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1Mr Richard J. Tierney, P.L.G., respectfully solicits the favour of your vote and influence at the coming election in the
2Royal Exchange Ward. Mr O'Connor had been engaged by Tierney's agent to canvass one part of the ward but, as the weather
3was inclement and his boots let in the wet, he spent a great part of the day sitting by the fire in the Committee Room
4in Wicklow Street with Jack, the old caretaker. They had been sitting thus since the short day had grown dark. It was
5the sixth of October, dismal and cold out of doors. Mr O'Connor tore a strip off the card and, lighting it, lit his
6cigarette. As he did so the flame lit up a leaf of dark glossy ivy in the lapel of his coat. The old man watched him
7attentively and then, taking up the piece of cardboard again, began to fan the fire slowly while his companion smoked.
8"Ah, yes," he said, continuing, "it's hard to know what way to bring up children. Now who'd think he'd turn out like
9that! I sent him to the Christian Brothers and I done what I could for him, and there he goes boosing about. I tried to
10make him someway decent." He replaced the cardboard wearily. "Only I'm an old man now I'd change his tune for him. I'd
11take the stick to his back and beat him while I could stand over him--as I done many a time before. The mother, you
12know, she cocks him up with this and that...." "That's what ruins children," said Mr O'Connor. "To be sure it is," said
13the old man. "And little thanks you get for it, only impudence. He takes th'upper hand of me whenever he sees I've a sup
14taken. What's the world coming to when sons speaks that way to their father?" "What age is he?" said Mr O'Connor.
15"Nineteen," said the old man. "Why don't you put him to something?" "Sure, amn't I never done at the drunken bowsy ever
16since he left school? 'I won't keep you,' I says. 'You must get a job for yourself.' But, sure, it's worse whenever he
17gets a job; he drinks it all." Mr O'Connor shook his head in sympathy, and the old man fell silent, gazing into the
18fire. Someone opened the door of the room and called out: "Hello! Is this a Freemasons' meeting?" "Who's that?" said the
19old man. "What are you doing in the dark?" asked a voice. "Is that you, Hynes?" asked Mr O'Connor. "Yes. What are you
20doing in the dark?" said Mr Hynes advancing into the light of the fire. He was a tall, slender young man with a light
21brown moustache. Imminent little drops of rain hung at the brim of his hat and the collar of his jacket-coat was turned
22up. "Well, Mat," he said to Mr O'Connor, "how goes it?" Mr O'Connor shook his head. The old man left the hearth and,
23after stumbling about the room returned with two candlesticks which he thrust one after the other into the fire and
24carried to the table. A denuded room came into view and the fire lost all its cheerful colour. The walls of the room
25were bare except for a copy of an election address. In the middle of the room was a small table on which papers were
26heaped. Mr Hynes leaned against the mantelpiece and asked: "Has he paid you yet?" "Not yet," said Mr O'Connor. "I hope
27to God he'll not leave us in the lurch tonight." Mr Hynes laughed. "O, he'll pay you. Never fear," he said. "I hope
28he'll look smart about it if he means business," said Mr O'Connor. "What do you think, Jack?" said Mr Hynes satirically
29to the old man. The old man returned to his seat by the fire, saying: "It isn't but he has it, anyway. Not like the
30other tinker." "What other tinker?" said Mr Hynes. "Colgan," said the old man scornfully. "It is because Colgan's a
31working-man you say that? What's the difference between a good honest bricklayer and a publican--eh? Hasn't the
32working-man as good a right to be in the Corporation as anyone else--ay, and a better right than those shoneens that are
33always hat in hand before any fellow with a handle to his name? Isn't that so, Mat?" said Mr Hynes, addressing Mr
34O'Connor. "I think you're right," said Mr O'Connor. "One man is a plain honest man with no hunker-sliding about him. He
35goes in to represent the labour classes. This fellow you're working for only wants to get some job or other." "Of
36course, the working-classes should be represented," said the old man. "The working-man," said Mr Hynes, "gets all kicks
37and no halfpence. But it's labour produces everything. The working-man is not looking for fat jobs for his sons and
38nephews and cousins. The working-man is not going to drag the honour of Dublin in the mud to please a German monarch."
39"How's that?" said the old man. "Don't you know they want to present an address of welcome to Edward Rex if he comes
40here next year? What do we want kowtowing to a foreign king?" "Our man won't vote for the address," said Mr O'Connor.
41"He goes in on the Nationalist ticket." "Won't he?" said Mr Hynes. "Wait till you see whether he will or not. I know
42him. Is it Tricky Dicky Tierney?" "By God! perhaps you're right, Joe," said Mr O'Connor. "Anyway, I wish he'd turn up
43with the spondulics." The three men fell silent. The old man began to rake more cinders together. Mr Hynes took off his
44hat, shook it and then turned down the collar of his coat, displaying, as he did so, an ivy leaf in the lapel. "If this
45man was alive," he said, pointing to the leaf, "we'd have no talk of an address of welcome." "That's true," said Mr
46O'Connor. "Musha, God be with them times!" said the old man. "There was some life in it then." The room was silent
47again. Then a bustling little man with a snuffling nose and very cold ears pushed in the door. He walked over quickly to
48the fire, rubbing his hands as if he intended to produce a spark from them. "No money, boys," he said. "Sit down here,
49Mr Henchy," said the old man, offering him his chair. "O, don't stir, Jack, don't stir," said Mr Henchy. He nodded
50curtly to Mr Hynes and sat down on the chair which the old man vacated. "Did you serve Aungier Street?" he asked Mr
51O'Connor. "Yes," said Mr O'Connor, beginning to search his pockets for memoranda. "Did you call on Grimes?" "I did."
52"Well? How does he stand?" "He wouldn't promise. He said: 'I won't tell anyone what way I'm going to vote.' But I think
53he'll be all right." "Why so?" "He asked me who the nominators were; and I told him. I mentioned Father Burke's name. I
54think it'll be all right." Mr Henchy began to snuffle and to rub his hands over the fire at a terrific speed. Then he
55said: "For the love of God, Jack, bring us a bit of coal. There must be some left." The old man went out of the room.
56"It's no go," said Mr Henchy, shaking his head. "I asked the little shoeboy, but he said: 'Oh, now, Mr Henchy, when I
57see the work going on properly I won't forget you, you may be sure.' Mean little tinker! 'Usha, how could he be anything
58else?" "What did I tell you, Mat?" said Mr Hynes. "Tricky Dicky Tierney." "O, he's as tricky as they make 'em," said Mr
59Henchy. "He hasn't got those little pigs' eyes for nothing. Blast his soul! Couldn't he pay up like a man instead of:
60'O, now, Mr Henchy, I must speak to Mr Fanning.... I've spent a lot of money'? Mean little shoeboy of hell! I suppose he
61forgets the time his little old father kept the hand-me-down shop in Mary's Lane." "But is that a fact?" asked Mr
62O'Connor. "God, yes," said Mr Henchy. "Did you never hear that? And the men used to go in on Sunday morning before the
63houses were open to buy a waistcoat or a trousers--moya! But Tricky Dicky's little old father always had a tricky little
64black bottle up in a corner. Do you mind now? That's that. That's where he first saw the light." The old man returned
65with a few lumps of coal which he placed here and there on the fire. "That's a nice how-do-you-do," said Mr O'Connor.
66"How does he expect us to work for him if he won't stump up?" "I can't help it," said Mr Henchy. "I expect to find the
67bailiffs in the hall when I go home."
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