Kelly The Blacksmith
Although Roger took the lead, he did not monopolize all the wit, of the
parish. It happened that Swift, having been dining at some little
distance from Laracor, was returning home on horseback in the evening,
which was pretty dark. Just before he reached Kellistown, a neighboring
village, his horse lost a shoe. Unwilling to run the risk of laming the
animal by continuing his ride in that condition, he stopped at one
Ke
ly's, the blacksmith of the village, where, having called the man, he
asked him if he could shoe a horse with a candle. No, replied the
smutty son of Vulcan, but I can with a hammer. Swift, struck with
the reply, determined to have a little more conversation with him.
Accordingly, he alighted and went into the cabin, which was literally
rotten, but supported, wherever it had given way at different times,
with pieces of timber. Swift, as was usual with him, began to rate poor
Kelly soundly for his indolence in not getting his house put into better
repair, in which the wife joined. Hold, Doctor, for one moment!
exclaimed Kelly, and tell me, whether you ever saw a rotten house
better supported in all your life.