FREE'S SONG.
AIR,--"_Arrah, Catty, now can't you be asy ?_" Oh, what stories I'll tell when my sodgering's o'er, And the gallant Fourteenth is disbanded; Not a drill nor parade will I hear of no more, When safely in Ireland landed.
With the blood that I spilt, the Frenchmen I kilt, I'll drive the young girls half crazy; And some cute one will cry, with a wink of her eye, "Mister Free, now _why can't you be asy ?_" I'll tell how we routed the squadrons in fight, And destroyed them all at "Talavera," And then I'll just add how we finished the night, In learning to dance the "bolera;" How by the moonshine we drank raal wine, And rose next day fresh as a daisy; Then some one will cry, with a look mighty sly, "Arrah, Mickey, _now can't you lie asy ?_" I'll tell how the nights with Sir Arthur we spent, Around a big fire in the air too, Or may be enjoying ourselves in a tent, Exactly like Donnybrook fair too.
How he'd call out to me: "Pass the wine, Mr.Free, For you're a man never is lazy!" Then some one will cry, with a wink of her eye, "Arrah, Mickey, dear, _can't you be asy ?_" I'll tell, too, the long years in fighting we passed, Till Mounseer asked Bony to lead him; And Sir Arthur, grown tired of glory at last, Begged of one Mickey Free to succeed him.
"But, acushla," says I, "the truth is I'm shy! There's a lady in Ballymacrazy! And I swore on the book--" He gave me a look, And cried: "Mickey, _now can't you be asy ?_" "Arrah, Mickey, now can't you be _asy ?_" sang out a voice in chorus, and the next moment Dr.Quill himself made his appearance.
"Well, O'Malley, is it a penitential psalm you're singing, or is my friend Mike endeavoring to raise your spirits with a Galway sonata ?" "A little bit of his own muse, Doctor, nothing more; but tell me, how goes it with the major,--is the poor fellow out of danger ?" "Except from the excess of his appetite, I know of no risk he runs.

His servant is making gruel for him all day in a thing like the grog-tub of a frigate.

But you've heard the news,--Sparks has been exchanged.

He came here last night; but the moment he caught sight of me, he took his departure.

Begad, I'm sure he'd rather pass a month in Verdun than a week in my company!" "By-the-bye, Doctor, you never told me how this same antipathy of Sparks for you had its origin." "Sure I drove him out of the Tenth before he was three weeks with the regiment." "Ay, I remember; you began the story for me one night on the retreat from the Coa, but something broke it off in the middle." "Just so, I was sent for to the rear to take off some gentleman's legs that weren't in dancing condition; but as there's no fear of interruption now, I'll finish the story.