Twenty Years A-Growing by Maurice O'Sullivanan

Author:Maurice O'Sullivanan [O'Sullivanan, Maurice]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Published: 1998-11-17T11:00:00+00:00

1. Reference to a legend of Finn.

2. Reference to one of the legends. Lir, father of Manannan, was the old Irish sea-god. He has drifted into English literature under the guise of Lear, while his son’s name is preserved in that of the Isle of Man.

Thirteen

THE SHIPWRECK

ONE Tuesday in the month of May I washed and cleaned myself with a heavy heart for school. Then I wandered out and sat down at the end of the lane to wait for my comrade, Tomás Owen Vaun.

Before long I saw the master coming down the glen. I was smitten with the weariness of the world. How envious I felt of the old men who were driving up their cattle into the hill, even of the bird that would float above my head, with nothing to trouble it but it singing to itself when it wished, and flying off when it wished, and going asleep when it wished. When shall I be a man? When shall I be free from the oppression of the master I see coming down the glen?

Tomás came up. “We’ll be late,” said he. He was smiling.

“Do you not feel at all lazy before school, Tomás?”

“Ah, musha,” said he with a frown, “if anyone is as bad as I, I don’t know what to say.”

“As bad as you! Oh, Tomás, if you are as bad as I am, I am content, for I thought there was no one in the world so wretched as myself.”

We went inside and sat down on the bench. The master took up a book. “Now,” said he, “we will do some dictation.”

“Oh, Lord!” said Tomás, giving me a prod in the thigh.

“Long, long ago,” dictated the master, “there was a man living in the village of Ballyboy.”

But he had only read so far when we heard a clamour outside. I looked out of the window and saw the Púncán and the King going down the Causeway with thole-pins and ropes, three or four hurrying after them, all with the same gear. “Your soul to the devil, Tomás, more wreckage!”

The master went out to the door. He stayed there a while and then walked up to the mistress.

“Something wonderful is after happening,” said he; “go out and see what it is.”

“The devil take you,” I whispered to Tomás, “the dictation is over.”

The mistress came back, looking pale.

“What has happened?” said the master.

We were all listening.

“A big ship has gone down in the Sorrowful Cliff.”

He opened his eyes in astonishment. “Look after the school till I come back,” said he.

“Look now,” said Tomás, “we’ll have the day under the hedge.”

We were all in the hurry of our lives for twelve o’clock, making the noise of the world without any thought of the dictation, for we had no fear of the mistress. She herself was in and out the door all the time, ever and ever, till twelve o’clock came. Away we ran joyfully as fast as our heels would carry us.

Great King of Virtues, it was

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