text
stringlengths 1.96k
5.76k
| author
int64 1
50
|
|---|---|
the length of the bill nostrils pierced in the wings long pointed first longest legs rather short bare for a short space only above the joint toes connected by a small slightly on their edges or wanting types breed inland except during undergo a change t u other varieties of the the bird described by and others as the great is the common thick knee a variety of which is mentioned by and white under the name of the long legged whose alliance to the family is demon thb as well by its length of legs as its to the same open and extensive plains as the latter and not more than two eggs at a time one of its names being the it is scarcely needful to state that it is found in that county rather other varieties of the abundantly and in many other of the eastern and southern as well as in but not north it is found in ireland as also is the true the latter in the greatest abundance this bird also indifferently termed stone is of habits the large round prominent ball of the eye proving its capacity for night it occasionally in the makes a nest in hollows on the bare ground and up its food somewhat from the ground the water and the marsh worms and even small it is a finely marked bird of rich brown and yellow with white and cream underneath base of bill bright extremity black legs very long and yellow pure white under the throat under of wings with much white round the bare space of the eyes bright yellow xvii shooting the the and the the the the the the and the lark the this is one of tlie few british birds with which fable has been busy it is taken runs the story by means of an unhappy that of the spectator be his attitude what it may and thus it remains till the net of the is thrown over it at present it is shot as its are and this is not a difficult matter when it can be met with the chief of the are the of and the and these are natives of our but partially themselves to the districts of shooting the the and thence northward so soon as they see a the begin to fight and desperate little fellows they are the sporting history of these birds tells us was formerly a very interesting subject and collected together numbers of gentry some to watch their habits some to shoot them more to see them and many more to eat them by all accounts the best of any their price was somewhere about two guineas a dozen by costly feeding but that was after they had been stuffed with boiled wheat sugar and all sorts of shooting them is very dull sport they flush lazily and a tailor might bring them down with his goose the this is a of the family and ducks more than any of his seed or generation it seems to anticipate the flash of a gun so that shooting at them will be conceived a nice operation the large colonel thinks worth shooting for sake of their skins which make excellent and travelling caps the the true system of shooting this bird is always to have a second gun in reserve if double so much the better because if you wing him he makes a great disturbance and brings all his mates about you you will get much nearer them than you did to the shooting the the c you wounded in working up to contrive to keep close to the land and well under cover of it the as this bird is not worth having when dead it will not be required that we give instructions for shooting it his chief value is on where he is very attractive to all kinds of wild fowl the reason is said to be that he acts as a while the other birds sleep their custom in mid day the the frequent many of the of england in perfect clouds at certain seasons of the winter so to speak particularly during white in august when it is stormy they are very tame not at all taking offence if you kill a dozen or so of their company these the gallant colonel already quoted says are no doubt young birds this is capital sport for a he adds because if one or two are stopped the rest are sure to pitch down with or near them as thick as they can possibly together then is your time oh youth have at the brown of em the this bird only comes among us in winter and unless the weather be hard he is a particularly shy guest when a flock of alight they have natural history of the their regular posted and without great care getting near the main body is out of the question the also arrive as of foul weather and are rather more accessible than the they are to be shot both singly among and in and also in flocks on the ground where they pitch to feed on the grain shed during the harvest they feed also in meadows and like the domestic and on almost all kinds of the lark this least of the tribes that come under the s notice in snow and severe weather in vast flocks and now and then affords him a large return for his powder and shot with a long gun and lots of dust shot he shall put a dish upon his table that will enable him to understand the value the luxurious set upon singing birds the of our south downs are very pretty of the the the while presenting some of with the family in its habits shorter structure and in that it has no spotted of feathers the | 50 |
state of mr s specimen it is that it may have been bred in england and if so we may yet find the species as an occasional though perhaps the character of the banks of the rivers is not such as will suit its habits the or of british authors this species is closely linked with our and distinguished only by its inferior bulk and by its its habits appear to be the same with the larger and it associates with it when thrown into the same it with us is known in in the districts and on the sandy and gravel of the its range is somewhat extensive although not common over europe and not known that we are aware either in scotland or ireland in the of this bird the collar round its neck is interrupted there is a great deal of yellow brown in the the back and wings are hair brown shafts of feathers deeper in tint the crown yellow brown the same and u natural history of the and much white about the wings tail while german specimens of this bird have been marked with a less yellow brown black bill legs black also its manner of running along the sands or with its head drawn down close on the shoulders is very peculiar but is similar to that of the the and this little bird the takes after the both in and the remarkable natural and of its and neck these birds are found in england in the districts where they breed and are met with in the spring and autumn in other parts of britain about the end of august most frequently in scotland in the and the and salt as passing to the on the of forth on the coast and on the shores of the they are occasionally frequent the vast numbers that formerly thronged our own country are no more to be seen population and the necessity of x the drained have compelled this singular tribe to their haunts and it is to be feared the time will come when the shall be but a tradition of our and an of our a writer of the last century thus describes their amount in some islands surrounded with where men seldom resort i have often seen the ground so with eggs and nests and that one could scarce take a step without treading upon one of them the the and lose their when the breeding season is over the and the are taken in about thirty or forty yards in length in the isle of and the they were formerly abundant they would arrive about the end of april and continue the latter days of august these are supported by sticks at an angle of forty five degrees placed upon dry grounds or very low watered ones not from here the himself and the birds are by stale or stuffed birds to come under the as soon as he the success of his he a string they are enclosed and often knots and share the fate of the and the mode of the latter for the table is by with boiled wheat seed sugar or bread and milk during the process they are kept in a dark room where the very of their is to be observed or they are apt to ml away in a day or two if ever so little light is let into their dark these little creatures immediately do battle with each other nor will they leave off while life is left this died for love and that for glory may the say as he up the dead bodies and with the slain colonel thus describes their in a wild state in the spring the as it is termed that is upon a rising spot of ground to where the species prepare to deposit their eggs then they take their stand at a the and small distance from each other and contend for the females this hill or place of resort for love and battle is sought for by the who habit it by the birds having trodden the turf somewhat bare though not in a circle as usually described we had occasion to remark that although the disposition of the never ceased in confinement it increased with the growth of the long feathers of the neck in spring when the least movement of either from their usual stand provoked a battle their actions in fighting are similar to those of the game cock the head is lowered and the bill is held in a direction the indeed every feather more or less the former sweeping the ground as a shield to defend the more tender parts the erected and the tail partly spread upon the whole assuming a most ferocious aspect when either could obtain a firm hold with the bill a leap succeeded accompanied with a stroke of the wing but they rarely injured each other where assembled among other species the is known by the greater length of the legs the breeding is scarcely ever similar in any two of these birds and yellow brown and black deeply shaded in glossy purple are the chief of their beautiful and varying for the rest too well known by the to be described thi are from nine to eleven inches high natural history of the when erect the is often of more tints with more black and brown in the the feathers are strikingly with dark the is considerably less than her mate in size after the has left the its hues become very similar to some of the true and the or as this bird is frequently brought down by the it is not in our pages it is a link between the web footed tribe and the and it is much larger than the either of the latter its legs appear formed only for swimming like those of | 50 |
the former class they are almost hid in the parts of the bird the toes are short fringed and the wings have somewhat the appearance of being sideways and thus it seems as little formed for rising in the air as for walking on land its habits entirely with its formation the and habits of this bird claim with the web footed class for it upon fish and passes its existence swimming and just exhibiting the head above and darting completely under water at the least appearance of danger it is very shy and very difficult to be shot it occurs in wales and the north western of england where it is found to breed among the and flags of the picturesque of those districts the is for the most part white and black with the nests are made to float on the tops of the and rushes of the shallow pools it best loves to frequent and are only supported by the strength of the creeping roots of the weeds the was some time back a more numerous class than at present it was greatly sought after for the down of its breast which presents the most silvery and of a hue more silken than that of velvet as where once it settles its abode there it continues till its however much disturbed it may be imagined that not much difficulty occurred in finding its haunt and securing the bird although of a wary natural history of nature the female is much attached to her young and seeks out with the small and of river fish that are within her scope for her hungry brood after which she wiu conduct them to the nest under her wings or even it is said upon her back at the time of the down of their breasts is entirely wanting of this bird may truly be said what the poet has sung of the tribe of song birds are their instincts faithful is their fire no foreign beauty to false desire the snow white and the crown the simple or the glossy down not their love the bird his well acquainted tints and hues the of and were formerly the most supplied with the or the common in our of the different game and water birds of the british islands we have thought it unnecessary to class every variety of the different species few sporting writers give correct to the different links of the great families of british birds they mingle the and some of the with the more with the provincial customs of the to which the particular species resort than with truth the bed or is one of these the common or the common sandy or sand lark the common another frequently mistaken and continuing through the next of the or the the or the and the knot and other varieties of the we shall constantly find one species with another by every writer but the practical and true the will often pass for the or and as often for the knot or the while the little has been described as the ox bird passing by the common these several we now come to the a well known bird of our pastoral districts and sub it is a frequent of scotland where in the north even to and the it its european range is northward the islands and are known in china in the south of africa and in the east the characters of the are remarkable bill very long slender slightly compressed curved the tip nearly hard the projecting over the nostrils face wings rather long pointed rigid legs of middle length b h re for some length above the joint feet rather small toes before connected by a above the plane of the others the inland and to the in the cold season the s scream or shrill whistle is perhaps better known than most of the calls of the birds they are a noisy brave and somewhat tribe when the breeding season has commenced the heath or or sheep walk is alive with these creatures ere the ist streak of dawn has in colour and here with the gladness of the period the rise upon the wing uttering their singular note and whirl along in sweeping line slowly and stately while undisturbed at any intrusion they boldly fly before the face of the stranger natural history of the and with something like the noisy scream of the they will almost s em to attack him till in their turn by a shot or a stone the nest is a very careless one being on the ground and placed in a dry spot either of moss or heath even in a or field of new sown grain some grass or dry leaves forms its scanty the young of the common used to be deemed tender and excellent eating the of the head neck and breast is of a pale brown varying in depth of tint and darkest on the crown the shafts of the feathers of a deeper brown which at the forming those so common in birds the underneath parts are of a white but on the and sides the white is with of brown the upper parts are rich tinted shot with purple the feathers cut out in grey and ash colour and white there is a of purple also on the brown and the feathers are barred with ash colour and brown the tail is white barred with an brown tint and the bars with white bill deep brown at the tip and into a yellow legs and feet of a lead colour the of british authors c this variety is not so common in england as the last mentioned nor does it breed with us its with the common are chiefly two its call expressed by its name of history of and its merely passenger visits to our in spring | 50 |
winter and autumn instead of the constant residence of the former it is said that in the north islands it is found to breed but little is known of its breeding stations and we think it a doubtful point as the summer birds that occasionally occur may have been stopped in their passage it was formerly and may now be a regular spring in ireland in passage northward to return in autumn in much smaller numbers according to s history a farmer not many miles from assured us ten years ago that he had shot some of these birds it is a pretty sight on an day when coming upon an isolated part of the coast to see a flock of and a smaller portion of feeding together in the salt pools formed among the and sand beds at ebb tide when they fly it is in the form closely together and dip low and high in the air as though they were in the water the common more with a sailing motion and the wings of both varieties being long pointed and strong are as admirably adapted to fly high as the and the s wings are ill constructed for length or rapidity of motion the differences of between these birds are slight the crown of the is separated in the middle by a paler streak of colour the tips of the feathers being for a broad space white while on either side they have patches history of the bald of brown to edge them there is more white on the upper part of the back of the next to the bill the space is white as also the sides of the head neck and parts with of dark brown the bill is of deeper hue red at the base and the legs are leaden grey colour thicker and somewhat shorter than in the common these birds do not change their at the period of the bald the comes under the head which family the rails and the or water fowls as well as the species as the common is a larger bird than the hen so it chooses larger streams and more it is more wary and less the is v the bald the of the of it is found rather in the southern of england becomes more rare northward and is altogether lost sight of in the regions of scotland its occurrence being confined to the neighbourhood of the smaller it is mentioned in the the bald arrives in north britain the first fine spring days and rarely stays through the winter unless an unusually mild one some of these birds with the of the kind and keep under while hunting for their food in the still waters they select par preference for a great length of time eating as is supposed whatever may come within their reach pond weed insects c in the larger rivers of england they collect in immense numbers and are then caught by means of the used for catching fish while they are searching for the small fish and at breeding season they become scattered in pairs and so remain until the autumn when they together ia companies their nests are made in the river rushes or in the of the that are found near our they are of considerable size and they use the materials within reach in their construction as we have said the bald is a shy bird and except at the season of difficult of approach it flies with its long legs outstretched in its rear the it is said about its bald forehead appears rather a con natural of the of its bill to the crown than any absence of it is of a milk white the bill the dark grey of the general of the bird shaded with deep black forms a striking contrast with this white space the ce of the wings are of a glossy silver grey the are orange colour the legs dull green the of the toes out in to the straight of the the young upon escape from the shell are duly protected with a thick covering of strong stiff hair like down black everywhere but the head where it is red or yellow red varieties of the sometimes occur the the like the visits us merely for the of our climate in the season of it is described as about eight inches long although such as we have shot we should have deemed shorter it about two or more its in hue is between that of a and a with us it is not melodious but in its summer where daylight for many weeks continues to the eye as in and other countries of similar it is esteemed one of the chief of the forest its note being both piercing and sweet it is known immediately from the by the brightness of a white mark above the eyes in days the was esteemed equal to the and a choice morsel for a the roman emperor it was to italy and for sale this bird is neither so wild nor so wary as its near neighbour the it is however sufficiently cautious and when flying in numbers takes a precaution from which we have borrowed our in war that of or on some eminence or tree top to give notice of the approach of danger in the season of flight as the bird call it these little creatures were formerly taken in great numbers in common with the and the and indeed with all the other small by the and arts of the in the autumn he his machinery his his and his birds the net is from ten to twelve yards long or more and two or three wide it is so formed as to be easy to rise on either side and the birds as any one may witness who will follow the wheat ear | 50 |
on the downs as birds in their passage fly against the wind the lays his net to gain the wind and if it is he will lay his net as far to the west as possible his call birds are selected carefully by the sweetness and power of their notes it appears that these birds never exert themselves more powerfully than when thus the free birds of their tribes into and gold and green the and yellow hammer the lark and a variety of others can be used for this purpose the h are those placed on a natural of the perch which the at will by means of a string when he would tempt the wild bird downwards it is remarked that when half a flock have been into the by the shrill call of the the remainder will alight near and from being by the are certain to become also victims of the whether curiosity love of song or bravery bring the wild birds so easily to the call it is impossible to determine that it should be desire seems unlikely for the male birds pipe and male birds are equally numerous if not more so than the female wild ones thus for the ladies or the s table this however is not the only trap laid for them as the do not on the ground are often thrown over trees and hedges in which they are taken the this little bird of the kind makes but a short stay in our country is wild and flies in flocks and is perhaps the most wary of the smaller species in and and the cold regions generally the tunes his pipe as as many of the little although with us so dull and a bird to our tempted hither by the of our and the variety of our trees and hedge rows supply which form the of their food the season past they return to their beloved forests of and where they sing the live long day to the reward the partners of their cares in the season of building their nests in the hedges or low woods with and these they carefully conceal by those instinctive arts so common to the smaller tribes bending twigs the leaves and branches in artful to screen them from view they lay about six green eggs spotted considerably with the is from nine to ten inches long and sixteen or seventeen broad it considerably more than the its is lively and its flesh not equal to its smaller neighbour above the mentioned although a it arrives in great numbers about october and at first in all the bustle of settling may be shot at without much difficulty its back feathers are of shades of ash colour its head of a light ash its bill is black and the bird is immediately known from the length of its mouth hairs or whiskers its breast is spotted with dark colours on a light ground its is ash colour its bill is slender and soft capable only of attacking and insects eggs it is therefore one of the large class of helps to man s comfort and convenience as it to destroy the that the trees and vegetables cultivated by him the are while their food still hangs on the bush or remains on the ground after which time they have recourse to the moist for worms mr white says that it is rather surprising in the natural history of these charming that being of habits nearly akin to those of so many other small birds of the soft tribe such as c they should not be known to have bred together he also that the on the ground at night the period when the are principally spread for their over and meadow while in the day time it always high on the tops of the trees and it that considering the prodigious flocks that sometimes alight on our we secure but a small quantity of these birds in comparison with the numbers captured on natural history of the lark the continent whether they come to us at a more wary season we do not know however they become sufficiently tame when they suffer from a deficiency of food in hard weather but are then not so worthy the aim of the true as when they are full and fat the lark one of our poets thus addresses this sweet hail to thee spirit bird thou never that from heaven or near it thy full heart in strains of art higher still and higher from the earth thou like a cloud of fire the blue deep thou and singing stiu dost and soaring ever what objects are the fountains of thy happy strain what fields or waves or mountains what shapes of sky or plain what love of thy own kind what ignorance of pain it is indeed true of this bird the favourite of the space that its song is and and that as it upwards in the clear radiance of dawn its and far reaching note appears the of fullest day the lark is a bird nor is it difficult to form a between it and the and other small birds the when kept in confinement the pipe of the lark becomes and piercing it is only when its flight by way of encouragement to the female in the free native air that it possesses that bounding and elastic sweetness on which poets delight to it is a note of confidence and security to assure his mate that no danger and that he is near her to and to soften her cares this species have much courage they are often when for the female formidable to each other but their genial desires past they into timidity or show their bravery in a different and more manner we have ourselves often witnessed a struggle for victory in song between two of | 50 |
these birds and indeed with most of the and kind there seems to exist a love of from the note of or call of desire let a harp be placed on a lawn and played upon and it shall prove the of a number of grove each little throat shall contend with its music a lady of our acquaintance assured us that she had often been compelled to quit her instrument from the noise made in by these birds who would perch on the lower branches around her during their noisy efforts the different may be divided into the sky lark the wood and the they are known from other small species by the length of their heel or spur they build their nests upon the ground thinking that of turf can shelter and conceal them and choosing every soil in natural history of the hem preference to a one they also are observed to build so that every part of the nest is equally raised the edges are and slope a little the lark is constant in our islands however from one part of the country to another it lays four or five eggs of different sizes according to its variety of a dusky hue its general tints are brown and in some more lively than in others so as to be almost red on the crown of the head it bears a of feathers which it from birds of its class these it at will it its eggs in may although they have been seen even as late aa september dr that are an article of great importance in some of the continental countries the duty paid at for to twelve thousand crowns per at a or for every sixty it is when the song of the bird leaves it that it flocks and becomes the prey of the bird the lark is a bird of passage in some countries chiefly the cold ones and thousands by the way in the chiefly by the net of the water hen or hen or common of british authors this bird is the link between the and that of the as their wings are little formed for flight so the strong naked legs large feet and long toes seem to render land and water their chief elements indeed this species swim and with equal facility the water hen resort to pools and rivers where under cover of any sort of or marsh vegetation their breeding places may be constantly discovered and their nests found amid the and roots rather high up and sometimes six or seven feet from the water in the or willow its habits are by no means shy and it is a beautiful creature in the hen its that it will even come near dwelling places where food is regularly placed for it on the least alarm it will duck its head and fore part of body under the water and then plunge into the first hole or cover of where its bill alone will be above the still water of its preferred it is fond of on low trees or bushes and on will the water hen fly to some height and seek concealment on the tops of the highest trees in its vicinity the common or hen is abundant among the lesser and of scotland pursuit seems to the faculties of this bird as we have known it to remain as it were fascinated by the idea of danger among the vegetation where it will suffer itself to he caught without a struggle till it is in its young are numerous and covered with a black down thus describes the feathers of the in spring the base of the bill and shield on the forehead now considerably enlarged is a bright red and well or the deep grey of the head throat neck and under parts this colour shades into a deep green on the upper parts at this season with deep reflections which are spread on the sides of the breasts the are nearly pale brown the outer edge of the first with the bend of the wing white the tail rounded at the tip is black shaded into deep oil green and shows the narrow cross dark incident to structure seen in various birds and in the on the lower part of the and vent the feathers are tipped with white which more or less on the centre of these parts and on the where the oil green the feathers are dashed with long streaks of white but those of the vent are deep black and run in upon them in an point the naked parts of the are bright red to the water hen low and often appear conspicuous the feet and legs are olive green in the female the colours are not so bright and the shield does not cover so large a space the bill is compressed but not very short the wings are short and the legs long the nest is made of sticks and or dry and when the hen is within it she is to and fro by the action of the water and wind underneath her we have seen the nest however disengaged by some and floating in the midst of the stream the eggs are sharp at one end and of green colour spotted with red the water hen from fifteen upwards this is the d of the is of somewhat habits to those we have mentioned when found in the solitary but by the tribe and wild animals here she is not so easily alarmed as where breeding in the vicinity of gentlemen s but when once disturbed has been known never again to resort to the same locality but at once seeks a new abode where summer and winter she will continue until destroyed by the or the more numerous enemies of the brute creation to whose invasion she is exposed | 50 |
without any means of protection the the the the are the most usual of the water as they cannot fly far they are more than most other of the birds w the water the water of british authors mr thus the five original races of british dogs the great household dog the the the and the large slow hound of these it will be seen the is not one remarks that in this list the races are confounded for the great household dog is with him the with no powers of scent and different from the to whom he attributes great of nose he looks upon the as the or british ver track while some writers only deem it the the british he looks upon as from the crooked legged of europe by greek writers sir w says that the praised by was identical with our water on various monuments this dog is figured the tribe is a numerous one and from the beautiful little creature known as charles the second s or the duke of s breed to the handsome by some deemed the most serviceable shooting companion to the of the entire sporting races the and the are the only two dogs called used in wood and water craft some call the smaller breed hi t by of the printed authorities vary considerably when making the definition of the one says the or gun of true perfect breed is of one general or whole colour either black or black tan commonly called king charles s breed or red in different shades paler or deeper and another says the true english bred but little from the save in size of all species the has the truest attachment to the human race and is of the as well as the most affectionate disposition in form it is that of the small the colours of the hair being either black and white liver coloured and white brown or black the so termed water is best known by its in hunting and swimming in the water its hair also is a little harder and than the land the too well known as the gun to need is usually smaller than the water a dog greatly used in its shape is particularly graceful and its renders it a great favourite with used to this breed it is generally a white haired dog with rich red spots and black while the is black and is a smaller dog with shorter legs and shorter in the back it has also a shorter and head and is altogether of more compact frame and make the ears long and as well as the tail and legs and the hair all more curly than the larger king charles s is supposed to be the parent of the breed of dogs the the is almost similar in appearance to the latter but the s black coat is relieved in the or as it is indifferently called the or of by red spots above the eyes and on the breast and feet he has a shorter back and is fuller in the nose and the of is the most ancient of the races and the huge the most sagacious and courageous from very ancient times the breed has engaged much attention from in the east the greatest possible pains were taken to them for as all game was brought down by the gun or in so these races were considered the only ones fitted for these uses the race is somewhat famous in history the highest order of distinction in was founded in honour of a dog of this kind named that remained to the sovereign of that kingdom when the human race had deserted him in the motto of this order now called the order of the elephant is was faithful and the instinctive fidelity of this species is in the account given of a prince of who was driven on the english coast with his and his dogs and was taken up as a spy and brought before king of the east angles however was soon and became a great favourite with him on account of his skill in and hunting he was at last the murdered by a jealous of ms favour who concealed his remains in the woods none knew his fate till a dog worn by and grief came to and upon him with expressive gestures and the king followed him to the spot where the body lay the murder was as it was thought by the of the the was put into s boat and committed to the mercy of the waves unfortunately the purposes of justice were not in this case achieved for the wretch was borne to when to avoid the torture he accused as the of and was thus the occasion of the first the instances of attachment recorded of are most numerous they will sometimes take a liking for and even birds but their general fondness is for the human race there is one affecting example related of a in paris in it was so severe a frost that the was thickly frozen over but a had commenced when a number of youths chose still to continue the sport of one named a young student and the possessor of a small had only gone on the treacherous ice near the of the hotel when it broke and his body disappeared the small by his frantic grief gave the alarm but no assistance could be rendered and the poor creature s only served to warn others from the spot that day and the following night the animal remained to watch for his master s the re appearance and still the day after he was at his post some persons made him a of straw and some him food hut to these of kindness and admiration he remained he run backwards and forwards in great distress upon the ice | 50 |
but always came back to the same sleeping place he bit a soldier who would have forced him away who fearing that he was mad fired at and wounded him people came in crowds to gaze at the poor and at last a woman prevailed upon it to have its wound dressed she carried it home with her and we believe succeeded after a lapse of time in making it again comfortable and happy of the thousand pet of idle ladies we sometimes hear remarkable accounts of their cunning in orders given before them to which they were averse relative to their personal treatment and are made use of in but the who closer and is not so full of bustle as the is of the more utility to the colonel remarks with regard to that they are nine times out of ten so badly broken in as in general to be only fit to drive a large wood but if taught to keep always within half a gun shot they are the best dogs in existence for working among and they should be trained very young or they require an degree of and it is sometimes advisable at first to hunt them with a the fore foot tied up in the collar we another hint of a valuable experience for and cock shooting cannot be too strong too short upon the leg or have too much courage to be in a perfect state of discipline they must follow a hare no further than whilst it is in view when once put into covert must not quit it to in the fields which some slippery ones will do and must be in their places twisting round every with and possess such of nose that neither nor can escape their search it will be perceived that if often become in favour of this sort of dog over every other it can be no easy ir to train up a team of one or two must be taught to fetch and or as some think but one in a team else in which shall carry the game they will break it for a general summary of desirable form in the take this they should stand on short bony legs be powerfully made all over with a speaking eye a large head and large long drooping ears xviii wild fowl shooting shooting the wild swan that lovely rosy feet its silver boat many logical as well as this may be called the poetry of sport poetry is scarce far more rare than the of have an idea and so is wild swan shooting and can imagination conceive anything more above powder and patent shot work in general than assisting at the of a of the choir who out her life in the reader shall doubt the popular rumour that this bird makes her exit to soft music presently we wiu deal with his suspicion it need hardly be that the chances of shooting wild are few and between even the wild swan to the most constant nevertheless when the accident does arrive the appear to come not single but in colonel tells us on one occasion i knocked down eight at a shot seven old ones and one brown one and nineteen pounds each and at something of the same extent was done bj somebody whose name is not preserved when are to be met with in these islands it is under circumstances most to them they seldom or never are foimd among us except when overtaken by the of an extremely severe winter and then their flight is very low and when they alight they are very easily approached their size too renders them a mark veiy difficult to miss so that when the gets within distance he can hardly avoid killing his bird though he may not find it quite so easy to bag him when in flight the swan should be shot at beneath the wing when sitting take him in the head always shoot at a from behind so as to throw your shot under the feathers they will turn almost anything short of if fired at on the surface colonel gives a very picture of and his man going about to wild on the coast of having made out a sort of all stuck over with these interesting specimens of he floated towards them in his having previously covered myself and my man with clean white linen and a white the must have had strong shooting the wild swan nerves to stand the approach of such we whether either the master or man would have stood their ground had they seen a of figures stealing upon them through the grey dawn in clean white linen and white upon the vexed question of the music made by the dying swan mr has an anecdote so interesting and so simple withal that we cannot resist it to our pages he has already related an incident of his early wild fowl shooting career and thus proceeds another stormy mid winter day a farmer sent to let us know that a flock of wild had appeared off the shore my brother and i instantly started with our duck guns when we had with our glasses from a rising ground we saw that the flock were resting some hundred yards from the land but had little doubt from the high wind that they would soon seek its shelter we accordingly chose different stations and crawling to them with the utmost caution waited patiently for upwards of an hour at last the by degrees and much turning and the shore opposite my brother but the water being shallow they began to feed as soon as their long necks could sound the bottom he was thus forced to rush down to the edge and take the distant shot one lay badly wounded had the wind been blowing towards | 50 |
the shore the swan was so he could not have made head against it but as it blew side natural history of the wild swan ways the creature ed to itself out into the waves every now and then uttering its wild there was no boat nearer than a mile we however set off full speed and with a at the launched into the deep the wind was blowing a perfect gale the waves over us to the skin and every time we our course we were in danger of being we had almost given up hope especially as the white foam of the bursting waves was so exactly like the object of our as to prevent our it at any distance when the at the called out i hear him all eyes were strained in every direction and the poor swan was at last seen rising over the like the spirit of the tempest there was much difficulty and some danger in getting it safe on board and in all probability we should never have perceived it had it not betrayed itself by its dying song the wild swan or of british authors it is supposed by some eminent of the present day that there are several varieties of the wild swan and a couple or more of the in three killed by colonel at a shot of the latter variety the space above the bill was of bright yellow in another place he also killed three at a shot and of these the space above the bills was pale flesh colour the society have discovered another distinct species smaller and the wild swan different from the common which they have named after mr this is of internal very different from the tame swan it is usually less than a fourth of the size weighing from thirteen to pounds the average sixteen pounds the wild k in the wild and twenty upwards in the tame but these are slight differences compared to that of its and all to those found upon in opposition to the general on the of its we have col s testimony that the wild swan the swan possesses at least two notes of the musical even in a state who can therefore assert that the species may not have that and and were not correct in their of the swan s hear what says on the subject that he had often heard sweetly singing in the lake as he rowed up and down in his boat too the learned declared there was in his family a very honest young man john a student in divinity who upon oath solemnly affirmed that once in the territory of in he was standing upon the sea shore early in the morning when he heard a most musical murmur composed of sweet and pleasant sounds and looking about him and climbing to the top of a certain he there an infinite flock of wild in a bay producing this most delightful harmony the sweetest in his life time he had ever heard this is at least as pleasant a fiction to read as one of la s and well doth the poetical make use of it who the last song of the swan with the hymn of on the lips of the good dying man to fact we find the s cry to be particularly wild and disagreeable and harsh enough in its to banish the least notion of the melody of its species the wild swan is found in the all the year round as it there this very elegant bird is a constant and that in large companies to z the wild swan the irish and indeed to the interior of that island as we have before alluded to the written of its melodious quality we can assert that we have heard sounds proceeding from a flight of vastly more harmonious than the race of water fowl are in the habit of producing they were not so far as our ear could detect separate notes but rather a and combined harmony an idea which may be imperfectly given by comparing it with the sustained tones of an organ it is a remarkable feature in the natural of this bird that wherever it is found in a wild state it is white so to speak or at least but little from that hue except in new holland where it is black or of a tint scarcely removed from black perhaps in animated nature there is not a more beautiful sight than the flight of the royal of the there they are their stately way over and over lakes and perchance from icy or from or or far away m the and unknown regions of america do they hither come these were their summer dwell and breeding places with and and other ice bound european lands for there the sun never sets for weeks but nurses innumerable beds of insect food for their use and service professor thus and describes a flock covering the wide waters at the head of the wild swan or silent and asleep riding at anchor around s tis now mid and lo in that a flock of wild have they dropped down from the into the water almost as pure as without having once folded their wings since they rose aloft to the northern hundreds of beyond the storm swept to look at the quiet creatures you might think that they had never left the circle of that little there they hang on their shadows even as if asleep in the sunshine and now stretching out their long wings how apt for flight from to i they beat the liquid radiance till to the land flapping high rises the mist and wide the foam almost sufficient for a rainbow safe are they from all birds of prey the down on the the great or sea eagle on the as | 50 |
he from the before t e wild sailing with all wings hoisted like a fleet but nor eagle dares to try his on that stately bird for he is bold in his beauty and for as he is the that swim and can also and though the one be a lover of war the other of peace yet of these it may be said the eagle he is lord above the swan is lord below i to have shot such a creature so so white so high soaring and on the winds of midnight fer a creature that seemed not merely a goose stranger in that but belonging to some mysterious land in another whose coast ships have been known to visit driving under bare poles through a month s snow storms was an era in our lives once and once only we were involved in the glory of that event the creature had been in a dream of some river or lake of or listening across the waves roar the wolf s long howl from s shore when guided by our good genius and our brightest star we suddenly saw him sitting asleep in all his state within in a bay of the we blew his black bill into pieces not a feather on his head but was touched and like a little pleasure boat caught in a the wild swan spun round and then lay motionless on the waters as if all her had gone by the board the mighty foreign bird whose we had never hoped to touch but in a dream lying like the ghost of something that ought not to have been destroyed wild goose shooting in spite of the enthusiasm displayed by the writers on wild fowl shooting in their accounts of hair breadth their moving accidents by flood it reads like anything but sport there is certainly no for taste especially the taste that takes its pleasure in the mud on the coast or wild goose the bay of in a which nothing so much as a pig some men would imagine crawling on all through a wilderness of only fit for a some think it capital fun and follow it on the as the are called a gallant colonel who has written on this amusement con to with those who don t or can t like it as much as himself and calls them and other hard names he tells you the usual way of forth for this purpose that is to say for wild fowl shooting is to drive to an inn on the coast call the waiter who an honest for whom the boots is immediately on his arrival he sees how eager you are to set sail his price accordingly you thousands of birds where he knows a boat can never get at them you with a few of his own killing at double their value and your day ends with a ten pound bill and perhaps a couple of sea this do n t look promising and yet the best way for the yoimg after this high is really to put himself into the hands of some professor of the science this individual wiu at all events him for the same with the thousand necessary for the craft and this is of the battle it is not any part of our design in these pages to teach the yoimg idea how to shoot wild fowl in the preserves of old we dare not do so in a work to deal with wild goose shooting tions in sporting is not amusement according to the general average idea of captain who wrote the last book upon the subject heads one of his leading chapters it and puts to it the motto man is and ever will be mad and mud certainly are not suited for a particularly tame spirit therefore we again repeat he who would follow them cannot do better than put himself into the hands of a professional and into a patent life preserving belt but there is a species of wild fowl shooting appropriate to persons in their senses and in this the young amateur may indulge as we proceed to lay before him many of the inland waters of england are the resort of wild fowl and these afford quite as much of this sport as any ordinary appetite can desire we will suppose our has fixed upon the spot for his diversion he will then select a suitable gun which is an indispensable provision let it be double and a good sized one fit to no shot with a good distribution next his care should be to have a perfect let this be an animal which wiu on occasion beat the rushes beds c he must be as mute as a wary and imder perfect command if not all these just as you are within shot of a flock of glorious he begins and your birds take french leave mr says a dog of a very cool temper will wild fowl better i r wild fowl shooting shooting a noble sport as good in t as any of their wild than another with quicker movements and perhaps a finer nose many of the in this shooting take refuge in and bushes and the keen tempered dog is apt to them thus losing time whereas the other slowly tracks them one by one to their hiding place his third essential is a small pocket thus equipped he enters upon his wild which of course the pursuit of all birds coming under the title of wild fowl as the method of sporting is the same with all so far as the principle is concerned our observations will be understood not only as to wild but to wild duck and shooting having reached the shore of the water which he purposes shooting the yoimg wild | 50 |
will look out for his game taking heed he himself is not observed for this intent he should creep cautiously to the first spot commanding a view of the usual of wild fowl let this be done with the care as the he is looking for so nearly the stones and and general covers they frequent that he will find it very difficult to distinguish one from the other should he make out any water fowls afloat in shore let him then with his glass the margin of the lake or wild fowl shooting stream and mark well if be there should he find that there is he may count on it being either ducks or if his sport lie on streams or rivers says mr he will find it very unsatisfactory as there are so many and which prevent his seeing the fowl they are close at hand and so many little and where they conceal themselves beyond the possibility of detection until the of their wings and the of the betray their hiding place this is no doubt true but the chase of water fowl in favourable circumstances by running streams particularly when there are preserves in the vicinity is very pretty sport still it will be snap shooting to a certain extent and chance shots only are to be reckoned on while fowl on open waters is more a matter of science and of this we are treating having once got sight of the birds the knows that his game is within reach and he goes about getting within shot of it let him search out some cover through which he may shoot at them in creeping to this shelter if practicable keep to of them for then there is less chance of their hearing or winding you having placed yourself within shot fire at them sitting with one barrel the other to salute them when they rise which they will do ducks are far more wary and difficult of approach than or so that in the former wild fowl shooting no precaution of silence or concealment should be lost sight of the great art too is to get sitting shots by which only a good account can be rendered of a flock of wild fowl when so found they are for the most part sleeping as for the purpose of feeding they resort to and on and their time for repose is the day their period of flight the earliest dawn and from twilight to dark at night these observations only apply to wild fowl shooting with a shoulder gun in distinction to the modem invention of them on salt water with guns introduced by colonel at least into the list of a gentleman s with this sport as we have said it is not our design to deal it certainly does not come within the range of this work which to treat of the rural in which the gun is an agent and not of the toil or business of the birds of chase by for by the hands of the the taste for shooting by sea or land we would under any circumstances be loth to for from it has sprung all the sin and sorrow to which our game laws have given existence a system when it is used as a of a morbid appetite that the very evil it was intended to remedy the spirit of our field sports is to afford a wholesome pursuit which shall link exercise with manly habits this new contrivance the natural history of the wild goose has the land with a plague of and and transformed the gentleman into an amateur poultry butcher when our bad game code shall be as it ought and must a bad foreign fancy will be got rid of and once again our woods and fields shall be sought by those who desire to take their in shooting the ore the wild goose or grey of british authors this is but one of six wild species of that visit our islands in great quantities colonel thus them the goose a variety of the common one the most common in ireland and scotland and a smaller the wild goose bird the goose still less than the former the grey the egyptian goose or goose and the white or laughing goose besides the red goose a rare and very delicate species there are also other varieties of this species such as the c few if any of which however are to the ca n island the fly in flocks at very regular intervals of distance either going in a line abreast or in two lines joining in an angle in the middle in short precision they appear to select that figure which shall best stem the resistance of the air and lessen their by their manner of flying also they present as small a the wild goose mark as possible to the or and from the great height to which they rise and the distances they maintain from each other it is difficult nay almost impossible to hit more than one at a time the goose is remarkable for its in a wild state the female her eggs with great solicitude and the male bird often drives her off to take her place with a more noisy dignity the wild goose seldom lays above eight eggs it is known to live to a great age of the small goose colonel remarks that our late king william the fourth esteemed it beyond other wild fowl of the egyptian goose he thus relates two of these birds appeared some years ago in one of which was killed by john esq and the other by his keeper three egyptian were for some days in the winter of in the fields of and after being fired at about ten times the old was killed by one of the i was | 50 |
informed that they were at first so easy of access that i then concluded they must have taken flight from some gentleman s pond the next year again during the tremendous from the west a flock of about eighty appeared near the same place and two more were killed and sent me by the same man i have therefore no doubt of their instead of to this i suppose these birds were tiu of late years very scarce as mr has no specimen of them the laughing have the wild goose only been known to the of our islands for some years since the frost of when a flock of eighty of them alighted on a field near the village of the cry of the goose is frequently heard when we cannot catch the least sight of the flock overhead it seems to pass from one to another like the of the sheep or the bay of the hound in pursuit it is seldom heard when they alight the bird is too known for any of its or internal notwithstanding the royal authority in favour of the variety of this fowl our gives preference over all the race to the species called by the natives the this bird the coast of ireland from head to bay in vast quantities the country people cook it by all conceivable and inconceivable and it is eaten at breakfast at the houses of the gentry done into a after too much wine which from head to bay and thence to again is a consequence of course it is really a most delicious relish this may seem a quaint style of doing a natural history notice but allowance must be made for the subject who drives fat oxen c the benevolent reader will apply of goose it is fit to say however that in the affair of the wild goose is no doubt a non belonging neither to the flesh fish or good red the most amusing t the wild goose natural historian in the world thus speaks of his obligations to this bird a young goose is generally reckoned very good eating yet the feathers of this bird still increase its value i feel my obligations to this animal every word i write for however a man s head may be his pen is enough upon eveiy occasion it is happy indeed for poor authors that it requires no great effort to put it in motion but the feathers of this bird are still as valuable in another capacity as they make the and the warmest beds to sleep on of goose feathers most of our beds in europe are composed or supposed to be by in the on the and in all asia the use of them is unknown how it happens that the had not the use of feather beds is surprising tells us indeed that they made of feathers to lay their heads on and this serves as a proof that they turned feathers to no other uses as good feathers are a very valuable great numbers of are kept tame in the of which are plucked once or twice a year the feathers of are most in esteem those of ireland are reckoned the worst s bay also very fine feathers supposed to be of the same kind the down of the swan is brought from the wild goose always the same marks these marks are seldom found in the tame but both invariably retain a white ring round their tail which shows they are both descended from the natural history of the wild duck same original describes the flight of the wild goose its wonderful and harmony of accord and remarks that unlike the and the which journey in the obscurity of the night the are seen pursuing their route in broad day the dock the wild duck among wild ducks the male is called the and the young birds in size it is not equal to the tame duck in it but little from it its bill is yellow its neck is adorned with the brightest grass green feathers ending in a white ring the most apparent distinction between the wild and tame species is however in the colour of the legs the wild duck the wild duck s legs are black those of the tame one yellow those ducks which feed much in the and have a broad bill bending upwards a large hind toe and a long tail those which feed in have bills and and a tail pointed a few of the wild duck tribe known to the as natives of our own the f european may be thus first the the bird or with the head and neck of a bright bay the with a bill of lead colour and the back feathers marked with narrow black and white lines and well known by its whistling sound the black duck or or black the duck or the duck the wiu duck colonel says of this duck the only three i ever heard of on the coast appeared in a late severe winter i stopped them all though i got but one as the other two beat me in a sea the duck the golden eye the grey duck or the duck or duck swallow the duck winter duck sea or the duck the or broad duck the duck the velvet duck or double besides other varieties as these live much in the same manner as the the duck domestic ducks we shall only briefly touch upon them they resort together in flocks during the winter and fly in pairs during the summer the velvet ducks are seen more in summer than in winter ducks nests are constructed easily among heath and rushes of their favourite not fer from the water where they will lay twelve or fourteen eggs before they sit the hen remains on them about thirty days when | 50 |
the birds burst forth to take their first tumble in the water an old duck is often a cunning bird and will make her nest a considerable distance from the water for safety she has been known to do so upon an oak tree five and twenty feet from the a perilous proceeding for the young birds whose wing feathers are of the growth here they were dependent on the tenderness of their parent to convey them in her or feet to the water their necessary element wild ducks breed with us but not in great quantities the of mr of in observed a wild duck fly out of a large oak in which the year preceding there was a hawk s nest the nest was foimd to be in complete repair and contained two eggs recently laid by the duck in it the nest whether high or low is composed of singular materials the longest grass mixed with heath and lined within with the bird s own feathers will sometimes be the composition although in proportion to the climate the is more or less made the duck in the regions will the wild duck form itself a to lay in the approach of which it carefully lines it first with a of clay and grass then with moss then with feathers or down the duck which is about twice as large as the common duck makes her nest among the rocks or plants of the sea shore where after the nest like others of the species she will add to it a luxurious covering plucked from the soft inner down of her own breast this valuable the natives hunt for and carry away with nest and eggs when the bird will immediately set about another of which she is again robbed the third time she still but her down is exhausted and the supplies the loss with his own if this also is carried away both birds the place and breed there no more we find the of those that to us not nearly so high as those that breed here the wild duck at table that eats loose and you may assuredly take for a foreign traveller whose food by the way of waters was fish they love to choose a lake in the hood of woods with a marsh at one side and if a couple of them once alight hundreds by the constant call peculiar to this tribe will flock to the same spot the of the duck where it begins to enter the lungs opens into a kind of bony where the sound is reflected as in a great musical instrument wild ducks generally choose that part of the lake where they are inaccessible to the the wiu approach of the here in multitudes and long before the season for courtship they will be hurrying and about the whole day never at rest but as if holding a general council of ways and means there they are in the middle of the lake now up now down always busy and always loud going off at night time to feed in the woods or or to adjacent meadows they are too wary to approach in the day time in the duck is called or bill they breed in this county colonel says that the of this species are easier found and show more sport than those of the common wild duck their flesh too is of superior there is a variety of this kind called the red for which as well as all other varieties of wild fowl i have found the coast of to be the best this no doubt is in consequence of its being nearest to holland from whence there are driven across the channel by a strong wind many birds that will seldom travel farther to the westward the birds brought principally to the london shops are the or taken in immense numbers by of which we the account given by mr daniel the or is about the size of a one pound twelve its length is nineteen inches breadth two feet and a half the bill is broader than the s of a deep lead colour with a black tip the wild duck orange the head and neck deep with a small spot of white under the centre of the lower the lower part of the neck and breast and upper part of the back dusky black and wing nearest the body of a white marked with narrow lines of black the exterior wing and belly ash coloured and brown vent feathers and of tail black the tail consists of short feathers twelve in number of a deep grey the legs lead coloured secondary feathers regularly edged with a of white the female has the head of a pale brown the breast is rather of a deeper colour and belly the back marked like that of the male they are excellent eating a for is called a flight pond and has fastened to tall stout poles twenty eight or thirty feet long at the bottom of each pole is a box fixed filled with heavy stones sufficient to the poles and the instant an iron pin is withdrawn which the and poles flat upon the small willow boughs or the are small pens made of about three feet high for the reception of birds that strike against the and fall down and such is the form and of wing in the that they cannot ascend again from these little if they would besides the numbers which are usually knocked into these pens all chance of escape from them by the wing a will sometimes allow the haunt the wild duck of to be so great that the whole surface of the pond shall be covered with them previous to his attempting to take one upon such occasions he all the he can get to complete the slaughter by breaking | 50 |
their necks when all is ready the are roused from the pond and as all wild fowl rise against the wind the poles in that quarter are and fly up with the at the instant the begin to leave the of the water so as to meet them in their first ascent and they are thus beat down by hundreds the other method of french origin is the system where the himself with a number of made tame k the wild fowl are in a state of they will not follow the call of the towards the like that in which fish are caught in in such case a little dog is brought into he passes backward and forward between the reed hedges in which there are little holes both for the man to see and for the httle dog to pass through this the eye of the wild fowl who prompted by curiosity advance towards this little animal while he all the time keeps playing among the nearer and nearer the covered over by the sticks and till they follow him too far to sometimes the dog will not attract their attention till a red handkerchief or something as attractive be put about him the ducks are taught to under the water as soon as the rest are driven in the wild duck thousands on thousands are brought to market by these modes while of ancient and modem modes of we cannot avoid taking notice of that which is said to be the chinese method of these birds it equals the french for ingenuity the italian method of putting out their eyes is too cruel for our english habits but this chinese method might be followed without to humanity whenever the sees a number of ducks settled in any particular of water he sends off two or three to float among them these being made hollow swim on the surface of the water and on one pool there may be sometimes seen twenty or thirty of them the fowl are at first a little shy of coming near but by degrees they approach and as birds grow familiar with so the ducks gather around the and amuse themselves by their bills against them at last the is satisfied he can deceive them he puts his head into one of these hollow and making holes to breathe and see through he slowly into the water keeping his body under and nothing but his head above its surface he thus gets in among the wild fowl while they long used to see take not the least fright while the enemy is in the midst of them and an enemy he is for ever as he approaches a fowl he it by the legs and it under the water there he natural hi t by of the it under his aiid goes to the next till he has loaded himself when he has got his quantity without ever attempting to disturb the rest of the fowls on the pool he slowly moves off again and in this manner pays the flock a visit several times in the day this if true is by no means a method of duck murder and so far to be approved of the young reader will find in s industrious experiences some useful hints on wild duck shooting for our parts we have not been without our attachment to the diversion give us in any part of the world in the eastern of our own country in france or amid the hills of scotland where the lie like among the hills some far off solitary pool or lake clear water only in the centre and rushes thickly round there might we not hope to see plentiful as duck who knows wild and from our crouching station and there might we not again amidst the and and and bustle of a first arrival do execution as of the this the smallest of the duck species is also the most delicate and the most esteemed it is unfortunately more rare than the others but the numbers that come to this country vary greatly from season to season the about twelve or more and may measure about fifteen inches in length the male bird has the according to the received standard of the beauty among the tribe the bill is black the head and upper parts of the neck are of a bright bay the whole of its head and wings are very splendid the female has the same beautiful green patch on her wings as the male bird a few of these birds breed with us some years back great numbers were taken in but the is much reduced of late the internal structure of this bird is peculiar it has at the end of the adapted as it is said to the peculiar sounds it this is also the case of many others of the wild fowl tribe as we have mentioned in our account of the wild swan and goose the s nest is formed of rushes and lined with down and so placed as to swing to and rise and fall with the motions of the wind and water some authors speak of varieties of this bird as summer c is clearly wrong in his description of a bird of a much greater size in it as a its eggs are of the size of those of the pigeon they are white with brown spots the used to be made after this where a pond by a wood is found the is to be raised this should be planted round with if possible in the event of the wood not clothing it three or four pipes or channels are then to be dug broad towards the pond and point like towards the end these are to be covered with supported by sticks bending from one side to another and | 50 |
so forming a sort of or vault gradually growing to the point at which it is terminated by a net reed hedges should to the edges of the pipes or channels which are thus hidden from the sight and behind which the places himself to pursue his operation when the wild fowl come down at night to feed the whistle is raised the is covered with brought thither by the s art who has scattered the over with seed c the ducks begin to pick up the grain and the wild fowl quickly imitate their example and thus are secured in the net the burning a piece of turf at his nose that their exquisite sense of smelling may not put them on guard in frosty weather these birds come together in flocks of from twenty to thirty but are generally found the scattered even birds of one seldom keep long together the flight of the when flushed it rarely high it along the pool and gives the a fair chance it is no difficult matter to get near but you are apt to lose sight of him a close and sharp look out as he often flies away altogether colonel says of all the that a wild fowl could wish to meet with a flock of is the very first and for that reason probably it is becoming one of the in the of wild fowl shooting works i hy and hall strand new in turn s thick s letters speeches by thomas with m of by permission from an ture by in the of the in to in red gilt edges s or in proof of th on india price s beauties of the poet seen o from by made expressly for the work ia the highest of art by or the of mr f with i in two post stories the italian poets a of the poems or and with ts of t and of t vl ox by hunt ia one w p it e or the hotel by m sue with beautiful drawn by david d on wood by the under deuce of b r heath i works published in bound m price s c the arch by thomas weight m a y wa a and in on steel four of which are of remarkable buildings and and of one and seventeen on wood all br f w p s a ft one post notes of a from to grand by mr angel o in one poet in shooting i l of i of l e full to the thb of guns and d by cr sporting dogs from original t in the style of the art by f w new books thb in small wonderful stories for children the of en by i in small ra story about a christmas in the century bt mrs four coloured in hunters and ob sketches of in lands beyond the sea bt mb in the horse and his rider in thb press in preparation in two narrative of the expedition to in of h mj for the of with f om the of esq now of by the hon henry r n and illustrations in tinted hy the king of s in england in the year bt c su s u i t w z by and hall and monthly series of of l d mi p m y hie of a new and as it to ns very spirited attempt to reduce the price of this of literature a er if the monthly series continues as well as it has the old three system is at an end the world will no longer be willing to pay thirty shillings for when for it can ei the best of the best e in one post cloth the family s fi a novel in this book if we mistake not we have the promise of a new writer of fiction not unworthy to take his place with the writer of castle and headlong hall a vein of genuine through page and equally itself in the conception of character and incident or in the construction of the sparkling dialogue which down before the of tiie reader j in one volume post the life of including his by edward of a thb of t e a complete and judicious view of s life we recommend this in respect a most admirable piece of biography monthly we cannot a more story of genius to a style which would alone haye to the production of an interesting and striking mr a depth of knowledge and musical appreciation rare and remarkable an acceptable addition to our stores of biography more rich and complete in the assemblage of its materials than any previous publication on the subject ul in two volumes post c t ft the a story of ireland in by mrs s c hall mn best novel the is an to messrs and hall s monthly series mrs hall s style is easy graceful and the death of the middle man in which the or death is introduced is described with thrilling l see next page r l published hi one oo in ornamental boards price e in the of br bt art in the of as in that ot a rare kind and cheerful of the and habits of and happy middle life and vivid on u on it or plays mi in one cloth edges price c st s eve oe these in the life of an peasant by with u bt one of the best and productions of this fertile author the tale ia with g pathos and glimpses of beauty moral and over the ru lot of the irish like uie speaks of in a | 50 |
hy when the one volume post price i cloth a tour through the valley of the w of ti lu by ah and written and nicely and will be found a weu companion to pleasure may take up the valley of the or business may keep at home it is for in doors as well as out this work is one of the most agreeable we have ever seen as the author has paused not only to inquire at each place he visited but to reflect upon the result of his inquiries which he in a style highly and often learned ar in price s the of of the this is one of the very best of the many excellent foreign works library has made accessible to readers it presents us with a vivid of the mind and life of a man worthy to one who has with success by speculation and by action to improve the condition of his fellow man the v is with the spirit of moral and political wisdom and cannot fail to be widely read r the lessons of virtue by the most of au of a high and beneficent activity a of a good s me of a good man s f ft af the race bull j j by and works of thomas in one mail a portrait price d the life of ft in one price m cloth past and present in one volume small price cloth on heroes and worship vo ia the revolution s vol ths ii thb iii th in one volume crown price it but there is old in small vo price i s critical and miscellaneous essay jn three vo price cloth translation s b nd works of charles jn one volume oo price ll is cloth the papers by in one volume price il by in one volume vo price u is cloth sketches by a with by in one volume price il is cloth martin by in one volume cloth the old curiosity shop with ill by g ft h k in one volume price is cloth of t of with b by q h k in two volumes post price u l th american notes i published work by of pa t issued every s beauties of the poets a i l ir of their principal female characters i vm eminent artists made work highest of art bt ob thb of mr edward with the with to be followed bt illustrations of burns and other popular british poets number four plates with the pen of a female writer imperial proofs on india paper eight shillings proofs few will a of which l j ill be printed without letter press the beginning of a charming publication the of and single so that it deserves a frame and the whole series to a gallery a portrait of after is set in a border of exquisite grace english and appropriate and without a borrowed from the german it la of the utmost elegance then follow the black and blue eyes w the former to the song without caring for the consequences but the latter better pleased to heal the wounds they hare is embodied in two lovely girls with expression suited to the words st s love h o is a single female form of touching pathos and young j with her reflected from a mirror a pleasing fancy the last laughing eyes another by w is perfectly delicious and the whole are engraved the first by w and the rest by b in a style of great excellence they are quite with tender yet effective shadows and the whether we refer to costume or the frame work around at the same time finely correct and rich a neat and interesting letter press each ihe work is one of the fairest promise and in these days of for the really superior productions oi art must be a very popular public ry k m by and way the halls and p s in for t by j s g s j holland f c in under the op mr with bt s c hall s a each part contains plates and pages of letter press with prints imperial f india paper imperial of part just published hall house hall hall hall castle part the hall in the wood great hall the first volume thb first parts is prints imperial half bound des m contents k sa hall hall na worth long house house church interior castle pen from the park pen the court yard tower hall t the great chamber n ham hall a ve hall west hall church church t i st works tt a of foreign a p e volumes the of just published by j st the german on the the the end the interior of the with a map price l by j g hie d and the military frontier price lit doth ireland scotland and england by j q price doth life in by madame de la price doth celebrated crimes by alexander containing the the of saint of of tlie the de price doth history of the century by p c volumes post and second the literary portion of the history each price s doth history of the century by p c volumes and lu each doth and volume six price lit doth the political portion of the history history of ten years the three days and y louis in two volumes price l s doth tales from the german specimens from the most celebrated authors by j and c a price lit doth history of germany the earliest period to the present | 50 |
time by p price t doth history of france by m translated by walter e the doth to be completed in two volumes the second r f by hall the library of travel and the holy land and people thb and br with never was more never were the of of travel more the is truly the social physical political and features of the are well and the reader is at home with the the the jew the and the volume ihe w eh ar gilt egypt and notices op y and historical tb c b j a st john or au or one hundred and twenty wood in me gilt edges price e ladies young and young couples mm i m wi second edition in vo songs and bt samuel this edition contains the in mr e second in post price a the irish sketch book by mb m a on wood thb s michael is precisely the writer who should sketch ireland as it is he hm the very characteristics of the and his narrative on with a never interest which leaves one no chance having once opened the book hut to read it to its very last ay and to profit by it too one of the most valuable books of sketches that has been published many a day as a whole the book is capital or a through ireland in which every thing is taken as it and wit are in all the drawings we think the book uncommonly humorous and madly works published in bound in ch a price fifteen in outline of s tempest br j n in price in nursery government os hints addressed to mothers and on ti of d br mrs second corrected and enlarged in three volumes poet d the history of two lives by b in one volume doth price s f for n a s of e showing the most approved methods of and ending the game together with situations and by william edition corrected ain enlarged with twenty pour printed in colours price cloth or bound in l hours of meditation b upon connected with the moral and social duties of life ow h by james d to the queen in one price m the victims or the case of the british colonel captain and i n by captain r b edition with additions in one volume vo price lo m the book of a series of on as many different subjects in connection with morals religion and philosophy each essay an ancient symbol or moral the are and we toe book to our as th of a leaned aiid thinking mind jou s poems in a handsome volume uniform italy price poems the pilgrim op the songs and minor poems by samuel with twenty three in line by w r drawings by h by and hall under the of the society for the of useful knowledge a series of maps complete thb index in the half sprinkled edges gilt edges gilt back and edges half russia plain sprinkled edges gilt edges gilt back and edges in two plain plain s d s rf d d a li s any numbers of the series may at present be obtained and are recommended to complete their sets without delay an index of more than places by the rev a m the size of the ss binding the maps specimen copies in various of binding may be seen at the and may have their copies bound in the best and strongest manner with india rubber backs by sending them through their or direct to strand half plain sprinkled edges gilt edges gilt back and edges half russia plain sprinkled edges gilt edges and edges in in two s d j rf s i strongly half bound india rubber backs price s coloured t a family with an index of places strongly bound in cloth with india rubber backs a school ing twenty one maps with index of price plain coloured s eighteen maps plain lis d and modern strongly half in one volume price plain coloured ll the stars on the six maps ss plain j s the world on the six maps s plain s d col map of england and wales coloured price st or mounted in case new map of london enlarged and with all the recent improve in a leather case price s d or on a sheet l m coloured l f published pocket county the stations laid down bt hall on s oh a sheet price d case price d and is each n d b england isle or of man ft ey j ter price m each the a ee of the above ireland scotland and wales new travelling sound in with a price a pocket travelling of the english with all the roads laid m and coloured corrected to the time engraved by hall tim t have for and dear the maps bat la the middle ao that the whole when a thick volume in a exactly the without being too for the pocket of a great coat the union journal and the arts and ornamental published on the first of every price one the art union has obtained the confidence of the artists a considerable portion of public patronage and been recommended by the as and as admirably calculated to advance the objects of artists and increase the taste for works of art and as at once by the excellence of its arrangements the variety and interest of its and the tone of its opinions th highest claims upon the support of all of art the foreign review on the b t of october six f by hai l in large u hand w l and and two op | 50 |
ever breathes with the dark designs the crimes and of mankind he has nothing to do and his light spirit is never depressed by their influence indeed he may be said with truth to pass through none but the of life to hear nothing but mirth to feel nothing but kindness and to communicate nothing but happiness to all he is at once the source and the centre of all good and friendly feelings by him the aged man forgets his years and is agreeably cheated back into youth the a pleasant moment from his toil and is happy the care worn ceases to remember the anxieties that press him down the boy is with delight and the child is charmed with a pleasure that he feels to be surely such a man is important as filling up with enjoyment many of the pauses in human misery he is a thousand times better than a and is a true philosopher without knowing it every man is his friend unless it be a rival and he is the friend of every man with same exception every house too every heart and every hand is open to bim he never knows what it is to want a bed a dinner or a shilling good heavens what more than this can the thb irish o of the human heart desire for my part i do not know what others might aim at but i am of opinion that in such a world as this the highest proof of a wise man would be a wish to live and die an irish and yet alas i there is no condition of life without some remote or sorrow many a scene have i witnessed connected with this very subject that would tears from any eye and find a tender pulse in the hardest heart it la indeed a melancholy alternative that the poor lad to an employment that is ultimately productive of so much happiness to himself and others this alternative is seldom resorted to unless when some poor child perhaps a favourite is deprived of sight by the terrible of the small in life there is scarcely anything more touching than to witness in the innocent invalid the first effects both upon himself and his parents of this the helplessness of the pitiable and his total dependence on those around him his with the relative situation of all the places that were familiar to him his tottering and timid step his affecting call of where are you joined to the bitter consciousness on her part that the light of affection and innocence will never sparkle in those beloved eyes again all tliis a scene of deep and bitter sorrow when however the sense of his passes away and the cherished child grows up to the proper age a fiddle is procured for him by his parents if they are able and if not a is made up among their friends and neighbours to buy him one all the family with tears in their eyes then kiss and take leave of him and his mother taking him by the hand leads him as had been previously arranged to the best in the neighbourhood with whom he is left as an there is generally no fee required but he is engaged to hand hi master all the money he can make at om the he is enough to at them such is tho m simple process of putting a blind boy in the way of becoming with the science of melody in my native parish there were four or five all good in their way but the of the district was the for m where properly lived i never could actually discover and for the best reason in the world he was not at home once m twelve months as says in the play he was a kind of a here and a stranger nowhere this however mattered little for though perpetually shifting day after day from place to place yet it somehow happened that nobody ever was at a loss where to find him the truth is he never felt disposed to travel because he knew that his interest must by doing so the consequence was that wherever he went a little of local fame always attended him which rendered it an easy matter to find his whereabouts was blind from his and as usual owed to the small the loss of his sight he was about the middle size of rather a slender make and possessed an intelligent countenance on which beamed that singular expression of inward serenity so peculiar to the blind his temper was sweet and even but capable of rising through the of his own humour to a high pitch of and enjoyment the dress he wore as far as i can remember was always the same in colour and fabric to wit a brown coat a sober tinted cotton waistcoat gray stockings and black poor i think i see him before me his head erect as the heads of all blind men are the fiddle case under his left arm and his staff held out like a exploring with the nature of tiie ground before him even although some happy leads him onward with an eye an honour of which he will boast to his companions fi r many a mortal month to come the first time i ever heard i lay was also the i thb irish ever heard a fiddle well and distinctly do i remember the occasion the season was summer bnt summer then and a new house g to frank thomas had been and was just ready to receive him and his family the of irish houses in the country generally consist at first of wet clay and when this is sufficiently well and hardened a dance is known to be an excellent thing to | 50 |
bind and prevent them from on this occasion the evening bad been appointed and the day was nearly half advanced but no appearance of the the state of excitement in which found myself could not be described the name of m had been ringing in my ears for god knows how long but i had never seen him or even heard his fiddle every two minutes i was on the top of a little eminence looking out for him my eyes straining out of their and ray head dizzy with the prophetic expectation of rapture and delight human patience however could bear this suspense no longer and i privately resolved to find or perish i accordingly proceeded across the a distance of about three miles to a place called where i found him waiting for a guide at this time i could not have been more than seven years of age and how i wrought out my way over the lonely hills or through what mysterious instinct i was led to him and that by a path too over which i had never travelled before must be left until it shall please that power that guides the bee to its home and the bird for thousands of miles through the air to disclose the principle upon which it is accomplished on our return home i could see the young persons of both sexes flying out to the little eminence i spoke of looking towards the spot we travelled fi om and immediately in again clapping their hands and shouting with delight instantly the whole village was out young and old r moment to satisfy that the in m was correct after which about a dozen of the sprang forward with the speed of so many to meet us whilst the elders returned with a but not less satisfied manner into the houses then commenced the usual battle as to whom should be honoured by permission to carry the fiddle case oh that fiddle case i for seven long years it was an honour exclusively allowed to myself whenever attended a dance anywhere near us and never was the lord s to which by the way with great respect for his it bore a con resemblance carried with a heart or a more eye but so it these little things are great to men blood you re welcome how is every bone of you we you up no we didn t give you up never heed him sure we knew very well you d not the boys de i ah won t you sing there was a devil came over the wall to be sure he will but wait till he comes home and gets his dinner first is it off an empty stomach you d have him to sing give me the fiddle case won t you no to me never heed them you promised it to me at the dance in boys the truth none of can get the fiddle case my fiddle hasn t been well for the last day or two and can t bear to be carried by any one myself blood alive sick is it an what her why some o the doctors says there s a in her an others that she has got the but i m goin to give her a dose of when i get up to the house above ould harry says she s with fiddle an if that s true the irish maybe some o won t be in luck til be able to spare a young fiddle or two among many a tiny hand was clapped and an eye was lit up with the hope of getting a young fiddle fi r gospel itself was never looked upon to be more true than this assertion of s and no wonder the fact is he used to amuse himself by making small of deal and horse hair which he carried about with him as presents for such as he took a fancy to this he made a serious business of and carried it on with an importance becoming the intimation just given indeed i remember the time when i watched one of them which i was so happy as to receive from him day and night with the hope of being able to report that it was growing larger for my firm belief was that in due time it would reach the usual size as we went along with his usual tact got out of us all the information respecting the several of the neighbourhood that had reached us and as much too of the village gossip and scandal as we knew nothing can exceed the overflowing kindness and affection which the irish is received on the occasion of a dance or merry making and to do him justice he loses no of his importance from habit and his position among the people his t and power of are necessarily cultivated and not one of his jokes ever fails a circumstance which his humour for nothing on earth it so much as knowing that whether good or bad it will be laughed at by the way was a bachelor and though blind was able as he himself used to say to see through his ears than another could through the eyes he knew voice at once and every boy and girl in the parish by name the moment he heard them speak on he is bound for he either b m of or at least is offered refreshment after comes the moment to the but all this is done by due and solemn preparation first he calls for a pair of with which he or seems to his then asks for a piece of and in an instant half a dozen boys are of at a break neck pace to the next to procure it whilst in the mean time he deliberately | 50 |
a piece out of his pocket and his bow but heavens what a ceremony the opening of that fiddle case is the of the blind man as he runs his hand to the key hole the turning of the the taking out of the fiddle the and then the first sound as the bow is drawn across the strings then comes a then a delicious saw or two again another and away he goes the favourite tune of the good woman for such s the etiquette upon these occasions tlie house is immediately with the neighbours and a preliminary dance is taken in which the old folks with violence are literally out and forced to join then come the ah jack you could says an can still you have a kick in you yet v why seen in my time the old man will reply bis brow relaxed by a remnant pride aud the of the moment but you see the breath isn t what it used to be ine when could dance the on the bottom of a ten but think a glass o do us no harm that well well i m sure thought my days over an you matched any how rejoined the carried aa light a heel as ever you did woman of her years ever seen could cut the id her you would know the tune on her feet still the is the good woman would say wo the h ii have no now as there was in my days that glass but as good eh here s to you both and long may ye live to shake the toe i s great stuff come now at down jack till i give you your ould favourite these were happy moments and happy times which might well be looked upon as the simple manners of country life with very little of moral shadow to obscure the which lit op the irish heart and hearth into humble happiness with his usual good nature never forgot the younger portion of his audience after entertaining the old and he would call for a key one end of which he placed in his mouth in order to make the fiddle sing for the children their song beginning with oh ma will squeeze my wig this he did in a manner through the medium of the key that the words seemed to be spoken by the instrument and not by himself after this was over he would sing us to his own accompaniment another favourite there was a devil looked over the wall which generally closed that portion of the entertainment so kindly designed for us upon those moments i have often witnessed marks of deep and pious feeling occasioned by some memory of the absent or the dead that were as beautiful as they were affecting if for instance a son or daughter happened to be removed by death the ther or mother remembering the air which was loved best by the departed would pause a moment and with a voice of sorrow say there ib one tune that i would like to hear to think of it and to hear it i do for the sake of them that s gone my that s low it was ho that loved h his ear is closed m against it now but for his sake ay for your sake we will hear it once more always played such tunes in his best style and amidst a silence that was only broken by sobs suppressed and the other tokens of profound sorrow these however of natural feeling soon passed away in a few minutes the smiles returned the mirth broke out again and the lively dance went on as if their hearts had been incapable of such affection for the dead affection at once so deep and tender but many a time the light of plays along the stream of irish feeling when cherished sorrow lies removed from the human eye down from the surface these preliminary amusements being now over is conducted to the dance house where he is carefully in the best chair and immediately the dancing it is not my purpose to describe an irish dance having done it more than once elsewhere it is enough to say that is now in his glory and proud may the young man be who fills the honourable post of his companion and sits next him he is a living store house of intelligence a travelling for the parish the lover s text book the young woman s best companion for where is the courtship going on of which he is not where is there a marriage on the with the particulars of which he is not acquainted he is an authority whom nobody would think of questioning it is now too that he his jokes about and so correct and well trained is his ear that he can frequently name the young man who dances by the peculiarity of his step ah ha you re there sure i d know the of your irons any where is it that you for down to to the for dan m but i what u you have l that grace on the irish h can do it devil o your likes i see any where i ll lay to a penny that you could dance your own the the brown girl upon a spider s without it don t be in a hurry grace dear to tie the knot wait for you several times in the course of the night a plate is brought round and a collection made for the this was the moment when used to let the jokes fly in every direction the timid he into liberality the vain he praised and the he assailed by open hardy satire all managed however with such an under current | 50 |
of good humour that no one could take offence no joke ever told better than that of the broken string whenever this happened at night would call out to some soft fellow blood alive ned martin will you bring me a candle i ve broken a string the young man forgetting that he was blind would take the candle in a hurry and fetch it to him i t a candle to a dark man i isn t a a beauty boys look at him girls as as a it is to say that the mirth on such occasions was another similar joke was also played off by him against such as he knew to be at the collection smith i want a word you i m goin across the as r as ned s and i want you to help me along the road as the night is dark to be sure i ll bring you over as snug as if you on a clean plate man alive thank you you ve the in you an kind father for you maybe i ll do as much for yoa some other time never spoke of this until the trick was played off after which he published it to the whole parish and of was made the standing jest for being so silly as to m think that night or day had any difference to a man could not see thus passed the life of m and thus pass the lives of most of his class serenely and happily as the sailor to his ship the to his gun so is the attached to his fiddle his hopes and pleasures though limited are full his heart is light for he comes in contact with the best and brightest side of life and and ihe consequence is that their mild and mellow lights are reflected on and firom himself lam ignorant whether poor is dead or not but i dare say he the boy to whose young spirit he communicated so much ht and who often danced with a and careless heart to tiie pleasant notes of his fiddle m whither living or dead peace be with yon who is en the writer of this nod felt y ry much flattered on the above of himself read w c ik x a ths dancing master ik those old times when the and of were more simple and pastoral than they are at present dancing was as one of the chief amusements of h f and the master looked upon as a person necessary to the proper of our national of all tiie amusements peculiar to our population dancing is by the moat important although certainly much less so now than it has been within our own in ireland it may be considered as a just indication of the spirit and character of the people so much so that it would be extremely difficult to find any test so of the irish heart and its varied impulses as the dance contemplated in its most spirit in the first place no people dance so well as the irish and for the best reason in the world as we shall show dancing every one must admit although a most delightful amusement s not a simple nor distinct nor one on the contrary it is merely else than a happy and agreeable method of enjoying music whole spirit and character must necessarily id upon the power of the heart to feel the melody to which the limbs and body move every nation therefore remarkable for a of music is also remarkable for of dancing unless religion or some other adequate obstacle arising from an condition of society to prevent it music and being in fact as dependent the one on the other as cause and effect it requires argument to prove that the irish i back are so alive fo the should in a high degree at the other and accordingly it is so nobody unless one who has seen and also felt it can the incredible nay the inexplicable of the heart which a dance to the of ireland indeed it not so much enthusiasm as inspiration let a stranger take his place among those who are assembled at a dance in the country and mark the change which takes place in s whole temperament physical and moral he first rises up rather his own sweetheart and assuming such a station on the floor as renders it necessary that both should face the he on the dance then goes quietly at the outset gradually he begins to move more by and bye the is up and a crack of the fingers is heard in a minute afterwards both hands are up and two cracks are heard the and brightness of his eye all the time keeping pace with the growing enthusiasm that is coming over him and which eye by the way is most lovingly fixed npon or we should rather say into that of his modest partner from that partner he never receives an open gaze in return but in of this an occasional glance quick as thought and brilliant as a seems to pour into him a delicious fury that is made up of love sometimes a little oi kindness pride of his activity and a force of momentary happiness that description now the dance in earnest up he bounds in a fling or a crack go the fingers cut and go the feet heel and toe right and left then he the right heel up to the ham up again the left the whole face in a furnace heat of delight i your move your elbow this to the quicker quicker man alive or you ll lose sight of me i that s the girl handle your the country feet that s it to me for our side of the house i and thus does he | 50 |
proceed with vigour and an and a truth of lime that arc especially when we consider the of enjoy which he has to direct the conduct of his partner whose face is lit up into a modest blush is evidently tinged with his enthusiasm for who could resist it but it is exhibited with great natural grace joined to a delicate vivacity that is equally gentle and animated and in our opinion precisely what dancing in a female ought to be a of exercise and innocent enjoyment there are a considerable variety of dances in ireland from the simple of two up to the country dance all of which are there are however others which are serious and may be looked upon as the of the pathetic spirit of our country of the latter i fear several are altogether lost and i question whether there be many persons now alive in ireland who know much about the which from the word it begins with must necessarily have been danced only on mournful occasions it is only at wakes and customs in those remote parts of the country where old are most clung to that any of the and others of our forgotten dances could be obtained at present i believe the only serious one we have is the or as they term it in the country the long i myself have witnessed when very young a dance which like the was performed but by one man this however was the only point in which they bore to each other any resemblance the one i allude to must in my opinion have been of or descent it was not necessarily performed to music and could not be danced the of a stick and handkerchief it was addressed to an individual passion and was one of those dances that were used in pagan rites and had the henry o seen it there is no doubt but he would have seized upon it as a of his system having now said all we have to say here about irish dances it is time we should say something about the irish and be it observed that we mean him of the old school and not the poor creature of the present day who unless in some remote parts of the is scarcely worth description and has little of the national character about him like most persons of the professions the old irish dancing master was generally a bachelor having no fixed residence but living fi om place to place within his own beyond which he seldom or never went the were his and his visits to their houses always brought a holiday spirit along with them when he came there was sure to be a dance in the evening after the of he himself good supplying them with the music in return for this they would get up a little collection for him probably to a couple of shillings or half a crown which some of them under pretence of taking the snuff box out of his pocket to get a pinch would delicately and slip into it lest he might feel the act as bringing down the dancing master to the level of the mere he on the other hand not to be in kindness would at the conclusion of the little desire them to lay down a door on which he usually danced a few favourite to the music of his own fiddle this indeed was the great master feat of his art and was looked upon as such by himself as well as by the people indeed the old dancing master had some very outlines of character peculiar to himself his dress for instance was always far above the s and this was the pride of his heart he also made it a point to wear a the country master or hat be the e me shocking bad or but above all things his soul within him was set upon a watch and no one could gratify him more than by asking him before company what o clock it was he also contrived to carry an ornamental staff made of mahogany or some rare of cane which if possible had a silver and a silk this the dancing masters in general seemed to consider as a kind of or of office without which i never yet knew one of them to go but of all the parts of dress used to them from the we must place as standing r before the rest the dancing master s and stockings for shoes he seldom wore the utmost limit of their ambition appeared to be such a neatness about that part of them in which the genius of their business lay as might indicate the lightness and activity which were expected from them by the people in whose opinion the finest the shoe and the most leg uniformly the most accomplished teacher the irish dancing master was also a great hand at and indeed some of them were known to s between as well as individual lovers with all the ability of a first rate unlike the the dancing master had fortunately the use of his eyes and as ther is scarcely any scene in which to a keen observer the of the passions to wit glances of the hand and stealthy are more frequent or significant so is it no wonder that a sagacious on such as he generally was knew how to avail him self of them and to become in many instances a necessary to their issue in the times of our it pretty frequently happened that the dancing master professed another accomplishment which in ireland at least where it is bom with us might appear to be a superfluous one we mean that of or to speak more correctly playing schools of this class were nearly as common in those times as schools | 50 |
great success he could every and how to make the most beautiful bow or on by only one that would cause a thousand le if they were all present to think that it was particularly intended only for o th he taught the whole art o courtship all and success as it was practised in paris the last he could them how to write love and to the great of ments which was supposed to be by when he was writing love to both his wives he was the only person who could the famous called sir de or the drag which comprehended itself all the advantages and beauties of his whole system in which every was at liberty to pull every where he and every was at liberty to go wherever he pulled her with such advantages in prospect and a method of instruct tion so agreeable it is not to be wondered at that this establishment was always in a most flourishing condition the is he had it so contrived that every gentleman should salute his lady as often as possible and for this purpose actually invented dances in which not only should every gentleman salute every lady but every lady by way of returning the compliment should render a similar kindness to every gentleman nor had is male pupils all this back of salutation to themselves for the little rascal commenced first and ended last in order he said that they might the manner himself i do this and as moral model and because it s part o my system i and then he would up his little hard ce that was too barren to produce e than an smile and like a over the floor in a manner that he thought irresistible whether back was the only man who tried to reduce kissing to a system of education in this country i do not know it is certainly true that many others of his stamp made a knowledge of the arts and modes of courtship like him a part of the course the forms of love letters c were taught their of both sexes with many other polite particulars which it is to be hoped have h for ever one thing however to the honour of our country women we are bound to observe which is that we do not remember a result with virtue to follow from the little fellow s system which by the way was in this respect peculiar only to himself and not the general custom of the country several unquestionably we had more than might otherwise have taken place but in no one in have we known any case in which a female was brought to or shame we shall now ve a brief sketch of s manner of begging our readers at the same time to rest assured that any sketch we could give would fall short of the original walk out an your room an let miss go out along you an come in as mrs faith i m master hi make a bad hand ol it co but sore it s something to have h re to keep me ia is that by way of compliment mr you should ever an always to a in an tone for that s the cut and retire come up here now that we re a little an you miss come up along him miss you are of your five positions and your fifteen attitudes i believe yes sir very well miss can perform the positions also yes sir but you remember i stuck at the attitude sir no well do you know how to a it s hard to say sir till we try but tm very to lam it do my best an the best can do no more very well now me you approach your in this style bo n politely as i do miss will you me the honour of a heavenly don t bow ma am you are to you know a little lower you now you say the greatest pleasure in life sir an many thanks for there now you are to make another politely an say thi you kind sir i owe you one now proceed to as as i can sir i believe yes sir you are to imitate me but sir did you see me my lips or up my breeches be s first make a a bow i mane to miss stop again sir are you goin to the why one would think that it s about to of her for ever you are gently gently there i well that s an improvement back practice will do ally but don t so loud though where s our room folks go out me of you for an mrs s face now appears peeping in at the door lit up with a comic expression of genuine from whatever cause it may have proceeded an where s mrs sir are we both to come in together certainly both turn them out i say sir it s said than done some of us i know that but practice is every thing the bow legs are strongly against you i grant hut tut why if your toes where your heels is you d be exactly in the first well both of you turn out your look street your your under your ome arm an walk into the middle of the your head up stop take care o the post now take your i mane in your right hand give it a flourish mrs mane if s not you s to well flourish your and thin make a graceful bow to the company and and i m your most i m your most man alive i tha not a bow look at this a bow for you | 50 |
why instead of a bow you i as if you goin to sit down with an in your back weu practice is every n there s luck in leisure dick will you come up and if you can meek any thing of that step you re a lad jou re a lad with a pair o h an thb country dancing master i to lam to dance but don t man i m but tu make a graceful slip o you yet can you meek a not rights dr i doubt well i know that but you ought to know how to meek both a bow and a you marry a wife it t come wrong for you to know how to her a have you the and you yes sir very well on them the on the right foot or what ought to be the right foot tm the upon what ought to be the left are you ready yes sir come then do as i bid you upon an sink upon rise upon an sink upon rise upon sir you re upon an upon the very thing you ought not to do but god help you i sure you re left legged ah it ud be a long time before you d be able to dance or the college upon a drum head as i often did however don t if i could only get you to know your right leg but god help you sure you hav nt such a thing from your left i d make something of you yet dick the irish dancing masters were at drawn among themselves but as they seldom met tbey were forced to abuse each other at a distance which they did with a and to the space between them back had a rival of this description who was a sore thorn in his side his name was and from having been a horse he gave up the turf and took to the calling of a dancing master sent a message te him to the effect that if he could not dance j g on the drum head he had better his tongue for ever to this replied by asking if he was the man to dance the upon the saddle of a blood and the animal at a three quarter gallop at length the friends on each side from a natural lore of fun prevailed upon them to decide their claims as follows each master with twelve of his pupils was to dance against bis rival with twelve of his the match to come off on the top of hill which commanded a view of the parish i have already mentioned that in s school there stood near the middle of the floor a post which according to some new of his own was very convenient as a guide to the dancers when going through the figure now at the spot where this post stood it was necessary to make a curve in order to form part of the figure of eight which they were to follow but as many of them were rather impenetrable to a due conception of the line of he forced them to turn the post rather than make an acute angle of it which several of them did having thus much we proceed with our narrative at length they met and it would have been a matter of much difficulty to determine their relative merits each was such an admirable match for the other when back s pupils however came to perform they found that the absence of the post was their ruin to the post they had been trained accustomed with it they could dance but wanting that they were like so many ships at sea or of course a scene of ludicrous confusion ensued which turned the laugh against poor back who stood likely to with shame and in he was in an agony turn the post i he shouted stamping upon the ground and his little hands with fury the post oh for the honour of don t be the post i if you love me alive the post the country dancing be the will distance us replied bob likely to be the post to him any how any money shouted the little fellow any money for long sam he d do the post to the life mind it boys dear mind it or we re lost a bit they heed me it s a flock of bees or sheep they are like sam where are you the post you oh dear if we had even a rod or a or a we might do yet but anyhow we had in for it s only worse at this stage of the proceedings came over and making a low bow asked him how do you feel ther for such was back s name sir replied back bowing low however in return ru take the shine out of you yet can you a me that s the chat come show them what s than fifty posts partners like for ever the scene that ensued all description the fact is the little fellow had them trained as it were to kiss in and the spectators were literally with laughter at this most novel and ludicrous character that back gave to his defeat and the ceremony which he introduced the truth is he turned the laugh completely against his rival and off the ground in high spirits exclaiming he know how to a why the poor never kissed any woman but his mother an her only when she was for such reader is a slight and very imperfect sketch of an irish dancing master which if it possesses any merit at all is to be ascribed to the circumstance that it is drawn from life and however most of the points essential to our conception of the character mary | 50 |
thb irish match though this word at a glance may be said to explain yet lest our english or scotch readers might not clearly understand its meaning we shall briefly give them such a definition of it as wiu enable them to comprehend it in its full extent the irish match maker then is a person selected to conduct of the heart between lovers themselves in the first instance or where the principal parties are between their respective when the latter happen to be of opinion that it is a safer and more prudent thing to consult the interest of the young folk rather than their in short the match maker is a person engaged in from one party to another the messages letters tokens presents and secret communications of the tender passion in whatever shape or character the parties may deem it proper to them the match maker therefore is a general in all such matters of love or interest as are designed by the or their to in the honourable bond of marriage for with nothing morally improper or or approaching to the character of an will the regular irish match maker have any thing at all to do the match maker therefore after all is only the creature of necessity and is never engaged by an to remove such preliminary obstacles as may stand in the way of his own direct operations in point of the match maker is nothing but a who after the plan cf the attack has been laid down away some of the thb match the advance is made the opened in due form and the entered by the principal party we have said much to prevent onr fair neighbours of england and scotland firom that because such a character as the irish match maker exists at all are personally ent in that energy which is so necessary to express the notions of t e tender passion has proved to the satisfaction of any rational mind that modesty mid assurance are inseparable that a blushing face may accompany a courageous nay a desperate heart and that on the contrary an abundance of assurance may be associated with a very handsome degree of modesty in love matters i grant modesty is of an whose character in this respect has been unconsciously hit off by the poet indeed he may truly be termed which means when translated that in looking for a wife an is a boy of an easy face and remarkable modesty at the head of the makers and far above all stands the irish of whose abilities in this way it is impossible to speak too highly and let not our readers imagine that the duties which upon her as well as upon match makers in general are slight or easily discharged to conduct a matter of this kind great tact knowledge of character and very delicate handling are necessary to be faithful to both parties not to give offence to either and to detection in case of secret bias or partiality demand talents of no common order the amount af fortune is often to be regulated the good qualities of the parties placed in the best or what is often still more judicious in the most suitable light and when there happens to be a c of the it must be furnished from her ov d invention the is to be softened the contemptuous tone mary of the proud lowered without offence the and sometimes the over reached now all this requires bu able hand a match making in general among the irish does indeed i question whether the that ever attempted to manage a treaty of peace between two hostile powers have a more difficult card to play than often to the lot of the irish match maker the however from her confidential intercourse with the sex and the respect with which both young and old of them look upon her is peculiarly well qualified for the ofi she has seen the youth shoot up and into the young man she has seen the young man into the husband and the husband very frequently lost in the wife now the marks and tokens by which she noted all this are as in the young of this day as they were in the young of fifty years ago she consequently knows from experience how to manage each party so as to bring about the which she so devoutly wishes upon second thoughts however we are inclined to think after all that the right of upon this point does not exclusively belong to the or at least that there exists another person who it with her so strongly that we are scarcely capable of their respective claims this is the the in ireland is a woman who goes from one relation s house to another from friend to friend from acquaintance to acquaintance is always welcome and well treated the very extent of her makes her independent so that if she receives an nt otherwise a cold reception from one she never feels it to affect her comfort but on the contrary carries it about with her in the shape of a complaint to the rest and details it with such a rich spirit of enjoyment that we believe in our soul some of her friends knowing what p tion it gives her actually her from pure kindness thb irish match maker hie is the very of industry unless when asleep no mortal living ever saw her hands idle her employment is knitting whether she sits stands or walks there she is with the end of the under her arm knit knit knitting she always and and whenever a is going forward she can tell you at once in what s house the was used last and where it is now to be had and when it has been got she is all and business | 50 |
ordering and commanding about her her large red three hanging at her side a lump of chalk in one hand and a oi in the other ready to mark the pattern whether it be wave square or diamond the is always dressed with neatness and comfort but generally wears something about her that reminds one of a day gone by and may be considered as the lingering of some old custom that has into this slight as it is her to many for it stands out as the memorial of some old and perhaps affecting associations which at its very appearance are called out om the heart in which they were it is impossible to imagine a happier life than that of the she has no trouble no care no children nor any of the various claims of life to disturb or her wherever she goes she is made and finds herself perfectly at home the whole business of her life is carrying about intelligence making and projecting matches songs and telling old stories which she does with a not often to be et with she will sing you the different sets and variations of the old airs repeat the history and traditions of old interpret dreams give the origin of old local customs and tell a ghost story in a style that would make your hair stand on end she is a bit of a too an extensive and i c s very skilful and lucky among in is a perfect gentleman s magazine in way a regular r of lore a and of social dealing in that is time worn or old and it with such a quiet and antique air that would imagine her life to be one not of years but of centuries and that she had passed the greater portion of it long as it was in wandering by the of old romance such a woman the reader wiu at once perceive is a formidable for popular with the indeed there is but one consideration upon which we would be inclined to admit that the latter has any advantage over her and it is that she is the a word which is a tower of strength to her not i g all professional but against such characters as would intrude even upon any of her subordinate or as it is difficult to decide between her and the so much so indeed that we are disposed to leave the claim for in this respect each in the same harness and as they are so well matched we will allow them to on side by side drawing the of the neighbouring villages slowly but surely towards the land of matrimony in humble country life as in high life we find in nature the same principles and motives of action let not the mother of rank nor the husband hunting for a moment that the plans and with which they endeavour to secure some wealthy fool for they daughter are not known and practised ay and with as much and by the of their own sex in these matters they have not one of superiority over the lowest and most it gossip of a country village where the arts of women are almost as practised and the small scandal as detailed as in the highest circles of fashion thb irish match maker the t ui great master of the art of match is the s who is nothing more or less the of the for as the is never of the male sex so the is never of the female with respect to their habits nd modes of life the only difference between them is that as the is never idle so the never works and the latter is a far superior authority in old popular prophecy and as a match maker however the infinitely short of the for the is that this branch of naturally within the and spirit of a woman our readers are not to understand that in ireland there exists like the or dancing master a distinct character openly known by the of match maker no such thing on the contrary the they undertake are all performed under false colours the business in is dose and secret and always carried on with the mystery veiled by the sanction of some other occupation one of the best specimens of the kind we ev met was old mary was a tidy creature of middle size who always went dressed in a short crimson much faded a red and blue and a coloured gown of the same fabric when walking which she did with the aid of a light staff at the top she g kept the hood of the cloak over her head which gave to her whole figure a picturesque effect and when she threw it one could not help admiring well her small but features agreed with the cap of white linen with a plain muslin border which she wore a pair of blue stockings and sharp pointed shoes high in the heels completed her dress her features were good natured and irish but over the whole countenance there lay an expression of quickness and sagacity contracted no doubt by an habitual of t penetration and at the time i saw her she was very old and i believe bad the reputation of being tne last in that part of the who was known to go about fix m to house spinning on the an instrument which has now passed away being more conveniently replaced by the spinning wheel the manner and style of s visits were different from those of any other who could come to a farmer s house or even to an humble cottage for to the inmates of both were her services equally rendered let us suppose for instance the whole female part of a s assembled of a summer evening about five o clock each | 50 |
engaged in some domestic employment in runs a lad who has been sporting about exclaiming whilst his eyes are lit up with delight mother mother here s mary down the get out no she s not bad to me but she is that i may never stir if she isn t now the whole are instantly at the door to see if it be she with the exception of the prettiest of them all who site at her wheel and immediately begins to over an old irish air which is sadly out of tune and well do we know notwithstanding the mellow tones of that sweet voice why it ia so and also why that youthful cheek in which health and beauty meet is the colour of crimson oa mary darling a thousand to you what you away so long mary sure you won t lave us this month o sundays mary are only a few of the cordial expressions of hospitality and kindness with which she ia received but whose cheek but a moment ago was why is it pale as the lily what news mary asks one of her you ll tell us everything won t you i have no bad any how an as to thb irish match maker you all let me alone no have no bad news god be praised but good news s cheek is again crimson and her lips ripe and red as with the sweet soft smile of her country exhibiting a set of teeth for which many a would thousands and giving out a breath more delicious than the fragrance of a summer meadow oh no wonder indeed that the kind heart of mary in its recesses a message to her as tender as ever was from man to woman an where s the welcome from you that s my now don t be jealous sore you all know is an ever an always was if it s not upon my it s in my heart mary an from that heart you re welcome she rises up and kisses mary who gives her one glance of meaning accompanied by the slightest imaginable smile and a gentle but significant pressure of the hand which to her heart and a sense of through her whole spirit nothing now remains but the opportunity whidi is equally sought for by mary and her to hear without interruption the purport of her lover s communication and this we leave to lovers to imagine in ireland however odd it may seem there occur among he very poorest classes some of the hardest and most in match making that ever were heard of or known now strangers might ne that all this dose proceeds from a spirit naturally near and sordid but it is not so the real secret of it lies in the poverty and necessity of the parties and chiefly in tjie bitter experience of their parents who having come together in a state of are anxious each as much at the expense of the other as possible to prevent their children from the same and misery which they themselves felt many a time have matches been suspended or mary t broken one party to give his son a slip of a pig or another his daughter a pair of blankets and it was no unusual thing for a match to say never mind i have it all settled but the slip one might naturally wonder why tho e who are so and up m this subject do not strive to prevent early marriages where the poverty is so great so they ought but it is fi settled usage of the country nd one too which have never been in the habit of considering as an evil we have no doubt that if they once began to reason upon it as such they would be very strongly disposed to check a custom which has been the means of themselves and their y offspring in misery and not in guilt mary like many others in this world who are not conscious of the same failing smelt strongly of the shop in other words her conversation had a strong matrimonial tendency no two beings ever lived so decidedly to each other in this point of view as the match maker and the mention the name of an individual or a family to the and the medium through which her memory passes back to them is that of her professed employment a at m don t you know young of i do replies the and what about him why he was married to day to ould jack m ey s daughter well god grant them luck an happiness poor things x do indeed his s wake an funeral well ould of a corpse he made for his years an well he looked but indeed i by the colour that in his cheeks and the limbs remaining for the twenty four hours his departure that ome of the ud follow him afore the year was thb h match maker out an so she did thb daughter poor thing by of a could she got over at a dance stretched him that very day was eleven months an god knows it was from the heart my grief hem for her to see the poor laid low so soon but a consumption sets in sure we all know what s to happen churchyard they sleep the make both their beds in heaven this day the very reverse of this but at the same time as professional was mary god save you mary god save you kindly h let me look at you aren t you red m s son i am mary an mary how is and the world an can t complain dear in such times how are all at home well mary thank god an you you hard of | 50 |
my grand s death big i did god rest him sure it s well his poor man by the same that i know on that helped him an it a he was married in a blue coat an an wore a scarlet waistcoat that you d see three miles off oh well i it an he was out that to the priest s house ned says i an i him a button on the right knee afore you get the words said said he a smile an he slipped ten into my hand as he spoke ru do it said he and thin a fig for the i because you see if there s a button of the right knee left the this day s friday god stand us and harm i can do neither hurt nor harm to or body an is the superstition mary sure that s a great he left two fine slips o girls behind him he did so as good girls as there s in the parish an kind mother for them she ll be i m she bein a fresh good woman why if s very likely mary if s natural what can a lone woman do such a large on her hands having some one to manage it for her an her from bein imposed on but indeed the first thing she ought to do is to marry off her two is loss of time in regard that if s hard to say how a an might agree and often known the mother herself when she had a fi an her to be as unnatural to her as if she was a stranger to and that the same blood did nt run in their veins not saying that mary m will or would act that way by her own for indeed she s come of a kind ould stock an ought to have a good heart tell her when you see her that a day or two her let me ee the day after to morrow will be palm sunday why about the holidays indeed i will mary with great pleasure an dear her that i ve a thing to say to her that i had a long dish o about her a friend o mine you won t forget now oh the a forget t thank you dear god mark you to grace i when you re a little maybe i ll be a friend to you yet this last intimation was given with a kind of mysterious benevolence very visible in the complacent of her face and with a twinkle in the eye full of grave humour and considerable self importance leaving the mind of the person she spoke to in such an agreeable uncertainty as thb irish match m rendered it a matter of great difficulty to determine whether she was or only in jest but at all events throwing the of inquiry upon the ease and tact with which mary could involve two young persons of sexes in a mutual attachment were very remarkable in truth she was a kind of matrimonial who went through the country holding her torch now to this heart and again to that first to one and then to another until she had the parish more or less in a flame and when we consider thb materials of which the irish heart is composed it is no wonder indeed that the labour of the in ireland at such a rapid rate during the time that between the period of its being made out if mary instance met a young woman of her accidentally and it was wonderful to think how regularly these accidental meetings took place she would address her probably somewhat as follows how are you a bravely thank you mary how is yourself indeed thin a bit o the health we complain of this pain in the back comes upon us the last time i seen your mother she was of a i hope she s poor woman hut bad to the thing her f she has as h a foot as e er a one of us an can dance s brush as well as ever she could an i m proud to hear it i s brush and it was she that could do it sure i her wedding day like ay far an near her me as a an the made girl that ever came from like do i it an how the squire himself an the ladies from the big house came down to see herself an your ther the bride and groom an a feverish mary it on every hill head you d get a brush oh it was her for that an is there no news at all at the word mary where ud i get news sure it s always on the that ought to have the news for u i woman alive an maybe i have too i was to a o mine about you the other day a friend o yours mary i why what friend could it her a o mine ay an of yours too maybe you have more friends than you think and kind ones too as far as you well goes t any rate ay have you an friends that e er a in the parish be proud io hear named in the one day her i we re in luck thin for that s more than i knew of an who may these great of ours be mary i as a boy as ever broke bread the same boy is and says he if i had in i d think it too little for that girl but poor lad he s not or happy in his mind in regard o that i m says he that she d put scorn upon me | 50 |
an not think me her an no more i am says he again where all would you get the likes o poor boy my heart for him t well can t you fall in love him yourself mary whoever he is indeed an if i was at your age it would be no shame to me to do so but to tell you the the often ever the likes of paul came me paul i why mary replied smiling with the assumed lightness of indifference is that your beauty if it is why keep him an make much of liim thb i j there is ihe hearts an tongues of some people one from another a the way they behind others backs i well well i m sure that wasn t the way he spoke of you an god forgive you for down the poor boy as you re believe you re the only girl would do it who me i tm not him down i him up nor down i have neither good nor bad to say about him the b s a black stranger to me to know his an he s m you these months an to be at the dance on friday next in jack s new house now good bye keep your own counsel till the time comes an mind what i said to you it s not behind every ditch the likes of paul grows i my be you t thus would mary depart just at the critical moment for well she knew that by her information and leaving the heart something to find out she took the most effectual steps to and sustain that kind of interest which is apt ultimately to even fix m its own agitation into the attachment she is anxious to promote the next day by a meeting accidental she comes in contact with paul who honest lad had never probably bestowed a thought on in his life morrow paul how is your s son morrow mary my s son wants but a good wife mary an it s not every set day or night that a good wife is to be had paul that is a good one as you say for there s many o them in the market as they i about you to a of mine th other day an i m you re not worth all the abuse we gave you mary more power to you mary i i m to you but ia the friend in the poor girl i when your name slipped out an her the point of a rush ud take a drop of blood out o her cheek the way she up ah mary says she if ver i know you to it to man or my lips i ll never open to you to my day when i looked at her an the tears in her black eyes i thought i didn t see a favoured girl for both ce and figure this many a day than the same is that long jack s daughter of the same but paul if a syllable o what i you hut mary honour bright do you think me a stay that i d go and inform on you paul shell be at the dance on friday next in jack s new house so an think o what i to thus did mary very quietly and bind two young hearts together who probably might otherwise have never for a moment even thought of each other of course when paul and met at the dance on tiie following friday the one was the object of the attention to the other and each being prepared to strong of attachment fix m the opposite party everything fell out exactly according to their expectations sometimes it happens that a of a fellow during his calf love will employ a male friend to plead his suit with a pretty girl who if the principal party had might be very willing to marry him to the credit of our fair however be it said that in scarcely one instance out of twenty does it happen or has it ever happened that any of them ever fails to punish the faint heart by the lady upon what is called the or thb irish match make b whom he to make love for him in such a case it is j supposed that the latter will speak two words for himself and one for his friend and indeed the result bears out the supposition now nothing on earth the heart of the established match maker so much as to hear of such a disaster a she over his misfortune for months and his shame to the bounds of her own little world him as a poor pitiful creature who had not the courage to up for himself or to employ them that could in fact she much the same feeling against him that a regular physician would towards some weak minded patient who prefers the ignorance of a to the skill and services able and educated characters like mary are st disappearing in ireland and indeed in a country where the means of life were generally inadequate to the wants of the population they were calculated however warmly the heart may look back upon the memory of their services to do more harm than good by young folks to enter into early and marriages they certainly sprang up firom a state of society not thoroughly formed by proper education and where the language of a people too was in many extensive districts in such a state of transition as in the of affection to render an absolutely necessary we have ourselves witnessed marriages where the husband and wife spoke the one english and the other irish each being able with difficulty to understand the other in all such cases mary was | 50 |
invaluable she spoke irish and english and indeed was acquainted with every thing in the slightest or most remote degree necessary to the conduct of a love affair from the first glance up until the priest had pronounced the last words or to speak more correctly until tbe throwing of the bob ob the that the irish are a ready people is a ct to tiie truth of which testimony has been amply borne both by their friends and enemies many causes might be brought forward to account for this questionable gift if it were our intention to be philosophical but as the matter has been so generally it would be but a waste of logic to prove to the world that which the world cares not about beyond the mere ct that it is so on this or any topic one illustration is worth twenty arguments and accordingly instead of a theory we shall relate a story b ind the hill or rather mountain of lies one of those deep and almost valleys on which the practised eye of an would dwell with delight as a not likely to be invaded by the feet of the and his red coats in point of fact the spot we speak of was from its peculiarly isolated position nearly invisible unless to such as came very close to it being so completely hemmed in and concealed by the round and of the mountain hills you could dream of its existence at all until you came upon the very of the which led into it this advantage of position was not however its only one it is true indeed that the moment you had entered it all possibility of its being applied to the purposes of at once vanished and you consequently could not help exclaiming what a pity oc t l bo safe and a nook should not have a single spot on which to erect still house or rather on which to a sufficient stream of water to the elevation necessary for the process of if a actually came to the little chasm and cast his eye over it he would immediately perceive that the of a private still in such a place was a piece of folly not generally to be found in the plans of those who have recourse to such this absence however of the requisite was only apparent not real to the right about one hundred yards above the entrance to it ran a ledge of rocks some fifty feet high or so along the lower brows near the ground grew thick masses of long heath which covered the entrance to a cave about as large and as high as an ordinary farm house through a series of small in the rocks which formed its roof descended a stream of clear soft water precisely in body and volume such as was actually required by the but unless by lifting up this mass of heath no human being could for a moment imagine that there existed any such or so unexpected and easy an entrance to it here there was a private still made by the hand of nature herself such as no art or ingenuity of man could equal now it so happened that about the period we write of there lived in our parish two individuals so to each other in their pursuits of life that we question whether throughout all the instinctive of nature we could find any two animals more destructive of each other than the two we mean to wit bob the and little george the was an old well trained fellow of about fifty years or more steady and sure and with all the characteristic points of the high bred about him he was a man thin but with a nose that could scent the tread of a n bob oa tf a im dark deep t md w it and w always to be engaged in whereabouts his te foe little george that him in his very might then be to be was ot his sagacity aod in and little george was for always baffled and that too wider circumstances where escape seemed which we are about to detail occurred at that period of time the wisdom of our advisable to impose a ne upon the whole in which the still and worm might be found thus opening a door and fraud and as it proved in most cases rendering the aa to suffer for an offence they never ae the guilty who planned and it the consequence of such a law was that still were always certain to be erected either at ths very verge of the neighbouring or as near them as the circumstances of convenience and situation would permit the moment of course that the hue and cry of the and his was heard upon the wind the whole apparatus was immediately heaved over the to the next from the fine imposed by parliament was necessarily raised whilst the and offending district actually escaped the state of society by such a and barbarous as was dreadful in the course of a short time law suits battles and io an extent the whole country that the who such commotion w r c to their own act as soon as they found how it worked necessity together with the mother of in is also the of many an accidental discovery liad been so frequently defeated by little george that be never to rest until he had secured him and george on the other hand frequently told him for they were otherwise on the best terms that he defied him or as he himself more expressed it that he defied the the world and bob latter however was a very sore thorn in his side and drove him from place to and from one haunt to another until he began to despair of | 50 |
proceed for the greater part of a winter without a visit from several successful had come off which had of course turned out highly profitable and they were just now preparing to commence their last not only for the season but the last they should ever work together aa george was making preparations to go early in the spring to ev running was going on to and the had been thrown into the still from the worm of which projected the strong r as the commenced last term meaning the spirit in its pure and finished state on this occasion the two were more than ordinarily anxious and certainly doubled their usual precautions against a for they knew that s visits resembled the of a hawk or the springs of tiger more than any thing else to which they could compare them in this they were not disappointed the was about half finished he made his attended by a strong party of reluctant for indeed it is to tlie military t they never delight in the people at of a ns they generally tiie it had been arranged that the t the iron plate whistle a tune the moment that the or a red coat or in any person whom he did not know should appear accordingly about o clock in the morning they heard the little fellow in his highest key up that well known and yery significant old irish air called go to the devil an shake case applied to the id any thing but an be the pins was usual oath be the pins it s over with ns s here s the sign fer a and listened very gravely out a take it easy said he r z have half a about the hills any one as like t fe a your r ht hand is to left did t i knew we d get over fi we d be out of hi power well my good lad said the what s this fire for what is it for is it yes if you don t let me blow your brains out and get you and afterwards this he said with a thundering voice a horse at the same time why sir said the boy it s a still i am but be the hole o my coat if you tell upon me upon these be soon where is the still then an tlie stiu house is it as tb the stiu or is they wouldn t tell me that why didn t you say moment yon were watching bob ob i meant sir replied the lad with a oe that spoke of pure that it was the i was an i was to whistle upon my fingers to let the boy at that fire on the hill there above know he was who told you to do so little george sir an m ay ay right enough there my lad two of the most notorious they are both but now like a good boy tell me the truth an i ll ve you the price of a pair of shoes do you know where the still or still house is because if you do an won t tell me here are the soldiers at hand to make a prisoner of you an it they do all the world can t prevent you rom being hanged drawn and oh bad may seize the morsel o me knows that but if you ll give me the mon sir tell you who can bring you to it for he me that he knew an offered to bring me there last night if i d steal him a bottle that my mother keeps the holy water in at home he d put in it well my lad who is this boy do you know harry or mankind sir i do my good boy well it s a son of his sir an look sir do you see the smoke farthest up to the right sir to the right yes well tis there sir that is and he says he knows how long have you been watching here this is only the third day sir for me j but the rest them boys above has been here a good while have you seen nobody stirring about the hills since you came this was a g to harry who was a and made be necessary vessels fur thb only sir i seen two men an empty sack or two across the hill there above at this moment the military came up for he had himself ran forward in advance of them and he repeated the substance oi his conversation with our friend the upon examining the of his countenance in which there certainly was a deficiency of meaning they agreed among themselves that his appearance justified the truth of the story which he told the and upon being still they w re confirmed that none but a stupid like himself would to his keeping any secret worth knowing they now separated themselves into as many detached parties as there were fires burning on the hills about tv era the himself to make for that which had in his keeping for he could not help thinking that the s was too natural to be they were just in the act of separating themselves to pursue their when the lad said look sir look sur i bad be from me but there s a still any way sure i often seen a still s just like the one that philip the mended in george s bam boys exclaimed stoop stoop they are coming this way and don t see us no hang them no they have discovered us now and are off towards by jove this will be a bitter trick if they succeed confound them they are | 50 |
bent for which is my own property and i may be hanged but if we do not them it is i myself who will have to pay the fine the pursuit instantly commenced with a speed and vigour equal to the ingenuity of this singular act of on the himself being long firom practice in this and being further stimulated by the loss which he dreaded made as beautiful a run of d nd of it as of his it was all in vain however he merely got to i e the head and worn heaved across the ditch his own property and to reflect after it tiiat he was certain to haye the double of b made standing joke of for life and of paying for the jest out oi own in the meantime he was bound of course to the still and report the aod as he himself tbe in question the fine was to the shilling upon the very i that if he had been active and man would have et up a still so convenient to his and this of keeping in reserve w or second set of apparatus for the purpose of acting the and the waa afterwards often practised with success but tbe of it waa undoubtedly m although the honour of the discovery was attributed to b the matter however did not end here in a afterwards some wag in other ge ge correct information sent to touching the locality of the and the secret of ei on this n the latter brought a larger party than usual him but it waa only to ei he in a position if still more than i the first indeed the o in the but nothing else every and connected with the process had been removed with the exception o to which wa attached by a bit of the following friendly note mr fa this bottle and drink own t it was the day to look m and thb a while you were speaking to the little boy that made a of you being then under your nose let it be drunk in the same place and don t forget while doing so to health of g s the went abroad like and was known indeed for a long time it was the standing topic of the parish and so sharply was it felt by that he could never keep his mr when did you see little george a question to which ho wa mt known to g v a dis reply irish the fate of frank m hate met and the various classes that x general society and we feel ourselves bound to say that in no instance have we ever met any individual no matter what his class or rank in life who was really indifferent to the subject of dreams and they are topics that interest the imagination in all and the head of age is inclined with as much interest to a ghost story as the young and eager ear of youth wrought up by all the and apprehensive powers of early it is true the belief in ghosts is fast disappearing and that in is already almost gone but with what new wonders they will be replaced it is difficult to say the physical and natural we suppose will give us enough of the marvellous without having recourse to the spiritual and supernatural steam and gas if science advance for another half century at the same rate as she has done in the last will give sufficient exercise to all our faculties for wondering we know a man who travelled eighty miles to see whether or not it was a fact that light could be conveyed for miles in a pipe under ground and this man to our own knowledge po the organ of mar to a surprising degree it is singular too that his fear of ghosts was in proportion to this to wonder as was his disposition when snug in a chimney comer to talk incessantly of such topics as were calculated to excite it in our opinion ghosts and will be seen wherever are talked of and a belief in their fate or frank m and nourished so long as the powers of the imagination are kept warm and active by exercise they will create for themselves such images as they are in the habit of or dwelling upon and these when the individual happens to be in the appropriate position will even by the mere force of association the particular that is in the mind as an illustration of this i shall mention two cases of apparition which occurred in toy native parish one of which was that of a ghost and the other of the to those who have read my traits and stories of the irish the first which shall may possess some interest as being that upon which i founded the tale of the ll mass the circumstances are simply these there lived a man named m at the hip of one of the hills which divide the county of from that of this m had two sons one of whom was in the habit of tracing of a sunday whenever there happened to be a fall of snow his father it seems had frequently remonstrated with him upon what he considered to be a of the lord s day as well as for his general neglect of mass the young man however though otherwise harmless and was in this matter quite insensible to paternal reproof and continued to trace whenever the of labour would allow him it so happened that upon a christmas morning i think in the year there was a deep fall of snow and young m instead of going to mass got down his cock stick which is a staff much thicker and heavier at one end than at the other and prepared | 50 |
to set out on his favourite amusement his father seeing this him seriously and insisted that he should attend prayers his enthusiasm for the sport however was stronger than his love of on and he refused to be guided by his s advice the old man during the got warm and on finding that the son scorned hia authority he knelt down and prayed if the boy in following his own win he might never return from the mountain as corpse the which was as as it was and senseless might have startled many a mind from a purpose that was to say the least of it at with religion and the respect due to a father it had no effect however upon the son who is said to have replied that wh ther he ever returned or not he was determined on going and go accordingly be did he was not however alone for it appears that three or four of the neighbouring young men accompanied him whether their sport was good or not to the purpose neither am i able to say but the story goes that towards the latter part of the day they started a larger and darker hare than any they had ever seen and that she kept on before th n bit by bit leading them to suppose that every succeeding cast of the cock stick would bring her down it was afterwards observed that she also led them into the recesses of the mountains and that although they tried to turn her course they could not succeed in doing so as evening advanced the companions of m began to feel the folly of pursuing her farther and to the danger of losing their way in the should a snow storm come upon them they therefore propose to give over the chase and return home but m not hear of it if you wish to go home you may said he as for me til never leave the hills till i have her with me they begged and entreated of him to and return but all to no purpose he appeared to oe what the scotch call jf y that is to act as if he were moved by some impulse that leads to deaths and from the of which a man cannot withdraw himself at length on finding him obstinate they pursuing the hare directly into the heart of the and returned to their respective h tub or frank tf in the hie of the most terrible snow remembered ha tiiat part of the came on and tha consequence was tiiat the willed young man who had equally trampled on the of and parental authority was ven over for lost as soon as the tempest became still the neighbours assembled in a body and proceeded to look the snow however had fallen so heavily that not a single mark of a footstep could be seen nothing but one wide waste at white hills met the eye wherever it turned and of m no trace whatever waa or could be his ther now remembering the character of his was nearly distracted the body had not yet been found still by every one who witnessed the sudden rage of the storm and who knew the escape or was felt to be impossible every day for about a week parties were out among the hill seeking him but to no purpose at length there came a and was found on a snow wreath lying in a posture within a circle which he had drawn around him with his cock stick his lay opened upon his mouth and his hat was pulled down so as to cover it and ce it is unnecessary to say that the rumour of his death and of the circumstances under which he left home created a most extraordinary sensation in the country a sensation that was the greater in proportion to the uncertainty occasioned by his not having been foimd either alive or dead some affirmed that he had crossed the mountains and waa seen in others that een in in but despite of agreeable reports waa at length made dear by the appearance of the body as just stated happened that the house nearest the spot where he by was man named i think bnt of name i am not certain ii io was a herd or care to irish dr porter then bishop of the of this house was the most lonely and desolate looking that be imagined it was at least two miles distant from any human habitation being surrounded by one wide and dreary waste oi dark by this house lay the route of those who had found the corpse and i believe the door of it was borrowed for the purpose of it home be this as it may the witnessed the melancholy procession as it passed slowly through the mountains and when the place and circumstances are all considered we may admit that to ignorant and superstitious people whose minds even upon ordinary occasions were strongly affected by such matters it was a sight calculated to leave behind it a deep if not a terrible impression time soon proved that it did so an accident is said to have occurred at the funeral which i have alluded to in the midnight mass and which is certainly in fine keeping with the wild spirit of the whole melancholy event when the procession had advanced to a place called a large dark coloured hare which was instantly recognised by those who had been out with him on the hills as the identical one that led him to his te is said to lave crossed the road about twenty yards or so before the coffin the story goes that a man struck it on the side with a stone and that the blow which would have killed any ordinary hare not only did it | 50 |
no injury but occasioned a sound to proceed from the body resembling the hollow one by an empty barrel when struck in the meantime the and the sensation began like every other to die away in the natural progress of time when behold a report ran abroad like that to use the language of the people frank m was ap seldom indeed was the rumour of an apparition composed of materials so strongly calculated to win popular or to rational investigation as every not the b of m a or a so many such circumstances are properly intelligible continue to yield to testimony which would not convince the judgment on any other subject the case in question furnished as fine a specimen of a true ghost story freed from any suspicion of or design as could be submitted to a philosopher and yet notwithstanding the array of apparent facts ted with it nothing in the world is or of easier solution one night about a after his funeral the daughter of the herd a girl about fourteen while lying in bed saw what appeared to be the likeness of m who had been lost she screamed out and covering her head with the bed clothes told her father and mother that frank m was in the house this alarming intelligence naturally produced great terror still who notwithstanding his belief in such matters possessed a good deal of moral courage was cool enough to rise and examine the house which consisted of only one apartment this gave the daughter some courage who on finding that her father could not see him ventured to look out and she then could see nothing of him herself she very soon fell asleep and her father attributed what she saw to fear or some accidental combination of shadows proceeding from the furniture for it was a clear moon light night the light of the following day a great deal of their apprehensions and comparatively little was thought of it until evening again advanced when the fears of the daughter began to return they appeared to be prophetic for she said when night came that she knew he would appear and accordingly at the same hour he did so this was repeated for several successive nights until the girl from the very of terror began to become so to the as to venture to address it id the name of god she asked what is troubling you do appear to me of to some ei your own or the answer alone might settle m in the of its appearance being as it was an u count of one of the most ludicrous that ever a was upon i m not allowed said he to to any of my friends for i parted with them in anger but i m come to tell you that they re about my breeches a new pair that i got made for christmas day an as was up to trace in the i thought the cold ua do an of i didn t put the new pair an me my for aj he added is that you may my that none of them is to wear they must be given in charity this serious and intimation the was duly communicated to the and h was found that the were exactly as it had them course was considered as proof of the truth of its mission now became not only but quite and the il became a with the and the on the other hand soon lost his in her he told bar that his were bearing home his body the or poles on which ihey earned him had cat his and him great the of the also was known to be true and of course the and of the with this of the i and p sons by began to l the in older satisfy of tl of what they ki heard however was and the h of anxiety or w with the their all but the of f rank if on and ten to i by da ht the fell into states of and while the fits lasted long him upon the subject of god the blessed virgin and heaven took place between them he was aa and gave the best of advice swearing and every evil of oar were with a degree of eloquence quite surprising common fame had now a topic dear to her heart and never was a ghost made more of by his best than she made of him the whole country was ii a and i well remember the crowds t rt to the lonely little cabin in the mountains now the scene of matters so interesting and important not single day passed in which i should think from ten to twenty thirty or persons were not present at these singular nothing was talked thought of and as i can well testify of i would myself have gone to s were it not i had that perhaps the ghost might take such a fancy of appearing to me as he had taken to an with the and it so happens that when i see the of an individual nailed down in the and gloomy operation i i experience no particular wish to look upon it again many persons might imagine that the herd s daughter was acting the part of an by first and then continuing such a delusion k any one however was an it was the ghost and not the girl as her ill health and wasted cheek might well testify the appearance of m continued to haunt her fi r months the reader is aware that he was lost on christmas day or rather on the night of it and i remember seeing her in the early part of the following during which time she was stiu the of a imagination everything in fact that | 50 |
could be done her was done they brought her to a priest name irish who lived down at for the purpose f getting her cured as he had the reputation of of that kind they brought her also to the doctors who also did what they could for her but all to no purpose her fits were longer and of more frequent occurrence her appetite left her and ere four months had elapsed she herself looked like a as the ghost himself could do for the life of him now this was a pure case of illusion and precisely similar to that detailed so by the and to others mentioned by the image of m not only appeared to her in day light at her own house but subsequently followed her wherever she went and what proved this to have been the result of organization produced at first by a heated and excited was that as the story went she could see him with her eyes shut whilst this state of mental and physical feeling she was a subject of the most intense curiosity no matter where she went whether to chapel to fair or to market she was followed by crowds every one feeling eager to get a glimpse of the girl who had actually seen and what was more spoken to the ghost a live ghost now here was a young girl of an temperament and imagination leading almost a solitary life amidst of a lonely and desolate character who happening to bo strongly impressed with an image of horror for surely such as the body of a dead man seen in with such p h frightful circumstances as filial and a father s were calculated to give it cannot shake it off but on the a victim to the disease which it g there is not an image which we see in a fever or a wh ther of angel or devil or an of any kind that ii not bv or of the to that under thb f of frank m which s daughter i saw her several tunes and clearly that her pale ce dark eye and very intellectual forehead gave indications of such temperament as under her circumstances would be apt to receive strong and fearful impressions from images calculated to excite terror especially of the supernatural it only now remains for me to mention the simple method of her cure which was effected without either priest or doctor it depended upon a word or two of advice given lo her father by a very sensible man who was in the habit of thinking on these matters somewhat above the superstitious of the people if you wish your daughter to be cured said he to her father leave the house you are now living in take her to some part of the country where she can have companions of her own class and state of life to mingle with bring her away from the place altogether for you may rest assured that so long as there are objects before her eyes to remind her of what happened she will not mend on your hands he father although he sat rent free took this excellent advice even at tt sacrifice of some comfort for nothing short of the temptation of easy circumstances could have induced any man to reside in so wild and remote a solitude in the course of a few days he removed from it with hia family and came t reside among the cheerful aspect and intercourse of human u e the consequences were precisely as the man had told him in the course of a few weeks the little girl began to find that the visits of the were like those of angels few and far between she was sent to school and what with the confidence derived from human society and the of new objects and images she soon perfectly recovered and ere long was thoroughly set free from the fearful creation of her own brain now there is scarcely one of the people in my native parish who does not believe that the spirit of this man came back to irish the world appeared to this is fast coming when these empty disappear and we shall entertain more becoming notions of god than to such senseless could be played by the of a departed b ng his permission we might ad well assert the beings which surround the couch of the madman or have a real existence as those hot up terror weak nerves or blood spot where the body of m was found is now marked by a little heap of stones has been collected since the melancholy event of his death every person who passes it throws a stone upon the heap but thk old is practised or what it means i do not know it be simply to the spot as a visible means of ihe memory of the occurrence s house the scene of supposed is a ruin which could scarcely be seen it the green spot which was a garden and which now shines at a distance like an with no i or it is a q ot no solitary will ev visit nor indeed wiu the in the popular nonsense of to pass it without a it is under any a and barren but when looked in connection with what we have just it is desolate and tub in the preceding paper we have given of what the country and we t the looked upon as a genuine in of apparition it to thb io be a dear distinct case all those and which hj an naturally and without go to the formation of truth there was but one in and that was ihe ludicrous and inadequate nature of the moral motive for what unsteady and den tory motions of providence must we not entertain when | 50 |
we see the order and pose of this vine will so completely degraded and by the fact of a human returning to this earth again for the us of the claim to a pair of breeches when we see the succession to crowns and and the inheritance io large property and great personal rank all left e that ruin and desolation have come upon nations and families in attempting their and when we see a dispute about a pair of breeches by a p revelation another life we cannot help why the supernatural intimation was per in the one ease and not in the other especially when their relative differed so to follow up this question however by on a principle so absurd would place in a position so perfectly unreasonable and capricious that we do not to press the so ar os admission of divine interference in such a manner justify us in doing having detailed the case of i s daughter however we take our leave of the and the ghost and turn now to another case which came under our own observation m ion with a man named frank martin and the before however we shall by way of introduction endeavour to give our readers a few short particulars as to their origin character and conduct and as we happen to be on this subject we cannot avoid that we have not by us copies of two most valuable works upon it irish from the pen of our learned and admirable thomas we allude to his fairy and his history of the of the popular two works which cannot be without delight at the happy manner in which so much learning and amusement so much solid information and all that is agreeable in extensive are combined with the of the word fairy we do not intend in a sketch like this to puzzle our readers it is with the tradition connected with the thing we have to do and not with a of learned speculations which appear after all to be yet unsettled the general opinion at least in ireland is that during the war of in heaven the angels were divided into three classes the first class consisted of those faithful spirits who at once and without hesitation to the standard of the the next consisted of those who openly and followed the great sharing eternal along with him the third and last consisted of those who during the mighty clash and uproar of the hosts stood timidly aloof and refused to join either power these says the tradition were hurled out of heaven upon earth and some into the waters of the earth where they are to remain ignorant of their fate until the day of judgment they know their own power however and it is said that nothing but their hopes of salvation prevent them from at once the whole human race such is the broad basis of the general superstition but our history and conception of the popular fairy falls far short of the historical dignity associated with its origin the the people is a creature generally dressed in green irritable capricious and quite unsteady in its principles and dealings with mankind sometimes it singular proofs of ingenuity but on the contrary is f by were mortal capacity it is impossible to say in dealing ths rival i that it whether its conduct will be found benevolent or otherwise for it often has happened that its threats of injury have ended in kindness and its promises of protection terminated in malice and treachery what is very remarkable too is that it by no means appears to be a mere spirit but a being with passions and other natural wants like ourselves indeed the society or community of appears to be less self dependent than ours inasmuch as there are several offices among them which they not only cannot perform but which render it necessary that we should jt e stolen and with them for the express purpose of performing for them like us they are married and given in marriage and rear families but whether their offspring are subject to death is a matter not exactly the some traditions affirm that they are and others that they are as immortal as the angels although possessing material bodies to our own the fairy in fact is supposed to be a singular mixture of good and evil not very moral in its actions or objects often very and sometimes benevolent when kindness is least expected from it it is generally supposed by the people that this singular class of creatures enjoy as a kind of right the richest and best of all tke fruits of the earth and that the top grain of wheat c and thi apple c all belong to them and are taken as their own exclusive property they have other acknowledged rights which they never suffer to be with for instance wherever a meal is eaten upon the grass in the open field and the are not shaken down upon the spot for their use there they are sure to leave one of their curses called or the hungry grass for whoever passes over that spot for ever afterwards is liable to be struck down with and hunger and unless he cap taste a morsel of bread he will nor can recover the weakness in this i e irish tion however is not natural for if the person meal or flour as would lie on the point of a he will break the spell of the and recover his former strength such spots are said to be generally known by their superior they are always round and the of these little circles is seldom more than a single step the grass that grows upon them is called as we have said hungry and is accounted for as we have already stated indeed the walks and haunts of the are | 50 |
to be considered as very sacred and for instance it is dangerous to throw out dirty water after dusk or before sunrise lest in doing so you them on their passage for these little gentry are peculiarly fond of neatness and cleanliness both in dress and person bishop for the gives as humorous and correct a notion of their personal habits in this way and their to reward cleanliness in servants as could be written we shall ourselves relates short anecdote or two touching them before we come to frank martin s case to our readers that we could if we wished fill a y three of with anecdotes and legends connected with our irritable but good humoured little s wife was for several years afflicted a kind of complaint which nobody could properly understand she was sick and she was not sick she was well and she was not well she was as ladies wish to be who love their lords and she was not as such ladies wish to be in nobody could tell what the with her was she had a at the heart which came heavily upon her husband for with the help of god a appetite than the amounted to could not be met with of a summer s day the poor woman was delicate beyond belief and had no appetite at all so she had nt a little relish a or a or a bit o anyway lor sore ot d help thb rival her i hadn t the for the or tho o sour along it especially as she bo poorly and indeed for a woman in her condition for sick as she was poor always was made to believe her in that condition but god s will be done i she didn t care a an a grain o salt was as welcome to her glory be to his name as the roast an boiled that ever was dressed an why not there was one comfort she wouldn t be long him long him it little what she got but sure she knew herself that from the at her heart she could never do good the little bit o now and then an sure if her own husband it to h who else had she a right to expect it from well as we have said she lay a invalid for long enough doctors and of all sorts sexes and sizes and all without s benefit until at the long run poor was nearly brought to the last pass in striving to keep her in the bit o the seventh year was now on the point of closing when one harvest day as she lay her hard condition on her bed beyond the kitchen fire a little woman dressed in a neat red cloak comes in and sitting down by the hearth says well you ve had a long of it there on the broad o yer back for seven years an you re as far bein cured as ever aye said the other in that s what i was this ov and a sorrowful thought it is to me it s yer own t thin says the little woman an indeed for that matter it s yer t that ever you there at all how s that asked sure i wouldn t be here if i could help it do you think it s a comfort or a pleasure to me to be rack and no the other i do not but til tell you the truth for the last seven years you have been us i am t irish o the good people an as i have a r ard for you tin com to let you know the why yon ve been so long as you are for all the time youve been ill if you ll take the to your out yer dirty dusk an before sunrise at the very time we re yer door which we pass twice a day now if you avoid this if you throw it out in a different place an at a different time the complaint you have will lave you so will the at the heart an you ll be as well as ever you if you don t follow this advice why remain as you are an all the art o man can t cure you she then bade her good bye and disappeared who was glad to be cured on such easy terms immediately complied with the of the fairy and the consequence was the next day she found herself in as good health as ever she enjoyed during her life m had married a wife and of course it was to have a house in which to keep her now had taken a bit of a farm about six acres but as there was no house on it he resolved to build one and that it might be a comfortable as possible he selected for the site of it one of e green circles that are supposed to be the of the warned against this but he was a man and not much given ta fear he s aid he would not change such a pleasant situation for his to oblige all the in europe he accordingly with the building which he finished off very neatly as it u on t occasions to give one s neighbours aud friends a house warming so in compliance with this good and pleasant old custom having brought home the wife in the course of the day got a and a lot of and gave those who had come to see him a dance in the evening this vas all very well and the fun and wore proceeding briskly a noise was heard night th rival had pet in like a and of ribs and on the top of the house the folks | 50 |
great and in order to lose as little time a possible he struck across the country passing through or close by forth a place celebrated as a resort of the what was his astonishment however as he passed a tree to hear a female voice sin g in accompaniment to the sound of a wheel the following words there s a girl in this town doesn t know my name bat my name s trot there s a girl in this town said the lad who s in great distress lor c he as broken her and lost a husband now goin to m s to get it mended what s her name said the little red woman the little woman immediately whipped out the from her own wheel and giving it to the boy desired him to bring it to his sister and never mind m y ou have little time to lose she added so go back and give her this but don t tell he how you got it nor above all things that it was even trot that gave it to you the lad returned and giving the to his sister as a matter of course her that it was a little red woman called even trot that sent it her a circumstance which made tears of delight start to s eyes for she knew now that even trot was the name of the old woman and having known that she that good would happen to her she now ed her and never did human fingers let down the thread so rapidly the whole were amazed at the quantity which from time to time filled her the hearts of friends to rise and those of sally s party to pink as hour after hour she wi s fast ap s t her rival who now spun if possible with double speed on finding up with her at length they were again even nd just at that moment in came her the little red woman and asked aloud is there any this that knows my name this question she asked three times before pluck up courage to answer her she at last s a in tliis town does know name your name is even trot trot ay said the old woman and so it is and let that name l e your guide and your husband s through life go steadily along but let your step be even stop little keep always advancing and never have cause to the day that you first saw even trot we need scarcely add that won the and the husband and that she and lived long and happily together and have only now to wish kind reader that you and i may live longer and more happily still frank martin and thb when a superstition is once impressed strongly upon the popular the fiction always the shape and form which the peculiar imagination of the country is constituted to body forth this faculty depends so much on climate temperament religion and occupation that the notions of supernatural beings though generally based upon one broad peculiar to all countries differ so essentially respecting the form character habits and powers of these beings that they appear to have been drawn from sources widely frank and to an there can be no greater proof that this of their being nothing but the of our own brain and of assuming that shape only which has uniformly been impressed upon our imagination at the precise period of life such impressions are strongest and most permanent and the reason which ought to combat and investigate them least capable of doing so if these possessed the of truth and reality their appearance to mankind would be always uniform and but they are beheld so to speak through different prejudices and impressions and consequently change with the through which they are seen just as light assume the hue of the glass through which it passes hence their different shape character and attributes in different countries and th frequent absence of rational with respect to them even in the the force of imagination alone is capable of up and out that which never had existence and that too with as much apparent distinctness and truth as if it were real go to the lunatic asylum or the mad house and it may be seen in its strong delusion and positive terror before i close this portion of my little i shall relate an anecdote connected with it of which i myself was the subject some years ago i was seized with a fever of so terrific a character that for a long time i lay in a state hovering between life and death unconscious as a log without either hope or fear at length a crisis came and aided by the strong of an unbroken constitution i began to recover and every day to regain my consciousness more and more as yet however i was very fer from being out of danger for i felt the malady to be still so fiery and oppressive that i was not surprised when told that the slightest mistake in my medicine or would hav brought on a events thank god my recovery advanced irish at the same time the that wild and picturesque in the highest d ee indeed was such a combination of the beautiful and hideous seen unless in the dreams of a feverish brain like mine or the distorted reason of a madman at one side of my bed looking in upon me with a most and was a compared with which the vulgar representations of the devil are itself whilst on the other was a female countenance beaming in beauty that was ethereal thus in ct was my whole bed for they as as they could sometimes flitting about and seeming to crush and one another but never leaving my bed for a moment here | 50 |
were the features of a dwarf there an angel apparently fresh from heaven here was a gigantic demon with his huge mouth placed in his ce and his nose across it whilst the like grinned as if he were vain and had cause to be v un of his beauty this fellow annoyed me much and would i apprehended have done mean injury only for the angel on the other de he made perpetual attempts to come at me but was as often by that creature indeed i feared none of them so much as i did the who evidently had a design on me and would have rendered my situation truly pitiable were it not for the protection of the who always succeeded in keeping him aloof upon me and in self preservation threw my right arm to the opposite side and grasping the by the nose found i had caught my poor old nurse by that useful organ while she was in the act of offering mc a drink for several days i was in this the victim of images produced by disease and the excitement of consequent upon it gradually however they began to dis and i felt manifest relief for they were succeeded by impressions as amusing now as the form r had been distressing ned frank martin and tliat there was a serious dispute between my right foot and my left aa to which of them was entitled to and what was singular my right hand arm and shoulder most supported the right foot as did the limbs the left the head alone with an it honour maintained a strict the truth was i imagined that all my limbs were endowed with a consciousness of individual existence and i felt quite satisfied that each and all of them possessed the faculty of reason i have frequently related this anecdote to my friends but i know not how it happened i never could get them to look upon it in any other light than as a specimen of that kind of fiction which is termed drawing the long bow it is however as true as that i now exist and relate the and what is more the arguments which i am about to give are the same that were used by the rival and their respective the discussion i must observe was opened by the left foot as being the discontented party and like all discontented parties its language was so very violent that had its opinions prevailed there is no doubt but they would have succeeded in completely my constitution left foot brother addressing the right with a great show of affection but at the same time with a ol strong discontent in the big toe brother i don t how it is that you have during our whole lives always taken the liberty to consider yourself a better foot than i am and i would feel much obliged to you if you would tell why it is that you claim this superiority over me are we not both equal in every thing right foot be quiet my dear brother we are equal in every thing and why therefore are you discontented left foot because you presume to consider yourself the better and more foot irish n right foot let us not dispute my dear brother each is equally necessary to the other what could do without you nothing or at least very little and what could you do without me very little indeed we were not made to quarrel left foot very hot i am not disposed to quarrel but i trust you will admit that i am as good as you every way your equal and in many things your superior do you hear that i am not disposed to quarrel you rascal and how dare you say so here there was a strong sensation among all the right members who felt themselves insulted through this outrage offered to their chief right foot since you chose to insult me without provocation must stand upon my right left off to a there again what right have you to be termed right any more than i go it left pitch into him we are equal to him and his from the friends of the left the matter was now likely to become serious and to end in a row what s the matter there below the head don t be fools and make yourselves ridiculous what would either of you be with a or a cork leg which is only another name for a wooden shoe any day right foot since he me i tell him that ever since the world began the prejudice of mankind in all nations has been in favour of the right foot and the right hand strong sensation among the members surely he ought not to be ignorant of the proverb which says when a man is peculiarly successful in anything he that man knew how to go about it he put the right foot foremost t cheers from the right party left that s mere special pleading the right foot there does not mean you because you happen to be such mt it means the foot which from its position under the frank martin and thb happens to be the proper one loud applause from the left members right fact you know you are weak and feeble and awkward when compared to me and can do little of yourself that s a left why certainly i grant i am the gentleman and that you are very useful to me you from the left hand ours is the aristocratic side hear the i come what have you to say to that hand addressing his opponent you may be the aristocratic party if you will but we are the useful who are the true of the constitution you poor of nobility left hand the heart | 50 |
is with us the seat and origin of life and power can you boast as much loud cheers right foot why have you never heard it said of an excellent and worthy man a fellow of the right sort a ai a mark of his sterling qualities his heart s in the right place how then can it be in the left f much applause left which is an additional proof that mine is that place and not yours yes you we have the heart and you cannot deny it right we admit he with you but it is merely because you are the weaker side and require his protection the best part of his energies is given to us and we are satisfied left you admit then that our party keeps yours in power and why not at once give up your right to why not resign right let us put it to the vote left with all my heart it was accordingly put to the vote but on telling the house it was found that the parties were equal both then appealed very to mr speaker the head who after having heard their respective arguments himself very gravely irish ii ami informed them much after the of sir that much might be on both but one thing said he i beg both parties to and very seriously to consider in the first place there would be none of this nonsense about were it for the feverish and excited state in which you all happen to be at present if you have common sense enough to wait until you all get somewhat cooler there is little doubt but you will feel that you cannot do without each other as myself as i before i ve no specific opinion upon which could never have taken place were it not for the heat of feeling which is between you i know that might and has been said upon both sides but as for me i nod significantly to both parties and say nothing one thing however i do say and it is this take care ou right foot and you that by pursuing this senseless quarrel too far it may not happen that you will both get stretched and tied up together in a wooden when be out of the question and nothing but a c stillness shall remain between yon for ever i shake and have now seriously this case which as an illustration of my argument possesses a good deal of interest i another key to the absurd doctrine of here was i at the moment strongly and seriously impressed with a that a quarrel was taking place between my feet about the right of going foremost nor was this absurdity all i actually believed for the time that all my limbs were endowed with separate life and reason and why all simply because my whole system was in a state of unusually strong excitement and the nerves and blood stimulated by disease into a state of such in fact is the condition in which every one must necessarily be who thinks he sees a spirit and this which is known to be an fact being admitted it follows of course that the same causes will other things being frank martin and the alike produce the fame effects for instance does not tha terror of an apparition occasion a violent and increased action of the heart and system similar to that of fever not the very hair stand on end not merely when the imaginary ghost is seen but when the very of it is strong is not the action of the too in proportion to that of the heart and the nervous system in pro portion to that of both what then is this but a fever the time being which is attended by the very the fear of which created it for in this case it so happens that the cause and effect naturally each other a case of imagination which in a man it probably the strongest and most unaccountable on record it that of a person an who imagined that at a certain hour of the day a or came into his bedroom and him inflicted several heavy upon his body with the of his whip and such was the power of here that the marks of the lash were visible in black and blue streaks upon his flesh i am inclined to think however that this stands very much in need of confirmation i have already mentioned a case of illusion which in my native parish i speak of s daughter who saw what she imagined to be the ghost of m who had been lost among the i shall now relate another with the of which i also was myself an the man s name i think was martin and he followed the thoughtful and somewhat melancholy occupation of a he was a bachelor and wrought journey work in every farmer s house where he could get employment and notwithstanding his supernatural vision of the he was to be both a quick and an excellent workman the more sensible of the country people said he was but more superstitious of them maintained that he had a n and them his will the shoe i irish n is a malignant which by a subtle compact made any one whom it can induce by the fairest promises to into a mastery over them by its unhappy victims to it otherwise it is and must be like the oriental their slave and to perform such tasks as they wish to impose upon it it will promise endless wealth to those whom it is anxious to to its authority but it is at once so malignant and ingenious that the party entering into the contract with it is always certain by its to break through his engagement and thus become slave | 50 |
o late an hour for every one knew that nobody in the whole country about them would dare to cut down the few white that grew upon the forth on going to examine however judge of their surprise when after surrounding and searching the whole place they could discover no trace of either saw or in with the exception of themselves there no one either supernatural visible they returned to the house and had scarcely sat down when it was heard again within ten yards of them another examination i the premises took place but with equal success now however while standing on the forth they heard the in a little hollow about a hundred and fifty yards below them which was completely exposed to their view but they could see nobody a party of them immediately went down to ascertain if possible what this singular noise and invisible ud our could mean but on arriving at the spot they heard the to which were now added and the driving of nails upon the forth above whilst those who stood in the forth continued to hear it in the hollow on comparing notes they resolved to send down to s for frank martin a distance of only about eighty or ninety yards he was soon on the spot and moment s hesitation solved the irish i tb the said he see busy they are but what are they frank they are a child s coffin he replied they have the body already made an they re now the lid together that night the child certainly died and the story goes that on the second evening afterwards the carpenter who was called upon to make the coffin brought a table out from thomas s house to the forth as a temporary bench and it is said that the and necessary for the completion of his task were precisely the same which had been heard the evening but one before neither more nor less i remember the death of the child myself and the making of its coffin but i think that the story of the supernatural carpenter was not heard in the village for some months after its frank had every appearance of a about him at the time i saw him he might be about thirty four years of age but i do not think from the of his frame and health that he been alive for several years he was an object of considerable interest and curiosity and have i present when he was pointed out to strangers as the man that could see the good people with respect to his solution of the supernatural noise that is easily accounted for this superstition of the coffin making is a common one and to a man like him whose mind was familiar with it the illness of the child would naturally suggest the probability of its death which he immediately associated with the agents to be foimd in his unhappy malady a of a legend of wh t man woman or child has not heard of our renowned the great and glorious fin m not one from cape clear to the s nor from that back again to cape clear and by the way of the giant s brings me at once to the of my story well it so happened that fin and his gigantic relatives were all working at the in order to make a bridge or what was still better a good stout across to scotland when fin who was very fond of his wife took it into his head that he would go home and see how the poor woman got on in his absence to be sure fin was a and so the sorrow thing in life brought him back only to see that she was snug and comfortable and above all things that she got her rest well for he knew that the poor woman when he was with her used to be subject to nightly and that kept him very anxious decent man striving to keep her up to the good spirits and health that she had when they were first married so accordingly he pulled up a fir tree and after off the roots and branches made a walking stick of it and set on his way to or rather fin lived at this time on the very tip of hill which faces a cousin of its own called that rises up half hill half mountain on the east east by south as the sailors say when they wish to a now the truth is for it must come out that honest fin s affection for his wife though cordial enough in itself was by no manner or means the real cause of his journey home there was at that time another giant named some irish say he was irish and some say he was scotch but whether scotch or irish sorrow doubt of it but he was a larger no other giant of the day could stand before him and such was his strength that when well vexed he could give a stamp that shook the country about him the fame and name of him went and near and nothing in the shape of a man it was said had any chance with him in a fight whether the story the note by the messrs chambers in whose journal the above legend appeared a most extraordinary between my illustration of s strength and that of the giant to by the messrs chambers the above gives a good idea of the strange which the national humour and have thrown over most of the early popular legends of ireland fin or m is the same half being who figures as in s s poems he waa probably a distinguished warrior in some early stage of the history of ireland authorities the fifth and the ninth | 50 |
centuries whatever his real age and whatever his real qualities he was afterwards looked back to as a giant of immense and strength and became the subject of numerous wild and warlike legends both in ireland and in the of scotland our poets of the middle ages give evidence of the great then i y both and the son of for instance in represents his hero robert as making allusion to these two personages at the in who died in their names into his poem ms palace of honour great and fin and how they should be gods in ireland as they say another poem of obscure but of the same age as th above entitled an of the e dwarf s part of ike play the extravagant popular notions of the day respecting the stature of not only fin and but of fin wife of it says ay when he danced the after he grew at eleven mile wide was his mouth his teeth were ten miles square he upon his stand and the stems down with his hand and set them in a gold above his wife s hair a of is true or not i cannot say but the report vent that by one blow of his fist he a and kept it in his pocket in the shape of a to to his enemies when they were about to fight him undoubtedly he had given every giant in ireland a considerable beating fin m himself and he swore by the solemn contents of s that he would never rest night or day or summer till he would serve fin with the same if he could catch him fin however who no doubt was cock of the walk on his own had a strong to meet a giant who could make a young earthquake or a when he angry so lie accordingly kept about from place to place not much to his credit as a to be sure whenever he happened to get the hard word that was on the scent of him this then was the of the whole movement although he put it on his anxiety to see and i am not saying but there was some truth in that too however the short and the long of it was reverence be it spoken that he heard was coming to the to have a trial of strength with him and he was naturally enough seized in consequence with a very warm and sudden fit of affection for his wife poor woman of the wife it may be enough to say she took the for all the in france and not be till her leg a though she was and tender in irish as appears from mr s present sketch fin and his dame were kept within something moderate as respects and strength at the same time that enough of the giant is retained to contrast enough with the moderate and natural feelings assigned to them and the and on which they and their enemy are represented as acting t britain irish who was delicate in her health and leading a veiy lonely uncomfortable life of it he assured them in his absence he accordingly pulled up the fir tree as i said before and having it into a walking stick set out on his travels to see his darling on the top of by the way in truth to state the suspicions of the country at the time the people wondered very much why it was that fin selected such a windy ix t for his dwelling house and they even went so far as to tell him as much x j i iv v u what can you mane mr m said they by your tent upon the top of where you never are without a breeze day or night winter or summer and where you re often forced to take your without either going to bed or turning up your little finger ay an where besides there s the sorrow s own want of water why said fin ever i was the height of a round tower i was known to be fond of having a good prospect of my own and where the neighbours could i find a spot for a good prospect than the top of as for water i am sinking a pump t and goodness as soon as the s made i intend to finish it now this was more of fin s philosophy for the real state of the case was that he pitched on the top of in order that he might be able to see coming towards the house and of course that he himself might go to look after his distant transactions in other parts of the country rather than but no matter we do not to be too hard on fin a common name tor tne cloud or rack that hangs as a of wet weather about the peak of a mountain t there is upon the top of this an opening that bears a strong resemblance to the of an there is also a stone upon which i have heard the rev smith f t c now of the adjoining parish say that he found characters and if i do not mistake i think he t f them a of all we have to say is that if he wanted a spot from which to keep a sharp look out and between ourselves he did want it or or its own cousin he could not find a or more convenient situation for it in the sweet and sagacious province of god save all here said fin good on putting his honest face into his own door fin an you re welcome home to your own you bully i here followed a that is said to have made | 50 |
the waters of the lake at the bottom of the hill curl as it were with kindness and sympathy faith said fin beautiful an how are you and how did you sport your figure during my absence my never a as a grass widow a ever there was in sweet among the bushes fin gave a short good humoured cough and laughed most heartily to her how much he was delighted that she made herself happy in his absence an what brought you home so soon fin said she why said fin putting in his answer in the proper way never the thing but the purest of love and affection for yourself sure you know that s truth any how fin spent two or three happy days with and felt himself comfortable considering the dread he had of this however grew upon him so much that his could not but perceive that something lay on his mind which he kept altogether to himself let a woman alone in the meantime for or a secret out of her good man when she wishes fin was a proof of this if s this said he s troubling me when the fellow gets angry and begins to stamp he ll shake you a irish whole and it s well known that he can stop for he always carries one about him in the shape of si to to any one that might it as he spoke he clapped his thumb in his mouth which he always did when he wanted to prophecy or to know any thing that happened in his absence and the wife who knew what he did it for very sweetly fin darling i hope you don t bite your thumb at me dear no said fin but i bite my thumb said he yes jewel but take care and don t draw blood said she ah fin don t my don t he s coming said fin i see him below thank goodness dear an who is it glory bo to god j that replied fin and how to manage i don t know k i run away i am disgraced and i know that sooner or later i must meet him for my thumb tells me so when will he be here said she to morrow about two o replied fin with a groan well my bully don t be cast down said depend on me and maybe i ll bring you better out of this scrape than ever you could bring yourself by your rule o thumb this fin s heart very much for was hand and glove with the and indeed to tell the truth she was supposed to be a fairy herself k she was however she must have been a kind hearted one fi r by all accounts she never did any thing but good in the neighbourhood now it so happened that had a sister living opposite them on the very top of which i have mentioned already and this was quite as powerful os herself the beautiful valley that lies between them h not a of more than about three or four miles broad so that of a s evening and were able to hold many an agreeable conversation across it from the one hill top to the other upon this occasion resolved to consult her sister as to what was best to be done in the difficulty that surrounded them said she are you at home no said the others tm picking in the devil s said get up to the top of look about you and tell us what you see very replied after a few minutes i am there now what do you see asked the other be about us i exclaimed i see the biggest giant that ever was known coming up from ay said there s our difficulty that ant is the great and he s now up to leather fin to be done ru call to him she replied to come up to and refresh himself and maybe that will give you and fin time to think of some plan to get yourself out of the scrape but she proceeded tm short of butter having in the house only half a dozen and as i m to have a few giants and to spend the with me i d feel thankful if you d throw me up or sixteen or the largest you have got and you ll oblige me very much do that with a heart and a half replied and indeed i feel myself under great obligations to you for your kindness in keeping him off us till we see what can be done for what would become of us all if any thing happened fin poor man she accordingly got the largest of butter she had irish which might be about the weight of a couple dozen so that you may easily judge of its size and calling up to her sister said she are you ready going to throw you up a so be prepared to catch it i will said the other a good now and take care it does not short threw it but in consequence of her anxiety about fin and she forgot to say the charm that was to send it up so that instead of reaching as she expected it fell about half way between the two hills at of the broad near my curse upon you i she exclaimed you ve disgraced me i now change you into a grey stone lie there as a testimony of what has happened and may evil the first living man that will ever attempt to remove or injure and enough there it lies to this day with the mark of the four fingers and thumb in it exactly as it came out of her hand never mind said i must only | 50 |
do the best can with if all fail til give him a cast of to keep the wind out of his stomach or a of to draw it in a bit but above all things think of some plan to get fin out of the scrape he s in otherwise he s a lost man you know you used to be sharp and ready and my opinion is that it will go hard with you or you ll yet she then made a high smoke on the top of the hill after which she put her finger in her mouth and gave three and by that knew he was invited to for this was the way that the irish long ago gave a sign to all strangers and travellers to let them know they were welcome to come and take share of whatever was going in the meantime fin was very melancholy and did not know what to do or how to act at all was an ugly a of customer no doubt to meet with and moreover the idea of the confounded cake the very heart within him what chance could he have strong and brave though he was with a man who could when put in a passion walk the country into and knock into the thing was impossible and fin knew not on what hand to turn him right or left backward or forward where to go he could form no guess whatsoever said he can you do nothing for me where s all your invention am i to be like a rabbit before your eyes and to have my name disgraced for ever in the sight of all my and me the best man among them how am i to fight this man mountain this huge cross between an earthquake and a with a in his pocket that was once be easy fin replied i m ashamed of you keep your toe in your pump will you talking of maybe we ll give him as good as any he brings with him or otherwise if i don t treat him to as smart feeding as he s got this many a day never trust again leave him to me and do just as i bid you this relieved fin very much for after all he had great confidence in his wife knowing as he did that she had got him out of many a before the present however was the greatest of all but still he be an to get courage and was able to eat his as usual then drew the nine threads of different colours which she always did to find out the best way of succeeding in any thing of importance went about she then them into three with three colours in each putting one to her right arm one round her heart and the third round her right ankle for then she knew that nothing could fail with her that she undertook having every thing now prepared she sent round to the neighbours and borrowed one and twenty iron which f irish she took and into the hearts of one twenty cakes of bread and these she baked on the fire in the usual way setting them aside in the cupboard according as they were done she then put down a large pot of new milk which she into and and gave fin due instructions how to use the when should come having done all this she sat down quite contented waiting for his arrival on the next day about two o clock that being the hour at which he was expected for fin knew as much by the of his thumb now this was a curious property that fin s thumb had but notwithstanding all the wisdom and lo c he used to out of it it never could have stood to him were it not for the wit of his wife in this very thing moreover he was very much resembled by his great foe for it was well known that the huge strength he possessed all lay in the middle finger of his right hand and that if he happened by any to lose it he was no more notwithstanding his bulk than a common man at length the next day he was seen across the valley and knew that it was time to commence operations she immediately made the cradle and desired fin to lie down in it and cover himself up with the clothes you must pass for your own child said she so just lie there snug and say nothing but be guided by me this to be sure was to fin i mean going into the cradle in such a cowardly manner but he knew and finding that he had nothing else for it with a very face he gathered himself into it and lay snug as she had desired him about two o clock as he had been expected came in god save all here said he is this where the great fm m c indeed it is honest man replied go l save you kindly won t you be sitting a of thank yon ma am says he sitting down m i suppose i am said she and i have no reason i hope to be ashamed of my husband no said the other he has the name of being the strongest and man in ireland but for all that there s a man not far from you that s very desirous of taking a shake with him is he at home why then no she replied and if ever a man left his house in a fury he did it appears that some one told him of a big of a giant called being down at the to look for him and so he set out there to try if be | 50 |
c catch him i hope for the poor giant s sake he won t meet with him tor if he does fin will make of him at once well said he other am and i have been r him these but he always kept clear of me and i will never rest night or day till i lay my hands on him at this set up a loud laugh of great contempt by the way and looked at him as if he was only a mere handful of a man did you ever see fin said she changing her manner ah at once how could i said he he always took care to keep his distance i thought so she replied judged as much and if take my advice you looking creature you ll pray night and day that you may never see him for i tell you it will be a black day for you when you do but in the mean time you perceive that the wind s on tiie door and as fin himself is from home maybe you d be civil enough to turn the house for it s always what fin does when he s here this was a even to but he got up how irish ever aud pulling the middle finger of his right hand until it cracked three times he went out and getting his arms about the house completely turned it f she had wished when fin saw this he felt a certain description of which shall be nameless out through every pore of his skin but depending upon her woman s wit felt not a whit then said she as you are so civil maybe you d do another obliging turn for us as fin s not here to do it himself you see af er this long stretch of dry weather we ve had we feel very badly off for want of water now fin says there s a fine spring well somewhere under behind the hill here below an it was his intention to pull them asunder but having heard of you he left the place in such a fury that he never thought of it now if you try to find it i d feel it a kindness she then brought down to see the place which was then all one solid rock and after looking at it for some time he cracked his right middle finger nine times and stooping down tore a about four hundred feet deep and a quarter of a mile long which has since by the name of s this feat nearly threw herself off her guard but what won t a woman s sagacity and presence of mind accomplish you ll now come in said she and eat a bit of such humble as we can give you fin even although he and you are enemies would scorn not to treat you kindly in his own house and indeed if i didn t do it even in his absence he would not be pleased with me she accordingly brought him in and placing half a dozen of the cakes we spoke of before him together with a can or two of butter a side of boiled bacon and a of she desired him to help for this be it known was long the invention of potatoes who by the way a legend of as a as well as a hero put one of the cakes in his mouth to take a huge out of it when both fin and were stunned with a noise that resembled something between a growl and a yell blood and he shouted how is this here are two of teeth out what kind of bread is this you gave me what s the matter said coolly v matter shouted the other again why here are the two back teeth in my head gone i why said she that s fin s the only bread he r eats when at home but indeed i forgot to tell you that nobody can eat it but himself and that child in the cradle there i thought however that as you were reported to be rather a stout little fellow of your size you might be able to manage it and i did not wish to a man that thinks himself able to fight fin here s another cake maybe it a not so hard as that at the moment was not only hungry but so he accordingly made a fresh set at the second cake and immediately another yell was heard twice as loud as the first thunder and he roared take your bread out of this or i will not have a tooth in my head there s another of them gone i well honest man replied if you re not able to eat the bread say so quietly and don t be the child in the cradle here there now he s awake upon me fin now gave a that startled the giant as coming from such a as he was represented to be mother said he i m get me something to eat went over and putting into his hand a cake that had no in it fin whose appetite in the mean time was sharpened by what he saw going forward soon made it disappear was and thanked his stars that he had no the good fortune to miss meeting for as he said to himself i d have no chance with a man who could eat such bread as that which even his son that s but in his cradle can before my eyes i d like to take a glimpse at the cradle said he to for i can tell you that the who can manage that is no joke to look at or to feed of a scarce summer with all the veins of my heart replied get up | 50 |
and show this decent little man something that won t be unworthy of your fin m fin who was dressed for the occasion as much like a boy as possible got up and bringing out are you strong said he thunder an i exclaimed the other what a voice in so small a chap i are you strong said fin are yon able to squeeze water out of that white stone he asked putting one into s hand the latter squeezed and squeezed the stone but to purpose he might pull the rocks of s asunder and a but to squeeze out of a white stone was beyond his strength fin eyed him with great contempt as he kept straining and d and till he got black in the ce with the efforts ah you re a poor creature said fin you a giant give me the stone here and when i ll what fin s little can do you may then judge of what my himself is fin then took the stone and exchanging it for the he squeezed the latter the as dear as water out in a little shower from his hand i ll now go in said he to my cradle i for scorn to my time with any one s not able to eat my s of ill or squeeze water out of a stone you had better be off out of this before he comes back for if he you it s in he d have you in two minutes seeing what he had seen was of the same opinion himself his knees knocked together with the terror of fin s return and he accordingly hastened in to bid farewell and to assure her that from that day out he never wished to hear of much less to see her husband admit fairly that i m not a match for him said he strong as i am tell him i will avoid him as i would the plague and that i will make myself scarce in his part of the country while i live fin in the mean time had gone into the cradle where he lay very quietly his heart in his mouth with delight that was about to take his departure without discovering the tricks that had been played off on him if swell for you said that he doesn t happen to be here for it s nothing but hawk s meat he d make of you i know that says a thing else he d make of me but before i go will you let me feel what kind oi teeth they are that can eat bread like and he pointed to it as he spoke with all pleasure in life said she only as they re for back in his head you must put your finger a good way in was to find such a powerful set of in one so young but he was still much more so on finding when he took his hand from fin s mouth that he had the very finger upon which his whole strength depended behind him he gave one loud groan and fell down at once with terror and weakness this was all fin wanted who now knew that his most powerful and bitterest enemy was completely at his mercy he instantly started out of the cradle and in a few minutes the great that was for such a length of time the terror of him and all his followers lay a corpse before liim thus did fin the wit and of irish bin wife in his by which he never could have done by force and thus also is it proved that the women if they bring us into many an unpleasant scrape can sometimes succeed in getting us out of others that are as bad of the grey tone mentioned in this legend there is a very striking and melancholy anecdote to be told some or thirteen years ago a gentleman in the vicinity of the site of it was building a house and in defiance of the legend and curse connected with it he resolved to break it up and use it it was with some difficulty however that he could succeed in getting his to have anything to do with its two men however undertook to blast it but somehow the process of being it exploded and one of them was killed this coincidence was held as a of the curse mentioned in the legend i have heard that it remains in that state to the present day no other person being who had the to touch it this stone before it was exactly resembled that which the country people term a of butter is precisely the shape of a complete a circumstance which no doubt in the fertile imagination of the old gave rise to the superstition to it it may be mentioned that in the of the s part of the above quoted the wife of fin m is represented as the of a much larger mass of rock than the grey stone namely the of near in like manner legend makes st drop the rock of and on his way to chamber moan thb irish of the many remarkable characters that have been by the spirit and habits of irish feeling among the there is not one so clear distinct and well traced as that of the we could mention several that are certainly marked with great precision and that stand out in fine relief to the eye of the spectator but none at all who in richness of colouring in boldness of outline or in firmness of force can for a moment be compared with the the for instance lives a life sufficiently and distinct so does the dancing master and so also does the match maker but with some of colouring as for the the the | 50 |
and the foster nurse although all mellow toned and well by the strong of hereditary usage yet do they stand dim and shadowy when placed ce to ce with this great of the national temperament it is almost impossible to conceive a character of greater self importance than an irish or who in her whole bearing a more complacent consciousness of her own privileges the might be with and the master might follow him off the stage the might all disappear and the general business of life still go on as before but not so with her whom we are describing and this conviction is the very basis of her power the secret source from which she draws the confidence that bears down every rival claim upon the affections of the people before we introduce moan to our kind we hall briefly relate a few points of character peculiar to the irish because they are probably not in general known to a very numerous class of our readers this is a matter which we are the more anxious to do because it is that an acquaintance with many of the old l powers with which she was supposed to be invested is fading out of the public memory and unless put into record it is to be feared that in the course of one or two generations more they may altogether disappear and be one of the least known of the secrets which old lore affirmed to have been in possession of the was the knowledge of how beer might be from the irish people believe that the and practised this valuable process and will assure you that the liquor prepared from materials so cheap and waa superior in strength and to any ever produced fix m nay they will tell you how it conferred such bodily strength and courage upon those who drank it that it was to the influence and virtue of this alone that the held such a protracted and won so many in ireland it was a secret however too valuable to be disclosed especially to enemies who would lose no time in turning the important consequences of it against the themselves the consequence was that from the day the first set foot upon the soil of ireland until that upon which they bade it adieu for ever no was ever able to get possession of it it came to be known however and the knowledge of it is said to be still in the country but must remain until the of a certain prophecy connected with the of ireland shall take away the obligation of a most solemn oath which the original of the secret to this the are said to have been these on the evening previous to the final of the the irish ll t for their own country the wife of their prince was seized with the pains of child birth and there being no among themselves an irish one was brought who as the enmity between the nations was both strong and bitter resolutely withheld her services unless upon the condition of being made acquainted with this invaluable process the crisis it seems a very trying one the condition was complied with but the was solemnly sworn never to communicate it to any but a woman and never to put it in practice until ireland should be free and any two of its provinces at peace with each other the thinking very naturally that there remained no obstacle to the accomplishment of these conditions but the presence of the themselves and seeing that they were on the eve of leaving the country for ever imagined herself perfectly safe in entering into the obligation but it so happened says the tradition that although the knowledge of the secret is among the irish still yet it never could be applied and never will until ireland shall be in the state required by the terms of her oath so runs the tradition however one of power with which some of the old were said to be gifted so exquisitely ludicrous and yet at the same time so firmly fixed in the belief of many among the people that we cannot do justice to the character without mentioning so strange an acquisition it is this that where a husband happens to be cruel to his wife or her the is able by some mysterious charm to inflict upon him and from the wife the sufferings to her confinement as the penalty mentioned by holy writ which is to follow the sex in consequence of the of our mother eve some of om readers may perhaps imagine this to be but we that it is strictly true such a superstition did prevail in ireland among the and still does to an extent which u none would surprise any one not as well acquainted with the m irish and as we happen to be the manner in which the got possession of this power is as follows it frequently happened that the good people or that is the were put to the necessity of having recourse to the aid of the on one of those occasions it seems the good woman discharged her duties so successfully that the fairy matron in for her vices and of attendance communicated to her this secret so formidable to all bad husbands from the period alluded to say the people it has of course been gladly from hand to hand and on many occasions resorted to with fearful but effect within our own several instances of its application were pointed out to us and the very individuals themselves when closely were forced to an assertion that was at least equivalent to an admission it was nothing but an attack of the which by the way was little else than a upon that departed malady many are the tales told of cases in which were | 50 |
serviceable to the good people but unless their assistance was repaid by the of some secret piece of knowledge it was better to receive no payment any other description of being considered from this source also was derived another most valuable quality said to be possessed by the irish but one which we should suppose the virtue of our fair rendered of very application this was the power of destroying jealousy between man and wife we forget whether it was said to be in cases of guilt but we should imagine that the contrary would rather hold good as an is not exactly that description of husband who would suffer himself to be charmed back into the arms of a wife this wag effected by the knowledge of a certain the irish lit tion of which the parties were to drink nine successive times each time before sunrise and after sunset of course the name of the was kept a profound secret but even if it had been known it could have proved of little value for the full force of its influence depended on a charm which the had learned among the whether it was the of the middle ages or not is difficult to say but one thing is certain that not only have but other persons of both sexes gone about through the country to cure jealousy by the or of a mysterious which was known only to themselves it is not unlikely to suppose that this great secret was all nothing more than a application of the waters of jealousy mentioned by moses and that only resembled many other charms practised in this and other countries which are generally founded upon certain passages of scripture indeed there is little doubt that the practice of attempting to cure by existed elsewhere as well as in ireland and one would certainly imagine that who left nothing connected with the human heart untouched must have alluded to the very custom we are treating of when he makes speaking of s jealousy say look where he comes not nor nor all the drowsy of the world shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep v thou yesterday here it is quite evident that the of the of was to be tried upon the mind only in which the s horrible malady existed that in the passage quoted alluded to this singular custom is we think at least probable we have said that the stood high as a match maker and so unquestionably she did no woman was better acquainted with charms of all kinds especially with those that i w oar is as one knows the only book on which the says prayers night and morning who has not heard of his prayer f we are now to consider the in the of a woman not only of knowledge but possessed of many secrets which the mere physician or could never penetrate as a she possessed a very high reputation for all complaints incident to children and females and where skill unlike the mere scientific man of she could set physical causes and effects aside and have recourse at once to the supernatural and miraculous for instance there are two complaints which she is beyond any other individual celebrated for managing that is to say head ache and another malady is or only known to the country folk by what is termed the or bone of the breast being down the first she by a very formal and serious process called measuring the head this is done by a ribbon which she puts round the repeating during the a certain prayer or charm from which the operation is to derive its whole e the measuring is performed twice in the first instance to show that its are separated by disease or to speak more plainly that the bones of the head are absolutely opened and that as a al consequence the head must be much larger than when the patient is in a state of health the of the first is marked upon a ribbon after which she the charm that is to remove the head ache and measures the again in order to show by a comparison of the two ribbons that the es have been closed the charm and the head ache consequently removed it is impossible to say how the in the is brought about but be that as it may the writer of this has seen the operation performed in such a way as to defy the most eye to detect any appearance of and he is convinced the irish tliat in the majority of cases there is not the slightest intended the is in truth a to a strong and enthusiasm when the raises the of the breast the operation is conducted without any assistance from the supernatural if a boy or a girl in flesh is troubled with want of rest or of appetite without being afflicted with any particular disease either acute or local the puts her finger under the bone which projects over the pit of the stomach and immediately feels that the of the breast is down in other words she the parents that the bone is bent and presses upon the heart the of this precisely the operation of she gets a penny piece which she places upon the spot affected the patient having been first laid in a posture after this she a little spirits in a in order to the air in it she then presses it quickly against the part which is under the penny piece and in a few moments to the amazement of the on it is drawn strongly up and remains so until the heart bone is supposed to be raised in such a manner as that it will not return the next charm for which she is remarkable among the people is that by which a is taken out | 50 |
of the eye the manner of doing this as follows a white basin is got and a of the purest water the repeatedly her mouth with the water until it returns as pure and clear as when she took it she then walks to and fi o repeating the words of her charm her mouth all the time filled with the water when the charm is finished she the water out of her mouth into the clean basin and will point out the or whatever it may have been floating in the water or lying in the bottom of the vessel in fact you could scarcely mention a malady with which the of the old school was not prepared to by the aid of a charm tooth ache the child birth all had their rose moan respective charms the latter especially required one of a very cast every one knows that the power of in ireland is never so strong or so earnestly put forth as in the moment of when they strive by all possible means to secure the new bom before it is and leave a in its stead invaluable indeed is the mid who is possessed of a charm to prevent this and knows how to arrange all the ceremonies that are to be observed upon the occasion without making any mistake for that would all many a time on such occasions have the ribs of the roof been made to crack the windows rattled out the door pushed with violence and the whole house shaken as if it would tumble about their heads and all by the but to no purpose the charm of the was a rock of defence the necessary precautions had been taken and they were ultimately forced to depart in a strong blast of wind screaming and howling with rage and disappointment as they went there were also charms for the diseases of cattle to cure which there exist in ireland some processes of very distant antiquity we ourselves have seen fire produced by the of two green boughs together applied as a remedy for the black leg and this is evidently of pagan origin and must have some remote with the old doctrines of the ancient god of fire whose worship was once so general in ireland of these charms it may be said thai they are all of a religious character some of them evidently the pro of and others apparently of those who seriously believed in their there is one thing peculiar about them which is that they must be taught to persons of the opposite sex a man for instance cannot teach a charm to a man nor a woman to a woman but he may to a woman as a woman may to a man if taught or learned in of this principle they possess no virtue the irish in treating of the irish we cannot permit ourselves to overlook the of the lucky whidi comes so clearly within her province the is a thin about the of very fine silk which covers the head of a new bom infant like a cap it is always the omen of great good fortune to the infant and parents and in ireland when any one has unexpectedly fallen into the receipt of property or any other good it is customary to say such a person was bom with a lucky on his head why these are considered lucky it would be a very difficult matter to ascertain several instances of good fortune happening to such as were bom with them might by their coincidence form a basis for the superstition just as the fact of three men during one severe winter having been foimd drowned each with two shirts on an opinion which has now become fixed and general in that parish that it is unlucky to wear two shirts at once we are not certain whether the is in general the of the sometimes we believe it is at all events her integrity occasionally to the desire of possessing it in many cases she its existence in order that she may secretly dispose of it to good which she does for it is considered to be the herald of good fortune to those who can get it into their possession now let not our english n smile at us for those things until they wash their own hands clear of such at this day a will bring a good price in the most civilized city in the world to t the good city of london the british metropolis nay to such has the for been carried there that they have been actually advertised for in the times newspaper and it is perfectly well known that a large price will be given for them by that very intelligent class of men the ship captains of england who look upon a as a against ok moan of a winter evening at the fireside there can be few more amusing companions than a of the old school she has the of old times and old about her and tastes of that agreeable simplicity of manners which always a harmless and heart her language is at once easy and minute and if a good deal the is rather the and antique which with her profession than the property or bias of her individual mind she affects much mystery and that she could tell many strange stories of high life but she is always too honourable to betray the confidence that has been in her good faith and secrecy in her dress she always warmth and comfort and seldom or never looks to appearance flannel and cotton she heaps on herself in abundant folds and the consequence is that although subject to all the of the seasons both by night and day she is hardly ever known to be sick having thus everything so far as we could remember | 50 |
it connected with the social of her calling and detailed some matters not generally known that may we trust be interesting to those who are fond of looking at the springs which often move rustic society we now close this essay on and beg to bring the herself personally on the stage that she may speak and act for herself the village of was as pleasant a little place as one might wish to see of a summer s day to be sure like all other irish villages it was remarkable for a of pigs and which being the stock in trade of cabin it is to be presumed that very few villages either tub irish in ireland or elsewhere could go on properly without them it consisted principally of one long street which you entered from the north west side by one of those old fashioned bridges the arches of which were much more akin to the than the most of the houses were of mud a few of stone one or two of which had the honour of being on the front side of the roof and on the back where was not necessary there were two or three shops a liberal of public houses a chapel a little out of the town and an old market house near the centre a few little bye streets projected in a direction from the main one which was terminated on the side opposite to the north west by a pound through which as usual ran a shallow stream that was gathered into a little as it crossed the road a crazy mill all covered and with grey dust stood about two hundred yards out of the town to which two straggling rows of houses that looked like an street led you this mill was surrounded by a green common which was again hemmed in by a fine river that ran round in a line from under the arch of the bridge we mentioned at the beginning now a little behind or rather al v this mill on the skirt of the common stood a rather neat looking cabin with about half a of garden behind it it was but small and consisted merely of a sleeping room and kitchen on one side of the door was a window opening on hinges and on the outside to the right as you entered the house there was placed a large stone about four feet high backed by a sloping mound of earth so as to allow a person to ascend the stone without any difficulty in this cabin moan the and we need scarcely inform our readers that the stone in question was her mounting stone by which she was enabled to place on a or as the case happened when called out upon her usual u e rose was what might be called or p with a good humoured set of features that is to say a pair of red broad cheeks a well set nose allowing for the disposition to turn up and two black twinkling eyes a mellow expression that good nature and a peculiar description of knowing professional humour that is never to be met with in any but a was dressed in a red flannel a warm cotton sack or which pinned easily over a large bust and a comfortable shawl she always wore a long bordered morning cap over which while travelling she pinned a second shawl of scotch and to protect her fix m the cold night air she her precious person in a deep blue of the true tint on her head over cloak and shawl and morning cap was fixed a black hat with the leaf down by her ears on each side so that in point of fact she cared little how it blew and never once dreamed that such a process as that of or was necessary to keep the subjects of these warm and nor that two systems should exist in ireland so strongly to each other as those of and father having thus given a brief sketch of her local habitation and personal appearance we shall transfer our readers to the house of a young new married farmer named who lived in a distant part of the parish was a comfortable fellow full of good nature and but his wife happened to be one of the meanest most suspicious and miserable devils that ever was raised in good humoured ireland her voice was as sharp and her heart as cold as an and as for her tongue it was incessant and interminable were it not that her husband who though good natured was fiery and resolute when provoked exercised a firm and control over her she would have starved both him and her servants into perfect and what was still worse with a temper that was thk irish and she affected to be religious and upon those v ho not know her actually attempted to pass herself off as a saint one night about ten or twelve months after his marriage honest came out to the bam where slept his two farm servants named and he had been sitting by himself his mind for a calm night s sleep or probably for a curtain lecture by taking a of the pipe when the with a certain air of hurry importance and authority entered the kitchen and informed him that moan must immediately be sent for the isn t well an the sooner she s for the so mind my words sir if you an pack either or for rose moan an hope i wont have to ax it again for so was called as being remarkable for started up hastily and having taken the pipe out of his mouth was about to place it on the but reflecting that the could not much him in the delivery of his orders he out to the barn | 50 |
and knocked who s there lave that you unless you wish to be this was followed by a loud from boys get up all haste it s the saddle and fly puff fly in a for rose moan an do you clap a black puff an an be for the s mother puff both were dressing themselves before he had concluded and m a very few minutes were off in different directions each according to the orders he had received with we have nothing to do unless to say that he lost little time ii bringing mrs s mother to her aid but as is gone for a much more important character we beg our readers to b return with us to tlie of who is now et for it is o clock of a beautiful moonlight night in the pleasant month of august tap tap is mrs moan at home in about half a minute her warm good looking face enveloped in flannel is from the window who s that in name f the words in were added lest the message should be one from the i m s one of them at any an my has got a in her side ha i ha ha so she s thin i ll be you like a bow out of an arrow put your horse over to the stone an have him ready the lord bring her over her difficulties any way a she then pulled in her head and in about three or four minutes out dressed as we have described her and having placed herself on the coolly put her right arm round s body and desired him to ride on with all possible haste push an push an time s precious at all times but on business like this every minute is worth a life but there s always one comfort that god is push never fear mrs moan if it s in i m the babe that will take it out of him come ould trot out you don t know the message you re an nor who you re isn t your the s wife a daughter of ould s the of faith you may say that rose as we all know to our cost be me song she does have us sometimes that you might see through us an only for the but it no she s down now poor woman an it s not the time to be up her it is not an god mark you to grace for so at a i thb irish time like this we must forget every thing only to do the best we can for our fellow creatures what are you now this question naturally arose from the fact that honest had been during their short conversation peering keenly on each side of him as if he expected an apparition to rise from every bush on the common the truth is he was almost for his terror of ghosts and and all supernatural whatever but upon this occasion his fears rose to a painful height in consequence of the popular belief that when a is sent for the good people throw every possible in her way either by the horse if she rides or by the guide from performing his duty as such however felt ashamed to his fears on these points but still could not help unconsciously turning the conversation to the very topic he to have avoided what war you at why there appeared something there like a man only it was darker but be this and be that hem if i could get my hands on him he boy your tongue you don t know but it s the very word you war goin to say might do us harm he is that i d give him a lift on if he happened to be any poor fellow that stood in need of it oh the word i was goin to say against any thing or my body you re right dear if you knew as much as i could tell you push an you d have a o sweat at the ind of every hair on your head be me song i m you know a power o things mrs moan if all said is you do now had mrs moan and her heroic guide passed through the village of the latter would not have felt his iso r b moan fears so strong upon him the along which they were now going was a grass grown that led them from behind her cabin through a waste and lonely part of the country and as it was a saving of better than two miles in point of distance mrs moan would not hear of their proceeding by any other direction the tenor of her conversation however was fast bringing to the state she so and described s your name she asked a son of fat s of an a cousin to who lost a finger in the wars i know well in the hairs ud stand like o upon your head if vou beard all i could put his hand up and pressed down his hat as if it had been disposed to fly from off his head hem why tm it s but is it mrs moan that you have been brought on business to some o the here looked about him cautiously and lowered his voice to a whisper to some o the fairy women man alive what the you to call them anything but the good people this day s thursday god stand us an harm no i name nobody but there was a woman a mind that don t say who she was may be i know why too an | 50 |
may be it would be as much as my life is worth mrs moan i god us what is that tall thing the right and he commenced the lord a prayer in irish as fast as he could get out the words why don t you see boy it s a fir tree ay an so it is i thought it was taller an taller ay hut it is only a tree well dear there was a woman an she was called away ths irish one night by a little gentleman dressed in green i ll tell you the story some only this that done her duty an no payment she was called out the same night to a neighbour s wife an a boy you could nt see than she left behind her but it seems she happened to touch one of his eyes a hand that had a taste of their an it an as the child grew up every one to hear him speak of the multitudes o that he seen in all directions well my dear he kept ever anything to them until one day when he was in the of that he saw away meal an cotton an an everything that they thought serviceable to them so you see he could in no longer an says he to a little fellow that was very active an among them why you take what doesn t belong to you says he the little fellow looked up at him god be about us what is that white thing goin along the ditch to the left of us it s a sheep don t you see i believe you re cowardly at night ay an so it is but it looked very somehow an says he how do you know that see you says the other an which eye do you see us all says he again why the left says the boy that he gave a short of a blast up into the eye aa from that day not a the poor boy was never able to see it no i didn t say it was i named nobody an mrs moan is it that you can put upon them that their wives badly when you marry keep your that s all you knew long ned ay sure enough there was things said about push an push an for who knows how some of tn is wanted you haye a good i believe it s poison the same ned would give me if he push an dear felt that he had got his answer the abrupt mystery of her manner and her allusions left him little indeed to guess at in this way did the continue as he thought from her own lips a of the various knowledge d extraordinary powers which she was believed to possess and she feeding his merely by hints and allusions for although she took care to affirm nothing directly or personally of herself yet did she contrive to answer him in such a manner as to confirm every report that had gone abroad of the strange purposes she could effect wasn t there an o yours up in the mountain bar that didn t live happily for some time his wife i believe so rose but it was before my time or any way when i was only a young an did you ever hear how the came no replied i never did an that s no for it was a thing they never liked to of it s for you boy well i brought about push an dear push an they re as happy a couple now as breaks bread any way and that s all they wanted i d a thirteen it was you did that rose hut your tongue sure they re happy now ay did it i named nobody nor i take no pride to myself out o things some people s gifted above others an that s all but well ma am how does the an his of a wife agree i m she s nothing else tub irish but itself as i you she often has u as empty as a paper the devil a thing but the light of a good conscience inside of us if we pray ourselves shell take care we ll have the at first cost so that you see ma am we a devout situation her an so the way you ay the downright an no why the she makes would run nine miles along a an a man at the far end of it i never like to go next or near women or places but for the sake o the innocent we must forget the guilty so push an push an knows but it s life an death us have you ne er a spur on the devil a spur time to wait for well all it s not to et a come for a woman like me what is called the s spur a spur in the head for it has long been that one in the head is worth two in the an so indeed it is on business like this any way mrs moan do you know the of ma am which o honey o the beg to be i do a well favoured family they are an full o the world too the lord spare it to them they are ma am a well well ma am isn t odd but somehow there s neither man woman nor child in the parish but gives you the good word above all the women in it but as for a why i heard my aunt say if ever mother an child their lives to another she did her s and the s to you in ireland good r b moan the reader may here | 50 |
and with the forms having concluded them she then entered into the house where we leave her for a time w th our best wishes in the bam the company were very merry himself being as pleasant as any of them unless when his brow became shaded by the very natural anxiety for the welfare of wife and child which from time to time returned upon him stories were told songs sung and jokes passed all full of good nature and not a little some of it at the expense of the himself who laughed at and took it all in good part occasional came out through a servant maid that matters were just in the same way a piece of intelligence which s mirth considerably at length he himself was sent for by the who wished to speak with him at the door i hope there s nothing like danger rose not at all honey but the truth is we want a seventh son who isn t left handed a seventh son i why what do you want him for why dear just to give her three shakes m his arms it never fails an that s fortunate for there s m if it did not happen to be new moon the words were good moon e rose moan c f the broad s a sod an he s not two from thb well hurry off one or two o the boys and tell if he makes haste that til have a word to say to him afore i go this intimation to put feathers to his heels for from the nt that he and started he did not once cease to go at the top of his speed it followed as a matter of course that honest m dressed himself and was back at s house before the family believed it possible the parties could have been there this ceremony of getting a seventh son to shake the sick woman in cases where difficulty or danger may be apprehended is one which frequently occurs in remote parts of the country to be sure it is only a form the man merely taking her in his arms ami moving her gently three times the writer of this when yoimg saw it performed with his own eyes as the saying is but in his case the man was not a seventh son for no such person could be procured when this difficulty arises any man who has the character of being lucky provided he is married to a red haired wife may be called in to give the three shakes in other and more dangerous cases rose would send out persons to gather half a dozen heads of and having stripped them of the black fine powder with which they were covered she would administer it in a little new milk and this was always attended by the best effects it is somewhat surprising that the whole faculty should have adopted this singular medicine in cases of similar difficulty for in truth it is that which is now administered under the more scientific name of of in the case before us the seventh son sustained his reputation for good luck in about three quarters of an hour was called in to kiss a strange young that wanted to see him this was an agreeable ceremony to as it always is to catch the first glimpse of one s own first bom thb irish on entering he sitting beside the bed in all the pomp of authority and pride of success bearing the in nt in her arms and it up and down more from habit than any that then existed for doing so well said she here we are all safe and sound god an if you re not the father of as a young man as ever i laid eyes on i m not here echo come kiss your son i say advanced somewhat whether to laugh or to cry and taking the child up with a smile he kissed it five times for that is the mystic number and as he placed it m e in rose s arms was a solitary tear on its cheek go an your wife man alive an tell her to have a good heart an co be as kind to all her fellow creatures as god has been to her this night it isn t upon this world the heart ought to be fixed for we see how small a thing an how short a time can take us out of it oh said who had now recovered the touch of feeling excited by the child it would be too bad if i d grudge her a he accordingly stooped and kissed her but in truth to confess he did it with a very cool and business like air i know he proceeded that she u have a heart like a now that the son is come to be sure she will an she must or if not tu play the an break things well well let her get strength a bit first an rest and quiet an in the meantime get the ready until every one in the house drinks the of the stranger my to happiness but he s a bom beauty the of you all ever was the of what he ll be yet god he has s nose upon him any how ay you may laugh but it s true you may take with him you may own to him any where look at that i my to happiness if one egg e another i eh my where was it ay rose re there my duck o diamonds be tho flower the flock so you will an now mrs honey we ll lave you to yourself awhile till we these poor of the likes o them t to be overlooked an | 50 |
mrs but if s you that ought to ax god s pardon for goin to do what might lave that o the world an orphan may be be the if i can have patience you may pity you my child if any thing happened your mother what ud become of you and what ud become of your poor ther this day these latter sounds of surprise and regret were produced by striking the tongue against that part of the inner which covers the roots of the upper teeth indeed replied her patient in her sharp shrill quick voice i m able enough to get up if i don t we ll be s a fool an it u be only rap an every one in the place wait ma am if you where s his little ay i have it wait ma m if you phase till i get the child dressed an i ll soon take myself out o this heaven us i have seen the like o this afore ay have i where it was as dear as crystal that there was over them ay over them that took their own way as you re but if i don t get up oh by all ma am by all i suppose you a of your life that s all it s what i wish i could get an must i stay here in bed all day an be able to rise an wilful waste as will go an too rose moan er your warned this is your first god bless it an spare you both but mrs does it stand to that you re as good a judge of these things as a woman like me that it s my business i ax you that ma am this in fact settled the question not only by the reasonable force of the conclusion to be derived from it but by the cool manner in which it was put well said the other in that case i suppose i must give in you ought to know best thank you kindly ma am have you found it out at last no but you ought to put your two hands my feet for you from what you that i may never sup sorrow but it was as much as your life was worth compose yourself see that there s no waste and that s enough here my son why thin isn t he the beauty o the world now that he has got his little dress upon him till i pin up this apron across the windy the light s too strong for you there now the light s apt to give one a head ache when it comes in full upon the eyes that way come an now till i you to your father an them all thin mrs this was s d in a low confidential whisper and in a low tone which all description thin mrs but it s he that s the proud man the this day rise your head a little there now one kiss to my son now before he his he says for a while till he pays his little respects to his an to all friends he says an thin he ll come back to to his own little bottle he says young soon went the rounds of the whole family from his father down to the little herd boy who followed and took care of the cattle many were the jokes which passed between the on this occasion jokes which have been by such personages as rose almost in every thb irish b family in the kingdom for centuries and with which most of the irish people are too intimately and thoroughly acquainted to render it necessary for us to repeat them here rose now addressed herself to the task of preparing which in honour of the happy event was nothing less than white bread and with a glass of to the appetite as however is a description of bread not generally known to our readers we shall give them a sketch of the manner in which this irish luxury is made a basket of the best potatoes is got which are washed and raw then is procured a tin on which they are the water is then off th jn and the mass is put into a clean sheet or table cloth or cover this is caught at each end by two strong men who twist it in opposite directions until the drive up the substance into the middle of the sheet c this of course the water also but lest the twisting should be insufficient for that purpose it is placed like a cheese cake under a heavy weight until it is properly dried they then it into cakes and it on a pan or and when eaten with butter we can assure our readers that it is quite delicious the hour was now about nine o clock and the company asked to the began to the or were four in number two of them wealthy friends of the family that had never been married and the two others a ample country pair who were anxious to follow in the ma steps of and his wife the rest were as usual neighbours relatives and to the amount of sixteen or eighteen persons men women and children all dressed in their best apparel and disposed to mirth and friendship along with the rest was bob m the fool who by the way could smell out a good dinner with as keen a m the wisest man in the parish could boast of and who on h l rose moan occasions carried turf and water in that indicated the supernatural strength of a scotch rather than that of a human being bob s qualities however were well to each other for | 50 |
truth to say his appetite was equal to his strength and his cunning to either and mrs moan were in great and indeed we might as much for all who were present not a soul entered the house who was not brought up by to an out shot room as a private mark of his and treated to an glass of as good as ever went down the red lane to use a phrase among the people nothing upon an occasion naturally pleasant gives conversation a more cheerful impulse than this and the consequence was that in a short time the scene was animated and to an unusual degree breakfast at length commenced in due form two bottles of were placed upon the table and ihe first thing done was to administer another glass to each guest come neighbours said we must drink the good woman s health before we ate especially as it s the first time any how to be sure they will an why not an if it s the first time it won t be the last goodness you re welcome mrs m and in time too this she said addressing his mother in law who ther entered look at this mrs m my soul to happiness but he s fit to be the son of a lord eh a pet where was my let me dip my finger in the til i rub his it that s my bully i oh the heavens love it see how it puts the little mouth about for it you ll have the in you yet an it s a credit to the you ll be if you re spared as you will the heavens well d one of the here s a speedy thb irish on a recovery to the good woman an the little s health an god bless the baker gives thirteen to tiie dozen any how ay ay you ll have your joke any way an you re welcome to it if you weren t it isn t for young you d be to day enough said an by the isn t ike boy to be long an obligation to any one h did i help you there you ll my son if you crush about him that way this was addressed to some of the who were pressing to look at and touch the it wont be my if i do said then to him who sat opposite her dark eyes flashing with repressed humour and however is sometimes a very convenient malady to young ladies for immediately commenced a series of playful attentions to the unconscious in nt which were just sufficient to excuse her from noticing this allusion to their marriage looked at her then nodded to shutting both her eyes by way of a wink adding aloud you ll be the happy boy an woe you if you aren t the sweetest end of a to her take care an don t bring me upon you well never mind who has a right to his joke than the boy that s saints el but ye u mother the child so you will where did i get him sure i brought him as a present to mrs i never come but i bring a little along me nor the boy dear that s soon to be your husband take your glass the harm it ll do you i m mrs moan what if it ud get into my head an me s to stand for my little no bad to me if could a glass ud be too many for mo r k moan it not more than half filled dear bat there s m what the girl says so press it an her in the brief space allotted to ns we could not possibly give anything like a full and t picture of the happiness and that prevailed at the break st in question when it was over they all prepared to go to the parish chapel whidi was distant at least a couple of miles the staying at home to see that all the necessary preparations were made for dinner as they were departing rose took the aside and addressed him thus now when you see the priest tell him that it is your wish above all things that he should it against the if you say that if s enough an come here youve not that child right but you ll know yet goodness no don t keep its little head so closely covered your cloak the clay s a day glory be to god an the lord guard my child sure the thing in the world where there a too much bait ud my keep if s bead out farther and shade it s little face that way from the sun will i ever forget the sunday poor m take s child from her cloak to be the poor infant was a corpse an only that the lord put it into my head to have it privately the father and mother s hearts would break glory be to gk d mrs if the child gets cross dear or anything act the mother by him the little man eh where was it where was my duck o diamonds my little con my own little ace o h well god keep it till see it again the jewel well the child was by the name of his father and the persons assembled after their return from chapel about s house or took little in the neighbourhood until the hour of dinner this of course was much more thb irish and ten times more than the break st as that meal was at dinner they had a dish which we believe is like the peculiarly irish in its composition we mean what is called this consists of potatoes and beans up | 50 |
together in such a manner that the beans are not broken and on this account the potatoes are well before the beans are put into them this is in a large bowl and a hole made in the middle of it into which a or roll of butter is thrust and then covered up until it is melted after this every one takes a spoon and away with his utmost vigour dipping every morsel into the well of butter in the middle before he puts it into his mouth indeed from the strong competition which goes forward and the rapid motion of each right hand no spectator could be mistaken in the motive of their proceedings to the principle of the old proverb devil take the from another dish made of potatoes in much the same way if there were beans for instance in it would be this practice of many persons eating out of the sim ie dish though irish and not is of very old it at the last supper let us hope however that like the old custom which once pre in ireland of several persons drinking at meals out of the same the usage we speak of will soon be replaced by one of more cleanliness and individual comfort after dinner the began to go round for in these days punch was a luxury almost unknown to the class we arc writing of in ct nobody there knew how to make it but the who wisely kept the secret to herself aware that if the were presented to them in such a shape they would not know when to stop and she herself might fall short of the snug bottle that is usually kept as a treat for x which she continues to pay during the con of her come who was to soften fast it s your turn now to a glass of what never seen take the glass deed will i but the is i never it hard no but i ll take a o hot an a grain o sugar an it that an as much seeds as will lie upon a sixpence does me good for god help me the stomach isn t at all me in regard o being up so much at night an deprived of my rest said one of them is it that you war out one night an brought to some grand lady to the wait for poor thing an c i ll for about a o spirits to take the smell o the off it the poor she s a little weak stiu an indeed it s how she stood it out but my dear god s good to his own an fits the back to the burden praise be to his name she then proceeded to the of spirits for herself or in other words to mix a good ladies making it as the phrase goes hot strong and sweet not forgetting the to give it a this being accomplished she made the wan grace for mrs echo still throwing in a w d now and then to sustain her part in the conversation which waa now rising fast into mirth lai ter and well but about the lady of quality yon tell us that oh many a thing happened me as well worth if you go to that but i ll tell it to you for sure the curiosity s to why i was one night at home a wan is a kind of small or meal tea with thi aa asleep an i hears a horse s for the bare life up to the door i immediately put my head out an the says are you mrs moan the name that s an me your honour myself dress yourself thin he for you re sadly wanted dress your el and mount behind me for there s not a moment to be lost at the same time i forgot to say that his hat was tied about his ce in a way that couldn t catch a glimpse of it well my dear we didn t let the grass grow feet for about a mile or so now he you must allow yourself to be an it s useless to oppose it for it must be done there s the character maybe the life of a great lady at stake so be quiet till i cover your eyes or he out a great oath it ll be worse for you i m a desperate man an sure enough i could feel the heart of him his ribs as if it would burst in pieces well my wliat could i do in the hands of a man that was strong and desperate so i cover my eyes an welcome only fer the lady s sake make no delay that he dashed his spurs into the poor horse an he an like a lime already any way in about half an hour i found myself in a grand bed room an as was put into the door he whispers me to bring the child to him in the next room as soon aa it would be born well sure i did so after the mother in a ir way but what ud you have of it the first thing i see an the table was a purse of money an a case of pistols at him i thought the devil lord guard us i was in his ice he looked so black and terrible about the brows now my good woman he fig you ve acted well but there s more to be done yet take your choice of these two he this purse or the contents of one of these pistols as your reward you must the child on the spot in the name of god an his mother be you man or devil i defy you i an innocent | 50 |
he passed the big house the young square brought him in an it s himself that knows what the good ould of the pipes is w more he ought an kind father for him to do so it s the ould square himself that had the true irish relish for them i him all his father s both in the light way and in the sorrowful i was done he slipped five shillings into my hand take this ds he for the sake o that s gone an of the ould times he spoke low an in a hurry as if his heart was m what he said an somehow i felt a tear on my cheek at the time for it is a sorrowful thing to think how the blessed ould airs of our the only ones that go to the heart are now so little known and thought of that a fashionable lady of the present day feel ashamed to acknowledge them or play them in company it s a bad sign of the times any how may god mend them i the irish the necessary monotony of his life is generally a man of much simplicity of character not however without a cast of humour which is at once single minded and his little and heart and he has his share the serious evil his life but it is remarkable that in a single instance are these indulged in at the expense of the agreeable who is hj no means looked upon as a rival not so his brother for in the nigh and spirit of competition by which they are animated never passes out of their own class but with heroic rage amongst themselves which has been j carried are ludicrous almost beyond belief the moment a s reputation is established on his beat that moment his misery those firom the neighbouring beats him by that contain any thing but principles of harmony sometimes it is true they are cunning enough to come disguised tb hear him and if they imagine that a trial of skill is not likely to to their credit they off without allowing any one unless some particular to become of their secret these were about forty or fifty years ago much more than they have been of late in the good old tim s however when the of ireland their own beer and had for a shilling a the escapes and pursuits hich took place between persons of this class were rich in dramatic effect and afforded great amusement to both the gentry and the people i remember hearing the history of a chase in which a named pursued a rival for eighteen months through the whole province of before he caught him and in order to ascertain by a trial of skill whether his was more entitled to have the epithet great to his name than he himself it appears that the and admirers of the former were in the habit of calling him the great a circumstance which so completely roused the soul of his opponent that he declared he would never rest night or day until he stripped him of the epithet great and transferred it to his own name he was beaten however and that by a of an extraordinary kind tub offered to play him while drunk to remain sober off his guard and anxious under ain y to be able to of a victory over such an agreed and was consequently overcome the being that his opponent like when on the harp was never properly to distinguish himself as a unless when under the inspiration of not at all aware of the trick that the other had played upon him of course took it for granted that as he had stood no chance with when he must have a still less one in his and the consequence was that the next morning it was found he had taken leave in the of the night there was some years ago playing in the of a blind named whose performance was singularly and beautiful this man though blind from his infancy possessed mechanical genius of a higher order and delicate and exact not merely as a but as a he used to perform in s tavern in street where he arrived every night about eight o clock and played till twelve or as the case might be one he was very social and when drawn out possessed much genuine irish and rich powers sometimes at a late period of the night he was prevailed upon to attach himself to a particular party of pleasant fellows who remained after the house was closed to enjoy themselves at swing then it was that shone not merely as a companion but as a the change in his style and manner of playing was the spirit humour and pathos which he into his execution were observed by every one and when asked to account for so remarkable a change his reply was my irish heart is warmed vm not now for money but to please myself and but yon as well during the if you wished as you do now no if you were to me my heart must get and irish i must he as i am this minute tliis indeed was very significant and strongly of the same genius which distinguished gk w and other eminent though blind used to employ his leisure hours in and organs and and mending every description of musical instrument that could be named his own pipes which he called the grand pipes were at least eight feet long and for beauty of appearance richness and delicacy of surpassed any thing of the kind that could be witnessed and when considered as the production of his own hands were indeed entitled to be as an extraordinary natural curiosity played before george | 50 |
iv and appeared at most of the london theatres where his per were received with the most enthusiastic applause in person was a large looking man red and good looking though strongly marked by traces of the he always wore a blue coat folly made with buttons and had altogether the look of what we call in ireland a well dressed or half sir which means a kind of gentleman farmer his pipes indeed were a very instrument or rather combination of instruments being so complicated that no one could play upon them but himself the tones which he brought out of them might be imagined to proceed firom almost every instrument in an now resembling the sweetest and most notes of the finest and again the deep and solemn of the organ a and was applied as a word of to the english the meaning is not now attached to it although it often is thi irish like every irish of talent that we have met he always preferred the rich old songs and airs of ireland to every other description of music and when lit up into the enthusiasm of his profession and his love of country he has often d with tears in his eyes the which modem had made and was making upon the good old spirit of the by gone times nearly the last words i ever heard his lips were highly touching and characteristic of as well as the if we forget our own old music said he what is there to remember in its place words alas i which acre equally with melancholy and truth the man however who ought to sit as the true type and representative of the irish is he whose whole life is passed among the with the exception of an occasional elevation to the lord s hall or the squire d parlour who is equally with the irish and english languages has neither wife nor child house nor home but from one or farm house to another carrying mirth amusement and a warm welcome with him wherever he goes and filling the hearts of the young with happiness and delight the true irish must wear a coat breeches grey stockings smoke tobacco drink and take snuff for it is absolutely necessary peculiar position among the people that he should be ot walking of irish social and so he generally is for to the practice and cultivation of these the simple tenor of his life is devoted the most perfect specimen ot this class we ever were acquainted with was a blind man known by the name of his beat extended through the county of and occasionally through those of and was precisely such a man as i have just described both as to dress a knowledge of english and irish and a thorough feeling of tints which an and change in the spirit of irish threatened even then to i have said he was blind but unlike s his was smooth and his pale placid features while playing on his pipes were absolutely radiant with enthusiasm and genius he was a and had won one of the and most modest is in the rich agricultural county of in spite of the competition and of many wealthy and independent but no wonder for who could hear his ma c performances without at once the whole heart and feelings to the almost influence of this no no i after hearing the very remembrance of the music which proceeded from the grand pipes was absolutely indifferent and yet the pipes on which he played were the meanest in appearance you could imagine and in point of size the smallest ever saw it is singular however but no less true that we can scarcely name a celebrated irish whose pipes were not known to be small old looking greasy and by the and which indicate an indulgence in the habits of life many a distinguished have we heard but never at all any whom we could for a moment of comparing with unlike it mattered not when or where he played his notes were still the same for he possessed the power of utterly his whole spirit into his music and any body who looked upon his pale and intellectual countenance could perceive the shadows and lights of the irish heart over it with a change and rapidity which nothing but the soul of genius could command though comparatively unknown to any kind of fame but a local one was yet not unknown to himself in truth though modest humble and in his manners he possessed the true pride of genius for instance though willing to play in a respectable s house for the amusement of the he never could be prevailed on to play at thb irish a common dance and his reasons which i have often heard him urge were such as exhibit the spirit and intellect of the man my music said he isn t for i iq feet or but for the ear an the heart you ll get oi foot but i m none of i wiu now give a brief sketch of the last evening i ever spent in his society and as some of his observations bore slightly upon scotch music they may probably be with the more interest by readers he was seated when i entered at the spacious hearth of a wealthy in the neighbourhood by large dean settles and an ample whose well reflected the dancing blaze of a huge turf fire the ruddy farmer and his comely wife were placed opposite him family of sons and daughters in a wide circle at a due distance whilst behind on the settles were the servant men and maids with several of the neighbours young and old some sitting on chairs and others leaning against the the tables and the meal within the brace depended large | 50 |
the wives of the lower classes of the such as day and small farmers who cultivated from three to six or eight acres of land these children were generally indeed almost always called a word which could be properly applied to such only as having no known parents were supported by the parish in which they happened to be bom it was transferred to the however although with the exception of the metropolis which certainly paid a parish tax for their maintenance they were principally supported by a very moral act of parliament which by the wise provision of a large grant held out a very liberal to at all events the epithet of was that usually fixed upon them now of all classes of our fellow creatures one might almost naturally suppose that those deserted and forsaken beings would be apt consigned as they uniformly were to the care of strangers to experience neglect ill treatment or even cruelty itself and yet honour be to the generous hearts and affectionate feelings of our humble people it has been proved by the authority of a appointed to and report on ihe working d the very hospital in that the care affection and tenderness with which these ill fitted creatures were treated by the nurses to whom they were given out were equal if not superior to those bestowed upon their own children even when removed firom these nurses to situations of more comfort situations in which they were lodged fed and clothed in a superior manner they have been known in instances to from masters and and return to their old preferring the in of their affection with poverty and distress to any thing else that life could offer all this however was very natural and reasonable for we know that even the domestic animal will love the hand that him but that which we have alluded to as the strong between it and the attachment of the foster brother is the well known fact that the affection of the children to the nurses though strong and remarkable was as nothing when compared with that which the nurses felt for them this was proved by a force of testimony which no could encounter the parting scenes between them were affecting and in many instances to the last degree nay nurses have frequently come to and with tears in their eyes and in accents of the most sorrow begged that the might be allowed to stay with them undertaking rather than part with them that they would support them at their own expense it would be very difficult to produce a more honourable testimony to the moral honesty generosity and exquisite kindness of heart which our people than the we have just mentioned they fell naturally in our way when treating of the subject that preceded them and we could not in justice to circumstances so beautiful and striking much less injustice to the people themselves pass them over in silence tub v t b brother g we shall now relate a short story the attachment of a foster brother but as we have reason to believe that the circumstances are true we shall introduce names instead of real ones the rebellion of ninety eight was just at its height when he are about to mention took place a gentleman named had a daughter remarkable for her beauty and accomplishments indeed so celebrated had she become that her health was always drunk as the toast of her native county many she had of course but among the rest two were remarkable for their attentions to her and an intense anxiety to secure her henry was a high as was her own father whose consent to gain the affections of his daughter had been long given to his yoimg friend the other a young named who m point of fact had already secured her affections was unfortunately deeply involved in or we should rather say an open leader on the side principles having become known to as a republican for some time before the breaking out of the h was in consequence forbidden the house and warned against holding communication with any member of his he had succeeded however before this by the of miss herself who was aware of his principles in placing as butler in her father s family his own foster brother frank an arrangement which never would have been permitted had known of the peculiar bond of affection which between them of this however he was ignorant and in admitting into his he was not aware of the advantages he afforded to the of his daughter this however came too late for the purposes of prudence ere it was had exchanged f mutual affection but the national outbreak which immediately ensued by forcing to assume his place as an rent leader frank appeared to placed a barrier between him and her which was naturally considered to be in the mean time himself who was a local magistrate and also a captain of took an extremely active part in the and in hunting down and securing the nor was less zealous in following the footsteps of the man to whom he wished to recommend himself as his future son in law they acted together and so vigorous were the measures of the young that the other felt it necessary in some instances to check the of his loyalty this however was not known to the opposite party for as always seemed to act under the instructions of his friend so was it obviously enough inferred that every harsh aa t and wanton stretch of authority which he committed was either or suggested by the other the consequence was that became if possible more odious than who was looked upon as a rash hot headed whilst the was marked as a cool and old fox who had ten times the cunning and cruelty of the | 50 |
senseless he was managing in this it is unnecessary to say they were mistaken in the meantime the rebellion went forward ana many acts of were committed on both sides s house and family would have been attacked and most probably murder and ruin might have visited him and his were it not for the influence of with the twice did the latter succeed and on each occasion with great difficulty in preventing him and his household from falling victims to the vengeance of the was a man of great personal courage but apt to the character and enterprise of those who were opposed to him indeed his prudence was by no means on a par with his bravery or zeal for he has often been vn to sally out at the head of a party in quest of his enemies and leave his own man thb foster brother and the lives of those who were in it exposed and on one of these excursions it was that he chanced to capture a small body of headed by an intimate friend and distant relative of s as the law at that unhappy period was necessarily quick in its operations we need scarcely say that having been taken openly armed against the king and the constitution they were tried and executed by the summary sentence of a court martial a deep and bloody vengeance was now sworn against him and his by the who for some time afterwards lay in wait for the purpose of in a spirit prompted by the character of the times s attachment to s daughter however had been long known and his previous interference on behalf of her father had successful on that account only now however the plan of attack was laid without his and that with the most solemn to every one concerned in it not to disclose their object to any human being not acquainted with it much less to who they calculated would once more take such steps as defeat th purpose these arrangements having been made matters were allowed to remain quiet for a little until should be off his guard for we must observe here that he had felt it necessary after the execution of the captured to keep his house strongly and resolutely defended the attack was therefore postponed until the apprehensions created by his recent activity should gradually wear away and his enemies might with less risk undertake the work of and destruction the night at length was appointed on which the attack must be made all the dark were arranged with a deliberation at which removed as we now are from the excitement of the times the very soul and gets sick a secret how frank ever communicated even under the most solemn to a great number stands a great chance of being no secret at all especially during civil war where so many interests of and marriage bind the opposing parties together in spite of the public principles under which they act miss s maid had a brother for instance who together with several of his friends and relatives being appointed to aid in the attack felt anxious that she should not be present on the night lest her acquaintance with them might be ultimately dangerous to the he accordingly sought an opportunity of seeing her and in earnest language urged her to absent herself from her master s house on the appointed night the was not much surprised at the of his hints for the truth was that no person man or woman possessing common sense could be ignorant of the state of the country or of the evil in which and and all those who were active on the part of the government were held she accordingly told him that she would follow his advice and spoke to him in terms so shrewd and significant that he deemed it useless to preserve further secrecy the plot was thus disclosed and the girl warned to leave the house both for her own sake and for that of those who were to their vengeance upon and his family the poor girl hoping that her master and the rest might fly from the impending danger communicated the circumstances to miss who forthwith communicated them to her father who again instead of flying took measures to collect about his premises during the early part of the dreaded night a large and well armed force from the next military station now it so happened that this girl whose name was had a leaning towards s foster brother her fellow servant who in plain language was her accepted lover if love will not itself in a case of danger it is good for nothing we need scarcely say that tub foster brother apprehensive of danger to her sweetheart confided the secret to him also in the early part of the day of the attack was especially when he heard from that had been kept in ignorance of the whole design for so her brother had told her in consequence of his attachment to her young mistress there was now no possible way of off such a calamity unless by communicating with and this as was a sound united he knew he could do without any particular danger he lost no time therefore in seeing him and we need scarcely say that his foster brother felt stunned and at the deed about to be without his knowledge then left him but ere he reached home the darkness had set in and on arriving he sought the kitchen and its comforts ignorant as were indeed most of the servants that the upper rooms and out houses were literally crammed with fierce and well armed soldiers matters were now coming to a crisis aware that there was little time to be lost collected a small party of his own immediate and personal not one of whom fi om their known attachment to | 50 |
him had been any more than himself admitted to a knowledge of the attack upon determined therefore to be beforehand with the others he and they met at an appointed place from whence they went quickly and with all possible secrecy to s house for the purpose not only of him of the fate to which he and his were doomed but also with an intention of him and all his family as far from his house as might be consistent with the safety of both parties our readers are of course prepared for the surprise and capture of honest and his friends of whose friendly intentions they are aware it is too true not expecting to find the house defended they were unprepared for an attack or sally and the was that in a few minutes too of them were shot and most of the among whom were hem son taken prisoners on the spot those who escaped to the other an account of the strength which s house was defended and the latter instead of making an attempt to rescue their friends abandoned the meditated attack altogether and left and his party to their a fate that was and of their innocence were all in vain an party were expected to attack the house and of they came headed by himself who as said no doubt intended to spare none of them but his daughter and her only in order that she might become a rebel s wife too his rival in love and his foe in politics was on the court martial and what had he to expect death and nothing but the darkness of the night prevented his enemies from putting it into immediate execution upon him and hu companions maintained a dignified silence and upon seeing bis friends guarded from the hall where they were now assembled into a large barn he desired to be placed along with them no said if you are a rebel ten times over you are a gentleman and must not herd with them and besides mr with great respect to you we shall place you in a much safer place in the highest room in a house unusually high we shall lodge you out of which if you escape we will say you are innocent man frank show him and those two soldiers up to the get him and leave him in their charge guard his door men for you shall held responsible for his appearance in the morning the men in obedience to these orders escorted him to the door outside of which was their station for the night when frank and he entered the the former gently shut the door and turning to his foster brother exclaimed in of deep distress but lowering his voice there is not a moment to be lost you must escape thb foster that replied unless i had wings and could use them we must try returned frank we can only fail at the most they can only take your life and that they will do at all events i know that said and i am prepared for it hear me said the other i will come up by and bye with refreshment say in about half an hour be you stripped when i come we are both of a size and as these fellows don t know either of us very well i wouldn t say but you may go out in my clothes i ll hear nothing he added seeing about to speak i m here too long and these fellows might be n to suspect something be prepared when i come good bye mr he said aloud as he opened the door in and conscience i m sorry to see you here but that s the consequence of rebel against king george an glory to h ia soon an sudden he added in an under tone in about half an hour i ll bring you up some supper sir keep a sharp eye on him he whispered to the two soldiers giving them at the same time a knowing and confidential wink these same is like an will slip as easily through your fingers the devil s one have in there and as he spoke he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb to the door of the much about the time he had promised to return a crash was heard upon the stairs and s voice in a high key exclaiming the curse o on ye for stairs an hell presume all the in europe i pray heavens this night i there s my nose broke between all he then stooped down and in a torrent of bitter all conveyed however in mock oaths he collected and placed again upon the tray on which they had been all they materials for s supper he then ascended and on presenting himself at the prisoner s door the blood was streaming from frank his nose the soldiers who by the way were on seeing him could not avoid laughing at his aj a circumstance which seemed to him a good deal may laugh i he exclaimed but td a ive shed more blood for his majesty this night than either of you ever did in all your lives may hell all any how this only heightened then mirth in the midst of which he entered s room and ere the action could be deemed possible they had exchanged clothes now said he fly behind the garden miss is for you she knows all take the bridle road through the broad an get into captain s take my advice too an go both of you to america if you can but easy god forgive me for you by the nose instead of the hand an me may never see you more the poor fellow s voice became unsteady with emotion | 50 |
although the smile at his own humour was upon his face at the time as i came m with a bloody nose he proceeded giving that of a fresh pull you know you must go out with one an now god s be about you i think of one who loved you as none else did the next morning there was uproar tumult and confusion in the house of the old magistrate when it was that his daughter and the butler were not but when on examining the it was ascertained that was safe and gone no language can describe the rage and fury of and the military in general our readers may anticipate what occurred the fellow was brought to the drum head tried and to be shot where he stood but ere the sentence was put into execution addressed him now said tub brother he i will get you off if you tell us where and my daughter are i pledge my honour that tu save your life and get you a free pardon if you enable us to trace and recover them i don t know where they are he replied but even if i did i would not betray them think of what has been said to you added i give you my pledge also to the same effect mr he replied i have but one word to say when i did what i did i knew very well that my life would go for his an i know that if he had thought so he would be now in my place put your sentence into execution i m prepared take five minutes said give him up and live mr said he with a decision and energy which startled them all i am his foster brother this was felt to be he stood at the appointed place calm and and at the first discharge fell dead thus passed a spirit worthy of a place in a brighter page than that of our humble and which if the writer of this lives shall be more recorded finding that the cause was becoming hopeless escaped after two or three other unsuccessful engagements to america by the of his young wife old died in a few years afterwards but he survived his resentment for he succeeded in the then government to his son in law who returned to ireland and it was found by his will much to the mortification of many of his relatives that he had left the bulk of his property to mrs who had always been his favourite child and whose attachment to he had himself originally encouraged there are two records more connected with this transaction with which we shall close in a northern newspaper dated some years there occurs the following affair of honour fatal yesterday art the early hour of five o clock a was fought between a esq and j esq of the former of whom we regret to say fell by the second fire we hope the words attributed to one of the parties are not correctly reported the blood of frank is now the other record is to be found in the churchyard of ii here there is a handsome monument erected with the following inscription j to tj e oc death presented an instance of the greatest of which human is capable that of laying down his life for his friend this monument is erected to his memory bj james his friend and foster brother to more unworthy life he nobly hi own tom the irish the state of irish society has changed so rapidly within the last thirty or forty years that scarcely any one could believe it possible for the present generation to be looked upon in many things as the descendants of that which has gone before it the old bearings of society which were upon the ancient of our country now hang like tattered over the of customs and which sleep beneath them and unless rescued from the hand of time scarcely a of them will be left even to tradition itself that many gross have been by a social condition more enlightened and healthy is a fact which must gratify every one who wishes to see the general masses by those principles which follow in the train of knowledge and civilization but at the same time it is that the which accompanied those old of harmless ignorance has departed along with them and in spite of education and science we miss the old familiar individuals who stood forth as the representatives of manners whose very memory touches the heart and affections more strongly than the hard of but more truths for our own part we have always loved the rich and ruddy twilight of the hearth where the capricious tongues light shoot out from between the turf and dance in vivid reflection in the well and as they stand neatly arranged on the kitchen loved did we say ay and ever pre i tom it to philosophy with all her light and fashion with all her and for this reason it is that whilst as it were the steps of our early life and bringing back to our memory the acquaintances of our youthful days we feel our heart touched with melancholy and sorrow because we know that it is like taking our last farewell of old friends whom we shall never see again from whom we never experienced any thing but kindness and whose time touched faces were never turned upon us but with pleasure and amusement and affection in this paper it is not with the whose name and are associated with high and historical dignity that we have any thing to do our sketches do not go very far beyond the manners of our own times by which we mean that we paint or record nothing that is not remembered and known | 50 |
by those who are now living the we speak of is the dim and diminished reflection of him who filled a distinct calling in a period that has long gone by the regular the herald and historian of individual families the faithful of his long descended patron has not been in existence for at least a century and a half perhaps two he with whom we have to do is the humble old man who feeling himself gifted with a strong memory for history old family and lore in general passes a happy life in going from family to family comfortably dressed and much dropping in of a saturday night without any previous notice bringing eager curiosity and delight to the of the house he visits and filling the ears of the old with tales and legends in which perhaps individuals of their own name and blood have in former ages been known to take a remarkable and conspicuous part indeed ere is no country in the world where from the peculiar features of iu social and political changes the of the would be more likely to produce such a thk irish effect as in ireland when we consider that it was once a of princes and chiefs each of whom was followed aud looked up to with such a spirit of enthusiasm and devoted attachment as might be naturally expected from a people remarkable for the force of their affection and their power of imagination it is not surprising that the man who in a state of society which presented to the minds of so many nothing but the records of greatness or the decay of powerful names and the of rude grandeur together with the ruin of and the of religious institutions each invested with some local or national interest it is not surprising we say that such a man should be welcomed and listened to and honoured with a feeling far surpassing that which was awakened by the idle of a or the gorgeous dreams by fiction neither the transition of society however nor the scanty of knowledge among the irish allowed the to produce any permanent impression upon the and the consequence was that as the changes of society hurried on he and his audience were carried along with them his lore was lost in the ignorance which ever arises when a ban has been placed upon education and from the recital of the high deeds and heroic of by gone days he sank down into the humble of legends and dim traditions for such only has he been within the memory of the oldest man living and as such only do we intend to present him to our readers the most accomplished of this kind that ever came within our observation was a man called tom or tom the he was a very stout well built man about years of age with a round head somewhat bald and an forehead that argued a considerable reach of natural intellect his knowing organs were large and projected over a pair of deep set lively eyes that with tom strong of humour his voice was loud im rapid but distinct and such was the force and of his spirits added to the vehemence of his manner that altogether it was impossible to resist him his laughter was and so loud that it might be heard of a calm summer evening at an distance indeed tom possessed many qualities that rendered him a most agreeable companion he could sing a good song for instance dance a as well as any dancing master and we need not say that he could tell a good story he could also imitate a jew s harp or upon his lips with his mere fingers in such a manner that the deception was complete and it was well known that flocks of the country people used to crowd about him for the purpose of hearing his performance upon the ivy leaf which he played upon by putting it in his mouth and uttering a most melodious whistle altogether he was a man of great natural powers and possessed such a memory as the writer o this never knew any other human being to be gifted with he not only remembered every thing he saw or was concerned in but every thing he heard also his language when he spoke irish was clear and sometimes eloquent but when he had recourse to the english although his remained yet it was the of a man who made an use of a which he did not understand his on this account was highly ludicrous and amusing and his wit and humour original and pointed he had never received any education and was consequently completely yet he could repeat every word of s irish sermons s think well on t the seven of and the substance of s and kill s all by heart many a time have we seen read as he used to call it one of dr s sermons out of the skirt of his big coat a feat was looked upon with twice the n it would have thb irish produced had he merely said that he repeated it to read it out of the skirt of his coat i heavens how we used to look on with awe and veneration as tom in a loud rapid voice it out of him for such was the term we gave to his recital of it his learning however was not confined to mere english and irish for tom was also classical in his way and for want of a better substitute it was said could serve mass which must always be done in latin certain it was that he could repeat the de and the dies ir bj in that language we need scarcely add that in these learned he dealt largely in false quantities and took a course for himself | 50 |
altogether independent of and this however was no argument against his natural talents or the surprising force of his memory tom was also an easy and happy both in prose and poetry his invention was indeed remarkably fertile but his genius knew no between and satire he either lashed his friends for the deuce an enemy he had with rude and fearful attacks of th latter or gave them as pope did to every virtue under heaven and indeed a good many more than ever were heard of beyond his own system of philosophy and morals tom was a great person for attending wakes and where he was always a busy man comforting the afflicted relatives with many learned repeating or spiritual songs together with the de or dies over the corpse directing even the domestic concerns paying attention to strangers looking after the pipes and tobacco and in making himself not only generally useful but essentially necessary to them by his happiness of manner the cordiality of his sympathy and his humour at one time you might see him engaged in leading a for the repose of the soul of the departed or singing the of a religious song to the company and this tom duty being over he would commence a series of comic tales and anecdotes which he with an ease and spirit that the best of us all might envy the irish heart passes rapidly fix m the depths of pathos to the extremes oi humour and as a proof of this we can assure our readers that we have seen the nearest and most afflicted relatives of the deceased carried away by laughter at the broad grotesque and ludicrous farce of his it was here also that he shone in a character of which he was very proud the possession of which he was looked up to with great respect by the people we mean that of a or as it is termed an of scripture for when a man in the country parts of ireland wins local fame as a he is seldom mentioned in any other way than as a great of scripture to argue scripture well therefore means the power of one s in a religious contest many of this kind passed between tom and his in most of all of which he was successful his memory was his wit prompt and and his humour either broad or sarcastic as he found it convenient to apply it in these he spared neither logic nor learning where an english quotation failed he threw in one of irish and where that was understood he posed them with a latin one closing the quotation by desiring them to give a translation of it if this too were accomplished he rattled out the five or six first verses of john in greek which some one had taught him and as this was generally beyond their reading it usually closed the discussion in his favour without doubt he possessed a mind of great natural and power and as these were principally conducted in wake houses it is almost needless to say that the wake at which they expected him was uniformly a crowded one tom had a good voice and used to sing the id irish the irish songs of our country with singular pathos and effect he sang the red haired man s wife and na with a feeling that early impressed itself upon our heart indeed we think that his sweet but voice still rings in our ears and whilst we remember the tears which the enthusiasm of sorrow brought down his cheeks and the quivering pause in the fine old melody which marked what he felt we cannot help acknowledging that the memory of these things is mournful and that the hearts of many in spite of new systems of education and poor houses will after the homely but touching traits which marked the harmless and the times in which he lived but now all these innocent fireside are gone and we will never more have our hearts made glad by the mirth and rich good humour of the nor ever again pay the tribute of our tears to his pathetic songs of sorrow nor feel our hearts softened at the ideal miseries of tale or legend as they proceed in mournful from his lips alas alas i knowledge may be power but it is not happiness such is we fear an imperfect outline of tom s life it was one of ease and comfort without a care to disturb him or a passion that was not by the simple but virtuous integrity of his heart his wishes were few and innocently and easily gratified the great delight of his soul was not that he should experience kindness at the hands of others but that he should communicate to them in the simple vanity of his heart that degree of amusement and instruction and knowledge which made them look upon him as a wonderful man gifted with rare for in what light was not that man to be looked upon who could trace the old names up to times when they were great who could climb a tree to the top branch who could tell all the old irish tales and legends of the country and beat the horse tom who had the whole bible bj heart at arguing scripture harmless ambition i humble as it was and limited in compass to thee it was all in all and yet thou happy in feeling that it was gratified this little boon was all thou ask of life and it was kindly granted thee the last night we ever had the pleasure of being amused by tom was at a wake m the neighbourhood for it somehow happened that there was seldom either wake or dance within two or three miles of us that we did not attend and god forgive us i | 50 |
when old was on her death bed the only care that troubled us was an apprehension that she might recover and us of a right merry wake i upon the occasion wc allude to it being known that tom would be present of course the house was crowded and when he did come and his loud good humoured voice was heard at the door heavens how every young heart bounded with glee and delight the first thing he did on entering was to go where the corpse was laid out and in a loud rapid voice repeat the de for the repose of her after which he sat do and smoked a pipe oh well do we remember how the whole house was hushed for all was expectation and interest as to what he would do or say at length he is frank there all that s left o me s here tom an if the sweep general had his due frank that wouldn t be much and so the longer you can keep him out of that same the for yourself folly on tom you know there s none of us all able to up to say what you will it s not so when you re beside a girl frank but sure that s not you were bom with in your mouth an that s what makes your to the fair be so soft in ha ha ha well frank never mind there s worse where you ll go to keep your own counsel last irish let s salt your an you ll do yet boys tm goin to a an that frank an i will pick a couple o dozen out o to box the the is a play or diversion peculiar to wakes it is in its character but full besides of comic sentiment and humour he then commenced an irish or song the substance of which was as follows according to his own translation st it seems was one sunday morning crossing a mountain on his way to chapel to say mass and as he was an humble man weren t then invented at any rate an a great he took the shortest cut across the mountains in one of the lonely he met a herd who spent his time in his s cattle to the of them times which was not by any means so an as now the countenance of the day was clear an extremely every thing was at rest the little river before him an indeed one would think it flowed on more decency an than upon other occasions the birds to be sure were sin n but it was easy to see that they out their best notes in honour of the day good morrow on you said st what s the you re not goin to prayers my fine little fellow what s prayers the boy st looked at him with a very pitiful and expression in his face can you bless yourself said he no said the boy i don t know what it means worse and worse thought st poor it isn t your fault an how do you pass your time here why my mate food s brought to me an i do be kings crowns out of my rushes i m not watching the cows and sheep tom ib st down his head great an said well you do be kings crowns but i tell you you re bom to wear a greater one nor a king s an that is crown of glory come along me i can t lave my cattle said the other for they might go astray enough st but i ll let you see that they won t now any how st understood cattle irresistible himself been a herd boy in his youth so he clapped his thumb to his an gave the a to the sheep an you they came about him great an respect keep yourselves sober and he them till this boy comes back an don t go your owner s property or if you do be worse for if you regard your health the season mind an attend to my words the rot this year s likely to be i can tell now you see every sheep while he was the right fore leg an the head a little an when he finished they kissed their foot an made him a low bow as a of their estimation an he thin clapped his finger an thumb in his mouth gave a loud whistle an in a time he had all the other on the hill about him to which he addressed the an they bowed to him the same polite he then brought the lad along him an as they made progress in the journey the little fellow says you seem by the walk an if you let me carry your bundle i ll feel obliged to you do so said the saint an as it s rather long throw the the bag that the things are in over your shoulder find it the way to carry it well the boy adopted this an they went along till they reached the chapel tub irish do you see that house said st i do said the other it has no chimney on it no said the saint it has not but in that house christ he that saved you will be present to day an the boy thin shed tears he thought of the goodness of christ in saving one that was a stranger to him so they entered tlie chapel an the first thing the lad was struck with was the beams of the sun that came in through the windy beside the altar now he had never seen the like of it in a house before an it was put there for some use or other in the he threw | 50 |
the which was like a saddle bag across the an loan you the supported it an at the same time a loud sweet voice was heard saying this is my st an he s welcome to the house of st then took him an instructed him in the various of the languages until he became one of the greatest saints that ever ireland saw with the exception and of st himself such is a faint outline of the tone and manner peculiar to the of tom indeed it has frequently surprised not only us but all who knew him to think how and where and when he got together such an incredible number of hard and difficult words be this as it may one thing was perfectly clear that they cost him little trouble and no study in their application his pride was to speak as aa possible and of course he ned that the most successful method of doing this was to use as many expressions as he could crowd into his language without any regard whatsoever as to their propriety immediately the of this legend he passed at once into a different spirit he and frank their forces and in a few minutes two or three dozen young fellows were hotly engaged in the humorous game of the the tom followed by the standing and the two other sports practised only at wakes and here we may remark generally that the amusements resorted to on such occasions are never to be found elsewhere but are peculiar to the house of mourning where thej are introduced for the purpose of sorrow having gone through a few more such sports tom took a seat and addressed a neighbouring named as follows jack do you know the history of your own name and its original p indeed no tom i cannot say i do well boys if your noise a little tu tell the of the name of it s only about ould whose tongue is on the look out for a drop of ever since he went to the lower story ee the following legend the castle of or a legend of by tou thb the hum of general now gradually subsided into silence and every face assumed an expression of and interest with the exception of who was rather deaf and blind george m so called because he wanted an eye both of whom in high and tones carried on an angry discussion touching a small that had gone against in the court of which george was a kind of rustic attorney an outburst of impatient rebuke was immediately poured upon them from fifty voices ye pair of devil s limbs an tom goin to tell us a your bowl s as crooked as your lame leg you sinner an as for blind george if ud save a man he d escape the devil yet to an be quiet till we hear the story ay tom says that when the blind leads the blind both fall into the ditch but god help the lame that have blind george t lead them we may easily guess he d guide them to especially such a poor innocent as there this as it waa not intended to give offence so was it received by the parties to whom it was addressed with laughter and good humour silence boys said tom i ll take a of the pipe till i put my mind in a proper state of for what i was goin to ca of or he then smoked on for a few minutes his eyes complacently but closed and his whole ce composed into the philosophic spirit of a man who knew and felt his own superiority as well as what was expected fix m him when he had sufficiently arranged the materials in his mind he took the pipe out of his mouth rubbed the end of it against the of his coat then handed it to his next neighbour and given a short preparatory cough thus commenced his legend you must know that charles the first happened to miss his head one day lost it while a game of heads an points with the scotch that a man called or was sent over to ireland a parcel of an english to the irish an as many of the as had been friends to the late king who were called now it appears by many learned that had in his army a man named or the of a fellow who was as as as as a fox an as gross as the swine he was named there is no doubt of it was as a hand at a town or castle aa ever went about it but then any town that didn t at discretion was sure to experience little at his hands an whenever he was bent on wickedness he was sure to say his prayers at the commencement of every siege or battle that is that he intended to no in for he d get a book an it at the head of his army he d cry my brethren let us praise god by till sing or a an god help the man woman or child that came before him that well an good it so happened that a of his singers were despatched by him from where he stopped to assistance to a party of his army that o was down near an on their way they happened to take up their for the night at the mill of now a legend of the brown ve all men in the creation who should be appointed to lead this same but the of go off you said when his instructions to him but be sure that whenever you meet a fat on the way to pay your respects to him as a christian ought says he an above all things | 50 |
my dear brother neglect your otherwise our arms can t prosper and be sure says he with a pious smile that if they opposition you will make them anyhow either in purse or person or if they provoke the grace of take a little from them in both an so the lord s name be praised sang a of for bein elected by his commander to a holy office set out on his march an the next night he an his choir slept in the mill of as i said now had in this same of his a long legged named sandy which name he got by way of for his charity for it appears by the historical that sandy was perpetually about affection an love an what more than anything else was that while this same sandy had the persuasion to make every one believe that he thought of nothing else he shot more people than any ten men in the he was indeed what they call a dead shot for no one ever knew him to miss any thing he fired at he had a that would throw point blank an english mile an if he only saw a man s nose at that distance he used to say that with aid from above he could blow it for him with a leaden that he could blow it off his face a and so by all associations he could for indeed the i its he performed were very an now it so happened that at this period there lived in the castle a fine ould named or tub of or as they are often had but one child a daughter whose beauty an r an near over the country an who had her health drunk as the t of ireland by the lord lieutenant in the castle of the sympathetic of of it was her son that afterwards ran through the estate and was forced to part the castle an it s to him the proverb which ould john that the castle of that bears no to the story so what could you have of it but who had heard of the other s wealth and the daughter s beauty took a holy both an as usual said his prayers and sung a he determined for to clap his thumb upon the father s money that the daughter would be the more to folly it in other words he made up his mind to sack the castle carry off the daughter an marry her rather he said through a sincere wish to bring her into a state of grace by a union with a god man whose walk he trusted was ward than from any cardinal for her wealth or beauty he accordingly sent up a file of the most pious men he had picked with good voices and strong noses to request that john would give them possession of the castle for a time an afterwards join them at prayers as a proof that he was no but a friend to and the now you see the best of it was that the very man they demanded this from was by the people as jack in consequence of the great of his courage an besides he was known to be a member of the hell fire club that no person could join that hadn t fought three killed at least one man and in to show that they regarded neither god nor hell they were to dip one hand in blood an legend of the brown the other in fire before they could be made members of the club it s to see then that was not likely before a handful of the very men he hated all the in his power an he accordingly put his head out of the windy an them their for being there about your business he said i owe you no regard what brings you before the castle of a man who you don t think to me you for you can t my castle s well provided men an an food an if you don t be off i ll make you sing a different tune from a one he did plump to them out of the windy when s men returned to in the mill they related what had place and he said that prayers he d a second message in an if it wasn t to they d put their trust in god an storm the castle the he commanded was not a numerous one an as they had no an were surrounded by enemies the of the castle which was a strong one might cost them some at all events was bent on the attempt especially he heard that the castle was well an indeed he was joined by his men who licked their lips on of such glad was a v headed man without much or deliberation otherwise he might have known that the bare of the beef and mutton in his castle was only fit to make such a hungry pack desperate but be that as it may in a short time wrote him a letter of him in the name of an the to the castle or if not that ould as he was he would make him as as a two year ould it threw the letter back to the messengers a recommendation to regarding it but whether the q thb ib ov au or was followed up and acted on ii soon as he wished historical do not on their return the military to commander the reception they a second time from an he then resolved to lay regular siege to the but as he knew he could not take it by ie determined as thej say to starve the garrison and by degrees but first an foremost a thought strode him an he immediately called sandy behind the | 50 |
in years who danced in his distress in that he might his own perspiration and a little orphan boy that she her it was a hard case an yet god bless her she held out like a man it s an ould that there s no up the tongue of fame an it s also a true one the account of the siege had gone lar an near in the an none of the irish no matter what they were who ever heard it but sorry sandy was now the devil an all as there was no more in the castle to shoot he should find something to his hand upon for instance he practised upon three or four of s friends who one pretence or other were seen about the castle an none of their relations come to take away their bodies in to bury them at length things came to that pass that poor miss was at the last gasp for something to drink she had out as well as she could a drop of moisture here and there in the damp comers of the castle but now all that was gone the fat cook had sucked himself to death an the little orphan boy died calmly away a few hours him the helpless lady with a tongue swelled and an a mouth an burned for want of drink still the blood of the thb of or was in her an yield she would not to the villain that left her as she was then was the of her to be on the to catch if possible a little of the dew of heaven she surprised to see something flung up that rolled down towards her feet she lifted it an on the contents found it to be a stone covered a piece of brown paper inside of which was a slip of white the words endure relief is near you but poor young lady of what could these be to one in her situation she could hardly see to read them her brain was dizzy her mouth like a her tongue swelled an black an her breath felt as hot as a she could barely an was in the very act of down the triumphant air of heaven to die when she heard the shrill voice of a young kid in the castle yard and remembered that a brown goat which her lover a gentleman named had when it was a kid made her a present of remained in the castle about the stable the whole she instantly made her way slowly down stairs got a bowl and the goat she a little of the milk which i need not at once relieved her by this means she recovered an no further anticipation from she resolved like a to keep the out an to wait till either god or man might lend her a hand now you must know that the miller s daughter had also a sweetheart called or an humble branch of the great of an this same was servant an foster brother to the intended husband of miss who lived some miles off on the condition of the castle gathered together all the far an near and as was honestly hated by both an you see himself promised to send a few of his followers to the rescue in the meantime dressed l nd of tub goat himself up like a fool or idiot an the of the s daughter who in great style was allowed to about and joke the but especially he took a fancy to sandy and him to put one stone out of five in one of the port holes of the castle at a match of finger stone sandy who was nearly as at that as the was rather relaxed when he saw that could at least put in every fifth stone and that he himself could hardly put one in out of twenty well at all events it was their sport that fool as they called him contrived to fling the scrap of i spoke of across the at all chances for he to go to the castle he up his life as lost but he didn t care for that in case he was able to save either his foster brother or miss but this is not at all indispensable for it is well known that many a foster brother sacrificed his life the same way and in cases of great danger when the real brother would beg to decline the compliment things were now in a very state entirely heard that relief to the castle an what to do he did not know there was little time to be lost however an something must be done he twice a day from the mill an sang for grace to be directed in his righteous intentions but as yet he derived no particular com either sandy appeared to have got a more of grace nor his captain tor he succeeded at last in the miller s daughter to sit the word at her s fool as they called had now become a great favourite the an as he proved to be quite harmless and they let him run about the place opposition the castle to be sure was still guarded but miss kept her heart up in consequence of the note for she hoped every day to get relief from her friends now that the castle of au or the miller s daughter was more serious tlie of formed a plan that he thought might enable him to the castle an bear off the an the money this was to strive very delicate meditation to prevail on the miller s daughter through the renown that he thought sandy had over her to open a miss for he knew that if one of the gates was unlocked an the girl let in the whole | 50 |
would soon be in her now this plan was the more dangerous to miss because the miller s daughter had intended to bring about the very same for a different purpose her friends an her enemies it was clear the poor lady had little chance an it was s intention the moment he had her an the money to make his escape lave the castle to might choose to take it things however were to take a different t the of was to be in the of his own an to be in his own premises well the plot was mentioned to sandy who was promised a good sketch of the an as it was the very thing he about night an day he snapped at it as a hungry dog would at a sheep s that night the miller s daughter whose name i may as well say was the girl an the sweetest singer that ever wag in the country was to go to the castle an tell miss that the all gone killed an his whole army to this was a different plan from poor s who now saw clearly what they were at but never heed a woman for bein witty when hard pushed i don t like to do it she for it looks like as my father has left the neighbourhood and i don t know where he is gone to an you know s in either or woman still sandy it goes hard for me to a of the brown goat refuse one that i i well i wish i knew where my is would like to know what he d think of it hut said sandy where s the use of such scruples in a good cause when we get the money we ll fly it is principally for the sake of you an her from the darkness of that we do it indeed my conscience would not rest well if i let a soul an body like yours remain a prey to my well said she doesn t the captain this he does my beloved an with a a few verses from the song of solomon it s then said she to sit under the word an perhaps some light may be given to us this delighted s heart who now looked upon pretty as his own indeed he was obliged to go gradually and cautiously to work for cruel though was sandy knew that if any violent act of that kind should him the guilty party would sup sorrow well to this pious arrangement assembled all his men who were not on duty about the in which he stood as usual an had commenced a powerful the of which was devoted to he dwelt upon the happiness of religious love said that scruples were often suggested by satan an that a heavenly duty was but when put in an earthly one he also made to the old squire that was by sandy said it was often a judgment for the wicked man to die in his sins an was on great eloquence an when a low noise heard an up his clenched hands an his teeth shouted out hell and d n til be ground to death the mill s goin i i m gone faith it was true enough she had been set a goin by some one an before they had time to stop her k thb ov ob tiie of had the feet and legs twisted off him their eyes a fair illustration of his own doctrine that it is often a judgment for the wicked man to die in his sins when the mill was stopped he was pulled out but didn t live twenty minutes in the loss of blood time was they ran up a shell of a coffin and tumbled it into a pit that was hastily dug for it on the mill common this however by no manner of relieved poor from her difficulty for now finding himself first in command determined not to lose a moment in his plan upon the castle you see he a way is opened for us that wc didn t expect an let us not dose our eyes to the light that has been given lest it might be suddenly taken from us again in this instance i suspect that fool has been made the chosen instrument for it appears upon inquiry that he too has disappeared however heaven s will be done we will have the more to ourselves my beloved it is now dark he proceeded so i shall go an take my usual smoke at the mill window an in about a of an hour til be ready but i m all in a tremor after a frightful accident replied an i want to get a few minutes quiet before we engage upon our this was very natural and accordingly took hia u seat at a little windy in the of the that faced the s house an firom the way the bench was ho was obliged to with his face exactly towards the same there we leave him upon his own till we folly or f h as they called him who all that was done and that no time was to be lost gate all over as ruined unless be acted on a of thb brown quickly at once had thought of the mill a goin l ut kept the plan to himself any farther than her not to be surprised at any thing she might see he then told her to steal him a gun but if possible to let it be s as he knew it could be depended on but i hope you won t shed any blood if you can avoid it said she that i don t like tut replied to the question it | 50 |
s good to have it about me for my own defence he could have shot either or in daylight but not without certain death to himself as he knew that escape was impossible besides time was not before so upon them an every day relief was expected now however that relief was so near for with a party of an s men must be within a couple of hours journey it would be too entirely to see the castle and the lady carried off by such a long legged as at great risk took an opportunity of his gun to who was the shot of the day in that or any other part of the country and it was in consequence of this that he was called or sharp eye but indeed all the were famous shots an i m there s one of them now in that could hit a pigeon s egg or a silver sixpence at the distance of a hundred yards did not merely raise the when he set the mill a goin but he whipped it out altogether an threw it into the dam so that the possibility of saving the of was he made off however an threw himself among the tall that grew upon the common till it got dark when as was his custom should take his smoke at the windy here he sat for some period over many before he lit his pipe as he called it the celebrated the first shot of d i was at tliis time living in m rub of now said he to himself there to me from away or rather from sure of the grand instead of the miller s if i get the castle it can l e soon effected for if she has regard for her reputation he will be quiet i m a handsome lad enough a high in the cheek bones in the skin an d a trifle but stout an an tough as a but aj ain what is to be done wi hut she s but a miller s an may be disposed of if she gets troublesome i know she s fond of me but i blame her for that however it become me now to entertain scruples that the way is made so plain for me but save us eh that was an awful death an very like a judgment on the of it is often a judgment for the wicked to die in their sins that whatever he intended to say further cannot be by man for just as he had uttered the last word which he did while holding the candle to his pipe the bullet of own gun entered between his eyes and the next moment he was a corpse the name he got for truer did never bullet go to the mark from s own aim than it did firom his there is now little more to be to my story before day break the next came to the of his intended wife s party were surprised taken an cut to pieces an it so happened that from that day to this the of a to him was never seen near the mill or castle of with one exception only and that was this you all know that the mill is often heard to go at night when nobody sets her a goin an that the most of torture come out of the an that when any one has the courage to look in they re sure to see a man dressed like a with a white face in the act so to say of his legs ground off him many a guess was made about who the spirit could be but all to no purpose there a legend of brown however is the truth for the spirit that shrieks in the is s ghost an he s to be ground that till the day of judgment be and miss were married as war du an an if they all lived long an happy i wish we may all live ten times longer an happier an so we will but in a world than this god well but tom said how does that account my name which you said you d tell me right said tom i was near forget tin it why you see was their veneration for the goat that was the god of miss life that they changed the name of to which in irish or a brown goat that all their posterity might know the great obligations they lay to that reverend animal an do you mane to tell me said that my name was never heard of until s time i do never in the wide an earth was a name known till the i you an it never would either only for the goat sure i can prove it by the will you give us another draw o the pipe tom s authority in these matters was and besides there was no one present learned enough to diet him with any chance of success before such an audience the argument was consequently without further discussion decided in his favour and was silenced touching the origin and of his own name m thb irish prophecy the individual to whom the heading of this article is applied stands among the lower classes of his countrymen in a light and position from any of those characters that we have already described to our readers the intercourse which they maintain the people is one that simply the means of for themselves by the exercise of their professional skill and their powers of to the lighter and more harmless amusements of their fellow countrymen all the influences they possess as arising from the hold which the peculiar nature of this intercourse gives them generally individuals only on those minor points of feeling that act upon the | 50 |
of the prophet in his appearance so far from that he was inclined to but like a certain class of fat men his natural disposition was calm but at the same time not with something of the pensive his habits of thinking as might be expected were quiet and meditative his personal motions slow and regular and his from one resting place to another never of such length during a single day as to exceed ten miles at this easy rate however he traversed the whole kingdom several times nor was there probably a m local prophecy of any importance in the with which he was not he took much delight in the greater and lesser of the old testament but his heart and soul lay as he expressed it in the of st john the divine his usual practice was when the family came home at night from their labour to stretch himself upon two chairs his head resting upon the with a for a pillow his closed as a proof that his mind was deeply engaged with the matter in hand in this attitude he got some one to read the particular prophecy upon which he wished to and a most curious and amusing entertainment it generally was to hear the text and his own singular and original upon it that he must have been often bj and wits was quite evident from the startling of the text which had been put into his mouth and which having been once put there his memory never forgot the fact of s arrival in the neighbourhood soon went abroad and the natural consequence was that the house in which he thought proper to reside for the time became crowded every night as soon as the hours of labour had passed and the people got leisure to hear him having thus procured him an audience it is full time that we should allow the fat old prophet to speak for himself and give us all an insight into the good man his host would bay here s a lot o the neighbours come to hear a from you on the and sure if you can t give it to them who is there to be found that can although i say it that should not say it there s truth in that at all the same knowledge has cost me many a an sore heel in it up an down through mountain an in the irish prophecy i an not the of sc where there s what they call the short prophecy or second sight but wherein there s all but little of the irish or long prophecy that regards what s to befall the winged woman that into the no no their second sight isn t prophecy at all if a man goes out to fish or steal a cow an that he happens to be drowned or shot another man that has the second sight will see this in his mind about or the time it happens why that s little many a time our own irish are to it an indeed i have it firom a that the gift they boast of has four parents an empty thin air a weak head an strong an that a man must have all these the last before he can have the second sight properly an it s my own opinion now i have a little book indeed i left my books with a friend down at that contains a prophecy of the hind an the bloody an a of the daughter there s to be in the valley of the black pig as by or the prophet with the red mouth who never was known to speak but when he or to but when he spoke the lord bless and keep us an why was he called the man the red mouth i ll tell you that first ne about the slaughter an that was to take place in the time to come an secondly while he spoke the red blood always out of his as a proof that what he was true glory be to god i but wonderful all out well well ay an or the red mouth is still i why is he a man of our own time own time the lord help you it s more than a m years since he made the prophecy the case you see is tliis he an the ten thousand witnesses are in an enchanted sleep in one of the mountains an how is that known it s known every night at a certain hour one of the witnesses an they re all by the way must come out to look for the sign that s to come an what is that it s the fiery cross an when he sees one on of the four mountains of the north he s to know that the same sign s abroad in all the other parts of the kingdom an ills men are then to up an by their aid the valley of the black pig is to be set free for ever an what is the black pig the church that stretches from to an back again from to well well but prophecy is a strange thing to sure only think of men a thousand years every night one of s men must go to the mouth of the cave which opens of itself then look for the sign that s expected he walks up to the top of mountain an turns to the four comers of the heavens t if he can see it an when he finds that he cannot he goes back to who the other touches him starts up an him is the time come he replies no the man w but the hour is not an that instant they re both asleep again now you see | 50 |
while the is on the mountain top the mouth of the cave is open an any one may go in that might happen to see it one man it appears did an to know from curiosity whether the were dead or he touched one of them his hand who started up an him the same question is the time come very fortunately he said no an that minute the was as sound in his trance as before the irish prophecy man an what did the mane he said the man is but the hour is not what did he mane til tell you that the man u which put into proper explanation the side that is the true cause men have found that out wasn t a great prophet he was a great man entirely at prophecy and so was st he that the cock the purple comb is to have both his wings by one of his own breed before the struggle comes before that time too we re to have the black an that it is time for every man to be prepared an who is the cock the purple comb why the to be sure isn t purple their colour the dirty thieves an the black who are they i have gone far an near through north an through south up an down by hill an hollow till my toes were an my heels in but could find no one able to resolve that or bring it clear out of the prophecy they are to be in black an all their arms an is to be the same colour an farther than that is not known as yet j it s a you don t know it foi there s little about prophecy that you haven t at your finger ends three birds is to meet proceeded in a kind of enthusiasm upon the two an a dove the two is to attack the dove until she s at the point of death but before they take her life an comes and tears the two to pieces and the dove there s to be two cries in the kingdom one of is to from the giants to the centre house of the town of the other is to firom the falls of m to the mill of which is to be turned three times with blood but this is not to happen until a man with two an six fingers upon hid right hand happens to be the who s to give the sign of freedom to ireland the little boy the red coat that s bom a dwarf lives a giant and dies a dwarf again he s of foot but leaves the heaviest foot mark behind him an it s he that s to give the sign of freedom to ireland there s a period to come when is to be upon the earth attended by his two servants and who are they they are the sons of an or in other words of death an and cousin to the devil himself which of is the why he them lord save us i but i hope that won t be in our time is to come from the land of o according to which himself an his army fire an out of their mouths according to the glorious revelation of st john the divine an the great prophecy of both of which beautifully compromise on the subject the prophet of the black stone is to come who always backwards and what has happened he is to be a mighty hunter an instead of to his in blood he is to ride upon it to the admiration of his times it s of him it is said that he is to be the only prophet that ever went on horseback then there s who as there was a prophet the red mouth is called the prophet the red nose ireland was it appears from ancient books means fire the irish prophecy man fi many hundred years before her discovery but bein allowed to become visible one day in every year the enchantment was broken by a sword that was thrown upon the earth an from that out she remained dry an became inhabited woe woe woe says the time is to come when we ll have a second an ireland is to be once more a well is to open at cork that will cover the whole island from the s to cape clear in them days st will be despised an will stand over the pleasant houses his pastoral in his hand crying out in vain woe woe woe iy s for in them days there will be a great confusion of colours among the people there will be neither red noses nor pale cheeks an the divine face of man alas will put forth blossoms no more the heart of the times will become changed an when they rise up in the it will come to pass that there will be no longer light heads or shaking hands among woe woe woe men women and children will then die an their only complaint like all those who perished in flood of ould will be on the on the brain i woe woe woe says for the changes that is to come an the misfortunes that s to befall the many for the of the few i an yet such things must be for i in virtue of the red spirit that dwells in me must prophecy them in those times men will be shod in liquid fire an not be burned their breeches shall be made of fire an will not bum them j their bread shall be made of fire an it will not bum them their meat shall be made of fire an will not bum them an why oh woe woe shall so prevail that the | 50 |
dinner jack sat down to take a o the pipe and the wife lost no time in tying up the and it in the pot to be boiled in this way things went on well enough for a while jack away an the wife an at the rate of a hunt at last while as i said at ae fire it he could an odd kind of motion in the pot that puzzled a good deal said he the ii in thia ot oa the fire thing but the big why do you ax says she why said he if ever a pot took it into its head to dance a and this did thunder and look at it i it was true enough there was the pot up an down and from side to side it away as merry as a an it was quite to see that it wasn t the pot itself but what was inside of it that brought about the be the hole o my coat shouted jack there s something alive in it or it would never cut such be the there is jack something entirely has got into it man alive to be done as she spoke the pot seemed to cut the in prime style and a spring that ud shame a off flew the lid and out the itself as as a on a head about the floor jack blessed himself and crossed herself jack shouted and screamed in the name of the nine said he keep your distance no one here injured you i the however made a set at him and jack first on a chair and then on the kitchen table to avoid it it then danced towards who was now her an at the top of her voice while the thief of was and it round her as if it was amused at her distress if i could get the said jack i d it by i d its no no shouted there was a fairy i it rob s ob let us it who knows what harm it might do now said she to the dear don t harm honest people that never meant to offend you it wasn t us in it was ould harry that you pursue him if you wish but spare a woman like me for whisper dear i m not in a condition to be tm not the seemed to take her at her word and danced away from her towards jack who like the wife there was a fairy in it an that it ir was the best plan thought he would give it a soft word as well as her your honour said jack she only the truth you don t know what harm you might do her an upon my we both feels much to your honour for your faith it s quite clear that if you weren t a gentlemanly all out you d act otherwise ould harry the dam rogue is your mark he s gone down the road there and if you go you ll overtake him be me song your did his duty any how thank your honour i god speed you an may you never meet a priest parson or in your as jack spoke the appeared to take the hint for it quietly out and as the house was directly on the road side turned down towards the bridge the very way that ould harry went it was very natural of that jack and should go out to see how it to and as the day was sunday it was but natural too that a greater number of people than usual were the road thi was a fact and when jack and his wife were seen the the whole neighbourhood was soon up and it jack what is it will you tell os what it why replied be the it s my big thb that s an it s now hot foot here she stopped not to mention her brother s name same one or other that surely put an it this was enough jack now that he had assistance found his courage back to him so says he to go home says he an lose no time in another as good an here s s wife says she ll let you boil it on her fire as you ll wan t our own to dress the rest o the dinner and himself will lend me a for the morsel of the same will escape till i let the wind out of it now that i ve the neighbours to back an support me says jack this was agreed to and went back to prepare a fresh while jack an half the pursued the other and all possible description of instruments on the went however at the rate of about six irish miles an hour an a chase ever was seen an were all it armed as i said an bad end to the thing but its own activity could save it here it made a hop and there a was made at it but off it went an some one as to get a at it on the other side got the instead of the big frank the miller of got a backwards that brought a out of him you might hear at the other end of the parish one got a of a another a of a a third a rap of a that made him look nine ways at where is it goin asked one it s goin to mass replied a second then it s a catholic exclaimed a third down it no a fourth it s above superstition my life for you it s on it s way to meeting three cheers for it if it turns to put it under fairy influence os the out | 50 |
of it if it s a shouted the others if it turns to the left it into pan cakes we ll have no here by this time the people were on the point of to have a regular fight about it when very fortunately it took a short turn down a little bye lane that led towards the house an in an instant all parties were in an uproar against it as a it s a shouted several voices an by this an by that into a chapel it won t put a foot to day or we ll lose a fall let the wind out of it come boys where s the the one of them however ever could touch the an when they thought they had it up against the of the t chapel it gave them the slip and over to the left into the river and sails away before all their eyes as light as an egg shell now it so happened that a little below thb place the wall of colonel was built up to the very of the river on each side of its banks and so there was a stop put to their pursuit of it they went home again every man woman and child of them puzzled to think what the was at all whether catholic or what it meant or where it was gi iu had an his wife been to let out the opinion they held about it there is no doubt but r harry might be badly by the crowd when their blood was up they had sense enough to keep that to themselves for harry an ould was a kind to the of o was all kinds of talk about it some g k u this and some in one party the was of their another party it an it n v l to them so on b in the mane time for the dinner might come short went home and made another much about the same size as the one that had escaped and it over to their next neighbour s it was put into a pot and placed on the fire to boil that it might be done in time as they were to have the priest an the and that both loved a warm of a good as well as e er a pair of in europe anyhow the day passed and were made man an wife an no two could be more their friends that had been asked to the were about in pleasant little groups till dinner time an but above all things to account for the of the for to tell the truth its adventures had now gone through the whole parish well at any rate dinner time was near and was comfortably his wife at the fire the before their eyes when in walks harry in a flutter blood and what are here for why harry why said mrs why said harry the sun s in the an the moon in the high here s a an an there you sit as as if it was about to rain i go out an cross yourselves three times in the name of the four for as the prophecy says fill the pot a starts a rare go out both of you an look at the sim t and ye u see the condition he s in off ay but harry what s that up ia the tail of your big coat out said harry cross yourselves three times in the name of the four an pray the the sky s fallen iv rob s marriage it was hard to say whether or the wife got out first they were so much alarmed by harry s wild thin an eyes so out they went to see what was in the sky an an in every direction but a thing was to be seen the sun down with great good humour an not a single cloud in the sky an the wife now came in to harry who no doubt was a great wag in his way when he wished bad to you harry they had time to say no more for as they were goin into the door they met him out of it a of smoke out of his tail like a lime harry shouted my to glory but the tail of your s a fire you ll be burned t yon see the smoke that s out of it cross yourselves three times said harry or even behind him cross yourselves three times in the name of the four for as the prophecy says fill the pot they could hear no more for harry appeared to feel like a man that carried something a great deal than he wished as any one might see by the of his motions and the he was forced to make as he went along what the is he in the skirts of his hia coat asked my to happiness but maybe he has stole the said for its known that many a he does they immediately examined the pot but found that the i was there as safe as an this puzzled them the more to think what it was he could be about him in the manner he did but little they knew what he hu l done while they were sky l thb well anyhow the day passed and the dinner an no doubt but a fine there was to partake of it the priest and the had met the a stretch of an appetite he had in on their way to jack s an as they knew they could take the liberty why they insisted on his them for all in times the of all descriptions lived on the best among one another not all as | 50 |
one as now but no well they had nearly finished their dinner when jack himself for the but as he spoke in it came as big as a mess pot said he i hope none of you will refuse a bit of s i don t mane the one that took to its travels to day but a good solid fellow that she since to be sure we won t replied the priest so jack put a on them three plates at your right hand and send them over here to tlie an maybe he said for he was a droll good humoured man maybe jack we won t set you a proper example a heart an a half yer reverence an in if not a bad example ever any of you set us at the likes or ever will set us i ll go an sure i only wish it was fare i had for you but we re humble people and so you can t expect to meet here what you would in higher places a male of said the where pace is he had time to go no farther however for much to his amazement the priest and the started up from the table as he was goin to swallow the first of the and before you could say jack started away at a lively down the floor at this moment a neighbour s son came in an bob s ob them that the parson was to see the new married couple an wish them all happiness an the words were scarcely out of his mouth when he made his what to think he knew not when he saw the priest ai footing it away at the rate of a he had very little time however to think for before he could sit down up starts the and his two fists in his sides in in great style along them jack says he and by the way jack was his tenant what the does all this mane says he i m amazed r the a o me can tell you says but will your reverence taste a o merely that tiie young couple may boast that you at their for sure if you wouldn t who would well says he to gratify them i will so but jack this says he again the o into his mouth has there been here oh the a says jack for although there s in the house faith it appears the wouldn t wait for it unless they took it elsewhere i can make of this he had scarcely spoken when the parson who was an active man cut a a yard an before you could bless yourself the four were hard at work a if for a it would be for me to tell you the state the whole was in when they seen this some were hoarse some turned up their eyes many thought them mad an others thought they had turned up their little fingers a too often be it s a shame said one to see in a state at this early hour i an over then at all says others why one would think they re moses the the thb i an father m an who would think he could handle his feet at such a rate i be this an be that he cuts the and does the step to the himself an see bad to the morsel of the an the parson that s not hard at upon a an it of a sunday too the fun s in ail i more power to the s own they had an no but judge of what they felt when all at once they saw ould jack himself in among them an it away like the best o them no play could come up to it an could be heard but shouts of encouragement and of bands like mad now the minute jack left the chair where he bad been the ould harry comes over and himself down in his place in to d it round of an he was scarcely when who should make his appearance but the by the way had been sent for early in the day but bein firom home when the message for him went he couldn t come any sooner said you re au y at the work oh blessed the too i an what does this mane but may care shan t want the music while there s a blast in the pipes any how so he them an after that kiss my lady in his best style in the meantime the fun went on thick an for it must be that harry the ould was at the an maybe he didn t it about in double quick time too the first he helped was the bride and before you could say she was at it hard an fast before the who immediately quit father m aad gave a jolly spring before her that threw them into con s marriage or harry liked this and made up his mind soon to find partners for the rest so he accordingly sent the about like an to make a long story short the an himself there t a pair o heels in the house bat was as busy at the as if their lives on it says harry taste a morsel o this the a bully of a ever you here your a of it it s beautiful to be sure i will says i m not the boy to refuse a good thing but harry be quick for you know my hands is engaged an it would be a thousand not to keep them in music an they so well inclined thank you harry that is a famous but blood an this for the word was scarcely | 50 |
own affairs and discussed their condition with an anxiety and which set the vigilance of their husbands at complete defiance and it may be observed here just to show the obstinacy of women when bent on gratifying their own wills that not one of them ever returned home to her husband from these closed door meetings without having committed the ver act of which she was suspected not that these cautious m omen were after all so successful in every instance as to escape detection some occasional discoveries were made in consequence of the of their s goose or band s and one or two of them were actually caught as the law term has it the that is in the very act of offence now is ever impudent and outrageous and disposed to carry everything with a high hand or at all events with a loud tongue this the husbands of those who had been detected soon felt for no sooner had they proclaimed their wrongs to their fellow than they were by their wives with the vile and trying epithet of and charged home with letting themselves sink to the mean spirited office of the wives of their some of the good men now took fire and demanded an explanation others looked at their wives with amazement and stopped short as if how to act and other some shrugged their shoulders took a silent and meditative blast of the pipe upon the and said no more about it so far then there was no great victory either on the one side or th other now the state of human society is never so bad even in the most times but that there are always to be found in it many persons by the prevailing and it was supposed to be so here as yet hoped in heaven that alley had escaped the which upon her sex so secretly yet so surely for some time past he had held her under strict with such judgment that she did not even dream of being suspected in this manner did matters proceed between them on the alert and alley on a shrewd look out for means and opportunity when one friday he proposed to we need scarcely teu our readers that in ireland stop means a person who becomes king s evidence against his or in some way their crimes if for instance a member of a ribbon or orange betrayed the secrets of the body he would be termed a and a husband betraying any weakness of his wife such for instance as the fact of her being to liquor or i be termed a by his offended partner dark doings at his aunt up in on the next saturday evening and accordingly informed that he would not return until the monday following to this could offer no possible objection but on the contrary highly applauded him for showing such a mark of respect and affection for his aunt who by the way had been very kind to them both since their marriage it s only right said she and your duty besides to go an see her for you an me she has been the best feather in our wing there s the dirty low pack sure indeed they re the same relations to her that we are they d kiss the dirt of her feet if they thought they bone a penny by it an they re no stone to get the soft side of her the dirty o to in for what she has an to cut us out from her so go to her an if you don t her the one o you s worth a pound o goat s wool having then got on a clean shirt and his holiday coat took his in hand and set out to visit his aunt up among the hills of as a most attached and disinterested nephew who ss the song says loved her for herself alone he had not gone many yards from the door however when he returned said he fm goin to to you afore i set out that i d as soon you d keep away from the i mane the women of them both their husbands me not a month o sundays that they suspect them to be not safe so you see you can learn nothing that s good from them god s is i m that they re the same stick that has marked the women o the whole neighbourhood so now that you know this i hope you keep your distance from them what business could i have them low person a term of contempt s or the eye i on one o them this fortnight i have my own on these two the to take care ofl that s a give us a an now till monday please goodness me hadn t yon lie a bit of about poor s neck till that cough him don t you see it there on the stool before the fire that s right now mind my words bad be from me but so you would she spoke this with an indignant but the reader please to observe that she made no promise whatsoever i m i m off i know you won t god bless all i and so went to see his aunt up in well it is a sad thing to be a mere of truth which indeed every man who human nature must be because unhappily for him who lives in the world of human na ture there is no fiction at hand it is only those who live out of it that can make fiction available to their purposes this has been forced from us not by however but by his wife he had scarcely been half an hour gone when alley threw a bonnet on her head a blue cloak about | 50 |
her shoulders and after having made a play for the children to keep them quiet and given them a of bread each she locked the door rolled the big stone upon the hole that was under it which the pig had away in order to work himself a passage into the house and immediately ir to visit the two wives of the the was but it is not for us to it the consequence of it will speak for themselves the two brothers to whom they were united bark d in at in lived next door to each other or what is called under the same roof and she consequently found both their good women at home two or three slips of both sexes who had been amusing themselves in the elder brother s house where the conference from her visit was about to be held were immediately desired to play abroad an not be an through the house that way a that people can t hear their own ears go along an take the on your head and stretch your limbs ye pack o young thieves the moment they bounded away s face assumed an air of considerable importance a circumstance which the others instantly noticed for nothing is so observant of symptoms that indicate its own discovery as a consciousness of error said one of them alarmed you ve heard something what is it are we found put if you re not found out replied in the same low guarded tone you re strongly suspected but the devil may care for that is away up to his ould aunt s at above an won t be back till monday so that the coast s clear till then any way all you have to do is to slip up about dusk for there ll be nobody but ourselves an i ll put the to bed not that they dare tell him any thing they d see so thin we are said the other with much it s truth dick an harry confessed it to an he me an we ll them if they ten times as sharp replied mrs dick or as she was called indeed i knew myself that he was for a good while past and about as if he expected to find a or a mare s next an faith sure enough he was s goose r an ace of us but as luck would have it he didn t search the bed and i suppose that s them in all this observed harry or as we shall call her bid you may swear that replied his wife an warned me strongly afore he went to the aunt s to from both for he said ye with the same stick that has marked all the rotten sheep in the country the three audacious instead of expressing either regret or repentance at the conduct which had justified tlie well founded suspicions of their husbands burst out on the contrary into one united and harmonious chorus of which lasted at least five minutes i well said alley hastily getting up and throwing the cloak about her i can t stop a for there s no one at but the that i locked in and i m always when i lave the that way for they might go too near the fire or that that of a pig ud work the stone from the door an get in so as the coast s clear you ll both slip up about dusk this they promised and accordingly when darkness had completely set in the door of s house was closed and inside with all possible security and this was necessary for truly a surprise would have been on awful though perhaps a just winding up of their what peculiar mysteries or rites took place there on that night it is not our province good reader to disclose but of this you may rest assured that each fulfilled the old and excellent that stolen are the sweetest with what feelings and bid faced their husbands they themselves know but that each was received with suspicion and severely cross examined upon the cause of their absence we can inform the reader dark doings at but what did that avail the on their way home had a story and they are never good that possess a facility at stories to which both were determined to with most they had ran up to see little for had been down to tell them that she was it was the but it was but a small rash that came out upon its breast the though bid her sister in law thought it was the an indeed after all she didn t herself but it was but god send it safe over it was poor thing this night now who would think but no matter there is still worse to come i the reader will not believe our word when ave assure him that these two women and bid did not scruple though loaded with the just suspicions of their husbands to kneel down and say their prayers on that very night before they went to bed the next day being sunday and their husbands having more leisure it is scarcely necessary to say that the two good men kept a sharp eye upon their who found themselves in every motion several times they attempted a stolen visit to s but were detected just in the act of putting on their and in fact they were so completely that they resolved at length to brazen it out having lost temper considerably by seeing that all their designs were fairly and that whatever must be done as to reaching the scene of their must be done with honest open defiance they once more therefore had recourse to the and and were in the very act of setting out when their husbands who sat | 50 |
smoking each a pipe after having coolly eyed them for some time calmly inquired where are bound for good women up u s to see the child poor thing deed g s or it s a that we didn t as s not at home her she may want something an has no one to send out for it well dick addressing his own wife all that isn t one o ye enough to go plenty replied his sister in law bid but some notion of goin up as r as my mother s while s by the sweep harry taking the pipe hastily out of his mouth and casting a keen indignant glance at the last speaker are enough to down the patience of a saint how can you look us in the ye o the devil goin to see s child indeed i why i was up this very an there s not a blast o wind wrong either of her not as much as a hair turned on them i what have to say now an ye came both home last night a lie in your mouths that s child was the says one it has a ra a says the other but sure send it safe over it has poor thing be the mortal man i won t bear this there now to show i won t as he spoke the last word he took the pipe out of his mouth and shivered it to against the opposite wall his brother seeing this energetic display resolved not to be in the vigour of his indignation yes be me nor i he exclaimed his in an direction and immediately kicking the stool on which he sat to the lower end of the kitchen that s to that ye won t have your tongues in your cheeks at he added an be this an be that for three i d not lave a s worth on the but i d to an i ll tell what it is he proceeded raising his voice to its highest pitch and stamping dark doings at furiously on the hearth i tell what it is must put an end to this work for all our substance isn t to go this way we ll have no among no between you an the other black sheep o the neighbourhood don t think but we know what s goin on an what brought you both up to s last night too well we know it an now i tell again that must avoid that woman she s not a safe neighbour an her own husband her to be as bad as the worst among them ay an he catch her yet known as she thinks herself be the book i ll turn another pin in your nose my lady said harry addressing bid never fear but i will til you that you won t have yourself the talk o the neighbours an me too that doesn t it the curse o on me if i don t now i why thin now said bid calmly turning to in the name of all that s beautiful what are these two at are they mad or is it only they are no replied but goin to us i suppose ay very returned the other any how they may be proud o themselves to join two women as if we fit to fight them i m glad their own s not to the re to see their fine behaviour come are you tip tp alley s the child s sick or not the t w home an if s d charity to sit awhile in are you no nor you the a one toe said her husband the them that says to the come ay you like or not dear the wan o me ill be stopped by you this day to fall to attack s b or you won t i won t now never heed her harry dick let her go to ould her own way ay both o them off you now but you ll see what come of it at the long run where s the said harry take my book oath this minute that for a month to come hi not let you on the one side of the house me any how will no one tell me where the is an is that to vex me harry why don t you make it twelve months while your hand s in it wouldn t be worth your while to the for a bare four weeks man be me so l it s you ought to be instead o the very well replied his and provoking i suppose the next thing you ll do will be to us sure enough but sure we can t help it only it will be a fine story to have to tell the neighbours you ll look well af ther it you may then up your head like a man i oh ye but i won t let myself down to ye come no said ty i wouldn t be them about goin it s to one way or the other so we ll sit here oh thin god he knows but we re the well matched women at all sure if we the worst that ever this day ay if we so bad that the very dogs wouldn t lap our blood we couldn t be worse than we are by two men i say again observed harry seeing his wife somewhat that if you go your breath won t come near me in oh your tongue man bid i seen the day you thought enough about my breath faith an that was i didn t then as well i do now dark ik ing at not what you thought or what you said | 50 |
the one very well enough be done and so the wife grumbled gradually into silence the between harry and bid was of a and more animated description but we need not say on which side the victory settled the pipe however soon produced something like tranquillity and after a hard bout at a united prayer in the shape of a between the and the deceived both went to bed on very good terms with each other as indeed after all did dick and not any more than the others forgetting their the next morning was that on which our absent friend was expected home and about ten or eleven o clock alley was in conversation with a upon the kindness and generosity of aunt and the greater warmth of affection which on all occasions she had manifested towards her and than ever she had to that pack of the when who should appear but the himself bearing under his right arm a fat grey goose alive and kicking what is this exclaimed alley as her husband laid the goose down on the floor why he replied good don t you see it s a o mutton that aunt sent for our dinner on sun day next what s that indeed i the goose was immediately taken up handled like a balanced that they might guess its weight felt that they might know how fat it was and examined from to with the most minute inspection i he children approached it with that eager but fearful curiosity for which childhood is doings at they touched it retreated with apprehension took fresh courage patted it timidly on the back and after many of terror and delight the eldest at length ventured to take it up in his arms this was a disastrous attempt for the goose finding him unable to hold it firmly fluttered its and the young hero threw it hastily down and ran screaming behind his mother where his little sister joined the chorus and his wife then the neighbour we spoke of with a history of aunt s wealth assuring him that they themselves were down for every l and penny s worth belonging to her pointing to the goose at the same time as a triumphant illustration of their expectations no sooner had their left them than having given a faithful account of every thing respecting aunt said he hoped she had not forgotten his parting advice on saturday that she had kept aloof from the of the and neither or with them in his absence afore i d lead this life an be at every hand s turn i d rather go out upon the world and aim my bread honestly my own two hands as i did afore i met you the wives o the why what ud i be the wives o the or what ud the wives o the be me it s little or their me i have my house an to look an that s enough for any one woman i m well but sure you needn t be angry me for you on your guard it s not to say that i m angry you but sure to say a thing ought to be enough but here you keep an at me about the wives o the i s s wish to the wires o the out o the for they re the heart to me anyhow well alley to the but about another thing we do this goose whether is it to roast it or boil it if we d not kill it at all but keep it on rear a flock ourselves there s an for them about the you re ri t come or go what will we had not kill it the we won t i don t stand blood well myself an rd as soon to tell you the you d not ax me to kill this one i don t think it ud me very well said her husband j yielding to her suggestion with singular good humour as it is your the the drop will lave its this bout so let it be settled that we ll rear a flock ourselves an as you say who knows but the same goose may be sent to us for good luck it was arranged but as a solitary fowl of that species is rather an unusual sight about a s house they soon procured it a as they had said which they went to bed every night anxious to dream that all its eggs might turn out golden ones to them and their children now perhaps the sagacious reader may have already guessed that the arrival of the goose whatever it might have been to honest was an excellent apology for a capital piece of by play to his wife the worthy fowl had not in fact been twenty four hours at their place when in came the two wives of the this visit was an open one and paid in the evening a little before the men returned from their daily labour great was s astonishment then when on reaching home he found bid and dark doings at in conference with and what appeared to strange if not rather hardy on their part that they carried on the conversation without slightest consciousness of offence it is true this jt hitherto been actually proved but it is needless to j that the suspicion entertained against them was nearly to proof their were so difficult to be accounted for and the situations in which they were found so critical that it was impossible even for their friends to assert that they were as altered the house they addressed him with singular good humour and kindness but it was easy to infer from his short replies that they had in his case a strong prejudice to | 50 |
overcome how are you at the present time not comfortable this was accompanied by a quick suspicious glance from them to his wife why there s wrong you we hope maybe that s more than i can say not sure no said the wife bid an came up to look at the goose an the one o them but says it s the greatest they seen this many a day this was meant as a for himself to use the words of was as proud as e er a one o the out of the same goose his brow cleared a little at this appeal to his vanity and he sat down with a look of more why thin a nice present all out it s more than the would get from aunt any way said for s her favourite is that by way of news asked whose vanity s or was highly notwithstanding his assumed every fool knows i was always that it s no secret observed who as well as bid knew hi here an it s only a proof of her own into the bargain they re a mane pack oh the o the exclaimed bid why would you an a man in the one day come said the other my goodness we haven t a minute now the good men ill swear we re about no good if they find ns out when they come home hut said sit a while can t you can do no harm here any how nor an else i hope said bid but indeed you don t know the men they are or you d us home like bag don t be them to stay thin said what they say i believe is enough an for my part i wouldn t wish to have our little place one way or other in any dispute that may have said bid i don t they d think us safe in a chapel an god forgive them for it come if we wish to avoid a battle we have not a minute to spare oh thin it s you that has the good d husband that doesn t keep you night and day in a state of heart you re a happy woman may d spare him to you i not that he s to the fore himself rejoined his i ll say this that a husband never drew breath this day a word he turns on me in the twelve months we believe it they replied the man s above it he wouldn t himself by about an and his nose into every hole an comer the wa y mane does be till we can t bless ourselves for them dark doings at no the thing o the kind he does sure must tell the truth any way well god be we must be off sure you can bear witness for us this bout that i can bid an will too god bless i as they apprehended their husbands on returning from their work were once more in a on finding the good women absent r said dick is it a fair question to ax where war fair enough said bid you at the ould work observed harry but i tell you what by the holy st we won t suffer this much longer that s one piece o truth for i where war i say asked his brother sternly no now tell us plump an at where war why then if you want to know replied we up s goose s goose i exclaimed harry with a look as puzzled as ever was visible on a human s goose repeated dick with a quite as the two looked at each other for nearly a minute but neither could read in the other s countenance any thing like intelligence what are they at asked dick why that they have their tongues in their cheeks at us to be sure replied the other why where else would we have them said bid it is nt in our pockets you d have us to carry them i to they any where but where they are returned her husband what do you mane what we say that we up a look at s goose why the curse o the upon you don t you know that never had a goose in his life s he has one now then replied bid ay added her sister an as fine a bully of a goose as ever i seen my two eyes sure said bid if you wont believe us can t go up an see this after all was putting the matter to a very issue and the two men resolved to take her at her word each feeling quite satisfied of the falsehood wives had attempted to make them swallow come dick said harry put on the step further we ll let this go till we see it out an all i can say is he added addressing the women that yon had not be here before us when we come if we find you out in a they had not gone yards from the door when the laughter of the two women was loud and vehement at the scene which had just occurred especially at the ingenuity with which bid had sent them abroad and thus got the coast clear for their purposes out and play awhile an is it ever an always your over the fire are away out o this an don t come back till we call when the children were gone they brought in two neighbours wives who lived immediately beside them shut and bolted the door and again did the mysterious rights of which we have so often written proceed as before on this however there was much caution used every now and the door was stealthily opened and a face might be seen | 50 |
peeping out to prevent a the conversation was carried on in a tone unusually low and the laughter which was and principally at the expense of their husbands could be heard through the door in due time however the parties dispersed and when dick and harry they their wires each dark doings at engaged in the of the household which indeed they went through with an air of offended dignity and a ot temper that contrasted strongly with the and somewhat crest fallen of their bad luck to you for a dog an lave my way you dirty crooked cur you exclaimed bid to the dog that innocently crossed her path lives we lead one way or other we have enough dear knows to our temper you us ha i you s limb i out you well she added after a short pause you see we re here before you for all your big threats but i ll tell you what it is harry upon my you must turn a new leaf or i ll lose a if you or dick have any thing against us why don t you prove it at and not be about the bush the way do the of us will lie your low mane thoughts any longer i hope you seen s goose on your upon ye i you ought to be ashamed to rise our head this month to come ay now you re at it exclaimed harry rising and on his hat but for my part i ll lave you to the walls till your tongue all you want some one to jaw back to you just to keep the ball goin for a while outside the door he met his brother i was goin to sit awhile you said dick i can t stand that woman s tongue good or bad faith an i was goin in to you replied the other bid s in her glory there s no her let us go an sit awhile bad luck to s goose any how i u be a long day till we hear the end of it the curse o on it but its the unlucky bird to us this u sure enough re echoed his brother come g g e ob an let us have a while s till these women settle they went and ere a lapse of many minutes their wives were together again for the purpose of comparing notes and of indulging in another hearty laugh at their husbands s goose now began to be a goose of some eminence in short it was much talked of and had its character and qualities pro and con one thing however was very remarkable in this business and that thing was that the male portion of the neighbours hated it a cordiality which they could not disguise whilst their wives on the other hand defended it most against all the attacks of its enemies the dreaded change to which we have before alluded was now going on and it somehow happened that scarcely a family connected with it took place within a certain of s house in which his goose was not either directly or indirectly concerned himself whose suspicions had been for a long time by the interest he took in a bird of his own at length began to look queer at certain which he caught of what was going forward said he with a good deal of what brings up them o the that i spoke so much about v why i thought there was something wrong the poor goose an i sent down for them by the man i wish replied that i had never brought the dirty of a about the place why if all you say about it is true it never had a day s health since it came to us an yet my oath as fat a goose this minute as ever an right well it got delicate it dark doings at p came to us an it stands to the fretted them it left behind it n confusion to the fret it had no in life when it got a comrade to keep it company be me it s i that an i but i m the greatest goose o the two for not it s head off an a stop to a crew o women to the place on the head of it what s wrong it now why i didn t know myself till bid me i thought it was sick but it s not sure the poor thing s goin to clock an i must set the eggs for it to morrow i hope you ll keep your word then said for although it would go against me to harm the still i tell you that if the crew i m of does be about the place pretence of it be the tu be apt to give it a dog s knock sometime an take care that more than one won t come in for a knock in this instance however it so happened that had truth on her side the fact indeed was and enabled the good women of the neighbourhood to keep their angry husbands quiet for a considerable time afterwards with some of the latter the report gained ground very slowly but on that it was a fact many of them felt considerably relieved the reader already sees that s goose was really a goose of importance whose out and in whose health or illness or woe involved the ease and comfort or the doubt and anxiety of a considerable number of persons in the surrounding district himself however felt that her was rather a matter of discomfort to him than otherwise for had she been up and stirring he knew that she might be liable to all the influences that are to now however had no apology | 50 |
while searching in some comer for a which he dark doings at wanted stumbled upon a smooth round vessel with a handle on one side a pipe on the other and a close fitting lid on the top or would have enjoyed the grin of malignant triumph which played upon his features as with one hand stretched under the bed he lay curiously feeling and examining the vessel in question very fortunately for him was cutting some in the garden for then dinner and was consequently totally ignorant of the discovery the opportunity was too good to be lost and who although he knew not the use to which the vessel was applied having never seen one before yet suspecting that it was part and parcel of the wicked system which prevailed resolved now that the coast was clear to carry it to those who could determine its use and application he immediately whipped it out took a hasty glance and hiding it under his big coat stole off by to consult the two here however was no chance of the mystery the never having any more than himself seen to their knowledge any vessel of the kind before long and serious was their deliberation respecting the steps necessary to be taken upon this important occasion one suggesting one thing another mother at length it occurred to them that their best plan would be to consult an old woman who was considered an authority accordingly once more putting this under his coat set off to s house with something like a prophetic assurance of success in this again he was doomed to be disappointed in truth was the very last person with whom had he known as much as his wife he would or ought to have expected information she it was who had chiefly the good wives of the village both by and example and on her head of course did the original sin of the whole neighbourhood lie found her at home and took it for granted that the difficulty must now be solved further trouble n ob god god yon kindly how is end the au as tight news any or abroad ay an to the odd o the man why thin i ie light shines an the wind blows the will still be goin but yon an me is it thai acre a a o bad work on among i so yon men good i mane women tm one of them what die ou i to be god where the man or that is as they to be to ten the tm my own wife s not much than the rest faith if she s as good man yon have no t to isn t she good ton anyhow is it a lady yon want cock yon up indeed there s eleven the ie gone now and not a ever i touched of the price of any one o than only two i got to help to leather few a pair of well but i say it s not well now where did it go to answer me that i tell yon she s as bad as the an of the three worse i can t keep them and the lies they tell us is belief an not only that but when they get together we re sport and an you know that very well no nor you don t don t i i tell you i them dark doings at them at what down churches eh any way i as good as them an here s a piece o their he added producing the mystery from under his coat now give you share of half a pint if you tell me the right name of this why replied did you never see one o these before an is it possible you don t know the name of it no but i suspect an so you came here to know the name of it an what it s for a thing else brought me an you expect me to turn against the woman to satisfy your curiosity i get out you mane spirited how dare you come to me on a business if s a salt you ought to have tied to your tail an be turned out before a drag hunt you out o and grieved he returned home almost despairing of ever the purpose for which the mysterious and strangely vessel was employed now it so happened that the priest of the parish father held a station that day in the next and thither did honest repair that he might have his reverence s upon the vessel which he carried under his coat he accordingly bent his steps in that direction and arrived just as the priest had concluded the business of the day well said the priest i hope there s nothing wrong shook his head witli a good deal of solemnity and replied it s hard to say your reverence i d be glad to have a word or two in private md you if it s agreeable the priest brought him into the room where he had been and inquired what was the matter c s goose or first sit said he and how is the wife and children tin much obliged to you sir replied but it s not to me to sit in regard of what tm the s all well sir thank god and your reverence an too sir as far as health is but why don t you sit down man the a one of me can sir as i said i ve a thing here that i want to ax your reverence s opinion on for to tell you the truth sir i suspect it to be nothing more or less than a piece of the s where did you get it why sir i was about to | 50 |
ready drawn and awaiting it was discovered that the whole matter was a got up by the females of the that they might secure it to themselves at alas i those good innocent days are gone and we fear for ever i but to return heaven and earth your reverence i exclaimed when he had recovered himself what s to be done fm a ruined man an my wife s worse now nobody living understood the nature of s grievance better than the priest to whom the subject of drinking many a sore complaint heaven knows had been carried why said he pretending ignorance what is wrong wrong i by the man your reverence god pardon me for in your presence she s at it hard and fast for the last nine months nine months i how is that what do you mean the devil s plant the sir my wife s to the back bone into it she an them two rotten sheep the s goose or wives ay are they an the the naked truth is sir that they re all the same a thing but truth fm you tut you re dreaming how could your wife afford to drink tea where could she get the money for it you have none to spare i believe and if you had i don t think you d allow it to her for such a purpose it all along out of a heaven forgive me for its name afore you sir out of a goose got from an aunt o mine and may all the of light upon her an on the of a that s along why what has the e to do with your wife s thing and be cursed to her the dirty fowl made me a stock to the neighbours in the and now my wife has made me worse only knows what she has made me a your reverence knows will do any thing but the goose i can t connect the goose your wife s tea drinking an sir the same goose brought us a of eleven as fine fat birds as ever you tasted in your life an confusion to the one of them but she drank in tea two shillings she gave me to buy leather for a pair o when my heels were on the stones is it the goose or your wife you re speaking of my wife the thief you don t mean that it was she brought you the of no sir replied with a grin which he could not suppress nor be me it wasn t the goose drank the but what s to be done your reverence is the goose fat now dark doings at faith sir squire s a to her she d want an arm chair to be rolled about in well to get out of trouble send me the goose and and make your mind easy i ll cure the or at all events undertake that your wife won t taste a single cup without you knowing it you shall have them sir but faith i say it s a undertaking god grant you may succeed in it always that it may nt be too late so far as m for they say that a has no scruples good or bad oh god pity the man that has a wife an to rear i m nothing but a to them i ll tell you what you ll do says the priest take this same tea pot back to your own house and leave it unknown to your wife exactly in the spot where you got it after this keep singing tea pot are you there during the remainder of the day and you may throw out a hint to that you have lately seen such a thing then watch her well and in a day or two let me know how shell act come now put it under your tail and be off i have given you proper instructions thanked the priest rolled it up in the tail of ins great coat as before and mad towards home but not without a determination first to see and consult with the this indeed was a bitter meeting no sooner had his two neighbours satisfied themselves that it was a tea pot than they solemnly pledged themselves heart and hand to support in any plan that might enable them to put an end to tea drinking for ever they then separated having as good as sworn an oath that they would sustain and back one another in severe and it was very fortunate for that had gone to bring in a of water for the supper when he reached home as by that means he had an opportunity of n by s the tea pot without the possibility of her seeing him however was her astonishment or rather consternation when on entering the house she heard o tea pot are you there in a tone so jolly and full of spirits that she knew not in what light to consider this unusual inclination to melody whether as the result of accident or design dear said she with more affection than usual where you in several my honey i seen many strange sights to day what they darling tell us one o them why i was about to day for an article i wanted a it was to mend a gate and upon my i found a tea pot in anything but company o tea pot are you there c ac and he gave her very a second of the same melody this melodious system of bitter he continued like a man on the rack for two or three days during which period he observed that several secret took place between and the wives of her neighbours as was evident from her occasional absence | 50 |
and the rapid expresses that passed from time to time between them the fact was that the finding of the tea pot proved a very fortunate discovery and was attended by a no less important result than the breaking up of the tea drinking that existed in the village we have now solved and explained this great mystery and like all other mysteries discovery put an end to it made humble and sufficient apologies for having been drawn into the grievous of tea drinking as a token that the wickedness was for ever the was brought out and smashed with all due ceremony father too was induced to issue from the altar so severe an against the forbidden as suppressed the practice throughout the parish ob the defeated young was descended from a long line of private and of course exhibited in his own person all the practical wit sagacity cunning and of invention which the natural genius of the family sharpened by long experience had created from generation to generation as a standing capital to be handed down to son there was scarcely a trick plot scheme or that had ever been resorted to by his ancestors that had not at his finger ends and though but a lad of sixteen at the time we present him to the reader yet be it observed that he had had his mind even at that age admirably trained by four or five years of keen vigorous practice in all the resources necessary to meet the vigilance and stealthy of that animal the in feet s talents did not merely consist in an acquaintance with the hereditary tricks of his these of themselves would prove but a miserable defence against the ever varying ingenuity with which the skill of the still hunter his approaches and his on the contrary every new plan of the must be met and defeated by a equally novel but with this in the of both that whereas the s devices are the result of mature deliberation s from the very nature of the circumstances must be necessarily and rapid the hostility between the parties b ok being as it is carried on through such varied on both sides and by such and able by so many quick and unexpected turns of incident it would be utter in either to rely upon tricks and stale their relative position and occupation do not therefore merely exhibit a contest between law and that mountain liberty or between the board and the it presents a more interesting point for observation namely the struggle between mind and mind between wit and wit between and it might be very amusing to detail from time to time a few of those keen of practical cunning which take place between the and his eyed foe the they are curious as throwing light upon the national character of our people and us evidences of the surprising readiness of wit of invention and irresistible humour which they mix up with almost every actual concern of life no matter how difficult or critical it may be nay it mostly happens that the character of the peasant in all its fulness rises in to what he is called upon to encounter and that the laugh at or the upon the keeps pace with the difficulty that is overcome but now to our short story two men in the garb of gentlemen were riding along a remote by road one morning in the month of october about the year or not certain which the air was remarkably clear keen and a frost for the few preceding nights had set in and then lay upon the fields about them melting gradually however as the sun got strength with the exception of the sides of such hills and valleys as his beams could not reach until evening chilled their influence too much to the whiteness which covered them our had nearly reached a turn in the way which we should observe in this place skirted the brow of a that lay on the right lu point of fact it was a the defeated t inclined plane or slope rather than a but be this as it may the flat at its foot was studded over with bushes which grew so close and level that a person hi almost imagine it possible to walk upon their surface o coming within about two and fifty yards of this a the noticed a lad not more than sixteen on towards them with a upon his back the eye of one of them was immediately lit with that sparkling of habitual sagacity which marks the practised among ten thousand for a single moment he drew up his horse an action which however slight in itself intimated more plainly than he could have wished the obvious interest which had just been excited in him short as was the pause it betrayed him for no sooner had the lad noticed it than he crossed the ditch and disappeared round the angle we have mentioned and upon the side of the to gallop to the spot cross the ditch also and pursue him was only the work of a few minutes we have him said the we have one thing is clear he cannot escape us speak for yourself replied his companion as for me not being an officer of his majesty s i decline taking any part in the pursuit it is a fair battle so fight it out between you i am with you now only through curiosity he had scarcely concluded when they heard a voice singing the following in a spirit of that hearty which a cheerful contempt of care and an utter absence of all apprehension oh she you are my true lover you are all the riches that i do i solemnly swear now i ll ne er have my | 50 |
heart it is fixed to never love more the music then changed to a joyous whistle and immediately they were confronted by a lad dressed in an old red ob coat patched with grey who on seeing exhibited in his features a most air of natural surprise he immediately ceased to whistle and with e ery mark of patting his hand to his hat said in a the tones of which spoke of kindness and d god save ye i say my said the where is the with the k on his back he crossed there this moment where dr said the lad with a stare of surprise where when why this and in this and was it a sir sir i am not here to be examined by yon rallied confound me if the rascal is not sticking me into a cross examination i say red coat where is the boy with the k or sir had hadn t he a grey dr he had and wasn t it a bit the skirts your honour again he s at me unless you tell me where he is in half a second i shall my whip to your the a i seen dr tiie i seen did you see a boy without the answering to the description gave you you gave no description of it sir but even if you did when i see it how could i teu your honour any thing about it where is the you the where is he gone to you admit you saw him as the it cannot be from us but where is he boy coal him ill is the road there below and down the other side of that ditch this was too palpable a me to stand the test even of a glance at the ditch m question which was nothing more than a mound that ran down a long field on which there was not even the appearance of a the looked at his companion then turning to the boy come come my lad said he you know that lie is rather cool don t you feel in your soul that a rat could hot have gone in that direction our seeing it p an i saw him returned the lad a grey coat upon him that was a little too short in the tail it s better than half an hour the boy i speak of you must have met said it s not five minutes no not more than three since he came inside the field that my feet may grow to the ground then if i seen a boy in or about this place the time the eyed him closely for a short space and pulling out half a crown said my lad a word with you in private the fact is that during the latter part of this dialogue the worthy observed the cautious distance at which the boy kept himself from the grasp of him and his companion a consequently began to dawn upon him that in defiance of appearances the lad himself might be the actual on re considering the matter this suspicion almost amounted to certainty the time was too short to permit even the most ingenious cheat to render himself and his invisible in a manner so utterly unaccountable on the other hand when he reflected on the character of the boy s song the capricious change to a light hearted whistle the surprise so naturally and the respect so expressed joined to the of dress he was confounded or again and scarcely knew on side to even the lad s reluctance to approach him might proceed from of the whip he felt resolved however to ascertain this point and with the view of getting the lad into his hands he showed him half a crown and addressed him as already stated the lad on seeing the money appeared to be instantly caught by it and approached him as if it had been a he could not resist a circumstance which again staggered the in a moment however he seized him come now said he his coat you will oblige me by and why so said the lad with a ce which might have furnished a painter or with a perfect notion of curiosity perplexity and wonder why so replied we shall see we shall soon see surely you don t think hid the about me said the other his features now into such an appearance of utter simplicity as would have certainly made any other man but a give up the examination as hopeless and the boy from any whatsoever in the transaction no no replied the by no means you young rascal see here he continued addressing his companion the my precious again turning to the oh no no it would be cruel to suspect you of any thing but the purest of simplicity look here having stripped the boy of his coat and turned it inside out there s a coat there s there s economy for you come sir on on instantly here i shall assist you up with your arms your neck it be both straightened and stretched yet my what think you now did you ever see a in your life so quick complete and unexpected companion was certainly astonished in no small decree on seeing the red coat when turned become a comfortable grey one precisely such as he who bore the had on nay after surveying his person and dress a second time he instantly recognised him as the same the only interest we should observe which this gentleman had in the transaction arose from the mere gratification which a keen observer of character gifted with a strong relish for humour might be supposed to feel the in the | 50 |
matter and the trail ot the was now in his glory and certainly when met by so able an opponent as our friend for it was indeed himself a very rich treat to his friend now he continued addressing the boy again lose not a moment in letting us know where you ve hid the the bit of it i it fell off o me an i lost it sure i m it myself so i am and ke moved over while speaking as if pretending to search lor it in a thin hedge which could by no means conceal it said the did you ever see any thing perfect as this so ripe a rascal you don t understand him now here you there must be no playing the with me back here to the same point we may lay it as a sure thing that whatever direction he takes from this spot is the wrong one so back here you sir till we survey the premises about us for your traces the boy walked back and appeared to look about him for the with a kind of earnest stupidity which was altogether i say my boy asked don t you look rather foolish now can you tell your right hand from your left can replied holding up his left there s my right hand and what do you call the other said ok my how an s true but it s the thing ft little too or odd he in the let us hear how you prove it enough i am this up the left is the li it hand whatever yon may say to the s expanded after he had into a grin so broad and full of grotesque sarcasm that and his both found in ite of them get rather under its what the v exclaimed the are we to be here day bring us at to the he was here by a from so loud and hearty that he looked at him with hey he exclaimed the matter the matter what new joke is for some minutes however he not get a from the other whose laughter appeared as if never to end he walked to and fro in bending his body and clapping hb hands together with a quite what is it man the other you what is it replied i am sick you have it to yourself at all observed and shall keep it to myself said for if your sagacity is over reached be contented to sit down under defeat i won t interfere now in this contest between the and even o a thing as one of an eye by the latter might have a cue to an c f so sharp as during the whole dialogue preserved the most and in the thb defeated matter of his between right and and who watched his eye with the vigilance could make nothing of it not so was it between him and for during the closing of his mirth caught his eye fixed upon a certain mark barely visible upon the fix st which mark extended down to the bushes that grew at the foot of the slope where they then stood as a old hound lays his nose to the trail of a hare or fox so did the pursue the trace of the down the little hill for the ct was that having no other resource it off towards the into which it settled perfectly to his and with all the quickness of youth and practice instantly turned his coat which had been made purposely for such this accomplished he had barely time to advance a few yards round the angle of the hedge and changing his whole manner as well as his appearance himself as the reader already seen that he could have carried the k down to the cover then conceal it and return to the spot where they met him was utterly beyond the reach of human exertion so that in point of fact they never could have suspected that the lay in such a place the triumph of the was now complete and a sense of his own sagacity sat visible on his features c s face on the other hand became considerably lengthened and appeared quite as and as the other s was joyous and confident who s now my knowing one said he who is the laugh against as matters stand between us the give you good of it said what is your name inquired s my name replied the other an i m not ashamed of it nor to tell it to you or any man of the of ay of the of i know the said they are decent ix tray bat come my lad don t lose your and answer me another question where were yoa bringing this t to a man than ever stood in your shoes rallied in a tone of absolute defiance to a any way with a peculiar on the word but what s his name mr s his name the shrewd stood and fixed his keen eye on for upwards of with a glance of such piercing scrutiny as scarcely any of could withstand on the other hand stood and ed him with an open yet angry glance never but appeared by the detection of his to hare altogether the line of cunning policy he had adopted which had over and art he is now speaking truth thought the he has lost his temper and is completely off hb guard well my lad he continued that is very good so but who sent the to do you think said with a of strong contempt at the for him so utterly as to tell him do you think that you can make me turn there s none of that blood in me thank goodness | 50 |
do you know how could i know the man i never seen replied still out of temper but one thing i don t know that is whether you have any right to take my or not as to that my good lad make your mind easy i the defeated you sir said with well feigned yes replied the other i m the very man you were bringing the to and now i ll tell you what you must do for me proceed to my house with as little delay as possible ask to see my daughter ask for miss take this key and desire her to hare the put into the cellar shell know the key and let it also be as a token that she is to give you your breakfast say i desired that to be placed to the right of the five one i seized on thursday last that stands on a little under my of said who a to have on the matter i suppose i must but somehow why what do you now for still eyed him with suspicion and sir said he after having once more mounted the am i to get nothing for such a weary as had it but my breakfast here said throwing him crown take that along with it and now be oft or stop will you dine with me to day and let us the i ll its excellence for this is not the first i have got from the same quarter that s with all my heart replied upon the terms you say that of a then my lad said say to my daughter that a perhaps a friend or two will dine with me to day that is enough they then mounted their horses and were proceeding as before when addressed the as follows do you not put this lad in a capacity to you yet no replied the other the young rascal spoke the truth after the discovery of the for he lost his temper and was no longer cool for my part me if trust him or i should to do so myself replied the but as i said these notorious fellows by the way send me a or two every year and almost always about this very time besides i read him to the heart and he never yes decidedly the was for me of that i have no doubt whatsoever i most positively would not trust him not that perhaps i ought said on second thought to place such confidence in a lad who acted so in the beginning let us call him back and re examine him at events now had during this conversation been discussing the very same point with himself bad for ever attend you he exclaimed for there s surely something over you a lucky shot from behind a hedge or a break fall down a cliff or something of that kind k the ould boy hadn t his hard and fast in you you wouldn t let me walk away the any how it s well i thought o the for sure enough i did hear say that he was to send a in to him this week some day and he didn t think i knew him it s many a long day since i knew the sharp j u of him an eye like a hawk but what if they folly me and do up all any way i ll them from having suspicion of me before i go a toe farther the ugly he instantly wheeled about a moment or two before and had done the same for the purpose of him still more thoroughly so that they found him meeting them said he how do i know that of is mr or that the house you directed me to is his i know that if the doesn t go to him i may lave the you are either a deeper rogue or a more stupid fool than i thb took you to be observed but what security can you give us that you will leave the safely at its destination if i thought you were mr i d be very glad to lave you the where it is and even to do my break st tell me the truth i d only be out of the face why you idiot said the losing his temper and suspicions both together can t you go to the town and inquire where mr lives thin enough i never thought of that at all at all but i beg your pardon an i hope you won t be angry me in regard that it s and td be if i let myself be made a fool of by any body do what i desire you said the inquire for mr s house and you may be sure the will reach him thank you sir i might have thought of that myself this last which was spoken in a would have deceived a saint himself now after they had their journey are you satisfied i am at length said if his intentions had been instead of returning to make himself certain against being deceived he would have made the best of his way from us a rogue never puts himself in the way of danger or detection that evening about five o clock and two others arrived at the house of the worthy g to partake of his good cheer a cold frosty evening gave a peculiar zest to the comfort of a warm room a blazing fire and a good dinner no sooner were the discussed the cloth removed and the glasses ready than their generous host or desired his daughter to assist the servant in the that my dear he proceeded which the country lad | 50 |
who brought the key of the cellar left here to day a repeated the daughter with surprise yes my love a i said so i think but papa there came no here to day the and both groaned in no said the no echoed no indeed re echoed miss but there a country boy with the key of the cellar as a token that he was to get the five oh i groaned the tm knocked up bought and sold added go on said the i must hear it out as a token proceeded miss that he was to get the five on the little under the for captain and he got it yes su he got it for i took the key as a sufficient token but hell and fury hear me surely he brought a here and left it and of course it s in the cellar no indeed papa he brought no here but he did bring the five one that was in the cellar away with him said send round the bottle the rascal ejaculated the we shall drink his health and on relating the circumstances the company drank the lad s health that bought and sold the a of the heart the trial it may appear to many persons that the life and death of idiot boy can present very few facts or incidents sufficient importance to interest readers in general or to touch those which are apt to shrink from rather to any sympathy with such a subject i doubt ver whether there is a object in the wide of nature that is not bound by some tie latent or obvious to that incomprehensible origin of our happiness and misery the human heart so manifold are its changes and and so endless the variety of the situations in which it is placed that it becomes impossible for the most successful into its mysteries to discover the inconceivable of the impulses that guide it the secret power of its associations or the new states of feeling into which the infinite of external circumstances added to its unconscious experience during the progress of general life may throw it would when with the hopes that such a brilliant outset in life promised him have deemed it possible that any variety of fortune however strange could have taught him the sympathy which may between a man and a mouse no and for my part i candidly admit that i would look with contempt upon the individual who would himself incapable of entertaining sympathy with any human being no matter how a mortal bein j o a of the absolutely vicious or has never lived nor can there be found a character which does not exhibit something either to avoid or imitate and consequently to with et a me is an as full of truth as it is of affection and endless honour upon the noble minded heathen whose heart conceived a sentiment almost worthy of the humane beauty of christianity alexander was a young man of very respectable character in the upper ranks of middle life that is to say he filled that most important position in society which lies between the wealthy and the country gentlemen he kept his car and drove his but at the same time managed his own property his workmen and for the most part bought and sold his own cattle he was possessed of a small fee simple estate worth better than three hundred a year but besides this he four acres of excellent land to which was attached a considerable tract of the latter at nearly a rent had been designed for the church and received a education but as his disposition became gradually inclined towards the active pursuits and healthy amusements of a country life he ultimately gave up all pretensions to that profession took the farm i have alluded to and in a short time had the reputation of being a most promising and intelligent when about to determine his pursuit in life eminently handsome and certainly became a great favourite in the drawing room on his return from college his manners were gentlemanly and his complexion possessed of that delicacy which study and protection from the elements both bestowed upon it thereby creating that character which young ladies who incessantly read novels understand by the term sentimental in a short time however the sentiment and study which after all was little else than tho ths trial of san and wind began to disappear and bis features to assume the firm and manly tone of health and exercise relish for the sports of the field was sufficiently keen for ail the purposes of rational amusement without bringing him to the pitiable condition of those who suffer them to become the business of life and who appear to consider themselves created for no other purpose than as it many of a class who look upon health to be with their idea of beauty now began to think that ho was getting quite coarse and vulgar and were frequently heard to exclaim dear me what a pity it is that so interesting a young man as should allow himself to sink into the rustic pursuits of a mere and unquestionably it was true that a very remarkable change did certainly take place not only in his appearance and person as we have said but also in his general manners and his dress though respectable and well made was not so decidedly fashionable nor of such exquisite materials as before his and conversation were more frank and open and a great deal less ambitious of polish and sentiment than while he had the church in view he no longer spoke to the other sex in that small voice of which they relish so much in young men of decided piety he had now ceased to be that sweet of the drawing room | 50 |
a secret prayer did they uttered too ia a spirit of pious timidity that shrank back at the idea of to the almighty that if it were to his divine will their most anxious wishes might be gratified by the birth of a male child in this beautiful hope of a parent s heart did they both live until the eve of a fourth still quickened their expectations into an anxiety that became actually it passed and another daughter was welcomed to their heart with an tub for the time was absorbed in a stronger of disappointment and regret it soon became evident that they were not happy and that however their lives to the will of god in this matter was not among their virtues they secretly but as yet did not venture openly to murmur against the hand that withheld the earnestly blessing a perceptible chill too somewhat cooled that exquisite spirit of which up to this period their affections they felt uneasy restless discontented and if for a moment a contemplation of the good bestowed upon them unconsciously lit up their hearts into momentary gratitude and hi the quick memory of their want startled them back into anxiety and gloom a fifth event passed and added another innocent to the number of their its mother wept and the ther whose fine understanding had so to the weakness of his heart as to fall into a superstitious belief in dreams which but resemble the wishes that create experienced upon this last occasion such a of feeling that he actually to kiss his babe nor could he for some days be prevailed upon to see either its mother or itself ills good sense however and the impulses of a heart naturally generous and soon occasioned him to feel ashamed of thus visiting upon his helpless infant and innocent wife a displeasure which was both and he took them back however rather to his pity than his affection for his heart began to lose the power of loving with its and to feel a general and a growing towards every thing about him that had once been dear to it from this period his mind began to his principles became and the providence of god no longer shone before him in its visible beauty and order in short was a complete a record of thb heart or illustration of a truth has not been sufficiently observed that our feelings in many circumstances and positions of life or altogether change our principles much more than the world or we ourselves are apt to imagine his mind at once dissatisfied and was now incapable of seeing the moral relations that between god and man except partially or imperfectly for indeed his growing prejudices every object which he looked on or examined the result unhappily was that ere properly aware of it found himself the slave of doubt and for true it is that the power of the judgment soon becomes clouded by the errors of the heart for some months he remained in this painful and gloomy state seeking throughout all nature both physical and moral for arguments to justify the very opinions which constituted his own and he soon found that with characteristic every new objection against truth whilst it flattered the pride of his intellect disturbed his soul with an impatient sense of his own condition as well as of the general disorder which he thought marked the great mass of human opinions so that whilst he advanced in his new doctrines he found that his system instead of soothing his mind into peace and comfort was only another name for distress and misery this often induced him to say that he thought it better to believe a wholesome error than to fix his faith upon one of those philosophical doctrines which the morals whilst they raise the mind into a vain and empty pride in its own powers to such a and unsettled state of and feeling was reduced when his wife had the unspeakable transport of presenting him with a sou few men can say what they are and still fewer what they will be argued narrowly and the consequence was that feeling for reason he thb parents trial not because it was truths but because he had no son there are thousands who reason on the subject of religion in this way and who when the feelings upon which their opinions have been formed pass away or happen to be changed by some ev it which fills the heart with what it wished for fall back into truth less from conviction than from a complacent of gratitude and are therefore excellent christians merely in compliment to the goodness of providence be this however as it may the birth of a son wrought an and we might say a change in to him whose moral conduct had never been by his opinions nothing remained but to his speculations he looked upon the face of his infant son as an index of truth a of god s providence in the distribution of good and evil but above all things as a living argument the of man in drawing general firom particular states of feeling it is true that bad not his mind lost much of its force he might have perceived that this mode of reasoning himself back into truth was very much akin to that by which he had reasoned himself out of it as few however hold their principles from pure reason man cannot without much presumption sit in judgment upon hb fellow creatures as if he himself were free firom the same weakness it is enough to say that on the birth of his son repented his errors and deeply regretted the day that he ever dared murmur against providence or to question those truths which like the stars of heaven are visible by their own light to him and his | 50 |
wife it was truly an event fi with happiness their affection now revived into all its original tenderness and warmth the babe which was called alexander father for mrs would allow it no other name became from the moment of its birth the idol of its parents and its sisters the theme of every little o a of the heart or tongue and the topic of incessant admiration and delight with young and old in the family this love of its parents was right or wrong it is not for us to say it is sufficient to inform our readers that increased it to such a degree that they had already become the ridicule of all those who had an opportunity of witnessing their extraordinary and attachment an attachment which resembled rather the impulses of instinct than the but elevated affection of religion and reason a change of new delight however soon came over their spirits in the birth of another son s happiness absolutely became quite tumultuous indeed so much so that both himself and his wife who after all were naturally disposed to be contented acknowledged they had nothing now to wish for between the birth of their two sons there elapsed only the space of twenty months so that to their delighted parents they promised to grow up like or as has been often said and from its beauty may be often said again like two upon the same stalk their hearts however felt that a charm lay upon their first born which in consequence of what they had suffered gave to their love for him a tenderness that no language could express he was also his father s name sake and his image and none of our readers who are parents need be told how slight are the circumstances which occasion the affections to incline to one child even where both or all are much beloved there never was a family bom in which there has not been a favourite nay the very animals are known to single out a particular object of affection among y and although it is to allow this to be seen yet when we feel that it exists by some mysterious principle of nature we can do nothing more than it in such a manner as becomes those who know that however it may exist it is recognized neither by reason or justice tub trial in this case the over fond parents were no exception to the existence of such a feeling towards the son not heaven knows that the other was either neglected or for dearly was he cherished by both the however was so evident that their other children as well as the servants have been often known to play upon it in a manner which anyone not totally might have easily seen through the parents themselves of course were not sensible of this nor of the ridiculous of weakness which the folly of their conduct presented to others the principal burden of their conversation ere a year had closed on little was the of which already began to bud in him many a time have they talked themselves asleep whilst indulging in all those happy hopes and to which the s heart loves to turn looking into the darkness of the future for the of their o they would send him into the army for his mother he would be brave like his father saw as indeed any body might by his forehead that he would possess genius or what if he entered the church who knew but he might become a bishop here mamma kissed his and then papa should have a kiss too but there was the army where he might rise to be a general here the little general was kissed again with as much enthusiasm as if an had foretold it but said his father what would you think of the law my darling you would not be sorry to see him a judge would you to the mother again this new point was transport her eyes sparkled and once more was the little judge devoured with kisses by the fond but weak parents when the child had reached his second year his father observed that sometimes for a moment the serene brow of his mother would become shaded as she contemplated him this where he knew the fulness of her happiness to be equal to his a of thb heart or own surprised him considerably and he could only account for it by supposing that it was one of those pauses of the heart as it were which are occasioned by the excessive of a mother s love rendering it necessary for nature itself to demand as it were a moment of rest to revive its moral energies sometimes he thought that it might be one of those gloomy which in spite of hope and love will intrude themselves on the parent s imagination in a thousand shapes and are anxious in proportion to the force and of affection having thus satisfied himself by attribute ing what he had observed to causes which we must admit were very natural he felt very little disposed to pay attention to them especially as his wife in conversation made no allusion whatsoever to her feelings week however after week only appeared to increase her discomfort and to those unaccountable pauses in her happiness sometimes he observed her to get deadly pale after a long and earnest contemplation of her child and he remarked also that whatever the source of this occasional melancholy might be she felt extremely anxious to conceal it from him of course as the child was clearly the object of this secret solicitude her silence as to its origin only increased his anxiety to know it and one day as she pressed it to her heart and burst into a fit of grief which even his presence could | 50 |
well as she could and dropping hastily on her knees held her boy up as it were to heaven but the fulness of her gratitude was such that language was denied her she sobbed aloud however and wept for many minutes until she felt that thb delicious luxury of tears relieved her she then rang the bell and inquired from one of the servants if her master had gone out who pointed to him just as he was in the act of passing from the gate that opened into the avenue and lawn pen ink and k record of the heart or paper were immediately got and in a few minutes she despatched a messenger after him with the following brief but touching communication may the name of be praised for ever my dear return immediately our child s eyes have smiled upon its mother he knows oh he knows me am too happy and the tears that blot this are tears of gratitude and delight tour own jane it is unnecessary for us to detail the s return or the scene which immediately took place inasmuch as our readers we feel assured can much better conceive than we could describe it jn due course of time the father was also recognized and subsequently the sisters and his little brother what a happy family at this period was that of which we write not a wish had they without ambition pride or the sordid spirit of this vile world they lived together in peace and love and harmony it is true felt a certain degree of vanity touching the prophetic penetration he had displayed with reference to little i told you love he would often say to his wife that he would in time recognize ue all and that the intellect of many children destined to become eminent is of slow development you see the first part of ray prophecy came true and take my word for it so will the last that child is to be an uncommon child and will be heard of yet where are the hearts that can quarrel with such language when proceeding from the lips of a father if there be any such we do not envy the coolness of their philosophy nor that superiority of wisdom which what after all has in it more of virtue than of weakness in the meantime month after month followed until the child had reached the close of the third year for about three months preceding this however the parents were occasionally startled by thb parents many vague impressions that were caused by hb very singular manner and habits his character was marked by an that they could not at all understand he manifested for instance the utmost indifference to the quality of his food and was often found eating which even the instinct of childhood itself at his age would avoid he could utter also only a few indistinct words from the of which it was quite clear that hb organs of speech were either of slow growth or imperfect in their formation but he wa at the same time so mild and gentle and that every one loved him and his parents neither could nor would receive into their hearts the dreadful which some of the servants and many strangers now began to entertain concerning his mind it could not however be long concealed that the stamp of reason was not upon him day after day the withering truth became more clear and though his parents felt many a hope and many a wish that time would by degrees from his mind those principles of reason which had not yet appeared in their first elements yet alas time only confirmed the frightful fact that their mild and sweet and harmless the principal hope of their house and of their hearts was an idiot from his birth what pen when this fearful discovery was made could the grief and agony of his distracted parents for many weeks their sorrow was like that of those who are without hope medical advice was immediately procured and everything done that could in the remotest degree be supposed capable of rendering the harmless creature any even the peasant doctor with his list of and the wise old woman reported to be equally successful were au tried but in vain the hopes of his at all becoming rational were gone for ever there are circumstances in which many persons hesitate not to consider the death of those who are dear to them as a relief a of thb or for some after the heart breaking ct was proved and his wife ned that they would rather see their sod dead than live through life a idiot an attack of however soon taught them how httle they knew of their own hearts it was then that the pain he felt but could not express drew about him a brooding tenderness that trembled or we might rather say shrank back into agony at the bare contemplation of his loss let him but be spared said his mother what is it after all but to lead for so many years as god may him a harmless and happy life of childhood if he is denied the use of reason he is saved from the responsibility of sin and crime are we not taught that of such as he is the kingdom of heaven indeed it is very difficult to know the depths to which affection reaches in the human heart mrs had thought it impossible that any circumstance could have increased that which she felt for her boy previous to the discovery of his infirmity the love of a mother however becomes strong in proportion to the claims of its object which indeed a beautiful economy in the arrangement of our moral feelings a child for instance is loved with an affection peculiarly and | 50 |
because its absolute dependence on the parent renders this description of attachment not merely necessary but in proportion however as it grows up into manhood the attachment which is felt for it though losing none of its strength ceases to be by the of tenderness and which are upon innocence and infancy so was it with mrs who now aware that the helplessness of the poor boy was she said to extend through life began to feel a new principle of love spring up towards him which was by the malady of his mind and hb utter upon her care and a thb trial from little s birth until he waa seized by the he had a da s illness but now there was something in the and pain which the poor child felt so that yery few could look on his sufferings or hear his an heart what then must not his parents whose love for him was such as the reader knows have the doctor attended him every day but as for his mother she never was from beside his bed day or night and if she only herself from the room even for a short time his mild but languid eye would keep searching about and exploring every comer with an expression in it so full of sorrow and an affectionate longing for her appearance that nothing on earth could present a more affecting object of pity and attachment one day when he happened to be left accidentally alone by the who had charge of him his mother stole lightly to the room door as she was in the habit of doing lest should he be asleep the noise of her footstep might awaken him on looking in she perceived that there was no one in the room and paused a moment to by the manner of his breathing if he were asleep the child neither saw her nor could he have heard her foot however while listening as we have said the words mamma come mamma come fell faintly on her ear for the poor thing was not able from illness to utter them above his breath she immediately went over and laying her head down beside his spoke to him tenderly he immediately raised his little feverish hand and placing it on her neck said as if to himself now his a having her beside him it is unnecessary to say that the of the mother s grief were opened or that her tears fell in showers upon his cheek another incident equally affecting took place he been for some days on the recovery his ther notwithstanding that he had the concerns of his to manage went a of the heart or into the nursery several times every day to see him on one of those occasions the child expressed by his feeble gestures a wish that he would stoop down to him he did so and the poor boy s eyes expressed happiness when the however was about to withdraw himself and leave him the child looking about him uttered one word which went to the depths of his heart stay i he stooped again kissing him not without tears at this pathetic instance of attachment and in a few minutes the affectionate innocent was asleep if this illness of the boy made his parents feel what a deep his death would have been to them his recovery on the other hand filled them with a which in a great measure reconciled them to his melancholy henceforth he was watched and cherished and by his sisters as a brother whom they ought to love and tend the more in consequence of his to take care of himself and to render them their due it is but just to say that nothing could the attention which they paid him he was the helpless one of the family the centre of all their the innocent being whom every one was to please and none to offend no matter what accident he might have been the cause what little he broke or what command he one word was sufficient for all it was poor his parents felt it as one great comfort that in his there was nothing whatsoever that could be termed repulsive or disgusting on the contrary it was marked by a serene and mild spirit that breathed a melancholy beauty about his sweet and character his face was pale but his skin clear and of health his hair fair and his blue eyes remarkable for that innocent which found often to mark the expression of those unhappy beings who are born with so faint a portion of th light of reason but though thb parents trial healthy the poor boy was of a slender make and the of his physical frame still knit him more closely into the hearts o all those whose affections prompted them to guard him against accident and danger of all the members of his however there was none perhaps so beloved by him as his little brother companion and nor any i might add who loved him well they were inseparable rising and down eating sleeping and playing together though younger soon became his guide and his champion and an affecting thing it was to see the little fellow resent and punish the injuries rendered by their thoughtless or wicked to his innocent and peaceful brother a sense of this gradually wrought itself into the of gratitude which lay at the sweet boy s heart and brought out a trait of attachment to his little brother which perhaps was not felt for any other person whatsoever he therefore learned to depend upon him for indeed without him he could do nothing and would scarcely venture any where many a time have their parents watched them their hearts overflowing with affection towards both as with their little arms round each other s necks | 50 |
they walked about the lawn a perfect ig picture of love and affection indeed both parents were now we might say as much resigned to the condition of their child as it was possible under circumstances to be every little incident connected the boy and indeed with both filled their hearts with that enjoyment which love like that bore them can extract from such details if their father or instance happened to be absent even in the fields the moment they saw him approach the house both would run to meet him and looking up to him with happy faces each would thrust a little hand into his and in this manner all would return to the house the delighted parent listening to their oi a record of thb heart or attempting to answer which would often pose philosophy herself to solve or little s utterance had now become so distinct that he could pronounce enough whilst at the same time every word was marked by those which hang about the accents of childhood and which also cling so frequently through life to the imperfect which is found to natural weakness of intellect this defect is almost always apparent in the language of those who are born without the faculty divine but it acts at the same time as the of their innocence reminding those who might ridicule or harm them that their hearts are as as their accents such as we have attempted to describe was the gentle of his happy life which resembled in some degree the beautiful strain of wild and melancholy music which one hears in a dream not that it passed without those that are always by the heart and which when death those dear objects of our love come back to the memory with a that gives such a bitter and abiding character to our sorrow we shall a few of those little records of innocence and if they may appear unimportant to our readers let them reflect that they were not deemed so by the hearts to whom our boy was dear and let such as have been of some beloved little one perhaps the very star of their once happy hearth whose joyous voice is silent among them for ever let such we say ask their memories whether or not the slightest incident that ever occurred to the departed one becomes not a matter of deep and cherished recollection to the bruised heart there is scarcely any thing more likely to induce a belief in the doctrine of guardian spirits than a consideration of the many almost miraculous escapes which may be witnessed in the lives of children one of those which little we thb parents trial shall mention the on which it occurred was warm and the time being about the middle of june he and had been out playing from about one to two o clock when his brother brought him home for both got hungry and wanted bread and butter in a time his manly little guardian overcome by heat and exercise fell asleep and the poor boy sauntered out to amuse himself in a little solitary as he had been in the habit of doing only when any slight or c i se prevented his brother from him on his way to a pasture field behind the house he met one of the serving women who wore a red on her neck the boy was struck with it and pointing up to his own neck asked her to put it on him every member of the household felt a pleasure in with the harmless wishes of the gentle creature and she accordingly took it off her own neck and pinned it around his just as she her had worn it he immediately felt it with apparent curiosity and giving her a look of the pride and delight of a child held out his hand to her which he never did unless when highly gratified is good said he and as he spoke he looked about exclaiming where is is good said he and when she grows big me will buy her a watch a promise which his father was in the habit of making to himself he lingered about the lawn for some time ad the gaudy colour of the and feeling its texture when passing through a gate which was accidentally and left open he entered an adjoining field and sauntered along murmuring to himself or addressing his little brother and then starting with surprise on perceiving that he was not with him now it so happened that anxious to improve the breed of his cattle had a few days before purchased a very fine bull which he ordered to be turned into the field in a record of the heart or tion this animal one known to entertain a fierce against the colour of red immediately on seeing the child pass him began to growl forth those low terrific which indicate his rage and to the ground which h also tore up with his thick strong horns his furious but downcast eyes glaring with actual fire whilst the hot smoke rolled out in blue volumes from his expanded nostrils the of such as and indeed of all children with respect to their are at the very moment when the enraged beast started at speed for the child s destruction and when to a spectator his life was absolutely beyond hope or relief he pulled off the and throwing it from him walked away without being even aware of his danger the animal still attracted by the glare of the hated colour his rage upon the which he and and trampled on with a degree of fury that was appalling when we consider the helpless being from whom the providence of god through the of so slight an incident had averted it the screams of the female servant the sole of this occurrence | 50 |
for she had been sent out to seek him were so loud and long that the whole family ran with horror to the gate which opened into the field where the animal was kept she had presence of mind however instantly to them by saying he was safe and his own appearance at the gate calm and placid as if nothing had happened gave them full assurance that with him all was well in half an hour afterwards the animal was shot and was watched with a vigilance so close that out of his father s house he was seldom or never afterwards suffered to be alone there were other instances of what might be termed in his behalf equally striking but it is not our intention to dwell upon them as especial arguments from which to draw particular for we are well aware that however the hand of god be visible in such occur thb e they may by very plausible reasoning be also to the which arise out of the innumerable of incidents that meet and together or clash like principles in life the next record therefore of the gentle boy which we shall put down is one of a different and much more pathetic his mother s love for him as the reader already knows was in and glowing tenderness of heart beyond the ordinary love of mothers sweet and beautiful as thai most affectionate and divine principle is she it was who with her own hands washed her helpless son and down his fair and silken locks and having done this she looked upon the innocence with which he held up his lips for the kiss which rewarded his patience as her most delightful it happened however that this mother whom he loved with an affection so wildly fervent and habitual became ill and having struggled for two or three days against a slight attack of fever was forced to her labour of love and allow her darling child to be washed and by his eldest sister whom next to mamma and he on he submitted to this it is true but it was with a countenance in which could be plainly read the fact that his gentle spirit missed that tenderness of the mother s hand which it is vain to seek for in any other that mysterious charm which in life and when that mother is in dust comes over memory like a fragrance and brings the heart back from present sorrow and calamity to those days of innocence and happiness which make a mother s love shine as the only star that can light us back through the darkness of the past in those days which the bitter present turns into happiness by the contrast this attack which confined his mother to her bed for a few proved to be one of no serious to p a of thb heart or the physician who attended her or to her oi friends nothing in life however could present a more affectionate touching and melancholy proof of loneliness and sorrow than the conduct of this pitiable child his daily amusements his nay even his brother all all were forgotten and the thing went about and speaking to himself and evidently unhappy his pale face was shaded with care and marked by a wild anxiety which when the cause was known scarcely any one could look upon with an insensible heart no matter to what part of the house he might be brought he was ere long found either in or near her sick chamber stealing to her side or when gently from it watching about the door or sitting speaking to himself outside upon the on one of these occasions had gone up after breakfast to inquire after her health and finding her better was about to depart when he and his wife heard his quiet and gentle tread coming up the stairs having been previously forbidden however he to enter the sick room lest he might disturb her but sat do vn upon the and began as usual to murmur to himself the parents listened and in a little time heard from him the following words and what heart much less that of a parent could withstand them me would give any ting any ting me would give the whole world if my mamma was well the mother started up and extended her arms sobbing out bring him to me bring him to me the father did so and after having pressed him to her heart and his pale face with tears she exclaimed my darling our helpless one our delight our treasure i am well your mamma my blessed boy is well then won t you wash and comb me mamma yes darling to morrow i shall be able i trust and you will kiss me mamma too thb trial tea my heart yes then me will go and tell that mamma will wash me he exclaimed and as he he passed gently oat of the room to seek his brother and communicate to him the removal of the care which had for the last fe days pressed upon his innocent spirit many a bitter tear did these words cause that mamma to shed long after his beloved oe and fair shining head had been removed fit m among the circle which his affection had round him it was also on an occasion similar to the last that is a of his mamma that the circumstance we are about to relate occurred his either until her slept in another i and as a gratification to the two boys he proposed that they should sleep with him alternately he also made this concession a privilege and told them that if either of them did wrong or were guilty of any the should be the right of enjoying it as the eldest had | 50 |
his medicine and holding the drink to his feverish soothing bim in short all the devices tion and fighting against this most malady for four days die doctor a man felt justified in affording them hope but on the fifth their clear was the e our of the doctor shook his head recovery it is true if the child s physical strength were greater m ht be possible but in this case he feared for the result still he would not absolutely give him up though at the same time he considered it his duty to bid them at all events to hold themselves prepared for the worst language could not describe the sorrow and despair that settled upon the whole family when they heard this opinion of his medical attendant the fact of the other children having been so slightly prevented his parents who had never seen the complaint before from entertaining any serious apprehensions of on the contrary they imagined let no one this for it it tub parents trial that as in tbe cases it would come to a crisis then and in the course of a few days altogether disappear leaving their guarded treasure it is true and helpless for a time but still with a constitution not seriously injured by hid nay they not without some hopes and how were these hopes that it might be possible for the child s intellect to be developed by that change in the brain which sometimes results from violent and temporary disease in such a manner as to restore reason after its exercise had been even for a considerable time suspended after two days more it was quite dear that the doctor entertained no hope of him and terrible did this heart breaking announcement come upon them all not that they absolutely of him for truly may it be as it was felt in instance that love wiu hope when the very quiver of death is trembling in the heart of those it loves nothing however which we can write can give the reader such a dear and affecting account of this innocent death bed as the short journal written at his bed side by his mother of his sufferings and of the affliction into which the certainty that he was to be taken away for ever plunged them all this affecting record of the innocent s last moments commenced on the very day the doctor told them to be prepared for the worst just forty eight hours before his death it is an one and the of the details will be easily overlooked by those who have lost or who fear to lose any child that is dear to them as the ruddy drops that their hearts april ten o clock a m the doctor has this day forbidden us to hope but we know that god of his infinite mercy can restore our innocent child if it seem good to him i have since the appearance of the complaint among us heard of children recovering r a more malignant attack and more symptoms than his but lest it should be the a record of tub or will of the almighty to remove bim i am resolved to mark down a register of our darling s pains and sufferings and of everything connected with him that when he is gone we bring him back to our memory during the most affecting period of his brief but happy life may god support me and sustain us all but surely when we feel that he is about to be withdrawn from us this grief is natural the doctor says the worst symptom about the dear one is the heavy feverish look that is in his eyes heavy indeed is the look of my beloved and loaded with sickness yet has he moments when he wishes to talk with his brother and to have him about him his eldest sister to whom he is so much attached is now that she has heard the doctor s opinion weeping bitterly in her own room kissing his little coat and pressing every part of his dress to her heart she told that his brother was going to die and asked him whilst she sobbed aloud what would he do after his little the innocent child replied that he would not let him die alas my darling she returned i fear that in spite of papa and mamma and all death will take him but i will kill death said the manly little child his sister kissed him but only wept the more twelve o clock is awake and seems a little easier he is now arranging his little play things about his pillow and has two small tops one his own and the other s which he made a present of to him yesterday there is also his whip three ence and a little thin bottle in which his brother put some that he might be able to see their colours through the glass a sight in which he takes great delight there the beloved child lies arranging as well as he can whilst ever and anon his heavy eye turns round to see that am with him he then calls mamma and when ask him what he wants he looks at me and smiles feebly saying do not leave me rub l oh how will my heart part with him how can i give liim up am i not his mother i sustain me o god two o clock p m his has come to his bed side and he seems pleased to see him he has given him his little top saying keep my top sure you wouldn t die and leave me said the innocent child no he replied but he knew not what either the question or answer means oh this is too much for my heart | 50 |
of thb rt or four o clock my child is awake and eternal glory be to god i he is much much better appears refreshed and asks for some food the whole are asleep even to the poor nurse who sits up to prepare the drinks which he will take no hand but mine i will not disturb them yet my heart is bursting to communicate to them the good tidings of this change for the better oh if he should still be spared to us i thou o god of all goodness that the tears i now shed are those of gratitude for the change which is on my beloved is he to live oh the thought is too much i cannot six o clock morning they are all up his papa has been in and kissed him and is in the darling child has never let the little bright silver sixpence out of his hand since he got it they have all kissed him and all are in a tumult of joy and hope my own heart between hope and fear but indeed is the stronger why should he get better now unless the change was that of a crisis which will bring him by degrees out of the danger in which he has been he is actually amusing himself once more with hid little has s top in his hand and asks to see his ther he is now turning the little silver sixpence and looking upon it with a kind of novel delight when our darling speaks however we are obliged to put our ears to his lips for his voice and are gone he wants something but still looks upon the bright sixpence what is it my heart s treasure papa i have sent for him sweetest life oh may god pity that papa if any thing happens you my darling love i his is bending over him what is it my own sweet and darling child did you not wish for papa my own heart s delight the parents trial o the child held up the little sixpence to him with something nearer a smile than his the last four days would allow him he held it up and spoke but his father was still obliged to put down his ear to his mouth in order to hear what he said it was as before glancing from the to his ther thank you papa twelve o clock noon all glory be to god the doctor has been with him says he is decidedly better wine a little is ordered as our darling s physical constitution though healthy has weak he can however taste nothing and will taste nothing but two milk his father on his recovery has expressed his intention to bestow a large sum for the support of who of course have none but strangers to attend them tn their illness there is something now tells me however for say what they will and think what they may i see that my beloved s strength is wearing away but why should i deprive them of a glimpse of happiness but something tells me that the last sands of our beloved are nearly run evening nine o clock am to hope joy is among them all but am with him every moment and i fear yet am not altogether without hope watching and sorrow may have naturally depressed my spirits more than theirs i am not without hope eleven o clock o god that has happened which almost if anything could reconcile me to his death would the child turned round his head and observing our bible the bible in which the of all our children are expressed by signs a wish to his father that he would bring it to him and with intense delight did he with this intimation of the darling boy the child on getting it into the bed signed to us to raise him and his ther put his arm round him and kept him easily up with a record of the heart or difficulty he got his feeble hands to the book but could not from weakness open it his father opened it for him and he put his slender finger to the print and moved it as if he were reading then tried to turn over a leaf which was instantly done for him and he went on still moving his blessed lips as if reading he then turned up his eyes towards heaven as he had seen us do and fell back the mother the patient but heart broken could carry her little register of love in which there is not one allusion to her own suffering no farther but we who happened must complete it for her their beloved one fell back but did not immediately pass away he attempted many little words among which were uttered those of papa and with great every moment however brought him nearer and nearer to his dose his mother s arms were about him and all the family surrounding his bed when at one o clock of the mom for it was the gentle the loved one the bright and fair haired the cherished the guarded the innocent the in a word the dim but ever star of their hearth and what is still more th idol of his s heart and yet stronger of his mother s laid back his head with a gentle motion as if going to sleep but one or two that heaved up his little chest more than usual passed away and there was a silence they waited a time they raised his it fell back they felt his pulse there was none they laid him down they looked upon his motionless and | 50 |
placid face you are you are his mother i watching him and tending him and want of rest have overcome you for a little you fainted but you know he is in heaven my darling do not ask it you know he cannot speak to you now alas i he knows no mother now no father no sister no brother all the ties of his life are dissolved for ever thb parents trial at length her grief exhausted itself and nature sorrow the she had off together with wont of sleep for eight days and eight nights all overcame her and she slept soundly some hours on that melancholy night his ther had caused all the family to retire to bed except the servants and was pacing in utter distraction through the room when one of them entered and related the following with in her eyes for dear indeed was the boy to individual who knew him she said that at the moment he breathed his last she and another servant together with his eldest daughter had been in the parlour where a pair of candles were burning the parlour door was open when visible to the three persons a snow white dove or pigeon flew in and crossed the room to one of the windows through which it passed like a shadow without let or although the window was closed subsequently heir fellow servant on being questioned the as did his daughter who solemnly assured not only that she saw it most distinctly but went immediately to the window to ascertain whether any part of it were open and upon examination found that it was shut this is no fiction conceived merely for the of effect to an imaginary narrative but a literal ct which was proved by the evidence of three persons who witnessed it at the same time and in the same place was then plunged in affliction too violent to pause upon a circumstance so singular except only as it served to increase his grief having ordered the servants to seek rest he indulged in all the vehemence of sorrow over his child but alas there was no eye then to turn up in affection upon him no faint smile to move those innocent lips no little hand to thrust affectionately into his and no soft sweet voice of joy to an fact and was witnessed as above by the three mentioned we give it without comment a record of the heart or utter or to call his name and deep and t was the grief which stunned his head and shook his heart as if both it and his brain would burst in pieces my son i my son he exclaimed whilst his sobs almost choked liim for this one night we will sleep together no bribe to your brother is necessary now next your papa s heart and in your papa s bosom you will rest this night the last my angel boy we can ever sleep together it is literally true the next morning about five o clock the servants and subsequently his wife and daughters found him asleep with the body of his lifeless boy in his bosom their two cheeks against each other as they lay but perhaps the most trying scene of this melancholy little narrative was that which occurred soon afterwards when his brother came into the room and saw him dead he paused and started and got pale then went over and putting his hand upon him said speak to me i to those who looked on the utter silence the solemn stillness of death which succeeded this heart question constituted perhaps the bitterest moment of their sorrow he said again and the child s lip began to quiver with emotion won t you speak to me to your own but there in the calm repose of the dead lay the serene face of his now unconscious brother and play fellow the affectionate child could bear no more and the wail of bis grief as he kissed him and called loudly upon lis name had in it a of spirit which smote the hearts of his parents beyond the power of language to express and of many hearts to conceive thus passed and closed the life of a happy but child such also were the last moments as was read with bitterness upon his coffin alexander aged eight years and what the gentle reader may inquire became of the the parents trial little which he always kept in his hand ever since the day on which his body was committed to the darkness of the grave it has lain next his other s heart nor could the wealth of the universe purchase this precious from him in the n at parish church there is at present to be seen a small white marble monument on the top of which as an emblem at once of his unhappy and his innocence is a dove underneath which there is nothing but his name and that of his parents about a week after his death his observed to a friend during a conversation of which the departed was the subject my mind was in a sinful and state for some time before the dear boy s birth well i am punished alas my friend the truth i am about to utter i now feel deeply there can be no greater act of towards god in a rational mind than a condition of faith such was not s whose child was spared to him in consequence of his obedience ao lor me but here his grief overcame him and he burst into tears exclaiming i am punished gone r the three wishes an irish in times there lived a man called du and he was known | 50 |
to be a great rogue they say he was descended from the family of the which was the reason suppose of his carrying their name upon him in his days was the best hand at doing nothing in all europe devil a mortal could come next ar him at idleness and in consequence of his great practice that you may be sure that if any man could make a fortune by it he would have done it was only son of his father two daughters but they hm e nothing to do with the story i m telling you indeed it was kind father and grandfather for to be handy at the as well as at the idleness for it was well known that not one of their blood ever did an honest act except with a intention in short they were altogether a and a credit to the name as for all the of the family both plain and ornamental came down to him by way of for it so happened that the father in spite of all his cleverness had nothing but his to lave him to do him justice improved the fortune he got every day advanced him farther into and poverty until at the long run he was on all hands to be the and the poorest vagabond in the whole parish t ax vi l i an irish s ther in his young days had of been forced to acknowledge the of not having a trade in consequence of some nice point in law called the act that sometimes troubled him on this account he made up his mind to give bill an occupation and he accordingly bound him to a blacksmith but whether bill was to live or die by was a puzzle to his though the neighbours said that bath was most likely at all events he was put to a smith seven years and a hard card his master had to play in managing him he took the proper method however for bill was so lazy and that it would vex a saint to keep him in order bill says his master to him one day that he had been himself about the instead of his business my boy i m vexed to the heart to see such a bad state of health you re very ill with that complaint called an however says he i think i can cure you nothing will bring you about but three or four sound every day of a medicine called the oil the take the first dose now says he and he immediately him with a until bill s bones ached for a week were my son said his master i tell you that as long as i could get a piece of advice growing convenient in the hedges td have you a different youth from what you are if working was a sin bill boy ever broke bread than you would be good people s scarce you think but however that may be i throw it out as a hint that you must take your medicine till you re cured whenever you happen to get in the same way from this out he kept bill s nose to the grinding stone and whenever his complaint returned he never to give him a hearty dose for his improvement in the course of time however bill was his own man and thb his own master but it would puzzle a saint to know whether the master or the man was the more precious youth in the eyes of the world he immediately married a and devil a doubt of it but if he kept her in and sugar she kept him in hot water bill drank and she drank bill fought and she fought bill was idle and she was idle bill her and she bill if bill gave her one black eye she gave him another to keep herself in countenance never was there a blessed pair so well met and a sight it was to see them both at break st time at each other across the basket bill with his right eye black and she with her left in short they were the talk of the whole town and to see bill of a morning staggering home drunk his shirt sleeves rolled up on his arms his breast open and an old tattered leather apron with one comer tucked up under his belt singing one minute and fighting with his wife the next she beside him with a eye as a dirty ragged cap on one side of her head a pair of bill s old slippers on her feet a on her arm now and dragging bill and again kissing and him i yes it was a pleasant picture to see this loving pair in such a state this might do for a while but it could not last they were idle drunken and ill conducted and it was not to be supposed that they would get a candle on their words they were of course to great straits and faith they soon found that fighting aiid drinking and idleness made them the laughing sport of the neighbours but neither b food to their put a coat upon their backs nor satisfied their landlord when he came to look for his own still the never a one of bill but was a funny fellow with strangers though as we said the greatest rogue an irish one day he waa his own completely in a brown brought to his end how to make out a break at for the the wife was scolding and cursing in the house and the naked creatures of about her knees for food bill was at an and knew not where or how to turn himself when a poor withered old beggar came into the tottering on his staff along white beard fell from | 50 |
his chin and he looked so thin and hungry that you might blow him one would think over the house bill at this moment had been brought to his senses by distress and his heart had a touch of pity towards the old man for on looking at him a second time he clearly saw starvation and sorrow in his god save you honest man said bill the old man gave a sigh and raising himself with great pain on his staff he looked at bill in a very way god save you kindly says he maybe you could give a poor helpless ould man a of something to you see yourself not able to work if i was i d scorn to be to any one faith honest man said bill if you knew who you re speaking to you d as soon ask a monkey for a staff as me for meat or money there s not a in the three so on the as i am for both the one and the other the wife within is sending the curses thick and heavy on me and the s playing the cat s melody to keep her in comfort take my word for it poor man if i had either mate or money i d help you for i particularly well what it is to want them at the present an empty sack won t stand neighbour so fir bill told him truth the good thought was in his hearty because he found himself on a footing with the beggar and nothing brings down pride or the heart like feeling what it is to want the why you are in a worse state than i am said the old man you have a to provide for and i have only myself to support you may kiss the book on that my old worthy replied bill but come what i can do for you i will plant yourself up here beside the fire and i ll give it a blast or two of my that will worm the old blood in your body it s a cold miserable snowy day and a good heat will be of service thank you kindly said the old man cold and a warming at your fire will do me good sure enough oh it is a bitter bitter day god bless it he sat down and bill blew a rousing blast that soon made the stranger edge k firom the heat in a short time he felt quite comfortable and when the was taken out of his joints he himself up and prepared to depart now says he to bill you hadn t the food to give me but what you could you did ask any three wi es you choose and be they what they may take my word foi it they shall be granted now the truth is bill though he believed himself a great man in point of wanted after all a full quarter of being square for there is always a great difference between a wise man and a bill was so much of a rogue that he could not for the blood of him ask an honest wish but stood scratching his head in a puzzle three wishes said he why let me did you say three f ay replied the stranger three wishes that was what said well said bill here goes let me alone my old worthy i faith til the parish if what you say is true i ll cheat them in rich and poor old and young let me alone man i have it here and he tapped his forehead with great glee faith you re the sort to meet of an irish a when a man wants his breakfast and i m sorry that i have neither money nor credit to get a bottle of that we might take our morning together well but let us hear the wishes said the old man my time is short and i cannot stay much longer do you see this hammer said bill i wish in the first place that whoever takes it up in their hands may never be able to lay it down till i them lave and that whoever begins to with it may never stop till it s my pleasure to release him secondly i have an arm chair and i wish that whoever sits down in it may never rise out of it till they have my consent and that whatever money i put into my purse nobody may have power to take it out of it but myself you devil s i says the old man in a shaking his staff across bill s nose why did you not ask something that would you both here and hereafter sure it s as common as the market cross that there s not a in his majesty s stands more in need of both oh by the said bill i forgot that altogether i maybe you d be civil enough to let me change one of them the a wish ever was made than i u make if you ll ve me another chance out you said the old fellow still in a passion your day of grace is past little you know who was speaking to you all this time i m st you and i gave you an opportunity of doing something for yourself and your family but you neglected it and now your fate is cast you dirty trotting sure it s well known what you are i aren t you a in every body s mouth you and your of a wife by this and by that if ever you happen to come across me again i ll send you to where you won t you villain the he gave bill a rap of his over the head laid him | 50 |
at his length beside the kicked a broken coal out of his way and left the in a fury when recovered himself from the effects of the blow and began to think on what had happened he could have himself with vexation for not asking great wealth as one of the wishes at least but now the die was cast on him and he could only make the most of the three he pitched upon he now him how he might turn them to the best account and here his cunning came to his he began by sending for his on pretence of business and when he got them under his roof he offered them the chair to sit down in he now had them safe nor could all the art of man relieve them except worthy bill was willing s plan was to make the best bargain he could before he released his prisoners and let him alone for knowing how to make their there wasn t a wealthy man in the country he did not the parson of the parish heavily so did the lawyer and a rich attorney who had retired from practice swore that the court of itself was paradise compared to bill s chair this was all very good for a time the fame of his chair however soon spread so did that of his in a short time neither man woman nor child would his door all avoided him and his as they a spring gun or man trap bill so long as he his neighbours never wrought a hand s turn so that when his money was out he found himself as badly off as ever in addition to this his character was fifty times worse than before for it was the general belief that he had dealings with the devil nothing now could exceed his misery distress and ill temper the wife and he and their children all fought among one another like devils everybody hated them cursed them and avoided the people thought they were acquainted with more an irish legend than christian people ought to know for the they said was very like one that the devil drove all this of course came to bill s ears and it vexed him very much one day he was walking about the fields thinking of how he could raise the wind once more the day was dark and he found himself before he stopped in the bottom of a lonely covered by great bushes that grew on each side well thought he when every other means of raising money failed him it s reported that fm in league with the devil and as it s a folly to have the name of the without the profit i m ready to make a bargain with hue any day so said he his voice nick you sinner if you be and willing why stand out here your best leg here s your man the words were hardly out of his mouth when a dark sober looking old gentleman not unlike a lawyer walked up to him bill looked at the foot and saw the morrow nick says morrow bill says nick well bill what s the news devil a much myself hears of late says bill is there any thing fresh below t can t exactly say bill i spend little of my time down now the are in office and my hands are consequently too full of business here to pay much attention to anything else a fine place this sir says bill to take a constitutional walk in when want an appetite i often come this way myself hem i feeding is very bad w exercise high feeding come come bill you know you didn t taste a morsel these four and twenty hours you know that s a nick i eat a breakfast morning that would put a stone of flesh on you if you only smelt at it no matter this is not to the purpose what s that you q the wi were muttering to yourself awhile ago if you want to to the here i m for you nick said bill you re you want nothing a pair of o s breeches bill in ct was bent on making his companion open the bargain because he had often heard that in that case with proper care on his own part he might defeat him in the long run the other however was his match what was the nature of s garment inquired nick why you know the song said bill o had no breeches to wear so he got a sheep s skin for to make him a pair with the side out and the side in they pleasant and cool says a cool pair would you nick you re mighty to day mr du and good right i have said bill i m a man snug and well to do in the world have lots of money plenty of good eating and drinking and what more need a man wish for true said the other in the meantime it s that so respectable a man should not have six inches oi unbroken cloth in his apparel you are as naked a as ever laid my eyes on in full dress for a party of scare william that s my own fancy nick i don t work at my trade like a gentleman this is my dress you know well out what did you summon me here for said the other you may as well speak out i tell you for my good friend unless i ou do shan t smell that i smell more than that said bill and by the way i ll thank you to give me the windy side of you curse all i say there s what call an improvement in my condition but as you are | 50 |
Subsets and Splits