The Rhode Island Republican

MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES.

Daniel O'Rourke's Dream.—Near the pier head at Margate stands the Hoy Tavern; strolling one morning that way, I saw four men very busily employed, beating a carpet in the Connaught fashion, that is with a man in it. 'What in the name of patience are you doing with that unfortunate man?' said I. 'Nothing, sir,' said one of them; 'it's only a bit of a lark, sir, that's all; you see that window there, sir, open, in that house up there?' 'Yes, I do.' 'Well, sir, as we wur shaking this carpet, sir, (this man jumped out of that window there, sir, and we caught him in this carpet, sir, and wur giving him a little bit of a shake, sir, and that's all we know of the matter, sir.' 'Your honor, your honor, you've saved my life, so you have; you never saw any man so kilt before.'—'For a dead man,' said I, 'you appear pretty lively.' 'O! by the powers! and it's no fault of theirs, your honor; I am as good as dead any how.' 'I think I've seen you before.' 'T'roth and you may say that, Daniel O'Rourke, sir.' The last time I met Daniel was in Dublin; surprised that our second meeting should be in a carpet at Margate, I asked him to explain his situation. 'O, your honor, I've been dreaming and dreaming, and didn't your honor come in a dream.' 'Well, what did you dream, and how did you come into that carpet?' 'Please your honor, I'll tell your honor all about it; I wus bothered all day yesterday, and I dreamed such a dream; och, sure, and didn't your honor come through the clouds in a balloon? Please your honor I'm steward of the Polly Packet; and every Monday in the week the Captain gives the sailors a treat; and the good mate and the good drink of the captain's didn't agree with me at all at all; I ate so much, that I would never desire to lave off; and when I was home and in bed, I was none the better of it; and when I went to sleep the devil a wink of sleep could I get for dreaming all night. Och, I wish I may never dream such another.' 'What was your dream, Daniel?' 'Why then, saving your presence, I'll tell you; I was dreaming I was coming home from Molly Crinigan, the fairy woman, where I had been to get a charm for the cure of the braked heifer that was bewitched, and I dreamed I was coming across the Key of Ballanaskeugh, and was looking up at the stars and blessing myself, when what did myself do, but I missed my footing and fell into the water, (that ses very well,) then I thought I was swimming for the bare life of me, when I swimmed on shore on a desolate island, where there was water enough to drown Johny Mac Glee, the Irish giant, that was very well—so I set myself down, and set up a crying; and as I was sitting there by myself, a lusty big black devil of an eagle came up to myself. 'Good morning, Daniel O'Rourke' said he. 'Good morning sir,' said I. 'God save you, Dan,' said he. 'You also sir,' said I. 'What are you doing there, Dan?' said he. 'Nothing at all sir,' said I, 'I was only wishing I was safe back at Ballanaskeugh.' 'Come get a horse-back upon me,' said he, 'and my life against yours, but I'll bring you safe home to Ballanaskeugh.' 'Och, by my soul, sir,' said I, 'here's persuading: I thank you sir,' said I, 'for the loan of your civility, sir,' said I, 'and I'll accept your offer, sir,' said I; 'So I got a horseback upon him, and away he flew with me till we came close up to the moon; so then I thought to set him right, the coast way, I thought for he didn't know the right road to Ballanaskeugh: but I'll be civil to him says I, for why, bekase he has me in his power: so says I, please your honor's glory, sir, said I, I'm thinking you're not on the right road to Ballanaskeugh.' 'Hold your tongue, Daniel,' said he 'and mind your own business, and don't interfere with the business of other people.' 'May be not, sir,' said I; so I said no more till we came to the moon itself. 'Take off me, Dan,' said he, 'I'm tired.' 'I will not, sir,' said I, 'Take off me,' said he. 'Indeed and I won't, sir,' said I; 'bad enough, sir,' said I, 'what will I do?' 'Take off me, Dan,' said he, 'while I rest me' 'Och! and is it to fall and be killed sir,' said I. 'Get upon the moon while I rest myself,' said he. 'And is that the way you'd be sarving me, sir,' said I. 'Never fear, Daniel,' said he, 'don't you see that reaping hook sticking out of one side of it,' said he. 'I do sir,' said I. 'Take a gripe of it,' said he; 'and you'll come to the ground like a man in a blanket.' I did so, when what does himself do but turns about, and 'good by to you Dan,' says he. 'Is that all, you ugly old brute you sir,' says I, 'devil speed the traveller,' says I, 'you are an unnatural baste, so you are; is this the way you'd be after sarving me, sir,' said I. Well, that was very well; when out came the man of the moon himself. 'Daniel O'Rourke,' said he. 'The same, sir,' said I. 'What are you doing with reaping-hook, Dan?' said he. 'No harm, sir,' said I, 'only holding on for fear I'd be falling off, sir,' said I. 'Let go your gripe, Dan,' said he. 'Indeed, and with your honor's lave, and I will not, sir,' said I. 'Let go your gripe, Dan,' said he, 'or else you'd better, you had.' 'Indeed, and I will not, sir,' said I, 'and the more you bid me leave go, sir,' said I, 'the more I won't so I will.' 'We'll see that,' said he, and with that he goes in, and fetches out a large hammer, and knocks off the handle of the reaping-hook, and down myself falls, falls, falls like a bird that would be flying, when it pleased God to send a flock of wild geese by, from my own bag of Ballanaskeugh, or how should they know me? 'Is this Daniel O'Rourke?' says one of them. 'It is so, sir,' said I. 'I think you are falling, Dan,' said he. 'You may say that, with your own pretty mouth, sir,' said I. 'Take a gripe of me, Dan,' said he, 'and I'll bring you to the ground in a way you won't fall and be killed.' 'Sweet's your heart in a pot of honey, my jewel,' says I. Immediately I saw a ship below under me. 'Hallo! stop the ship, stop the ship,' said I. 'Why should we stop the ship, Daniel,' said he, 'by the raison we don't know whether you're over it or not.' 'And how shall we know that?' says I. 'Do you open your hat, Dan,' said he, 'and if you drop it in the ship, you'll know you're over the ship,' said he. I did so, when what does I do, but looks down, and I thought they held out a big blanket to catch me, when what does I do, but jumps off the goose's back, as I thought, but it was not off the eagle's back, or goose's back, or horse's back, but out of my own bed room window I jumped, your honor save, and so I was.