"Why aren"t you out attending the reunion of the Dooley family?" Mr.
McKenna asked the philosopher.
"Thim"s no rel-ations to me," Mr. Dooley answered. "Thim"s farmer Dooleys. No wan iv our fam"ly iver lived in th" counthry. We live in th"
city, where they burn gas an" have a polis foorce to get on to. We"re no farmers, divvle th" bit. We belong to th" industhreel cla.s.ses. Thim must be th" Fermanagh Dooleys, a poor lot, Jawn, an" always on good terms with th" landlord, bad ciss to thim, says I. We"re from Roscommon.
They"se a Dooley family in Wixford an" wan near Ballybone that belonged to th" constabulary. I met him but wanst. "Twas at an iviction; an", though he didn"t know me, I inthrajooced mesilf be landin" him back iv th" ear with a bouldher th" size iv ye"er two fists together. He didn"t know me aftherwards, ayether.
"We niver had but wan reunion iv th" Dooley fam"ly, an" that was tin years ago. Me cousin Felix"s boy Aloysius,--him that aftherwards wint to New York an" got a good job dhrivin" a carredge f"r th" captain iv a polis station,--he was full iv pothry an" things; an" he come around wan night, an" says he, "D"ye know," he says, "twud be th" hite iv a good thing f"r th" Dooleys to have a reunion," he says. "We ought to come together," he says, "an" show the people iv this ward," he says, "how sthrong we are," he says. "Ye might do it betther, me buck," says I, "shovellin" slag at th" mills," I says. "But annyhow, if ye"er mind"s set on it, go ahead," I says, "an" I"ll attind to havin" th" polis there," I says, "f"r I have a dhrag at th" station."
"Well, he sint out letthers to all th" Roscommon Dooleys; an" on a Sat.u.r.dah night we come together in a rinted hall an" held th" reunion.
"Twas great sport f"r a while. Some iv us hadn"t spoke frindly to each other f"r twinty years, an" we set around an" tol" stories iv Roscommon an" its green fields, an" th" stirabout pot that was niver filled, an"
th" blue sky overhead an" th" boggy ground undherfoot. "Which Dooley was it that hamsthrung th" cows?" "Mike Dooley"s Pat." "Naw such thing: "twas Pat Dooley"s Mike. I mane Pat Dooley"s Mike"s Pat." F"r "tis with us as with th" rest iv our people. Ye take th" Dutchman: he has as manny names to give to his childher as they"se nails in his boots, but an Irishman has th" pick iv on"y a few. I knowed a man be th" name iv Clancy,--a man fr"m Kildare. He had fifteen childher; an", whin th" las"
come, he says, "Dooley, d"ye happen to know anny saints?" "None iv thim thrades here," says I. "Why?" says I. "They"se a new kid at th" house,"
he says; "an", be me troth, I"ve run out iv all th" saints I knew, an", if somewan don"t come to me a.s.sistance, I"ll have to turn th" child out on th" wurruld without th" rag iv a name to his back," he says.
"But I was tellin" ye about th" reunion. They was lashins iv dhrink an"
story-tellin", an" Felix"s boy Aloysius histed a banner he had made with "Dooley aboo" painted on it. But, afther th" night got along, some iv us begun to raymimber that most iv us hadn"t been frinds f"r long.
Mrs. Morgan Dooley, she that was Molly Dooley befure she married Morgan, she turns to me, an" says she, "Tis sthrange they let in that Hogan woman," she says,--that Hogan woman, Jawn, bein" th" wife iv her husband"s brother. She heerd her say it, an" she says, "I"d have ye to undherstand that no wan iver come out iv Roscommon that cud hold up their heads with th" Hogans," she says. "Tis not f"r th" likes iv ye to slandher a fam"ly that"s iv th" landed gintry iv Ireland, an" f"r two pins I"d hit ye a poke in th" eye," she says. If it hadn"t been f"r me bein" between thim, they"d have been trouble; f"r they was good frinds wanst. What is it th" good book says about a woman scorned? Faith, I"ve forgotten.
"Thin me uncle Mike come in, as rough a man as iver laid hands on a polisman. Felix Dooley was makin" a speech on th" vartues iv th"
fam"ly. "Th" Dooleys," says he, "can stand before all th" wurruld, an"
no man can say ought agin ayether their honor or their integrity," says he. "Th" man that"s throwin" that at ye," says me uncle Mike, "stole a saw fr"m me in th" year sivinty-five." Felix paid no attintion to me uncle Mike, but wint on, "We point proudly to th" motto, "Dooley aboo--Dooley f"river."" "Th" saw aboo," says me uncle Mike. "Th"
Dooleys," says Felix, "stood beside Red Hugh O"Neill; an", whin he cut aff his hand,--" "He didn"t cut it off with anny wan else"s saw," says me uncle Mike. "They"se an old sayin"," wint on Felix. "An" ol" saw,"
says me uncle Mike. "But "twas new whin ye stole it."
""Now look here," says Aloysius, "this thing has gone far enough. "Tis an outrage that this here man shud come here f"r to insult th" head iv th" fam"ly." "Th" head iv what fam"ly?" says Morgan Dooley, jumpin" up as hot as fire. "I"m th" head iv th" fam"ly," he says, "be right iv histhry." "Ye"re an ol" cow," says me uncle Mike. "Th" back iv me hand an" th" sowl iv me fut to all iv ye," he says. "I quit ye," he says.
"Ye"re all livin" here undher a.s.sumed names"; an" he wint out, followed be Morgan Dooley with a chair in each hand.
"Well, they wasn"t two Dooleys in th" hall"d speak whin th" meetin"
broke up; an" th" Lord knows, but I don"t to this day, who"s th" head iv th" Dooley fam"ly. All I know is that I had wan th" nex" mornin"."
ON A FAMOUS WEDDING.
"Ye see, Jawn," he said ""twas this way: The Jook iv Marlburrow is a young lad an" poor. Ye can"t think of a jook bein" poor, but "tis a fact that they"se many a wan iv thim that"s carryin" th" banner at this minyit. Hinnissy, if he had his rights, is Jook iv Munster; an" ye know what he"s got. The Jook iv Marlburrow, whin he come out iv th" academy where they had him, he hadn"t a cint to his name. Ne"er a wan.
"They ain"t manny jobs f"r a young jook. Th" thrade is limited; an" this here la-ad wint round night an" day lookin" f"r a sign, "Wanted, a young jook, r-ready an" willin" to do light family jookin"," an" no sign did he see. He was in a bad way; f"r the la-ad"s father was dead, th" ol"
jook. He was a fine bucko. He had a divorce fr"m his wife, an" marrid another; an", whin he died, she marrid somewan else an" took the roly-boly with her. This was ha-ard on th" lad.
"But he come iv a n.o.ble race, an" wan that had reed burruds whin their betthers had s...o...b..a.l.l.s. Did ye iver read histhry, Jawn? Ye ought to.
"Tis betther thin th" Polis Gazette, an" near as thrue. Well, Jawn, this here young man come fr"m a gr-eat gin"ral, a fine-lookin" la-ad that had manny a mash in his day, an" niver lost money be wan iv thim. Ye"ll find all about him in Casey"s "Histhry iv English Misrule in Ireland: Th"
Story iv a Crime." "Tis good readin".
"Th" la-ad"s father marrid a rich woman. So did his uncle. So ye see he was a natural bor-rn fi-nanceer. An" he begun to luk around him f"r what th" pa-apers calls a "financee."
"He didn"t have far to go. I dinnaw how he done it, whether th"
Ganderbilks asked him "r he asked th" Ganderbilks. Annyhow, "twas arranged. "Twas horse an" horse between thim. Th" Ganderbilks had money, an" he was a jook. They was wan divorce on each side. So they imported him over, what they call a.s.sisted immygration. He didn"t come undher th" head iv skilled workman. They must"ve cla.s.sed him as a domestic servant. Th" first thing he done was to get himsilf arristed. A man be th" name iv Sweeney,--there are some good Sweeneys, though it"s a name I don"t like on account iv wan iv thim stealin" me fa-ather"s grin"stone,--a man be th" name iv Sweeney, a polisman, r-run him in f"r disordherly conduct. They got him out with a pull. Thin he sint f"r lawyers an" f"r his financee"s father, an" they settled down to talk business. "Well," says Ganderbilk, "how much d"ye want?" he says. "I"ll give ye a millyon." "Goowan," says th" jook, "I cud get that much marryin" somewan I knew." "Thin how much d"ye want?" says Ganderbilk.
"Well," says th" jook, th" castle has to be put in repair. Th" plumbin"
is all gone to th" divvle, an" they"ll have to be a new catch-basin put in," he says. "Thin they"se calciminin" an" paper-hangin",--well, call it tin millyons." "But what do I get out iv it?" says Ganderbilk. "Have ye a ticket to th" church to see me marrid?" says th" jook. "No," says his pappa-in-law. "Well, here"s a couple," says th" jook. "Bring wan iv ye"er frinds with ye." So Ganderbilk he coughed.
"They say th" jook was that poor he had to have his coat made out iv what was left over fr"m his pants, they do so. But he was at th" church bright an" early; an" Ganderbilk he was there, too, standin" out on th"
steps in th" cold, combin" his whiskers--he wears a pair iv sluggers--with his fingers. Afther awhile his daughter, the jook"s financee, come along; an", seein" the jook, says she, "Pappa," she says, "inthrojooce me to ye"er frind." "Jook," says Ganderbilk, "shake hands with me daughther. She"s your"s," he says. An" so they were marrid.
"Well, Jawn," said Mr. Dooley, becoming serious, ""tis a dhroll wurruld, an" I suppose we"ve got to take th" jooks an" th" Ganderbilks with the r-rest. I"m goin" to a weddin" mesilf nex" week. Th" banns has been called between little Dalia Hogan an" big Tom Moran. They"ve been engaged f"r three year, her wurrkin" in a box facthry an" him doin"
overtime at th" blast. They"ve money enough to start, an" it"ll not cost ol" ma-an Hogan a cint. But, whin he spoke about it las" night, he cried as if his heart"d break."
ON A QUARREL BETWEEN ENGLAND AND GERMANY.
Mr. McKenna was aware that a gentle feud had existed between Mr. Dooley and Mr. Schwartzmeister, the German saloon-keeper down Archey Road, for some years. It was based upon racial differences, but had been accented when Mr. Schwartzmeister put in a pool table. Of course there was no outburst. When the two met on the street, Mr. Dooley saluted his neighbor cordially, in these terms: "Good-n.o.bben, Hair Schwartzmeister, an" vas magst too yet, me brave bucko!" To which Mr. Schwartzmeister invariably retorted: "Py chapers, Tooley, where you haf been all der time, py chapers?" But this was mere etiquette. In the publicity of their own taverns they entertained no great regard for each other. Mr.
Schwartzmeister said a friend of his had been poisoned by Mr. Dooley"s beer, and Mr. Dooley confessed that he would rather go to a harness-shop for whiskey than to Mr. Schwartzmeister"s. Consequently, Mr. McKenna was amazed to learn that Mr. Schwartzmeister had been entertained by the philosopher, and that they had paraded Archey Road arm-in-arm at a late hour.
"Tubby sure he was," said Mr. Dooley. "Tubby sure he was. Right where ye"re standin" at this moment, me dhrinkin" beer an" him callin" f"r hot Irish. "Make it hot," he says. "Make it hot, me frind; an" we"ll make it hot f"r th" British between us," says Schwartzmeister.
"It come about this way: Ye see Willum Joyce come in, an" says he, "We"ve got thim." "Sure," says I. "We"ve the comityman, haven"t we?"
"Th" Dutch is with us," he says. "I mane the Germans is our frinds."
"Ye"re goin" too far there," says I. "Stuckart was again Reed las"
spring." "No, no," says Willum Joyce, he says. "Th" Germans is up in ar-rms again th" Sa.s.senach," he says. "Mind ye," he says, "mind ye," he says, "tis our jooty to be frindly with th" Germans," he says. "I"m now on me way f"r to organize a camp iv me Dutch frinds down be th"
slough," he says. An" off he goes.
""Twas not long afther whin I heerd a man singin" "Th" Wearin" iv th"
Green" down th" sthreet, an" in come Schwartzmeister. "Faugh a ballagh,"
says he, meanin" to be polite. "Lieb vaterland," says I. An" we had a dhrink together.
""Vell," says he (ye know th" murdhrin" way he has iv speakin"), "here we are," he says, "frinds at las"." "Thrue f"r ye," says I. "Tooley," he says, f"r he calls me that, "we"re wan to-night, alretty," he says. "We are that," says I. "But, glory be, who iver thought th" Irish"d live to see th" day whin they"d be freed be th" Dutch? Schwartz, me lieber frind," I says, "here"s a health to th" imp"ror, hock," says I.
"Slanthu," says he; an" we had wan.
""Twud be a great combination," says I, "We"d carry th" wa-ard be th"
biggest majority iver heerd iv," I says. "We wud so," says he. "I"d be aldherman." "Afther me," says I. "Tis my turn first," I says. "I don"t know about that," says he. "Now," says I, "look here, Schwartzmeister,"
I says. "This here arrangement between Germany an" Ireland has got to be brought down to th" Sixth Wa-ard," I says. "Do ye f"rgive th" way we done ye in th" beer rites?" I says. "I do," says he. "They was befure me time." "Well," says I, "are ye sure ye can get over th" whalin" ye got whin th" Sarsfield Fife an" Dhrum Corpse met th" Frederick Willum Picnic Band?" I says. "I do," says he. "An" ye have no har-rd feelin" about th"
way th" bridges has been give out?" "Not a thrace," says he. "Well,"
says I, "Schwartz," I says, "they"se wan thing more," I says. "We"re both pathrites," I says. "We have a common cause," I says. "Ye"re a Dutchman, an" I"m iv" th" other sort," I says. "But we"re both again th"
Sa.s.senach," I says. "An" in th" inthrests iv th" freedom iv Ireland," I says, "I f"rgive ye th" pool table."
"Well, sir, Jawn, he wept like a child. "Tooley," he says, "we"ll march side be side," he says. "Both iv us in th" front rank," he says.
"Aldherman Tooley an" Aldherman Schwartzmeister, to free Ireland," he says. "But where does Germany come in?" he says. "Germany!" says I, "Germany! Well, we"ll take care iv Germany, all right. We"ll let Germans into th" prim"ries," I says. An" there an" thin we formed th"
Sarsfield-an"-Gatty camp. Gatty is a German frind iv Schwartzmeister. We shook dice to see which name"d come first. Ireland won. They was my dice.
"I learned Schwartzmeister th" Shan-van-Voght before we was through; an"
I"ve got th" German naytional chune be heart,--"Ich vice nit wauss allus bay doitan". What"ll ye have to drink, Jawn?"
And, as Mr. McKenna went out, he heard his friend muttering: "Freed be th" Dutch! Freed be the Dutch! An" we niver give thim so much as a dillygate."