byJosephSheridanLeFanuWithaMemoirbyALFREDPERCEVALGRAVES
INTHREEVOLUMES。
VOL。III。
CONTENTSOFVOL。III——
JIMSULIVAN’SADVENTURESINTHEGREATSNOW
ACHAPTERINTHEHISTORYOFATYRONEFAMILY
ANADVENTUREOFHARDRESSFITZGERALD，AROYALISTCAPTAIN
’THEQUAREGANDER’
BILLYMALOWNEY’STASTEOFLOVEANDGLORY
THEPURCELLPAPERS——
JIMSULIVAN’SADVENTURESINTHEGREATSNOW。
BeingaNinthExtractfromtheLegacyofthelateFrancisPurcell，P。P。ofDrumcoolagh。
JimSulivanwasadacent，honestboyasyou’dfindinthesevenparishes，an’hewasabeautifulsinger，an’anillegantdancerintirely，an’amightyplisantboyinhimself；buthehadthedivil’sbadluck，forhemarriedforlove，an’avcoorseheniverhadanasyminuteafther。
NellGormanwasthegirlhefancied，an’
abeautifulslipofagirlshewas，jisttwintytotheminutewhenhemarriedher。Shewasasroundan’ascomplateinallhershapesasafirkin，you’dthink，an’hertwocheekswasasfatan’asred，itidopenyourhearttolookatthem。
Butbeautyisnotthethingallthrough，an’asbeautifulasshewasshehadthedivil’stongue，an’thedivil’stimper，an’
thedivil’sbehaviourallout；an’itwasimpossibleforhimtobeinthehousewithherforwhileyou’dcounttinwithouthavin’
anargymint，an’assureassherizanargymintwithhimshe’dhithimawipeivaskilletorwhateverlaynexttoherhand。
Well，thiswasn’tatallplasin’toJimSulivanyoumaybesure，an’therewasscarceaweekthathisheadwasn’tplastheredup，orhisbackbintdouble，orhisnoseswelledasbigasapittaty，withthevilenceivhertimper，an’hisheartwasscaldedeverlastin’lywithhertongue；sohehadnopaceorquietnessinbodyorsoulatallatall，withthewayshewasgoin’
an。
Well，yourhonour，onecowldsnowin’
evenin’hekiminaftherhisday’sworkregulatin’themeninthefarm，an’hesatdownveryquitebythefire，forhehadascrimmidgewithherinthemornin’，an’
allhewantedwasanairivthefireinpace；
sodivilawordhesaidbutdhrewastoolan’satdownclosetothefire。Well，assoonasthewomansawhim，’Moveaff，’saysshe，’an’don’tbeinthrudin’anthefire，’saysshe。
Well，hekeptnevermindin’，an’didn’tletan’tohearawordshewassayin’，soshekimoveran’shehadaspooninherhand，an’shetookjistthesmallesttasteinlifeivtheboilin’watheroutivthepot，an’shedhroppeditdownanhisshins，an’
withthatheletaroaryou’dthinktheroofidflyaffivthehouse。
’Houldyourtongue，youbarbarrian，’
saysshe；’you’llwakenthechild，’saysshe。
’An’ifIdoneright，’sayshe，forthespoonfulofboilin’watherrizhimentirely，’I’dtakeyourself，’sayshe，’an’I’dstuffyouintothepotanthefire，an’boilyou。’
sayshe，’intocastoroil，’sayshe。
’That’spurtybehavour，’saysshe；’it’sfineusageyou’regivin’me，isn’tit？’saysshe，gettin’wickedereveryminute；’butbeforeI’mboiled，’saysshe，’thryhowyoulikeTHAT，’saysshe；an’，sureenough，beforehehadtimetoputuphisguard，shehothimaraleterribleclinkivtheironspoonacrassthejaw。
’Houldme，someivye，orI’llmurdherher，’sayshe。
’Willyou？’saysshe，an’withthatshehothimanothertintimesasgoodasthefirst。
’Byjabers，’sayshe，slappin’himselfbehind，’that’sthelastsaluteyou’llevergiveme，’sayshe；’sotakemylastblessin’，’
sayshe，’youungovernablebaste!’sayshe——an’withthathepulledanhishatan’
walkedoutivthedoor。
Well，shenevermindedawordhesaid，forheusedtosaythesamethingallasoneeverytimeshedhrewblood；an’shehadnoexpectationatallbuthe’dcomebackbythetimesupperidbeready；butfaixthestorydidn’tgoquitesosimplethistime，forwhilehewaswalkin’，lonesomeenough，downtheborheen，withhisheartalmostbrokewiththepain，forhisshinsan’hisjawwasmightytroublesome，avcourse，withthethratementhegot，whodidheseebutMickHanlon，hisuncle’ssarvintby，ridin’down，quiteanasy，antheouldblackhorse，withahalteraslongashimself。
’IsthatMr。Soolivan？’saystheby。
sayshe，assoonashesawhimagoodbitaff。
’Tobesureitis，yespalpeen，you，’saysJim，roarin’out；’whatdoyouwantwidmethistimea-day？’sayshe。
’Don’tyouknowme？’saysthegossoon，’it’sMickHanlonthat’sinit，’sayshe。
’Oh，bluranagers，thin，it’swelcomeyouare，Mickyasthore，’saysJim；’howisallwidthemanan’thewomanbeyant？’
sayshe。
’Oh!’saysMicky，’badenough，’sayshe；’theouldman’sjistaff，an’ifyoudon’thurrylikeshot，’sayshe，’he’llbeinglorybeforeyougetthere，’sayshe。
’It’sjokin’yeare，’saysJim，sorrowfulenough，forhewasmightypartialtohisuncleintirely。
’Oh，notinthesmallesttaste，’saysMicky；’thebreathwasjistoutivhim，’
sayshe，’whenIleftthefarm。“An’，“sayshe，“taketheouldblackhorse，“sayshe，“forhe’sshure-footedfortheroad，“sayshe，“an’bring，JimSoolivanhere，“sayshe，“forIthinkI’ddieasyafIcouldseehimonst，’sayshe。’
’Well，’saysJim，’willIhavetime，’sayshe，’togobacktothehouse，foritwouldbeaconsolation，’sayshe，’totellthebadnewstothewoman？’sayshe。
’It’stoolateyouarealready，’saysMicky，’socomeupbehindme，forGod’ssake，’sayshe，’an’don’twastetime；’an’
withthathebroughtthehorseupbesidetheditch，an’JimSoolivanmountedupbehindMicky，an’theyrodeoff；an’tingoodmilesitwasivaroad，an’attheothersideivKeeperintirely；an’itwassnowin’
sofastthattheouldbastecouldhardlygoanatallatall，an’thetwobysanhisbackwasjistlikeasnowballallasone，an’
almostfruzan’smotheredatthesametime，yourhonour；an’theyworbothmightysorrowfulintirely，an’theirtoesalmostdhroppin’affwidthecould。
AndwhenJimgottothefarmhisunclewasgettin’anillegantly，an’hewassittin’
upsthrongan’warminthebed，an’im-
provin’everyminute，an’nosignsavdyin’
anhimatallatall；sohehadallhisthroublefornothin’。
Butthiswasn’tall，forthesnowkemsothickthatitwasimpassibletogetalongtheroadsatallatall；an’faix，insteadivgettin’betther，nextmornin’itwasonlytintimesworse；soJimhadjisttotakeitasy，an’staywidhisuncleantilsuchtimesasthesnowidmelt。
Well，yourhonour，theevenin’JimSoolivanwintaway，whinthedarkwasclosin’
in，NellGorman，hiswife，beginnedtogetmightyanasyinherselfwhinshedidn’tseehimcomin’backatall；an’shewasgettin’
morean’morefrightfulinherselfeveryminutetillthedarkkeman，an’divilatasteivherhusbandwascomingatallatall。
’Oh!’saysshe，’there’snouseinpur-
tendin’，Iknowhe’skilthimself；hehascommittedinfantycideanhimself，’saysshe，’likeadissipatedbliggardashealwayswas，’saysshe，’Godresthissoul。Oh，thin，isn’titmean’notyou，JimSoolivan，that’stheunforthunatewoman，’saysshe，’forain’tIcryin’here，an’isn’theinheaven，thebliggard，’saysshe。’Oh，voh，voh，it’snotathomecomfortablewithyourwifean’familythatyouare，JimSoolivan，’
saysshe，’butintheotherworld，youaumathaun，inglorywidthesaintsIhope，’saysshe。’It’sIthat’stheunforthunatefamale，’
saysshe，’an’notyourself，JimSoolivan，’
saysshe。
An’thiswayshekep’antillmornin’，cryin’andlamintin；an’widthefirstlightshecalledupallthesarvintbys，an’shetouldthemtogooutan’tosarcheveryinchivgroundtofindthecorpse，’forI’msure，’
saysshe，’it’snottogohidehimselfhewould，’saysshe。
Well，theywentaswellastheycould，rummagin’throughthesnow，antil，atlast，whatshouldtheycometo，sureenough，butthecorpseofapoorthravellingman，thatfelloverthequarrythenightbeforebyrasonofthesnowandsomeliquorhehad，maybe；but，atanyrate，hewasasdeadasaherrin’，an’hisfacewasknockedalltopiecesjistlikeanover-boiledpitaty，glorybetoGod；an’divilatasteivanoseorachin，orahillorahollowfromoneendavhisfacetotheotherbutwasallasflatasapancake。
An’hewasaboutJimSoolivan’ssize，an’dhressedoutexactlythesame，widaridin’coatan’newcorderhoys；sotheycarriedhimhome，an’theywereallassureasdaylightitwasJimSoolivanhimself，an’
theywerewondheringhe’ddosichadirtyturnastogokillhimselfforspite。
Well，yourhonour，theywakedhimaswellastheycould，withwhatneighbourstheycouldgittogither，butbyrasonivthesnow，therewasn’tenoughgotheredtomakemuchdivarsion；howeveritwasaplisintwakeenough，an’thechurchyardan’thepriestbein’convanient，assoonastheyoungsthershadtheirbitivfunanddivarsionoutivthecorpse，theyburrieditwithoutagreatdaleivthrouble；an’aboutthreedaysafthertheberrin，ouldJimMallowney，fromth’othersideivthelittlehill，herowncousinbythemother’sside——hehadasnugbitivafarman’ahousecloseby，bythesametoken——kemwalkin’intoseehowshewasinherhealth，an’hedhrewachair，an’
hesotdownan’beginnedtoconvarseheraboutonethingan’another，antilhegotherquitean’asyintomiddlin’goodhumour，an’assoonasheseenitwastime：
’I’mwondherin’，sayshe，’NellGorman，sichahandsome，likelygirl，idbethinkin’
ivnothin’butlamintin’an’thelikes，’sayshe，’an’lingerin’awayherdayswithoutanyconsolation，orgettin’ahusband，’sayshe。
’Oh，’saysshe，’isn’titonlythreedayssinceIburriedthepoorman，’saysshe，’an’
isn’titrathersoontobetalkinivmarryin’
agin？’
’Divilataste，’sayshe，’threedaysisjistthetimetoaminuteforcryin’aftherahusband，an’there’snooccasioninlifetobekeepin’itup，’sayshe；’an’besidesallthat，’
sayshe，’Shrovetideisalmostover，an’ifyoudon’tbesturrin’yourselfan’lookin’
aboutyou，you’llbelate，’sayshe，’forthisyearatanyrate，an’that’stwelvemonthslost；an’who’stolookaftherthefarmallthattime，’sayshe，’an’tokeepthementotheirwork？’sayshe。
’It’sthrueforyou，JimMallowney，’saysshe，’butI’mafeardtheneighbourswillbealltalkin’aboutit，’saysshe。
’Divil’scuretotheword，’sayshe。
’An’whowouldyouadvise？’saysshe。
’YoungAndyCurtisistheboy，’sayshe。
’He’salikelyboyinhimself，’saysshe。
’An’ashandyagossoonasisout，’
sayshe。
’Well，thin，JimMallowney，’saysshe，’here’smyhand，an’youmaybetalkin’
toAndyCurtis，an’ifhe’swillin’I’magreeble——isthatenough？’saysshe。
SowiththathemadeoffwithhimselfstraighttoAndyCurtis；an’beforethreedaysmorewaspast，theweddin’keman，an’
NellGormanan’AndyCurtiswasmarriedascomplateaspossible；an’ifthewakewasplisinttheweddin’wastintimesasagreeble，an’alltheneighboursthatcouldmaketheirwaytoitwasthere，an’therewasthreefiddlersan’lotsivpipers，an’