The Black Prophet: A Tale Of Irish Famine

Aughamuran, which lay in a southern direction from it. One of them was a farmer, of middling, or rather of struggling, circumstances, as was evident from the traces

t one moment you might consider him handsome, and at another his countenance filled you with an impression of repugnance, if not of absolute aversion; so stern and inhuman were the characteristics which you read in it. His hair, beard, and eye-brows were an ebon black, as were his eyes; his features were hard and massive; his nose, which was somewhat hooked, but too much pointed, seemed as if, while in a plastic state, it had been sloped by a trowel towards one side of his face, a circ

s a sight for sore eyes to see you in this side of

w is the Sullivan blood in you, man alive? good a

it's we that can complain, Donnel, if there was any use in it; but, mavrone, there isn't; so all I can say is, that we're ji

e counthry; there's a man livin' that foretould as much-that seen it comin'-ay, ever since the pope was made pr

"little he thought, or little he cared, for what he made us suffer, an' for

e ould Chronicles. 'An eagle will be sick,' says St. Columbkill, 'but the bed of the sick eagle is not a tree, but a rock; an

, in consequence o

soned

the prophe

umbian's word

or that the dear rents were let down to meet the poor prices we have now. This woeful saison, along wid

k Prophet, for it was h

oo, prophesied?"

rops, the unhealthy air, an' the green damp foretel it? Doesn't the sky without a sun, the heavy clouds, an' the angry fire of the West, foretel it? Isn't the airth a page of prophecy, an' the sky a page of prophecy, where every man may read of famine, pestilence, an' death? The airth is softened for t

bject rendered a figurative style and suitable language necessary, a circumstance which, aided by a natural flow of words, and a felicitious illustration of imagery-for which, indeed, all prophecy-men were remarkable-had something peculiarly fascinating and persuasive to the class of persons he was in the habit of addressing. The gifts of these men, besides, were exercised with such singular delight, that the constant repetition of their or

an look upon appears to have the mark of God's displeasure on it; but if we have death and si

"an' if my tongue doesn't tell truth, t

e is that?" ask

every parish in the land. However, we know that death's bef

mercy, it's little consolation the grave could give us. But indeed, Donnel, as you say, everything about us is enough to sink the heart within one

the appearance of everything on which the eye could rest, was such as

thin, backward crop, so unnaturally green that all hope of maturity was out of the question. Low meadows were in a state of inundation, and on alluvial soils the ravages of the floods Were visible in layers of mud and gravel that were deposited over many of the prostrate corn fields. The peat turf lay in oozy and neglected heaps, for there had not been sun enough to dry it sufficiently for use, so that the poor had want of fuel, and cold to feel, as well as want of food itself. Indeed, the appearance of the country, in consequence of this wetness in the firing, was singularly dreary and depressing. Owing to the difficulty with which it burned, or rather wasted away, without light or heat, the eye, in addition to the sombre hue which the absence of the sun cast over all things, was forced to dwell upon the long black masses of smoke which trailed slowly over the whole country, or hung, during the thick sweltering calms, in broad columns that gave to the face of nature an aspect strikingly dark and disastrous, when associated, as it was, with the destitution and suffering of the great body of the people. The general appeara

o the whole earth a wild, alarming, and spectral hue, like that seen in some feverish dream. In this appearance there was great terror and sublimity, for as it fell on the black shifting clouds, the effect was made still more awful by the accidental resemblance which

r of I an angry God, was commissioned to launch! his denunciations against the iniquities of nations, and to reveal to the

el Dhu having not deemed it necessary to make any reply

the latt

fferin' that's in it, is there no news stirrin' at all? Is it thrue

It's one day up and another day down wid' him-a

us to pass judgment on our fellow-creatures; b

but his son, master Richard, or 'Young Dick,' as they

he ould man, if the maggot bit him, or that if he took the notion, would do one a good turn; an' if he took a likin' to you, he'

Ha! Did you see that lightnin'? God presarve us! it was terrible-an'-ay, there it is-the thundher! God be about us, thundher at this hour is very fearful. I would gi

k God, it isn't come to sich a hard pass wid me yet that I haven't a roof an' a bit to ait to offer you; an' so to sich as it is you're heartily welcome. Home! oh, you mustn't talk of home this night. Blood, you know, i

night's comin' on so hard and stormy, I'll accept your kind offer; a mou

an' humble treatment I can give you; but if it was betther

e towards the south-ha, there it is again, that thundher! Well, thank goodness, we haven't far to go, at any rate,

' then behind our garden: to be sure, the ground is in a sad plash, but then it w

ullivan had said, by an old unfrequented footpath, that ran behind his garden, the back of which consisted of a thick elder hedge, through which scarcely the heaviest rain could penetrate. At one end of this garden, through a small angle, forming a cul de sac, or point, where the hedge was joined by one of white thorn, ran the little obsolet

addressed her, there could be but little doubt as to the subject matter of their conversation. If a bolt from the thunder which had been rolling a little back among the mountains, and which was still faintly heard in the distance, had fallen at the feet of the young persons i

d, it is m

have determined the course of conduct he should pursue. His eye assumed a bold and resolute look-he held himself mo

ne that ought to make you aither ashamed or afeared? If ther

ctedly within the dart of a rattlesnake, with but one chance of safety in his favor and a thousand against him. His whole f

ely, an' as I stand here to witness her shame, I tell her that there would not be a just God in Heaven, if she's not yet punishe

teeth to your marrow. I know my father's heart an' his thought-an' I say that whoe

elf ere he clos

but natural you should feel as you do; but if it was any other man than yourself that

was murdhered. Dalton, I see the love of bl

at all. His body was never found; and no one can say what became of h

ow you to open your lips to that daughter of mine-if the mane crature can be my daughter-I'll make it be the

once more with a kind

lf. Only, if you wish your daughter to go in,

m the shady angle where they stood; but ere she did, one quick and lightning glance was bestowed upon h

een inclined. He looked on, however, with' surprise, which soon assumed the appearanc

ith a grin of pe

n; an', if my knowledge doesn't desave me, Dalton, I think, while you're before me, that I'm lookin' at a man that

erry Sullivan may say what he wishes-he's safe, an he knows why; but

t. "Of coorse no man would wish to have a son-in-law hange

ornin' that you'd get yourself well drubbe

; "my prophecy seen

on't be too sure but you meant yourself. There's more of murdher an' the gallows in your face than there is in

t's not safe to meddle with one of his nam

eer; "he'll find himself a little mistaken, if he tr

ot him to the earth, where he lay for about half a minute, apparently insensible. He then got up, and afte

o much, an' without any occasion. I'm sorry you struck me, Condy, for I was only jokin' all t

instantly touched Dalton's heart; he seized the hand of Don

ke you? But sure no one could for a min

to allow your passion to get the betther of you, afaird that you might give a blow in anger that you'd have cause to repent of all the days of

is unqualified sorrow at what had occurred; after

ure of its singular termination; he seemed, however, to fall int

that my poor brother owed his de

ppened, and especially as you were present. I'm afeard, indeed', that a man's life would

to tell you the truth, I had as little

last night, at all

d Sullivan, as they

d, 'here's a hammer for you, Donnel, an' take care of it, for it belongs to Condy Dalton.' I thought I took it, an' the first thing I found myself doin' was drivi

n; "but, for my part, I think there's a dangerous kick in the boy that jist

ristian-like spirit, "I fear you're right,

ke, they ente