your very sowl ? What is it gives way Inside ye, sinks ye, scuttles ye. Falls urrov ye like a false bottom ? That's the thing ! ye fancy ye got him. Because he don't answer ye ! answer your granny ! Isn it natur that's in ? how can he Go agin her ? Take pitchforks to her, You'll never put her to the door — Never ! natur ! bred in the blood ! Well, it's not natheral ye cud. Two years went on, and not a word About this Mrs. Banks was heard At the Ballaquine, nor anywhere else, Not a word : and boys and gels Was pairin off, and weddins goin ; But Jack and Nessy wasn showin No signs at all. But lizzen, my men ! I tould ye about the Dragon's Den, That was high up on the mountain side ; And the ould shaft, that was op'nin wide 144 THE MANX WITCH At the foot of the slock ^ — and gave ui) workin I don't know the years. ^Vell now then herkin ! The Directors tuk a notion they'd try This shaft again : and Captain Spry Agate o' the search ; and tuk a gang, And Jack was one, and I'll be hang If they didn take Job to help to carry Their tools, or the lek o' yandhar. And Harry — Harry was there. And Job was lottin Down with a roix-, for the way he'd be gettin Some candles lit on the first level, For to light them, ye know. And a bank of gravel, And then the shaft went farther down. So Job was gropin, and got his ground. And lit a candle. And they heard a cry Most terrible they did. And Spry Gave orders at once for Jack to be lowrt Down to the level, and jii^i u> ixpori What was the matter. And so he done — And what — aw, what did he find but the son And the mother? .And J(jb had fainted dead — Poor thing ! and there he was laiti By the side of the bones and the skull. For ye sec ' Holluw. THE MANX WITCH 145 He knew her by the clothes — machree ! ^ Machree ! machree ! And in her hand She was claspin an 'arb — I don't understand Azackly what ; but I'm tould it's knowin For the used at " tHese wutches, and hardly growin Anywhere but round this shaft. And that's the way, lek foUerin her craft, She must have gone prowlin up yandhar place, And missed her footin — and God's grace Is for all, for all ! But the 'arb had struck A root in the gravel, and her hand was stuck To the soil ; and they had to tear it out — Just fancy what a place to sprout ! ^ But these dirts ... but lave it. And Jack, though, Jack- He sent Job up first : and then a sack Was low'rt to him ; and every pin of her. And clout, and whatever there was in ^ of her, It was Jack, I tell ye, that gathered them all. And made the signal for the men to haul ; And come up last himself, as game, And divil a word ; but his face all aflame With the joy, you'd think. For he knew what 'd happen ^ My heart. - As being used by. •* In is superfluous L 146 THE MANX WITCH Soon enough now. But when the ould cap'n Said, " Jack, my lad, that's a good job for you — You'd better go tell it to Nessy Brew " — Aw, bless ye ! that was too much for him — what ? It floored him just the same he'd been shot. And he fell like a corp. Then the men stood round, And never a sound, never a sound ! Till Jack come to in the teems of tears And sobs. And bless my sowl then ! wheer's 'J'he man cud ha' stood it ? 1 know I cudn — Joy ? — it was joy : i)ut tuk that sudden And well, well, well — they formed in a line, And they carried her to the Ballacjuine In puffeck silence — the wutch was dead ; They knew what they had, they knew what they had. Ne.xt day the bell was toullin for her ; And maybe it oughtn ; but sorrer is sorrer After all ; and (iod is a (lod Of mercy — yes ! I broke a sod Of her grave myself; and the woman was buried — The lightest coffin ever I carried. And the Pazon read the sarvicc — yis ! THE MANX WITCH 147 And — "Our dear sister," what's this it is? Aye, . . . and the ..." sure and sartin hope " — Well, I won't say nothin — God gives the scope. Not man ; it's Him that slacks to us, And rides us aisy — and well He does. Anyway we buried the woman. And the wutchin with her. So now what's comin ? Comin ? What ? Why Jack of coorse, And Nessy — aw, as sure as sure's. Happy, I tell ye, sartinly ! And me to church with them, it's aisy to see. And nice she looked, and nice she was — And summer for winter, and heat for frost ; And the dooiney-molla all in his glory ; And the club bruck up, and the end of the story — Jack Pentreath — you'll remember him — And Nessy Brew — Just douse that glim ! THE INDIAMAN Aye ! exactly — that's the name — Fanny Graeme, Fanny Graeme — Come aboord in the Prince's dock — Loadin theer — and caught her frock In the gang^vay — the crooky it was put — And a sHp and a skip, and a twist of her foot, And fell in his arms— IF/icse arms? you shoutii ? That shows you don't know much about it — Who and what, and where and when — Avast these quashtins ! ^ Peter's then — Peter's arms — that's Peter Young, Peter the i)rintice, Peter the Tongue — That's what we called him, bein despard slippy, And quick as light, and droppy and drippy With the honey feathered on its pint, ' (Questions. THE INDIAMAN 149 And the curl, and the cHck, and the swingin jint — Thriddle-thraddle ; beef or pork, You couldn touch him with the talk. Had to hommer him — that was all, Hommer him — and then to fall Right in his arms, lek aboord a wreck, And his arms round her waist, and her arms round his neck, Houldin on most terble though : And me to take her very slow, As dignified as dignified. And studdy her agin ^ the side — And — Was she Inert? and as red as a buckie,^ And tould that chap to cut his lucky — Unknownst, of coorse — just whisp'rin theer, Like redhot sarpints in his ear. So the divil cut, but gave a look, Aw my gough ! like print in a book — This Peter — like print, havin tongues in his eyes. And everywheer, lerr ^ alone the size, ^ Steady her against. . ^ jjip, berry of the dog-rose. * Let. ISO THE INDIAMAN And the light that was at them ' — aw, by jingers ! These deaf-and-dumb chaps, with their fingers — Aw bless ye ! they might ha' gone to school to him- Tallagraphs was only a fool to him. Now what could you do with this divil's kin ? Hommerin, just hommerin. So I took the lady to her cabin, And he turned, and another look like stabbin. For me, you know ; so took and went, And gave it him immadient — Aw, wanted it bad ! And — wJio 7vas he To be buckin up to the ijuality — A pup like him — and this and that — Oh ! he was on me like a cat — And — Who %vas he .' and he'd have me to knoiv — And — a gentleman s son — " Woho ! woho ! " I says, " My lad ; is it tongue that's in ?" And when I begun I did begin — Hommerin ? yes, hommerin. liui the deed was done, whichever way, ' Which they had. THE INDIAMAN 151 Couldn ha' been done-er eh ? Comedher ? ^ bless ye ! him or her — Couldn ha' been comedherer ! A chance, a glance, a touch, a breath, And there you're lovin unto death — Strange ! and others — I'll defy them ! Do what you like with them, splice them, tie them — Every knot, and Pazon and Clerk, And all the boults in Noah's ark — Bless your sowl ! just differin total — Lek it's often with things that's poured in a bottle — Shake them, shake them the vicious you can ! You'll navar mix them — will ye, Dan ? Just so with pessins — for all your bother, They'll navar be nothin to one another. That's the way ; and listen to me — Before the pilot left — d'ye see ? T/iaf soon, bedad ! they'd got to talkin — The cheek of the chap ! and her too — shockin ! Shockin And still it wasn bould, Nor imprint, no, upon my sowl ! ^ Charm, spell. 152 THE INDIAMAN An innocenter thing you navar, But lively. And so, goin down the river, The pilot seen ; and, just he was steppin Over the rail, he turns to the Cap'n, And a cough, and a wink like squoze through a eyelet — " Mind your printice ! " says the pilot. " Mind your printice ! " Aw, I got a view of them. If the Captain didn ; and, l)chould yc ! the two of them. Him in the mizen shrouds, and her In the starboard quarter-gallery there — And her lookin sorrowful, and him lookin sorrowful, And her lookin plaiscd, and him lookin plaised. Till I tell ye then I was nearly crazed ; And hailed him, and down with him quick enough, And run him forrard hy the scrufT — Aw the sorrowful ! the forsokcn ! Just lek you'd think their hearts was broken — And then the smilin that 'd be goin — Aw dear ! the way.s — you're navar knowin — IJothcrin one another — what ? Aw botherin, taczin, all-to-that ' ' Ktc. THE INDIAMAN 153 And still no harm — aw, I wouldn say't, Nor I wouldn think it — wait then, wait ! Imps of things ! But raison is raison. And cautious of coorse is allis in saison. Cautmis — that was the Skipper's word. And had me in his cabin, and heard All I had to say ; and says he, "Mr. Baynes," he says, "you'll see To this," he says, " Mr. Baynes," he says, " And you'll be cautious, cautious — yes. Very cautious," he says ; " take pains," He says, "and be cautious, Mr. Baynes — I'm trustin altogether to you. Quarter-master," he says ; "the crew Is excellent," he says — ^ "ahem— — But of coorse my ofificers is them I'm bound to trust, and allis will." Aw, bless your sowl ! the 'spectable, Them times — what me ! yes, me, bedad ! And rather a fatherly way I had, Fatherly — just so, just so — Fatherly uncommon though. 154 THE INDIAMAN The fatherly you wouldn think ; And tuk a notion, and gave up the drink — My goodness ! the clear my head was then — Head and heart and all, my men — Clear as a bell — as a bell though, yis — Bless my sovvl ! the nice it is ! Clear — that's it, lek clear in the head — And fatherly, fatherly, was it I said ? Fatherly — I'll tell ye what, I belave there's hapes of chaps like that — Navar had a chick or a chile. Nor the name of it ; and all the while They've got the father in them that strong That they crave and crave, and they long and they long, And they're tuk with it that terrible That they'll have it some way — aye, they will — And anytliing young that's comin near them They're just for worshippin — navar fear them ! Who makes it work in them like leaven ? Isn't it God, our Father in heaven ? Oh yes it is — it's Him, I cxpcck — I was allis tcrble fond of the Ick. THE INDIAMAN I55 But still, a father, I don't care who. Should have the 'torrity ^ with him too, The 'torrity, for all the kind, And the touch-me-not, and the draw-the-line. And "aisy-all ! " and give them slaps. And hould them in, and his heart perhaps Just meltin in his body hke dips For the way he's feelin for these rips — But still, of coorse, as firm and stately — Aw, that's where I was bet complately — Bet, I tell ye, yes, yes, yes — I was too soft. " Be cautious ! " he says ; And cautious I was ; but I couldn be rocks. And I couldn be ropes, and I couldn be locks, And keys, and patent-safeties — what ? And boults, and bars — And her to get The fond of me, whatavar made her — Aw the little desperader ! Well, ye know, this is the way it began — Did ye ever see an Indiaman ? One of the reggilar ould model, 1 Authority. 156 THE INDIAMAN Diddle-daddle, all a-straddle, Like a turkey-cock. They're much more simple Is big ships now : but Solomon's temple, With carvin and gildin, and goodness knows ! Knobs and bobs, and Jachin and Boze, Wasn nothin to yandhar craft ; With a Tower-o'-Babcl risin aft, And windhers like a 'sarvatory. And galleries there, just story on story, Like summer-houses goin a-cockin — Aw, most horrible ! most shockin ! No room to work, and still a waist Like a haggard, or a market-place, Or a church — and doors and doors, treminjis ! And allis comin off the hinges. So there ye are ! and gettin together, And hidin, bless ye ! just consedher — And so many places where they cud be — How could I guess the place they 7imd be ? And when I'd catch them, there'd be the one Lookin out at the horizon As straight and as studdy as a beadle. THE INDIAMAN 157 And the other workin away with her needle — Very silent — Fanny Graeme — Aw that's the name though, that's the name — A Colonel's daughter, the Captain stated, And sent to England to be eddicated. And just left school, and her uncle put her Aboord with us, bein bound for Calcutta, And the father " a terble swell out there," Says the Captain, " it's very particular," Knd^^or me to mind my fs and qs well, And — much more cautiouser till usual — That was the Captain : and so I did. But then these things and the way they were hid. One evenin I caught them under the lee Of the long-boat there — the 'dacity ! Quiet enough, and very proper In regard of their conduck and that ; but a stopper Had to be put ; so I signed him to me, And made him go forrard straight, and, blow me ! If I didn tan him that time well — " I suppose you think that that's a gel ? " 158 THE INDIAMAN Says I ; " may I make so bould as inform ye That that's a lady ? Don't let me alarm ye ! But drop this game," I says, " young porpus, Or I'll lay ye at my feet a corpus — A corpus." And then we'd rather a slick Of roughish water, and I thought she'd be sick, And that 'd be takin the nonsense out of her ; But divil-a-bit ! and the saucy pout of her. And the hair in the wind all Oyin away. And the face all drippin with the spray, And skippin and trippin, and houldin on, And many a time I thought she was gone ; And the joy of the craythur — tumble and toss. And as fresh as a mackarel, that's what she was. Aye, and of coorse, you'll see the excuse This Peter would have for his parley-voos Them times — for she'd come like a bullet at him, And he had to catch her, and I had to let him — And then the slow to cast her adrift, And the look like some of her was left In his arms — the divil ! and squeezin there Agin his breast. So everywhere, THE INDIAMAN 159 Blow high, blow low, come smooth or rough, I'll tell ye what, it was hard enough For the lot of us to keep them sundered, Let alone one ; for I sometimes wondered The Captain didn't interfere ; But I fancy he didn seem to see her Agate of her games ; and, if he did. The terble confidence he had In me, ye know ; and hardly his place To be watchin, and prowlin, and givin chase To the leks of these two, that was know'n, no doubt. When he was likely to be about. And could aisy dodge him. But me, you know, Watch on deck, or watch below, It's just one watch I had to keep, Allis at it, and navar no sleep — Aw bless ye ! navar no sleep at me. With the freckened, and the 'ziety.^ So when we come to the doldhrums, a-lyin Like a log on the sea, and the paints a-fryin. And every sowl aboord just done ^ From being so frightened and anxious. i6o THE INDIAMAN With the stupid they felt, and the power of the sun — Lo and behould ! these two was as spruce As ever — aw well ! it isn no use — Love it was, I'm parfact willin — Where won't he go, the little villain ! Hot or could — a despard rambler — Coast o' Guinea, Novar Zamhlar — " Greenland's icy mountains " — the limb ! " India's coral strand," says the hymn ; Over the hill, and over the hollow. Like a honey-bee, like a swift, like a swallow. With the strength and the fire of the sowl that's in him, Love goes, and will go — who's to pin him ? Now rael wholesome lo»-e, my men. Will allis have in me a friend — Love that is love — you'll aisy know 't — Yes, I'm very partial to 't — Very — it's gettin over me ; I can't rersist it, don't ye sec ? Can't rersist it, or not much, Allis takin the part of surh. Aw well, I tell ye, it's suri)risin. THE INDIAMAN i6i I was allis that way, " semperthizin," Says a schullar once I was spinnin this twist to 'm^ And had as much grog as was good for his system — Semperthizm, that's the plan — Semperthizin, says yandhar man. So maybe that's the raison he had The worst Hckin of all, but the last, poor lad ! The sun was just down, and a taste of cool In the air, and the sea was all like gool : And there I found them sittin aback Of the cabin companion, and readin a trac', Or somethin that way. Aw dear ! I was furious, Urrov my senses mostly,^ the curious It was — for I stood, and I made her rise, And go, and she went, and the tears in my eyes, And the click on my heart, and the swim in my brain, And to force myself against the grain. And couldn ha' done it, slow or swivel,^ If I hadn done it like the divil. You see, I had to do my duty, ^ Almost out of my senses. - Swiftly. M l62 THE INDIAMAX And, for want of a spur, I got hould of the beauty Of the chap, for somethin to keep my hard, And intarmint,^ you know, that I would regard For nothin, I^ut welt him, and her navar know'n What was uj), but just to be go'n To her cabin — And " Is it your beauty, my son?" I says ; " well 111 spile it — that's aisy done — I'll spile it," I says, " I'll spile it ! here goes ! " And I blackened his eyes, and I flattened his nose, And I mauled him over, every scrap, Till his mother wouldn ha' known the chap — Aw boosely, boosely ! "" and navar a word Urrov his mouth — the pluck, good lord I That is the pluck—/)/;/ /le stri/cc mc ? No ! Couldn I /// a vice? just so ! In a vice. Then I loosed him, and then a dart Went through me, and I caught him to my heart, And cried and cried— You'd ha' thought I was drunk — And went and ])Ut him in his l)unk. And coaxed him, and nussed him, and washed him there, And made him rather comfibler. ' Determine."!. - Hcaslly, brutally. THE I ND I AM AN 163 Then the fo'c's'le had a meetin, To see what they'd do, the way I was beatin Peter ; and wtmldn stand it^ they said. And I went to the meetin, and hung my head Like a dog, I did. And they grumbled a dale — Special a chap called Billy Sayle — But I knew Billy, but howavar. There's people thinks themselves that clavar — So I said — " Look here ! it's quite correc'. It's only just what I ought to expec'," I says ; " but still you know nothin about it At all," I says ; " so you needn doubt it — Nothin, no more till brute bases. And circumstances alters cases." O yes ! they know'd it all t/ie same, Says one of the chaps — Aliss Whaf s-her-name Had fell iti love with Peter, and he Had fell in love with he?; d'ye see ? And if a gel, tw matter the luho, Was fell in love, whafs that to you? That's for her lover, isn iti For him of coorse ! And for me to sit l64 THE IXDIAMAX On the felhnu like that — // "wasii raison, No, it 7i>asn ; and talkin amazin — Talkin, talkin. " You needn enlarge On the subjec',' I says : " I takes full charge Of the case," I says ; " it's all right ! Yes," I says, " I've got a light About it now," I says ; "and Peter '11 know my niaenin sooner or later : And — silence ! my men, now silence ! I say ; You'll find that's the bettcrmost way : I had my orders, you know where from." Then says Peter — "Go it, Tom ! " So of coorse, you see, 1 had to do it. Some way or other to see them through it. Aw, but I spoke most sirrious ' To Peter — aye, the very fuss - I had him by himself; and I found The lad was sirrious and sound, Sirrious, and sound, and gud — Aw the racl blood ! the rael blood ! No use o' talkin. So I swore to him solium, ' Seriously. - First (time). THE INDIAMAN 165 On the Bible, of coorse, on the sacred vollum — I swore if they'd only be true to each other, And good and that, it's father and mother And sister and brother they'd find in me — But " Be cautious ! " I says, " whatever there'll be— Be cautious ! and mind the young you are — And Miss Graeme, of coorse, '11 be meetin her par All right, and then you'll be tellin him all — But cautious ! cautious ! that's the call." And now for sure ^ I had the trouble. Double, of coorse — it had to be double — Them two to look after lek shuperintandin. Like a father, you know, lek for me to be standin Betwix them and the Skipper, that he wouldn be knowin About this coortin that was goin. ^ Aye, and I had a talk with the two About it, you know, and what to do, And the time and the place ; and me to be there Allis — aw certainly — only fair ! But needn be lookin — at least I could, ^ Indeed. i66 THE IXDIAMAN If I liked : and the book — that was understood- Navar without the book, no, no ! And readin nice and proper though — And settled it with them, and Peter chatifin, And Miss Fanny fit to die with laughin : But I was dreadful sirrious : And so, when all was agreed, she bust A-cryin ; and jjurly it was to see her ; And she called me a darlin, and an ould dear — Ould I wasn, not to say — But still, my goodness ! that's their way. Well, the hook was got, the IJible it was, My Bible, a splendid Bible, and lost Betwix them someway ; and tex' for tex'. And clear as a whistle, and all as correck's ' A Sunday school. But then they begun To change the vesses- astonishun — Aw bless ye ! pretendin to read their parts out, .And talkin ! talkin their very hearts out ; .\nd the eye on the book as stiff as stay.s. But coortin reg'lar, and coorted their ways ' Correct as. '•' Verses. THE INDIAMAN 167 Through Genesis and Exodus. And then I gave a bit of a cuss, And I says — "You'd better be havin a hymn Now," I says : but just the same — SHppin in a word on the sly, Or puttin meanins — navar say die ! And me goin on — but couldn stop it. And apt to be noticed, and had to drop it. One day I heard a kiss, and I turned. And looked at them straight, and their faces burned With the shame ; and I said — " Just overhaul The articles," I says, " that's all — The whole of them — first and second lesson — Do ! Now was there a word about kissin ? Now then ? now ? Don't interrup' ! I think I'll have to give it up — To give the whole thing up ; I'd ax What else can I do ? " So Miss Fanny made tracks, But very slow and dignified, Rather touchy— of coorse, the pride — Aw pride enough — but navar mind ! But Peter was mad ; and he stayed behind. i68 THE IXDIAMAN And had it out with nic there and then — Aw terble mad he was, to begin — And \{ /le was mad, then so was /, You may depend ; and words got high ; And he called me this, and he called me that, And he called me an ould tom-cat — And — ///>' /war/ 7c>as hard, and — / dhin kno7i.< how To behave to a hidy, no more tUl a cow ; And I hadn no manners, and I hadn no fee/ins. And on and on, like priddha ^ peclins. But at last I gripped him ; and then we agreed To 'llowance the kisses, and navar exceed One a sittin ; and me to he i)resent. But not to be lookin — aw bless ye ! the pleasant He got, and the cjuite ;-' and says he, "What fun I You're a brick," he says. lUii bless ye I the one Was made into two, and three, and four. And half a dozen, and half a score — Till the tally ^ got mixed lek in general, And our 'llowancin didn answer at all — Aw bless ye ! just like bread-and-butter. ' Potato. * Quiet. ^ Reckoning. THE INDIAMAN 169 Glad I was when we got to Calcutta — And the Colonel and the carriage and pair, And coachman and footman, all of them there ; And didn know the daughter at all — No, but had to be wh-d'ye-call Inthrerjuced ? aye, inthrerjuced. Poor sowl ! — aw dear ! and her eyes all sluiced With the tears ; and glad enough of the father, But still of coorse, and 'd obvious rather 'a stayed with us and — Peter when Was she avar goin to see him again ? And him at the gangway like aside of a grave She was lowrin into ; and then she gave A look at him, that you'd have thought All heaven and earth was took and brought In the one bright flash of love and longing And forget-me-not, and the people thronging. And all the row, and all the bother — That's the last they seen of each other. Well now, I wouldn trust ^ it 'd be runnin In the teens of years, I was comin to Lunnon ' I almost think. I70 THE INDIAMAN Once from Liverpool, to join a ship, And, just gettin out o' the train, trip-trip — And a voice behind me I thought I knew — "Mr. Baynes, is that you?" I turned, and, behould ye ! there was the woman, No mistake, but grew uncommon — Splendid she was — " Miss Fanny Clraeme," I says, "your sarvint is it a dhrame?" I says; says she — "Just hould your tongue ! You're speakin to Mrs. Peter Young ; And here's my eldest son," says she — And as fine a l)oy as ever you'd see — "So you married him?" and she nodded her head- " Yes of course."—" Aw dear ! " I said. THE CHRISTENING HouLD him up ! Hould him up ! Joy ! joy ! Hould him up ! hould him up ! Is that the boy ? Hould him up ! Stand out of the way, women, Stand out of the way ! Here, Misthress Shimmin ! Here, I say ! Here ! here ! Aw dear ! Is this him ? Every limb Taut and trim — 172 THE CHRISTENING Here's a hull ! Here's a breast — Like a bull I He's got my finger in his fess ^ He hess ! - he hess ! Look at the grip ! Is that a smile upon his lip ? He can't do that ! What ! what ! Smile ! My gough ! what a chile ! Feci the gristle ! Feel it though ! Stop ! ril whistle— Whew ! bo ! A\'hat's he doin ? Is it cooin You call it when he goes like yandhar ? See his eyes the way they wandher ! Hullo! hullo! ' Kist. 2 Has. THE CHRISTENING 173 Where '11 you go ? where '11 you go ? Keep her so ! There's a look ! There's another ! The little rook ! What's he wantin With this gallivantin ? Ah ! the mother ! ah ! the mother ! Yiss ! yiss ! muss hev a kiss ! Aw Kitty, Kitty bogh ^ ! Aw my gough ! Kitty darlin ! Kitty then ! And me so far away ! The hard it muss ha' ben ! - Were you freckened,^ Kitty, eh ? Navar mind ! Here I am ! As consigned ! And, axin your pardon, Misthress Shimmin, ma'am. Here's the joy ! ^ Poor. ^ iMust have been. ^ Frightened. 174 THE CHRISTENING Here's our boy, Kitty ! Here's our l)oy ! Listen ! I'll tell you a thing — By jing ! I've calkcrlated it to a dot, But whether or not — The very night Kitty was tuk — Just three days. If you plaze, Out of Dantzic, there was a sea struck — Jemmy '11 remember — Ever)- timber Shuck ! Close-hauled, you know, and I navar touid ye. But behould ye ! In the trough there, rowlin in it, Just that minute — I saw a baby, as plain, Passin by on a slant of rain To leeward, and his little shiff ' Streamin away in the long gray driff. ' Shift. THE CHRISTENING i75 I saw him there — you didn regard ^ me — But his face was toward me — Oughtn't I to know him ? Well, I saw him afore Kitty saw him ! I saw him, and there he ess,^ There upon his mother's breast. The very same, I'll assure ye ; And I think that'll floor ye ! And his body all in a blaze of light — A dirty night ! " Where was he goin ? " Who's knowin ? He was in a hurry in any case. And the Baltic is a lonesome place — But here he is, all right ! Here he is now ! joy ! joy ! God bless the boy ! Have you tould the Pazon ? what did he say ? Has he seen him — ould Pazon Gale ? Aw you tould the Pazon anyway ! Tould ! he'll turn the scale 1 See. - Is. 176 THE CHRISTENING At thirty pound, I'll be bound. Did you put it in the papers ? No, no ! What capers ! No, no ! Splendid though ! Upon my life — Catharine, "wife Of Moufiseer Eddard Creer, Es(/ueer, Ot/itnc'ise dadaa, Of a son and hecr ! Hip-hip-hip-hii), hooraa I Bless my sowl ! am I draemin ? He'll make a seaman \<\\\ yandhar lad — Aw the glad ! Yiss ! yiss ! Misthress Shimmin, certainly ! (io down to the smack, Jemmy, and see — Yiss! Misthrcss Shimniin THE CHRISTENING 177 And all the rest of the women — • 'Scuse me, ladies ! rather 'cited — Just the delighted, you know, the delighted ! And every raison to suppose (See him cockin his nose !) That the best of care And ceterar r II get that with Misthress Shimmin — did ye say ? Eh? Go, Jemmy, they're lyin quite handy, A bottle of rum and another of brandy, In the starboard locker theer — And, Jemmy ! there's a taste of gin — Aw navar fear ! Tell the chaps to finish it — All the kit— And listen — tell ould Harper We'll take and warp her Inside On the morning's tide — About hafe-past four '11 be time to begin — My gough ! but we'll have a chrizzenin ! N PEGGY'S WEDDING " Is that you, Peggy ? my goodness me ! And so dark still I can hardly sec ! W^ait, woman, wait ! I'll come down ; ye needn go on hommerin at such a rate. Here's the master snorin Like a mill, and you to be breakin the door in — It's just disthractin, that's what it is — Aisy, woman ! yis ! yis ! — There's people '11 snore — where's that perricut ? There's people '11 hommer — my gough ! that slut ! I'm comin ! I'm comin ! God bless the woman ! I navar heard such a row " Aw dear ! aw dear ! aw the craythur ! aw poor Peggy, what's the matter with you now ? Come in ! come in ! the sowl ! the sowl ! PEGGY'S WEDDING 179 What is it, Peggy, what? and where have you left Dan Cowle? Is he outside in the street ? — well, where is he then ? Did you call at the halfway-house ? did he get — aw bless these men ! Did he fall on the road ? No, ye say, no ? Well then where did he go ? Is he lyin in the ditch ? Did he lave you, or did you lave him — which ? You left him ? So I suppose it's not a man you're wantin at all, but a cherubim ? Aye ! aye ! Middlin high-! " And you that were married only yesterday, and the weddin out of this house — To be comin home in the mornin all ragg'd and rumpled like a reg'lar trouse ^ — Peggy, Peggy ! Yoiid like to blow the fire, Just to feel YouWe at home again — eh, Peggy? Don't kneel! don't kneel! Don't be foolish, Peggy. There ! take the bellows. And blow away ! ' Slattern. I So PEGGVS WEDDING And we'll have a cup o' tay, And then you'll tell us. Why— Dan Cowle ! Uan Ballabroo ! A dacent man, and well-to-do ! Dan ! Dan Cowle ! dear heart ! And the beautiful ye went away in the cart ! And you've tuk and left him ! left Dan ! Left the man ! " " Man ! did ye say ? aw Misthriss, Misthriss ! what are ye talk in ? Man ! do ye call that craythur a man, because he's a thing that's walk in On two legs, and a tongue in his head ? a beautiful surt ' Of a man — you call him a man, I call him a dirt ! That's what I call him — a dirt, and a sneak, and a dunkey — Man ! if that chap's a man, he's a cross twix a man and a monkey ! And a touch of a divil, and a touch of a fool — Listen, Misthriss, listen ! We warn half-way up Harrule, When I thought he'd ha' stayed a bit — and only raisonablc he shud — > Son. PEGGY'S WEDDING i8i At Kinvigs's — bein a thing lek that's general understood — ^\Tiat's halfway-houses for, I'd like to know- Just so ! You wouldn be agen ^ that ? What ? " Certainly ! and company waitin — and just a drop to warm a body — And dear me ! what is there in half a glass of rum, or a whole glass, for the matter of that, to harm a body ? And well you know it isn the dhrink I regard — Well you know that— but still a body's hardly prepar'd To pass the only public-house on the road drivin home on your weddin night — It isn right, Nor correck, nor friendly, nor in any surt of a concatenation Lek accordin to your station — And disappintin people that way, when they're trustin Your proper feelins, is quite disgustin. " So I lays my hand on his arm, just by way of signifyin — Nothin more — and behould ye ! he cocks hisself up as stiff and as dignifyin, ^ Against. 1 82 PEGGY'S WEDDING And rip ! and rup ! and chip ! and chup ! And ' There's nobody up,' he says : noliody up ! And glasses jinglin, and windows blazin, And people comin out, and shoutin amazin To stop — but no ! but sticks his elbers like skewers in a body — ' \Vhat ! ' I says, ' not a glass of toddy ? Just for neighbourly dacency?' ' It's surprisin how early they're goin to bed,' says he. ' Goin to bed ! ' says I. ' Yes,' he says — niiddlin snarly — ' Kinvigs's was allis early,' he says, 'partic'lar early ' — And his ould hoss gallopin, and hcisin his hindquarters, and work in Like a see-saw, and Ijunipin and jerkin. And sent me flyin, with my head in tlie bottom of the cart, and my feet in the air, And the rest of me — anywhere. " So he puts out his hand — ' Bless my sowl ! ' he says, ' I thought it was gone I ' ' What ? ' says I. ' The box,' he says, maenin my box, and my wcddin bonnet Smashed to jammy ' 1 wish you'd sit upon it,' PEGGY'S WEDDING 183 He says — the box, of coorse. So I thought I'd be a little lovin And that — and I comes up lek gradjal, lek shiftin and shovin Lek agen him in a way. And I says, ' I'd like to be with you,' says I, ' My own husband,' I says ; for I thought it better to try Was there just a taste Of anything of a husband in him : so he put his arm round my waist — Not round either — for he couldn do that — Not for the stout I am, bein allis a gintale figger, but just like a lath, Flat Agen the back o' my stays, and not the smallest curl Or squeeze in the ould pump-handle, not the smallest in the worl' — " And his eyes on the box — and ' There it's goin ! ' He says, and waein and woin — And as restless. And then we got on the mountain ; and the ling Was smellin very sweet in the dark, and a stream began ting-ting-ting i84 PEGGY'S WEDDING Down the other way— very pleasant, and it got couldher, And I thought it was only a 'spectable thing to put my head on his shouldhcr. " Oh dear ! he got as crabbit As an ould buck rabbit ; And he hitched and he hunched, and he cribbed and he crunched, Till he was all bunched In a lump ; and anyway his blades that sharp And snaggy you might as well ha' leaned your head on the backbone of a carp. " So I didn care, and I sat up as straight And as indcpandin. It was gettin late When we come to his house ; and there was a falla theer standin on the look-out On the very top of the midden, and jumps down, and grips the boss, and gives a big shout, And ' Look here ! ' he says, ' who's goin to pay mc ? ' ' Pay ! ' Thinks I — and this ould fool goin seerchin away In all his pockets— and gev a start, PEGGY'S WEDDING 185 And ' Bless my heart ! ' He says, 'hev I lost it? hev I lost it?' and twisses and wriggles Hisself into knots— and the other chap stands and sniggles— A young chap — And ' Dear me ! ' says Dan, ' it must ha' dropt out on the road comin — It's very disthressin,' he says. ' Faith then ! you're a rummin,' Says the chap, and like to buss ^ — ' What's the use o' talkin ? ' says Dan Cowle, ' I've lost my puss. Where's your puss, Peggy? maybe,' he says, 'you'll not mind Payin the man,' he says — ' if you'll be so kind,' He says — but oh ! that creepin, and that sneakin, and that slewin and that screwin, Like a conger just. And ' What's a doin ? ' Says I ; ' isn it your own cart you got ? ' 'Well no it's not,' He says, ' I must confess — The fact of the matter is,' he says, ' My own cart is bruk very bad, 1 Burst. i86 PEGGY'S WEDDING And I borrowed this one for the occasion.' So I paid the lad. " 'Aye, aye ! his cart is bruk very bad,' says the chap, ' Likewise his trap. And the phaeton, and the barooch, and the jantin-car, and the family coach-and-four ' — And he gcv a roor Out of hisself, this young divil — And ' Hurrah for the weddiners ! ' he says. ' Be civil ! be civil ! ' Says Dan, ' be civil, young man, it would well become ye ' — But says I — ' Take your money and your cart,' I says, ' and be off with ye, ye scum ye ! Be off ! ' 1 says, ' stir your stumps ! ' (These Fo.xdale lumps ' Is pirriful."") And Dan with the box on the street, and pokin The key in the door — and, you know, I seen the chimbley wasn smokin Nor nothin — nor no cowhouse about that I could see, Nor no garden, nor a bush, let alone a tree — But just a crock ' Lads. ■' ritiful, tlctcslahlc. PEGGY'S WEDDING 187 Standin on a rock, And water runnin in it very free At the gable, and slishin and slushin, and muckin the street Under one's feet. " And this is the man that tould me he'd make me So comfible ! But still You'll not mistake me, You know me, Misthriss, don't ye ? and you know I wouldn flinch, No, not even if I was deceived — no, not an inch ; On I'd go, through the smooth and the rough. Content enough — For richer for poorer, for better for wuss — Lost his p2css ! Had he ? lost two ! lost twenty ! Give me a man with a lovin heart, Misthriss, with a lovin heart — That's plenty- Plenty for me — navar mind the cart — With a lovin heart, and some wit about him — And I'd navar doubt him 1 88 PEGGY'S WEDDING Misthriss — no I for better for ivuss — Them's the words, and didn the Pazon say them ? And I'd nuss His childher, and I'd work, and I'd slave, and I'd die Before I'd be beat — and still a lie Is a dirty thing — fore or aft, As the sailors is sayin — But listen again — Misthriss ! Misthriss ! you don't know half "So we got in, however, and he groped about, and he found a flint-and-stecl, And he skinned his ould knuckles all like a priddha ' peel, Streck-strcckin away ; and, when he por" a ]i;j;ht at last, You navar seen such a rookery — a dresser there was — Yis — but hardly a jjlate or a bason, or any other surt o' war'. And a hape of mouldy turmits •' in a corner there — could, comfortless things they are — And a rot-hole,' or a shot-hole, I don't know which, and I don't care etha',^ And a barrel that looked Hkc male, with a Hag or a slate on tliL- top of it, and a mcdha," • (jot. •' Turnips. * l\at-hoIe. * Either. " Small, onc-handlcd tub. PEGGY'S WEDDING 189 And a pot, and nothin in it, and no fire, if there had been, and as for bed or beddin — Well, I dedn throuble, no, faith, I dedn. " It was a house that if you were inside you'd see about as much sky as roof, A surt o' mixthar o' the two, and a touch of harry-long- legses and spiders — aw, it's the troof ! ^ it's the troof, The troof I'm tellin ; and the scraas - hangin in rags and strings of dirt as black You couldn tell were they scraas, or strips tore from a rotten ould sack, Or nettin or somethin. And I can tell ye the chap begun, as a body might say. To look rather ashamed of hisself— I think so— in a way— Yis — he didn look at me for a bit at all. But cocked his face agen the wall. " And—' It's too late,' he says, ' it's too late for supper, I suppose ' — And ye might have sniffed and sniffed till ye straint your nose Afore you'd ha' got a smell of supper in yandhar place — 1 TnUh. * Strips of sod laid on the rafters under the thatch. I90 PEGGY'S WEDDING But he turned at last, and I saw his face — Workin, workin, workin most terrible, And screwin the eye, and workin still — And — ' Let's sit down a bit,' he says, and he studdied the candle, if ye plaze, and he looks up as innocent as a linnet, And he says, 'That's a nice puss you've got,' he says ; 'how much is there in it ?' And I tould him ^4 : i6s. and 2 id. farlin — So he says, ' That's a nice little bit o' money, my darlin — Let's see it,' he says. So I gev it to him, ye know ; .\nd he counted it out, I tell ye, every coin of it, very slow — Very slow he counted — and then — what d'ye think? Whips it in his pocket ! ' A nice lump of jink ! ' Says Dan ; and he snuggled up closer to me, and he began to fiddle and fiddle, Lek tryin to span me round the middle — Some surt o coorft'til thinks 1, /ic s iinproviti^ /doubt — The ould villyan ! he was just tryin to find out Had I any more stitched up in my stays ! And a man with such ways — PEGGY'S WEDDING 191 Would you call him a man ? now would ye, Misthriss ? would ye, though ? That was the fiddlin — aye ! he said it, he said it hisself, the ould crow ! Yis, and his dirty ould mouth all of a pucker, and grippin and nippin, And declarin he felt the shillins slippin Between the quiltins — aw dear ! aw dear ! But I was enough for him — navar fear ! "I says — ^'This is no place for me,' I says; and up I jumps — ' I'm off,' I says ; and he rattles his ould stumps — And — 'Off?' he says — 'why you've not opened your box yet ! ' ' Clear out o' the road ! ' I says. ' I hevn seen your frocks yet,' He says, ' nor the sheetin nor nothin ! — just give us that key — It's every bit my proppity ! ' he says. ' Out o' the way ! ' I says, and I gript the box. But if I gript it, he gript it, and he shouted and bawled, And backards and forrards we tugged and we hauled ; 192 PEGGY'S WEDDING And we staggered this way, and we staggered that way, And higgledy-piggledy, and I cannot tell what way — But I gev him a run in on the dresser, and his ould back bent, And down he went ! " And the crockery — what there was — all smashed — well to be sure ! And the turmits rowlin on the floor — So the box was mine, and I out on the door. ' Murdher ! tieves ! ' and he run after me full trot — ' You're a robber ! ' he says ; ' you've robbed me ! every- thing you got Belongs to me — I'll bring a shuit,' he says, 'I'll bring a shuit For damagers ! ' he says — the ould brute — ' I'll have your life 1 " he says, ' Ar'n you my wife ? ' he says — ' Murdher ! ' he says, ' murdher ! ' — ' Murdhcr — your granny,' I says — 'Good-bye, Dan Cowle ! good-bye, Danny !' And I left him standin in the road ; and here I am, as you see — And, Misthriss ! no more wcddins, aw good sakcs ! no more wcddins for me ! " MARY QUAYLE The Curate's Story We went to climb Barrule, Wind light, air cool — But when we reached the crest That fronts Cornaa, A black cloud leaned its breast Upon the bay — And, seeing from Ayre to Maughold Head The long wings spread Slumb'rous with brazen light, Swift dropping from the height We follow The crags that northward shoot, And find ourselves within the hollow Of Gob-ny-Scuit — o 194 MARY QUAYLE Spout-mouth — so named because It seems as if a giant's jaws Gaped wide — Ent'ring, we lay down side by side. Then Richard said — "This is the place — Long years have fled ; But still I see her face. Just here where you are she was — yes, just here — I had long thought she loved me ; but you know the fear- Had thought, — but now by what sweet word made bolder I cannot tell ; Only her dear head fell Upon my shoulder. And she looked up into my eyes — and this Was our first kiss." As Richard spoke, from out that awlul cloud The lightning leaped, and loud The i)oom Of the long thunder thrilled the deei)'ning gloom. Then Richard spoke again--" That very day MARY QUAYLE 195 Next year I came this way, But it was different : Yes, God had sent A trial that was hard to bear ; And so I went, And took my care Up to these hills. Alone, alone ! And knelt, and prayed to Him who bends our wills. And can subdue them to His own — " For Mary . . . Mary [Oh how the lightning flashed ! Oh how the thunder crashed !] Dic^ No, she did not die — I thought you knew — Sir, Mary was not true. . . . Yes, sir, I will be patient — you shall see — Patient — O certainly — Patient — God knows I am ; God knows I've need to be. " Mary was ruined, sir ; She bore a child that was not mine — Nay, do not stir — The lightning, is it ? Sir, we may resign 196 MARY QUAYLE UTiat's ours, if so we make it happier ; But oh ! to see it in the dust, Down-trodden, broken — Aye, and by one in whom you had full trust. Stained and defiled. This is the grief that never can be spoken — " This was my grief. The father of her child \Vas a young gentleman, who came to spend A summer in the Island. Truest friend He seemed to me — he had such hearty ways With men like us. It was his holidays At Oxford College — that's where scholars go To learn for clergymen — but, sir, you know — You were at Oxford^well, well, never mind — I loved the lad, so gentle and so kind He was ; and fond enough he seemed of me, And always wishing for my company. " So he and I were friends, and took delight In one another. Hadn't we the right ? And yet he never knew that Mary Quaylc Was anything to me. To hand the sail, MARY QUAYLE 197 To steer, to haul, he would himself devote ; We never talked of sweethearts in the boat. He wasn't much account when he began. But came to be a splendid fisherman — I taught him everything, except to swim — He beat me there ; and I was fond of him. " The days were short, the leaves were thin and brown, When Mr. Herbert Dynely left the town. I rowed him to the steamer : when we fetched, He jumped upon the paddle-box, and stretched His hand for mine, and would not let it go — ' God bless you, Dick ! ' he cried ; ' I hardly know If ever I shall see your face again.' And looked and looked. I thought the very strain Of truth was in his eye ; and so I yearned To him, and could not speak. But, if I'd turned, I might have seen a window where a face As white as death was glued against the glass — Long after, when the talk was everywhere. Some people told me who had seen her there. It was an early sailing, and the sun Shot in upon her, level like a gun — 198 MARY QUAYLE And they saw her — God in heaven ! (Forgiven ! yes, forgiven ! But saw her.) Stupid, half-naked, so they said, Sprung from her bed, Her breast All pressed, Crushed, murdered, on the sill, Like a woman that's not respectable. " No, I knew nothing all the time ; nor after, For many a week — I've sat with her, and chafTed her Because she was more silent than she used; And yet she never looked a bit confused, But sweet and gentle as a girl could be, So sweet and gentle still she was to me. Indeed, I think that she looked happier Than ever she had done — I saw in her A deeper joy ; so that our love would seem Sometimes a dream within another dream. " And so it was : and what the dreaming meant MARY QUAYLE 199 I had no thought, and I was quite content. I looked into her eyes, and saw as far As made me happy — that's the way we are — A swimmer tips the tangles, can he know The depth of water that there's down below ? I don't complain. I'm sure she loved me ; yes — The greater love had swallowed up the less. " But still she loved me. Ah, sir ! who was I ? A candle, when the sun is in the sky. Is hardly noticed — did the night, no doubt ; But now you even forget to put it out. He was that sun that rose in heav'n above, And burst upon her in a blaze of love. Poor candle ! steady, burning to the snuff — I know our love is only common stuff. It's faithful as the mothers were that bore us ; It's just the love our fathers loved before us. There's nothing fine about it, nothing grand. Like fruit or flower that comes from foreign land : A clover blossom where the bumbees cling, And suck — that's all ; you know the sort of thing. A blackbird to his mate pipes nothing strange. 200 MARY QUAYLE A sweet old tune, that has not any change. So we, when we have told our love, are fain To take a kiss, and tell it all again. But true it is, the love no power can sunder, The strongest love, is love whose root is wonder. " And Dyncly was a wonder over here. Especially with women — far or near You would not see his match — so generous And free, and then so different from us — His talk, his clothes, his way with every limb — Wc hadn't any chance at all with him. Ah, sir ! compared with such a common clod As me, this Dynely looked a perfect god — There's nothing like it since the world began, The beauty of a noble I'^nglishman. " And Dynely was no flirt, no butterfly, That's always on the wing : he didn't try To get the girls to gather all around him — But rather serious in his ways I found him. And when she came to know that she was dear To such a man, poor Mary had no fear, MARY QUAYLE 201 But only wonder : so that, when the crest Of that great wave of love rose to her breast, She floated off her feet, and drifted out Into love's deep-sea soundings : no faint doubt Was in her mind ; through all the depths she clung To that strong swimmer's arm ; and, as he flung Around her all the glory of his youth. He seemed to her the very soul of truth. " Ah, sir ! it was a way with perils fraught. If she had thought ; but love is not a thought. What thought she had was only that he'd take her To some bright land of joy, where he would make her His queen, his . . . God -knows -what . . . some fruitful land, Where happiness would grow at his command. Like grass in fields, and none their joys should sever. And all her soul be satisfied for ever. I see you understand — the reason why Is plain — ah, who was I, sir ? who was I ? " And yet . . . there's something bothering my brain- Just wait a bit — I'll make my meaning plain. 202 MARY QUAYLE You see, I've not the art you scholars learn To find the very word for every turn Of what you think, and feel within your heart, Immediately — ah, sir ! that is an art ! But this is it — you'll see it at a glance — The man that paints a picture has a chance To make it what he likes — he'll paint the trees, He'll paint a baby on its mother's knees. He paints the things that give him most delight. He paints the things he longs for in the night, And things that never were, and never could be. He paints them up to what he thinks they should be — What's this you call — imagination, ain't it ? Why, every yearning of his heart, he'll paint it. He'll paint the very life, and make it start out Straight in your face — the man can paint his heart out. He's safe enough ; and yet he needn't brag — It's all between him and a canvas rag. " And so you gentlemen that write the po'ms And stories, living in your pleasant homes — You're not content with just the things you sec Around you, common joy and misery. MARY OUAYLE 203 And life and death. You set yourselves to listen To all the hearts that beat ; all eyes that glisten, No matter where, you watch, you watch the faces ; You write as if you lived in fearful places. So that, at times, your best friends wouldn't swear You are the steady gentlemen you are. " All right ! all right again — no fear of you : But only tell me what are we to do ! We also have our dreams — be sure of that : We also long, we hardly know for what. God floods our hearts with all His melting snow, And there's no sluice to take the overflow. And so it often happens that the mill Is swept away, or broken. You have skill Of books and paints for what your mind contrives ; But we can only put it in our lives. There's many a poor man's daughter born with wings Inside, that fret upon her heart like stings. Till some one comes at last, and stands, and breathes Upon the wings. Then from their golden sheaths They flash into the light : with some of us It's very hard indeed ; it's dangerous. J04 MARY QUAVLE " But when poor Mary could not hide her shame, And had to speak, it was her mother came And told me all. At first, it hardened me — But, sir, it was a common misery — And who'd be more heart-broken than the mother ? And so we tried to comfort one another. The father was a fine old Methodist — They said, when he was told, he clenched his fist. And trembled like a leaf, and bowed his head : But. when he raised it up again, they said It was a sad, but still a lovely sight — The old man's face was full of heavenly light " Yes, real pious Methodists they were ; And that's what made it harder still to bear — Being so much looked up to in the place — It was a very terrible disgrace. But, Methodists or not, we know who sends The troubles ; and, except amongst our friends, That know us best, we have not much to say — We suffer, and are silent — that's our way. The women, too, with us, are very meek — Poor souls ! it isn't for revenge they seek. MARY QUAYLE 205 Or law, or money. Love is what they sought ; And, if that's gone, then all the world is nought. Revenge? That's not the port for \vhich they sailed — For love they ventured, and for love they failed : And so they'd like to die, if we would let them ; And all they ask is just that we'd forget them. " But, when her time was come, the mother sent For me, and so I forced myself, and went ; And stayed a while outside, and listened there, And heard the preacher putting up a prayer. And heard a long low moaning in the garret — You know what that was, sir — I could not bear it. And when I saw a woman coming out Upon the landing — well, I turned about, And started home. But, somewhere near the mill, I heard a step behind me — it was Phil, Her oldest brother — she had three — Fine fellows as could be, . . . And she . . . Was their joy and their pride . . . Any one of them would have died In a minute for her. . . . They loved to see her !o6 MARY QUAYLE So good, and so sweet ; And so she was, my darling, darling dear ! She was ! she was ! before this awful wreck — And Philip took me round the neck, And kissed me on the street, And off without a word ... Mary ! Mary ! I feel her in my arms . . . Her mouth warms . . . Yes then ! press then ! Where then ? There then ! Mary ! Mary ! . . . The very ground she trod . My God ! " [Oh liuw the lightning flashed ! Oh how the thunder crashed !] Richard fell back, and would have struck his head Against the rock ; but I my arms outspread, And caught him as he fell, lie could not speak, Scarce breathe. I raised him up, and stroked his check, And cherished him, till, from the viewless bourn Of death, the anguished spirit made return. MARY QUAYLE 207 Then Richard spoke — " I know that you must wonder How Mary's brothers could be patient under Such wrong, and such disgrace : perhaps you thought They'd kill the man ; perhaps you think they ought. Well — that is not our way. Moreover, sir. The lads were thinking not of him, but her. They hadn't backed him, and they hadn't crossed him ; They hadn't loved him, and they hadn't lost him. And now they could not hate him. He was just A reef that they had split upon ; a gust Of strong and terrible wind, that had capsized The ship in which they'd stored what most they prized — Or as the lightning there, that stoops, and kills, And passes — vanishing behind the hills — Who's angry with the lightning ? Even so They never talked of Dynely as a foe. Nor talked of him at all ; but gathered round Their sister in her sorrow — every sound And every sight they thought would aggravate Her trouble they would screen her from, and wait And watch like three big dogs, and keep a ring 2o8 MARY QUAYLE Of love and peace about her. Everything They could they did : and when they saw her tearful — Poor chaps ! they'd try to be a little cheerful : And, when they could do nothing else, they'd sit With her, and leave off talking for a bit, And be a comfort to her — three of a size, All pitying her with those big loving eyes. *' She was the loveliest thing they'd ever known : She was the youngest of them ; she had grown Among them like a flower among the corn — So, from the very minute she was born, They loved their little sister. And to them The flower that drooped, and faded on the stem. Was still their flower : the lightning-flash had scathed it. And scorched the tender leaves ; and so they bathed it With dews of love, and every sweet endeavour — She was as beautiful to them as ever. And twice more precious fur her sorrow's need — So God is gentle to the bruised reed. Besides, they hoped for sunshine by and by, If only they could coax her not to die. No score but Time will wipe it with his sponge — MARY QUAYLE 209 Too much to lose, they thought : so divers think, and plunge. " I wandered all that night upon the shore ; But, when the day broke, I was at the door Again ; and Philip told me that her child Was born, and Mary seemed quite reconciled To nurse it, and they both would live. I knew That very minute what I had to do. . The packet sailed for Liverpool that day. And I sailed with her. Yes, sir, as you say, To speak to Mr. Dynely, if I could. And bring him home to Mary — God was good That had preserved her, and I thought he might Do his part now, and come and make all right. " I was most wretched, sir, aboard that craft — Some chaps are very thoughtless ; — and they chaffed And bothered me. They're very different now From fishermen like us : I don't know how. But quite another sort — they hardly seem Like sailors — maybe something in the steam. But Corlett, that was skipper of the boat p 2IO MARY QUAYLE (A better seaman never was afloat), Reproved them very sharp, and made them cease Their stuff, and then I got a little peace. •• I landed at the Stage, and looked about, And hailed a Runcorn flat, just clearing out. And jumped aboard : the skipper gave a curse ; His wife looked up, and asked if I could nurse, And handed me the baby ; so I sat. And nursed a baby on a Runcorn flat — And glad enough — God knows that I had need Of something innocent ; I had indeed — Poor little things ! But when the night came on. And all the stars, the woman nursed her son, And talked to me of heaven, and of another That she had lost, a little baby brother — And how the world was full of sin and care — But God was all, and God was rt'cryioJure — I told her nothing ; but of course she knew Far more than half my . . . AVcll, you know, they do- A woman has an art you'll never shirk, She always knows another woman's work. " At Runcorn, when I asked for Dynely Hall, MARY QUAYLE 211 The only bearings I could get at all Were just south-east ; and so I bore away ; And, on the morning of the second day, I saw the place before me. Aren't they grand ?— Those big old houses rooted deep in land ; And woods and park that stretch for miles and miles. And meadows like long lakes of grass, and stiles, And paths — and all so open and so free — Ah, what's our Milntown, and our Nunnery, Or Bishop's Court ? Just think — the room alone- — No cropping every acre to the bone. Like us. There's money at the back — that's it ! Yes, money : but there's more ; there's noble wit. There's ancient memories, use of generous ways, And wholesome customs of the bygone days. " So when I saw the glory and the strength Of such a place, and when I saw the length Of roofs, and spires, and gable-ends, and towers, And high stone-windows cut in fruits and flowers — And grass like thick-napped velvet on the lawn, And all so quiet sleeping in the dawn — I thought two thoughts — What right had I to bring 2 12 MARY QUAYLE My trouble therel and then — What earthly thing Could make it possible for Mary Quayle To be the mistress there? — could love prevail? Could honesty ? . . . And then I stood uncertain, Upon the stretch, as one who holds the curtain Of some sound sleeper, knowing that he never Will sleep like that again. And then a shiver Came over me — a long dim driving scud Of horror, and my eyes were burning blood, And the world rose around me, and I fell Forward . . . down to the very bottom of hell. "Then from the pit I cried a bitter cry — The pit indeed — I swore to God on high This thing was wrong, and always must be wrong — I swore it in the darkness : then . . . ding-dong . . The blood-bells buliblcd in my ears like rain, And earth and sky came back to me again ; And I was on my knees upon the sod, And praying ; and I said — ' O God, my God ! 'J'hou art the Father of all souls : from Thee They come, as ccjually (ordained to be MARY QUAYLE 213 The creatures of Thy hand, Thy sovereign might, And they are equal. Father, in Thy sight. O God ! my God ! in that sweet field of morn, Where all the souls were waiting to be born. Were they not equal ? and, if not so now. Who makes these differences ? God, not Thou ! Not Thou ! not Thou, my God ! And love is Thine ; Thou pourest it into our hearts like wine In golden cups ; and Love is just the same x^s Thou art, God : he knows no rank, or name, Or wealth, or place. He takes our hearts and binds them With links of fire — Oh, say not that he blinds them With vain deceits ! not that, O Heavenly Father ! Not that, not that ! if truth is truth : say rather — Wise Love comes opening our eyes to see The stamp of natural equality. Lord, I pray Thee, let these two be one. And as for me, O Lord, Thy will be done ! 1 will not say a word, a single word — Thy will be done ! Thy will be done, O Lord ! I loved her — yes — perhaps I loved her most — It might have been — O Lord, O Lord, Thou know'st. 2 14 iMARV UUAYLE And now be with me in tliis dreadful hour ; Subdue the pride of man, and give me power To sacrifice myself right out and through — This much I ask, O Lord, this much I do. O Lord, I claim to have no part or lot In her ; I only ask to be forgot. Make these two happy in their love, and then — I'll manage — grant it, God of love ! Amen ! ' [No more the lightning flashed, No more the thunder crashed — But from the piled jet Gleamed sheeted violet, Which lent such grace To that sad {iicc, My voice was all to seek : And when I tried to speak, I could not speak. Then Richard smiled to .see how absolute Th(j human tie that bound us — blessed fruit Of strong coequal manhood. Then he spoke — ] " Day strengthened [Richard said] ; I saw the smoke Rise from the roofs : the birds began their hymn.s, Anfl all the valley seemed to stretch its limbs, MARY OUAYLE 215 And wake. It was a lovely spot ; and so I felt a great deal better,— cheerful— no— But better ; thinking God had heard my prayer, And everything so pleasant and so fair. And then, for coolness like, and also knowing Where he would be, if there was fishing going, I went and sat me down upon the brink Of a fine stream, that had a merry blink, And looked, so clear and quick the water ran. Like our own rivers in the Isle of Man. The sound was sweet, the wind came off the moor, I might have been in Sulby, or Ballure. "Then sleep came on me, and I dreamt a dream Of Mary skipping to me 'cross the stream Upon some stepping-stones ; and I was standing With arms stretched out to catch her at the landing : And her sweet face was just a perfect sun Of love and mischief Suddenly — ' Run, run ! ' She cried, ' the child ! ' I looked, and all was dark, Only I saw a little baby stark Naked as it was born, and over it I saw a ball of rosy flame that lit 2i6 MARY QUAYLE Its little body, as it floated there — I felt the night-wind whistling through my hair — I saw poor Mary leap — I sprang to hold her — I woke — and . . . Dynely's hand was on my shoulder. " ' Why, Richard, Richard ! what on earth is this ? And what is up ? and what has gone amiss ? And how in Heaven's name have you come here, My lusty, trusty, Ancient Marineer ! Ha ! Richard, you've been spreeing — that's your line ! You've been among the landsharks, Richard mine. You steady chaps are far the worst, they say. When once you cut the cable.' Just his way — Landsharks, and Ancient Marincirs, and that ; And gript my arm, and held my hand, and sat Beside me. liut I turned away my head, And . . . ' Sir, the child is born, the child,' I said. He dropt me, gript me, dropt and gript again — dript like a vice; and . . . ' Ric hard ! Richard Craine,' He said — ' Look here ! look straight ! look straight ! ' and turned me Around to look at him full front, and burned me MARY OUAYLE 217 With eyes like coals of fire—' Look straight ! ' says he ; ' There's something in your face I want to see — You loved her, Craine ! ' I gave him look for look— Ah sir, the murdering devil has a nook In every heart — another move, a breath — I might have had him in the grips of death- Die him, die me, or die the two of us— What matters it ? The thing is thus and thus— It's come to that— you don't know how or why— You don't know anything oh d you ! die ! " Die yes— but Mary Mary was the thing ; And why was I at Dynely but to bring That man to do the duty of a lover. And come and make an honest woman of her ? And who was I to put between them ? No ! Just let me see her happy, and I'd go, And never more be heard of, never more — You cati do that. ' You loved her, Craine.' I swore I never did ... I had to do it ... yes .. . I had— God knows the lie ; but, nevertheless, There was no other way in heaven above Or earth beneath — it was the lie of love. :iS MARY QUAYLE " I said that we were friends — that Mary's father And mine had been old shipmates — that they rather Had trust in me, and thought that I could tell Their grief to him, through knowing him so well — So I had come ; and Mary ivas as pure As the unmeltcd snoic, I said : /le kneiv /icr, I said — s/ie 7C'as a modest icoman still. And all her people were respectable. I said a lot of things : but then a cloud Came on his handsome face, and he looked proud And cold at me : again the devil hissed Hot murder in my heart. I held his wrist — It felt like paper, cracking in my span — " And — ' Mr. Dynely, you're a gentleman,' I said, 'and so our girls are only toys For you to play with, slaves of lustful joys To you, and such as you, that you may break them For fun and fancy — eh ? that you may make them A desolation, and a shame to utter, .\n(l fling them on the cinders or the gutter. As children fling their dolls : and we must stand Patient — wc, fathers, brothers — move no hand MARY OUAYLE 219 To right the wrong. It is a wrong ! what rule ? What law is this ? who made it ? God ? That's cool ! What God ? whose God ? the God of heaven and earth ? The God that brings all creatures to the birth ? The God Eve prayed to when she suckled Cain, And Adam saw the milk ? Your god is plain, The devil-god, that made him kill his brother. The god that sunders us from one another In jealousy and hate, friend torn from friend — In murder it began, in murder it will end.' " My grip grew tighter — ' God, and law ! " I cried ; ' Your god is Moloch, and your law is pride — Hell's pride ; man's law — man therefore can reverse it — Stand up with me, I say, and curse it ! curse it ! Curse it !• it is no part of God's great plan — A gentleman ! stand up, and be a man ! ' [While Richard paused, as if the passionate speech Had overmastered utterance — lo ! a breach Of purest sky, seaward, diagonal From north to south ; on either side, a wall Black, feather-edged with sheen of silvery bars, 2 20 MARY QUAVLE And in the interspace were many stars. I saw it, but was silent. Richard broke A way for prisoned words, and thus he spoke — ] " If I had not been Wind with grief and passion, I could not but have noticed how the fashion Of Dynely's face was changing all the while — But now I saw it — saw the sweet bright smile Spread out through tears ; and — ' Richard Craine,' he said, ' I come on Friday.' Then I fell stone dead — You see, the tramping, and the want of meat, And all — I just fell senseless at his feet. " He raised me though, and made me take a sup Of brandy from a little silver cup He had with him, and gave me food he'd brought For fishing store : and then, like losing thought Of all our cares, as, when a storm has passed. Two vessels, hull to hull, and mast to mast. Lie on the heaving calm — just so we lay. And talked chance talk — of herrings in the bay, And six-foot congers — did I catch ihevi often 1 There's men would talk of congers in their coftin— MARY QUAYLE 221 Chance talk, chance talk— that's it, and very much Like dropping stones in water . . . touch-touch-touch — That's all— and so I said I thought I'd hook it ; And Dynely gave me money, and I took it — I did — you see, I didn't want to lose A minute getting home, and to refuse Seemed foolish pride ; and, on the other hand. To take but, sir, I see you understand. " He showed me where the railway ran aback The hills. I said good-bye, and didn't slack Until I reached the level — then I stopped. And saw him stretched upon his face arm-propped, Arm-buried from the world of living men— Ah sir, I could have ripped my heart out then, And flung it back to him — ' He's good ! he's good ! ' I cried, and turned, and sprang into the wood. Thank God that that last moment I had grace And power to see that Dynely was not base, To feel that he was good, sound at the core — Because . . . because ... I never saw him more ! " How sweet the night is getting ! [Then said I — 222 MARY QUAYLE 'It is a lovely night ' — whereat a sigh Came trembling to our feet, then paused, as failing Against the rock, then fluttered into wailing, And wheeled adown the farthest bourn of west — 'The thunder-wind is dying in its nest,' Said Richard : but I knew not what to think, So human was the sorrow, to the brink Of syllabled utterance urging awful cares — I followed it with wishes and with prayers. Then Richard said — ] "The boat was late, the evening air was cool, The sun's last light was creeping up liarrule ; The place looked very happy, very sweet ; — And I was happy. Up Kirk Maughold Street I met the brothers. Heavy with distress, They looked at me : but all I said was * Ves, He's coming;' for they knew where I had gone — I saw they did — they nodded, and passed on, Suspicious, whisi)ering, or seemed to he, And all the people stood and stared at me. " IJut I went up to Mary's. Mrs. Quayle MARY QUAYLE 223 Was standing at the door : I told my tale — She couldn't speak, she hardly raised her head, But fell against the door — ' Come in,' she said. Old Quayle had got the preacher, Mr. King, A Bible gript between them arguing ; And, just as I was standing at the sill, The preacher snatched the Bible from him, till He'd find a text to pin him. Low, quite low, Says Mrs. Quayle, ' He's seen him — him, you know.' The Bible straddled somewhere in their laps. Old Quayle heaved back his head, and sighed ; perhaps It was the waking up of all the grief Had slept awhile, perhaps it was relief From preachers' talk, because there are, no doubt, Some preachers that you'd rather do without. When you're in trouble ; and old Quayle was all For peace and holy joy, like John, like Paul, For quietness, and prayer, and meditation — Though Paul I think but smelling provocation Was King's delight ; but still I've understood He was a man that did a deal of good. " And now I told them what I'd seen and heard, 2 24 MARY QUAYLE How I had met with Dynely — every word He'd said to me ; but not, of course, what I Had said ; and Mrs. Quayle began to cry. But all the time that I was speaking there, I saw the preacher working in his chair. And now a sniff, and now a snuff — ' I know,' He seemed to say, ' what you're a-coming to.' And when I told how Dynely liad agreed To come next boat — ' Indeed,' he said, ' indeed ! '- And sniffed. But now an argument began Between himself and Mrs. Quayle — What plan. He said, should be adopted in this case — And — hoto astonishing it was to trace The hand of Pro7>idence ; ho7C< human ill I Fas ai'erruled for good ; — unsearchable, The preacher said, // was, past finding; out, Like all Gats ways. See how He'd brought about A full conviction I see the sinner's sin A cause of grace ! but not to walk therein — He said — iVo, no / And Mary's change 7c>as deep, He said, and highly promising — a sheep, He doubted not, brought home upon the shoulder Of the Good Shepherd. Now then, if they told her MARY QUAYLE 225 About this Bynely, where was all his wrestling ? This work would be disturbed, this lamb, a-nestling Upon the Saviour's bosom, would give ear To wolves without the fold ; and so, one dear To him by precious ties would fall away ; And God would question at the Judgment Day. "Poor Mrs. Quayle had not the slightest chance With King — indeed, she hardly made advance Beyond some simple words, like — ' Surely ! surely ! They're better married.' — ' That's a point maturely To be considered, ma'am ; and on your knees. Just think of all the pomps and vanities, And sinful lusts. You know how Mary stands At present — Could she be in better hands ? A state's a state, regard it as you will — Disturb that state, and who's responsible } ' " ' Ah but,' she said, ' if Mr. Dynely come, And want to marry her ? ' He looks as glum As thunder — 'When did Mr. Dynely say He'd marry her at all ? ' and — ' Let us pray ! ' He says, and knelt. But those were words to pierce Q 2 26 MARY QUAYLE The woman to the heart. She stood up fierce And stiff — she would not kneel : I got beside her, And held her hand in mine. The old man eyed her With sad and wondering look. The preacher frowned, But prayed — when . . . suddenly ... we heard a sound, A sweet low tune 'twas in the room above — O sir, my heart filled over — Love ! love ! love ! love ! O death ! . . . But, sir, the preacher stayed, He rose; he listened — 'Yes, it's sweet,' he said ; ' It's sweet ; she often sings like that, poor thing ! And hardly knows ' I felt the mother spring, Although she didn't move — ' Oh, is she crying ? ' 1 said — ' Oh, is she, Mrs. Quayle ? or dying ? Oh, dying ! dying ! Mrs. Quayle ! ' — ' She may be,' The woman said ; ' thaVs singing to her baby, At any rate,' she said. You see, she knew The sort of sound, as if a baby drew The song and suck at once — Ah, trust a mother To tell that tune of tunes ! There is no other Like that, of all the tunes — ' She hasn't nursed Her baby for a week : we feared the worst,' The mother said. ' Jiut now — oh why, oh why MARY OUAYLE 227 Are you so cruel ? Sir, she need not die ; She need not, Mr. King ! ' She stopped ; the song Continued — -All at once — ' I think we're wrong. The old man said ; ' this lies beyond our power,' And all his face was like a lovely flower — ' We'll go and tell her.' Then he rose, and went ; And with him went his wife. The preacher bent His head, and muttered something — didn't speak ; I saw the tears were rolling down his cheek. We left together — ' In your prayers to-night Remember me,' he said; 'good-night ! good-night !' They're hard on human nature, bound to be ; But still they can't get over it, you see. " I heard next morning, when I gave a call Up-street, that Mary wasn't pleased at all With what I'd done — it took her unawares — If people just would mind their oivti affairs, She said, it would be better — mind their own ; She only wanted to be left alone I She wanted nobody to come and see her — It was as Death had whispered in her ear 228 MARY QUAYLE And spat into her mouth, and sucked her breath — There is a kind of drunkenness of death She'd got ; she'd bathed her feet in death so long That it had lost the chill : and Death is strong, But Hope is stronger bully Hope ! heart's-ease ! Sweet Hope, young Hope, that climbs upon the knees Of Death, and hangs upon his neck ! and so I knew that it would be with her. No, no ! We're not so fond of Death. That very day She nursed and nursed the little one, that lay Upon her breast, a helpless snuggling bit Of innocence. They said her face was lit With pride, if any one could call it pride — I'oor thing ! and when she laid it at her side, And raised herself, she kissed the little foot. And talked of flowers, and where they should be put To make the room look nice ; and kissed her mother. " Next day was Friday ; then she couldn't smother Her longing any more ; she couldn't rest A minute with them ; wanted to be drest ; Sang to the baby, danced it, held it off MARY QUAYLE 229 At arm's-length from her, till she made it cough And blink ; and then she nursed it for a while ; And then she lay quite peaceful — such a smile, The mother said, and such a lovely bloom, To see her tidying about the room ! And she would have the window open — yes — The window — begged her mother with a kiss To have the window open, so that she Might hear the tug of paddles out at sea. "The steamer came — I waited till the last — No Dynely — no ! I made the painter fast, And jumped aboard the boat : I went below. To see if he was there — but^ — Dynely ? — no ! He hadn't come. I went ashore again ; I saw the brothers standing at the lane ; And, when they saw me by myself, they turned. And walked away, they did. My head, sir, burned With misery — O God of Israel ! And then . . . and then ... I had to go and tell. I made it look as likely as I could ; He hadn't come ; hut then of course he would — Next boat, no doubt. And so they thought it better :30 MARY QUAYLE That Mary should he told — No dotibt, a letter Had come by post — they'd have it in the morning : And so, without the smallest bit of warning, Tliey told her — ' Shut the window no^i\ she said ; And then her mother wrapt her in the bed, And felt her all a tremble. Morning came — No letter, but the paper, and a name That made me start — ' Births, Marriages,' you know, 'Deaths . . . Herbert Dynely, Dynely Hall' — just so- And, in anolhcr place, 'Sad accident.' It seems, soon after I had left, he went Kar up the river to a place where rocks Run out, and make a gully : two big blocks I>ean from each side, as if inclined to meet, One higher than the other — fifteen feet Of slant apart. The downward jump was hard, 'i'hc up was worse ; and yet the man who dared The one must dare the other : from the ledge On which he stood the cliff was like a hedge Behind him, six good fathoms, smooth as glass : lielow him, from the throttle of the pass, Half choked with churning stones, the water slid MARY QUAYLE 231 Into a deep black pool. The jump was called the Strid. " They found him in the pool, and people thought He must have had a salmon on, and brought His fish into the narrows. Then, you see, He couldn't play him there ; so jumps to free His running tackle ; doesn't do to jerk him— Jump back again's the only way to work him — Jumps, misses, strikes the crags, back, front, good God ! Stunned, bleeding, helpless, still he holds the rod, And held it when they found him— dead enough- Just where the water shoaled : the gear was tough \ The salmon was below him, fast as glue — The rascal — sulking, wondering what to do. " So that's how Dynely died. This news was broke To Mary very gently. No one spoke But what they had to speak, and all combined To be as helpful, and as good and kind As ever they could be. But that strong love Of Death came back upon her now, and strove Against our kindness. Most of us, indeed, 232 MARY QUAYLE Knew what must be the end : such strains exceed The strength of human hearts. Before she died, She sent for me. I stood at her bedside . . . Bedside . . . bedside . . () sir, the other hopes ! The other thoughts ! . . . O sir, man only gropes. At best, through darkness : here, at last, was light — But not of this world. 'Twas a lovely sight. But terrible . . . poor darling little bed — Poor lamb I poor dear ! But how I stooped my head Against her lips to hear her whispering. And what she said, that was not anything But sweet low sighs — and what I could not say. No matter how I tried, and came away, And left her, when they told me. . . . Wait a bit . . . That is . . . that must be. ... O sir, this is it . . . Young Dynely lies in Dynely church ; and she Lies there ! " He pointed where above the sea Saint .Maughold's Church lay girt with cross and rune And grave. . . . Just then forth sailed the stately moon Full-orbed ; and, from a vista of retreat Cloud-caverned, lo ! a face divinely sweet MARY QUAYLE 233 Looked forth, and, every fold distinct with light, Soft garments floated on the field of night. " Behold ! " I cried, " O Richard mine, behold The robe of silver, and the crown of gold ! See, see ! she smiles ! " Straightway the vision passed : But Richard spoke not, only held me fast By hand and arm — We rose, and down the slope Walked silently O Love ! O Death ! O Hope ! BELLA GORRY By the Pazon Westward to Jurby, eastward if you look, The coast runs level to the Point of Ayre, A waste of sand, sea-holly, and wild thyme — Wild thyme and bent. The Mull of Galloway Is opposite. Adown the farthest west, Nut visible now, lie stretched the hills of Morne. A cutta)^L\ did you say ? \'cs, once it was j A ruin now — the naked gables stand Roofless — the walls are clay, save where round stones. Picked from the beach, supi)ly the mason's art With base Cyclopean. Sec the narrow hole That served for window ! see the poor dead hearth. This was the home of one whom, for the wealth BELLA GORRY 235 And strength of her great love, I call not poor — Else, poor indeed. The story of her life You'd like to know ? So far as known to me, You shall — a simple story 'tis in sooth, And somewhat sad. Yet in the simple fact God often speaks : and, as for sadness, sir, I think such sadness is a thing most sweet. The marriage tie, the household ordinance. The regulated decencies, the home. Are God's appointment — so to train a race Healthy and strong ; yet can He nurture strength And beauty in mere wildings — grace and joy, Nay, goodness, and the firmest bond of love — Firmer, it may be, for the sense in both Of helplessness, of grave neglect, and scorn — Firmer, as fastened in the absolute root Of sheer maternity, where fatherhood Is but the remnant of a weary dream. So, while our gardens bloom, a humble flower. Flung o'er the wall, may take the dews of God, And breathe His air, and, in the wilderness. Unfold the lovely splendour of a rose. 236 BELLA GORRY When Bella Gorry came to dwell amongst us, She was not young. Full thirty years, at least, She'd seen : she was a stranger to us here, A south-side woman. We were harvesting When first she came, and joined the shearers : none Knew where she lived, or how ; until, one night. Passing among the bents, I heard a cry As of a child, and heard the murmured song Wherewith the mother sought to quiet it — And this was Bella Gorry. Round her rose The swelling sand-heaps : it was in September, A starlit night. A fence of sods uptorn Encompassed her ; and she had hollowed out The sand, and made such shelter as she could. But it was cold, and she had bowed her head Over her Ijabe, herself to sleep inclined — And still the cry, and still the drowsy croon. I stood amazed ; for in the Isle of Man Our poor are not neglected. You indeed Must know such sights familiar: in the streets And purlieus of great towns, the homeless wretch Is never wanting, nor the country-side BELLA GORRY 237 Lacks its appropriate vagabond — the tramps Is't not ? you call him — who in hedge or ditch Lies hungry, gazing upward to the stars. To him the state assigns a scanty dole, Which he rejects. Not so with us — our poor We deem God's charge, an individual care To every Christian man, which whoso slights God's ordinance slights — Therefore I stood amazed ; And asked her who she was, and where her home. She did not stir, but answered moodily — " My name is Bella Gorry ; and I have No home but this."' — "Then come with me," I said; " The little one is cold : it is not fit That you should lodge Hke this." But she no word Replied \ only she tightened that close grasp Wherewith she held the child ; and I could hear Deep breathings of her breast, that seemed like sighs — So that I knelt, and prayed. Then to my prayer I knew that she attended. Nay, I prayed In all humility : for now I felt I was confronted with the deepest wrong That man can do to woman, cause for shame 2 38 BELLA GORRY To me and all men. So I prayed that God Would pity us, and, in His wisdom, make This wrong thing right ; give comfort to this heart Nigh broken, and dispose her to remit Her grief to Him, and to regard in me His minister for such relief designed. But vain my prayer, or seeming vain, for she All proffered aid refused, and lifted up At last her head, and, with unloving words, 15ade me be gone. I went, but firm resolved What I should do. The earliest light of morn Found me ujion the field, where, one by one, The shearers entered, till the field was full. .•\nd Bella sheared— but she had left her babe In that dry hollow far among the bents. And ranged her with the shearers. Then 1 spoke To some I knew most apt, but chief to him. The master of the farm, a soul full fraught With love and active goodness. He for me A willing band detached. 1 led them where The child lay slcei)ing — in its little hands Blue-bells fast clasped, and 'neath its head soft moss, BELLA GORRY 239 Plucked from the mooragh. Then a little girl, The farmer's daughter, took the child, and fed it With milk, and nursed and danced it till it crowed. But we with spade and pick unceasing worked Till we had reared the framework of this cot You see. Nor did the mother know, before Noon glowed, and, stealing from the harvest field, She sought her child : and she was well content. And when, or e'er the week was out, the roof Stood thatched and necessary furniture Of bed and board, by kindly hands supplied. Was stored within, she saw, and the dull cloud Broke ; and her soul was lightened, and she came To me, and, with the rush of many tears. Yet guarded by a fence of dignity, How found I know not, she poured forth her thanks And blessings. So it was that Bella came To dwell within my parish, and to be My friend most loved, and worthy of my love. This was her home ; for many quiet years 240 BELLA GORRY She lived within these walls, and had such peace As theirs may be, whose purpose is to guard One precious treasure, being all that's left. It was a little girl that made her glad— For she could yet be glad— a very star To light her life : and well she tended it, And saw it grow in beauty and in strength ; And took it with her to the harvest field. Or other work, as needs she must, who lived A lonely woman. I have seen the babe Against a stook soft propped of drooping sheaves Asleep, or, wakeful, gazing on the clouds ; And I have noted how the field was hushed In silence. Only, ever and anon, Some woman's heart would yearn for very love, And make her quit her shearing rank a space, 'I"o kiss this flower that smiled amid the corn. Then would some strong man say — " Let me kiss too " — But others said that it was naught, and murmured Of evil 7iiays, and li}^hlness not rebuked^ And sin oimurin'^ed. Still the baby smiled ; And Hella reaped, and answered not a word. BELLA GORRY 241 So 'twas one day I came into the field Where she was reaping, and I heard the voice Of strong contention — it was Henry Tear, My tenant — but you do not l