As yet there had been no sickness among them; but who could say to-day that he or she might not be stricken down at once before to-morrow.
"Donnel," said Sullivan, after he had taken a seat, "how you came to prophecy what would happen, an' what has happened, is to me a wondher; but sure enough, _fareer gair_, (* bitter misfortune) it has all come to pass." "I can't tell myself," replied the other, "how I do it; all I know is, that the words come into my mouth, an' I can't help spakin' them.

At any rate, that's not surprisin'.

I'm the seventh son of the seventh son, afther seven generations; that is I'm the seventh seventh son that was in our family; an' you must know that the knowledge increases as they go on.

Every seventh son knows more than thim that wint before him till it comes to the last, and he knows more than thim all.

There were six seventh sons before me, so that I'm the last; for it was never known since the world began that ever more than seven afther one another had the gift of prophecy in the same family.