Coo-ee Reciter

<h2 id="MURPHY_SHALL_NOT_SING_TO-NIGHT"><i>MURPHY SHALL NOT SING TO-NIGHT.</i></h2> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Specimens of Ireland's greatness gathered round O'Connor's bar,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Answering the invitation Patsy posted near and far.<br/></span> <span class="i0">All the chandeliers were lit, but did not shed sufficient light,<br/></span> <span class="i0">So tallow candles, stuck in bottles, graced the bar that famous night.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">All the quality were there; before such talent ne'er was seen;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Healy brought the house down fairly with "The Wearin' o' the Green."<br/></span> <span class="i0">Liquor went around in lashins, everything was going off right,<br/></span> <span class="i0">When O'Connor sent the word round, "Murphy shall not sing to-night."<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Faces paled at Patsy's order; none were listening to the song;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Through their hearts went vague sensations&mdash;awful dreads of coming wrong;<span class="pagenum">[37]</span><br/></span> <span class="i0">For they knew that Danny Murphy thought himself a singer quite,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And knew that if he made his mind up, that, bedad, he'd sing that night.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Everyone was close attention, knew that there would be a row,<br/></span> <span class="i0">When the chairman said that "Mr. Murphy will oblige us now."<br/></span> <span class="i0">"Not so fasht," said Pat O'Connor, rising to his fullest height,<br/></span> <span class="i0">"This here pub belongs to me, and Murphy shall not sing to-night."<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Up jumps Murphy, scowling darkly as he looks at Pat O'Connor:<br/></span> <span class="i0">"Is this the way," he says to Pat, "that you uphold Ould Oireland's honour?"<br/></span> <span class="i0">"Oi know Oi'm not much at singin'; any toime Oi'd sooner foight;<br/></span> <span class="i0">But, to show me independence, s'help me bob, Oi'll sing to-night."<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">"Gintlemin," says Pat O'Connor, wildly gazing round about,<br/></span> <span class="i0">"It will be my painful duty to chuck Danny Murphy out;<br/></span> <span class="i0">It has been a rule with me that no man sings when he is tight;<br/></span> <span class="i0">When Oi say a thing Oi mane it&mdash;Murphy shall not sing to-night."<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Then says Doolan to O'Connor, "Listen what Oi've got to tell;<br/></span> <span class="i0">If yez want to chuck out Murphy, yez must chuck out me as well."<br/></span> <span class="i0">This lot staggered Pat O'Connor, Doolan was a man of might;<br/></span> <span class="i0">But he bluffed him, loudly crying, "Murphy shall not sing to-night."<br/></span> <span class="pagenum">[38]</span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Then he rushed on Danny Murphy and he smote him hip and thigh;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Patsy looked a winner straight, when Doolan jabbed him in the eye.<br/></span> <span class="i0">All the crowd at once took sides, and soon began a rousing fight;<br/></span> <span class="i0">The battle cry of Patsy's push was "Murphy shall not sing to-night."<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">The noise soon brought a copper in: 'twas Patsy's cousin, Jim Kinsella.<br/></span> <span class="i0">"Hould yer row," he says to Doolan, when Mick lands him on the smeller.<br/></span> <span class="i0">They got the best of Doolan's push, though; lumbered them for getting tight.<br/></span> <span class="i0">Patsy then had spoken truly, "Murphy did not sing that night."<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Epilogue</span>.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Specimens of Ireland's greatness gathered round the City court.<br/></span> <span class="i0">There before the awful sentence was a touching lesson taught&mdash;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Then away they led the prisoners to a cell, so cool and white;<br/></span> <span class="i0">And for fourteen days to come Murphy shall not sing at night.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Montague Grover.</span><br/></span></div> </div> <p><span class="pagenum">[39]</span></p> <hr class="chap" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />