POETRY.

TEDDY O'TEAGUE.

Is it contradic' me ye would thin ? Begorra, 'tis moighty queer, An' Teddy an' me own cousins and neighbours for twinty year. 'Twas often he'd walk the distbance, an' welkin' he was that day, When Riley whips roan' the corner, a-dhroivin' the mottled- gray.

"Bad wedder," says Ted, "intoirely ; 'tis mnrther an' all on the chrops ; Whin 'tis toime for diggin' the praties they're divle a thing but tops."

"I'm kilt wid it, just," says Riley ; "'tis boon' for the fair ye are,—

Thin why would ye splash your tails, sorr, an' on'y meself in the cyar ?"

So Teddy gets up forenenst him, an' lavin' the baste to walk, The compliments passed betwixt thim, an' murtherin' illigant talk.

An' thin says Riley, "There's rumours—but shure nothin' but thrash—

Wye been buying butther of Ryan—ye niver would be so rash."

" Why wouldn't I thin ?" says Teddy ; "'tis known at market an' fair That swater butther an' firmer isn't churned in the County Clare.

A paltry couple of firkins was all that iver I got ; This day if he brings a score, sorr, bedad, but 1'11 take the lot."

" Whist ! shure 'tis trason ye're talkin'. 'Tis shame on ye, Teddy O'Teague, • Would ye middle wid boycotted butther, an' fly in the face av the League ?

Shure, I am your friend as spakes thim, so 'tint to the words I say, If ye look at that bather av Ryan's, 'tie mischief there'll be this day."

"'Tis long that we're friends," says Teldy ; " did iver I give ye a lie ?

If Ryan brings twinty firkins, each yan av the score I'll buy ; If iver a hand is lifted, if iver a word is said,

I swear by the blessed Mother rll shtrike the spalpeeu dead.

"Take a feel av the stick, Mick Riley ; 'tie blackthorn sasoned an' thrue ; There's sorra a skull in nathur but that'll walk shmiliug t'rough.

If any one manes to thry it, bedad, 'tis rason an' sinse He'll dhrive to the spot in his coffin, an' save the double expinse.

"No harm to expriss it pleasant, though sorra a joke I mane ; Will ye mintion to thim as sent ye the views that I intertain ? Faix, thin, but the mare's a threasure,—ye'll take the looks av a dhrop ?

I feel a sort av a dhryness at sight av O'Flaherty's shop."

They laid the dust, and they parted; an' there on the market ground .

There was farmers gathered by fuu'rals from twinty par'shes round, There was tastin' an' chaff an' dhriukin', an' hopes av butther was sold ; An' Pather Ryan, poor divle, stood lost and out in the cold.

Thin on by the line av car'ges, linin' the market-square, O'Teague wint sniftin' an' gaugin', an' purchasin' here an' there ; Till be came to the spot where Ryan, wid the heart av him broken, stood,— " Now, Pather," says he, " we'll thry it, an' see if the butther's good."

He laid the stick on the cart thin, convenient to his hand, Wid a turn of his eye aroun' him the neighbours could under- shtand ; There was fidgettin' sticks amongst thim, and shufllin' av scores av fate, An' looks as it bothered the butther to keep itself cool an' swats.

Then Teddy he pulls the gauge out, an' into the cask it goes, An' he snifts as aisy an' shmilin' as Biddy shmelliu' a rose.

He gives it a lick wid his tongue thin, an' squirts the juice on the floor,—

" Five firkins?" says he ; "I'll take thim—I wish they was tsvinty. more."

Begorra, ye heard the curses a-rowling inside thim there ; Ye persaved thim chlosin' arca& him—the Akira was up in the air ;

Thin Teddy, he takes the blackthorn, an' shwings it up for the shtrike-

Me sow!! if I live till I'm buried, I niver shall see the like !

They melted away before him like mist whin the sun peeps oat;.

There wasn't the shmell av a spalpeen for twinty good yards about.

So, whistlin' a thane and shmilin', he walks from the square away, An' he broke the boycottin' fairly, did Teddy O'Teague that day.

FABIAN HOLMES.