probably not one in a hundred knew anything of either, only that the horse opposed to him was owned by an anti-repealer."-vol. i., p. 228. This is good-but there is a love of head-breaking in the abstract, in the total absence of even a pretence of parish or party feud. He is again on a race-course: that is, where there was an elder officer as well. The younger spark has gone for a day's grouse-shooting in the bog of Allen the senior meanwhile was to keep all right at head-quarters. It was a glorious September day, and the sporting Lieute nant encountered an adventure which he narrates capitally; and as part thereof listened to a love-story-for which he must not be held responsible more than Herodotus is when he diversifies his evidence in chief by a report of what some Egyptian verger or Thracian slave-dealer told him about the funds available for the Rhodopean pyramid, or the flirtations between Scythian and Amazonian videttes : "I was walking among the long drinking-tents or booths, which occupied a considerable portion of the central part of the ground, round which the course was marked out. In one of the large tents filled with people, the floor being occupied by jig-dancers, and the rest of the company disposed of on benches all round, these, being close to the canvas walls, showed to the spectators outside the bulging indications of heads, shoulders, "Choosing a dry spot, carpeted with young elbows, &c. One leaned more backward than the heather, interspersed with huge bosses of fine rest, and his head protruded beyond the others. grey moss, while the air was scented with the deA man who happened to be passing eyed the licious odor of the bog myrtle, he threw his gun tempting occiput, and paused. He was pro- and game-bag on the ground, and stretched himvided with a tremendous 'alpeen.' He looked self along to enjoy the tranquil beauty of the again at the head-a destructive feeling was evident- scene. There are times when the spirits boil over, ly rising within him. He raised the stick a bit: and our sense of happiness can only find relief in surely he is not going to hit the man! No; he puts some overt act. We would give the world for a the stick under his left arm, and rubs his hands. He gallop, or a game at leap-frog, or the power to smiles; some happy thought has crossed him. Sud-throw a summerset, or, the license to shout aloud; denly he looks upwards to the sky, with an expres- and happy are they who can train the outbreak sion of wild joy-wheels quietly round-makes a into the semblance of music. In his ecstasy the short prance of three steps-utters a screech-sportsman mangled several Italian melodies of the whips the stick from under his arm, and giving it a day, ruthlessly tortured a gay little chanson à boire, flourish in the air, brings down the heavy knob murdered Alice Grey outright, and, still finding with all its force upon the skull protruding from that the safety-valve required easing, leant his the canvas-whack! The heavy sound was head against a tussuck, and gave with that hearty awful: surely no human bones could stand this? goodwill-that unmistakable con amore only -the man must be killed! Meantime the skull-seen in those who sing without an audience-the breaker dances about, screaming and flourishing well-known morceau of Justice Woodcock :the stick. A hubbub of noises arose from the interior of the booth, and men and women poured When I courted a lass that was froward and shy, out tumultuously together. As the crowd thick-I stuck to her stuff till I made her comply. ened, so did the confusion as to the identity of the I took her so lovingly round the waist, offender; and in a few minutes it became a wild | And I smack'd her lips and I held her fast. hubbub, fighting together without aim or object. Now, this might have been his father, brother -nay, his mother or sister. What cared he ?there was a head to break, and the opportunity was not to be neglected. On entering the tent to see after the dead man, I found only the piper and the proprietors of the booth, calmly awaiting the return of their customers."-vol. i., p. 230. The alpeen, we understand, is less in fashion now than it used to be. The rage has been of late years for the heavy stone in the foot of a long worsted stocking. This is portable, and puzzles the police; and in reference to a monster meeting, the priest can safely attest that his parishioners attended unarmed: "he did not see one blackthorn"-not he. One very good chapter sets before us something of the life of our literary subaltern, when at an outpost of the better order Oh! these were the joys of our dancing days. Bedad, ye may say that!' said a voice within ten yards of him; that's the way I coorted Kitty. If ye'd been consaled on the premises ye couldn't have tould it better!'-If a thunderbolt, or a meteoric stone, or a man of the moon, had fallen into the bog beside the grouse-shooter, he could not have been more astonished than at this greeting: and the object from whence the voice proceeded was not of a kind to diminish his wonder. Between two large bunches, or tussucks, of the grey moss, there peered forth the good-humored face of a man about thirty, lying flat upon the bog, while the moss nearly meeting above his head, and coming down in a flowing, pear-like shape on either side of his face, gave him much the appearance of wearing a judge's wig, though the countenance showed nothing of the judge's gravity. The first impulse of the shooter was to start up and seize his gun, the second to burst out into loud laugh ter "Faith, it's true for you!' said the man, get 1847. ་ PADDIANA. 'Well, with that Kitty goes in and slips on her Well,' says Lanty, cloak; and, says she, I'll jist step across to Biddy Fay's for the haarbes.' a ting up and taking a seat near him; but how the divle ye came to know it, sorrow know I know. It's shy enough she was at first, but it's meself that stuck to her. I'll tell your honor all about it while do so; and while ye'r gone I'll jist take a sup o' we sit aisy here. Divle a much I cared for Lanty Oolahan's sperrits. Faith, it's great stuff, says (that's her father). Let her be, says he; wait he, and agrees wid me better than Mike Cronin's. Any how, ye'r It's raw stuff, his,' says Lanty. (Th'ould vilawhile, sure the heifer's young. Faith, Mr. lain, and better never came out of a still!) Well, rough in yer ways,' says he. warm; make me a tumbler o' punch, says he, Hickey,' says I, it's becase I'm in airnest.' says he, Kitty, I'm poorly to-night, and I'll take it 'Divle a doubt of it, says he; but that's no rason why ye'd be crushing my choild wid yer hugs. Kitty. Musha, bad luck to me, says he, but I'd Any how,' says Lanty, I'll not consint to it yet; rather see ye married to a steady man, that's got a sure I can't spare her till we've got in the praties.license to sell good sperrits, like Oolahan, than Besides,' any one, barrin a distiller itself, and that would be So hands aff's fair play,' says he. says Lanty (sure he's a cute ould chap, that one), looking rather high, says he, for they're mostly of 'where would ye take her if ye were married it- the quality, them sort. Anyhow,' says Lanty, -Anyhow, Kitty, says he, self? Ye'd bury her underground, says he, in the stirring the punch, while Kitty was houlding the quare place ye have down along the canal. Faith doore ready to comeit's no place to take me daughter to, and she bred ye must think no more o' Mike (that's me); up in a slate house, and every convenience in what'll he do for ye, says he, down in the bog? Killbeggan. If she did consint, it's not for want Sure his sperrits is but quare stuff; and what's of better offers at home, never fear. There's the thrifle o' turf he sent ?-its most the top cutBurke of Athy says he's proud to discoorse wid ting, and mighty light. (The lying ould rap!) her when he comes this way; and it's not a week Well, go 'long wid ye, Kitty,' says he, taking ago, says he, that Oolahan the grocer sent me the dhrink; go 'long to Biddy Fay's, and mind yerhalf-gallon of Parliament; it's not long since ye self,' says he; sure th' officers do be smoking did the like o' that, or even poteen itself. Faith, their segars upon the bridge, says he, and they're says he, the laste ye could do would be to fill the mighty blackguards after dark. And make haste "Well, faith, at last I heerd her shut the doore; keg in th' other room, and build me up a stack o' back, for it's toired I'm getting.' turf for the winter,' says he. Och, murther!' says I; Mr. Hickey, ye'r hard upon me,' says I, so I just stepped up and turned the kay mighty Is it Oola- quite, and put my arm round Kitty, and tuck her 'wid yer Burkes and yer Oolahans. han? Sure ye wouldn't marry yer daughter to an away towards the harses, and says she, where ye ould man like him? The divel a taste of a grand-goan? Can't ye coort me here? says she; sure father ever ye'd be, barrin what I'd be shamed to the people do be passing in the lane.' Well, with mention. Come, says I, Mr. Hickey, ye'll give that I catched her up, and away wid me, hot fut, me ye'r daughter-she's fond o' me. Clap hands and the crathur squealed. Ah, can't ye stop? upon that, says I, and I'll fill the keg with the first says she, I'd die before. I'd go wid ye! Sure I runnings-the raal stuff, says I; oncet ye taste it thought ye an honest boy, Mike. Be aisy wid ye'll put Oolahan's Parliament in a jar, and throw me, for the honor o' God; sure I'm young as And I'll build ye the stack if ye'll yit!' But, faith, we put her on the harse, and I tare; but divle such a pillalooing as Lanty made wait till the turf's dhry; I've a rare lot o' the deep held her on before me, and cut out o' that full cutting, says I, as hard as stones.' out o' the windy ye never heered! Sure we had him safe, for the windy was too small for him; but anyhow he tried it, and stuck fast, half in half out, and Pat Sheahy stopped wid him a minute to see if he'd aise himself out, but divle a taste. Let me out o' this,' says Lanty, most What would folks say, don't alarm the town. choaked. Be quite, Mr. Hickey,' says Pat; Betand see ye stuck in yer own windy? Faith, ye must be swelled with the bad sperrits ye tuck; sure Cronin's sperrits never did that for ther for ye, says he, to marry your daughter to an honest boy that does ye no harm, says he, then an ould spalpeen that blows ye out like a cow in clover. But it's getting late, says Pat, and I've far to travel; so I wish ye good night, Mr. Hickey. Well, well, says Pat, sure th' airly boat do be passing up soon after daylight, and they'll think it curious to see ye stuck that way in the wall!' stones at it. Well, faith, I tuck him the sperrits and the 66 ye. Well, faith, he left him, half out and half in, and away wid us to the bog; and I married Kitty with the first convanience, and it's mighty happy we are, barrin the gauger (that's Oolahan's bro ther-in-law), that do be hunting me out for the still. Sure I expect him to-night, and th' army wid him; and faith I lay quite, watching yer honor, for I thought ye might spake to me unknownst about their coming, for ye talked a dale to yerself."-vol. i., p. 93. The Lieutenant is by-and-by invited to the home of Mr. Cronin : "To the sportsman's astonishment, the canal was within a hundred yards, cut deep through the bog, some forty feet below the surface, and so completely out of sight that he had not the most distant notion of its proximity; but where the residence of his new friend was, remained still a mys: tery. The bog had been cut down in several levels, like steps, to the canal, but, looking up and down along its straight course, no house, or any signs of one, could be discovered. Sure, it isn't every one I'd bring to me place,' said my companion, let alone th' army; for I know yer honor right well; and sure, if ye do come in, ye'll see nothing. On the deep steps or levels of the cutting were a great many heaps of turf piled up, apparently with a view to their convenient shipment in the large turf-boats which carry this admirable fuel even as far as Dublin. Mr. Cronin, after pausing a minute to enjoy the wondering looks his companion cast about in search of the place,' commenced removing one of the heaps upon the level about midway between the surface of the bog and the canal. The stack was about five feet high, and as the upper portion was removed there appeared a hole, or door-way, in the perpendicular face of the cutting against which the heap was raised. "When the passage became practicable, the mas ter beckoned to his guest, and ushered him into a room of fair dimensions, in the centre of which was left standing a column of turf to support the roof, on one side of which was a hole, or window, cut down from the level above, and slightly covered with dry bushes. The walls and floor were perfectly dry and comfortable. There were sun dry articles of furniture about the place, several low stools, a small table, and a rude old chest, from which last the owner produced some excellent bread and butter, a bottle of poteen whisky, and two small glasses. 66 Suddenly the host started, then listened attentively, and finally, applying his ear close to the turf-wall, commenced making gestures to remain still. After a time there could be distinctly felt a vibration of the springy ground, and it was evident, from its increase, that a party of many persons was approaching. Suddenly a word or two were spoken in a low voice, and immediately followed by the loud word of command, Halt, front: order arms: stand at ease.' The sportsman knew the voice well: it was that of his brother officer, and the party was the detachment to which he himself belonged. Here was a predicament! To issue forth would have been to betray his hospitable entertainer, confiscate his property, and consign him to a prison: to remain hidden in a poteen manufactory, hearing his own men out side, searching, with the revenue officer, for the very place of his concealment, and to be there discovered, would have had an awkward appearance, and, with a fidgety commanding officer, might have subjected him to a court-martial. He knew not what to do; and, as is usual in such cases, did nothing. "Sometimes the party was moved further on; then back again, past the door; then they halted close in front: but the dry turf left no traces of Several of the large stacks of turf they removed, footmarks, and all their attempts were baffled. but our particular one escaped from its insignifi the work of a week. The old officer, a dry, matcance; and to have removed all would have been sick of the adventure. He said something about ter-of-fact Englishman, was becoming heartily being made a fool of, which Mr. Cronin doubted, muttering something to the effect that nature had been beforehand with the gauger. 'I shall not down and building up stacks of peat after a tenallow my men to slave here all night, pulling mile march, and ten miles to return; so fall in, and we'll make the seizure.' (Inside.) Well men, and unpile arms. Show us the place, sir, done, old boy, stick to that! vanced, the difficulty of finding the still increased, As the night adand at last the gauger was fain to give up the pursuit in despair, and the party was moved off hiding-place, and reached home before the party. "The intruder lost no time in slipping out of his Till a late hour that night he was edified with a full and particular account of the adventure; how Irish miles to a place where there never was an they had been hoaxed, and dragged over twenty illicit still-where there never could have been the smallest reason for suspecting the existence of one. I can see as far into a mill-stone as most peoI looked pretty sharp,' said the old officer, and ple." of, which was, that on several market-days a jar "There was one thing the junior had to complain of whisky was mysteriously left at his quarters; but he laid a trap for the bringer, and at last of their acquaintance was a little disturbed by his caught Mike Cronin in the fact, and the harmony being made to take it away, under a threat of cerhe then sent his wife, even Kitty, so that the tain pains and penalties. Confound the fellow! sportsman was obliged to compromise by accepting a bottle or two, or else shut the gates against all the grey cloaks on a market-day."—vol. i., p. 111. degree of slavish reverence which is paid by the inferior Irish Catholic Clergy to those of high rank in their church. Whether such is the case in other countries I am not in a condition to say, but I was a witness of it in Ireland. ་ says he, he's fand of hare soup, says he, and perhaps a drop will do him good. And with that I went, and the door was open, and divle any one in it that I seen; so I walks into the kitchen, and there was Kit Flynn hating water. So I axed for "At the house of a gentleman with whom I was Miss Biddy (that's t'housekeeper), and says Kit, intimate, and who, though a Protestant, was says she, Sure she's up with the master, and Mr. equally respected by all sects and classes, there Kisbey's attinding him, and the codjutor's in it was staying a Roman Catholic Bishop. This [coadjutor, or curate]; so, says she, go up, Pat, gentleman, whom I met more than once, was one for he's mighty fand of hare and the sight of it of the most agreeable persons I ever encountered; maybe 'll revive him,' says she. So with that I indeed, it is enough to say that he was a well-goes gently up stairs, and the door was open, and educated Irish gentleman of the old school, who I walks in with a God save all here!' says I. had resided much abroad. Many of my readers You're kindly welcome, come in,' says Mr. must have had the good fortune to meet such a Ryan (that's the codjutor); come in, says he, person, and will at once understand the kind of Mr. Finn; that's a fine hare you've got,' says he, man he was his Irish assurance making him a feeling it; that will make a great soup, says he, perfect master of all the polite observances of life for our poor friend: but I'm thinking he's most his native humor sharpened by collision with the past it,' says he. And with that poor Biddy beworld, his buoyant animal spirits chastened into gan to cry again, for I seen that her eyes were the happiest tone by a long admixture with the red, and it's full of trouble she was, the cratur. best society, and his thorough good-nature break- And I looked to the bed, and his rivirence was ing out, as it were, in spite of the restraints of lying, taking no notice at all, but looking mighty modern conventionalities. There was no ascetic flushed, and brathing hard, and Kisbey was mixnonsense about him; indeed, a pleasanter com-ing some stuff at the table in a tay-cup, and a panion, even on a fast-day, I never met; no down-quare face he made, sure enough. And Biddy cast looks, half sly, half sheepish, which charac- couldn't stop crying and sobbing fit to break her terize the Irish priest of these days. Neither had heart, poor cratur! and she lifted her apron to her he the blue and congested look which marks their eyes, and faith I seen it's very stout she was. complexions, and which I never see without feel-And Kisbey was moving an to the bed, stirring ing my benevolence moved to recommend them a prescription, if I thought there would be a chance of their taking it at my hands. My gaillard of a bishop had nothing of all this, though I believe him to have been at least as good a man as those who have. the stuff, and looking hard at the patient.Whisht, Biddy,' says Kisbey, you'll disturb his rivirence, and maybe it's not long he'll be spared to you; sure it's a smart faver he's got: but anyhow, says Kisbey, I think this will do him, for it's a febbrifewdge, says he, and will rouse him in "To wait upon his lordship of course came the the bowels, says Kisbey; and besides, there's a whole neighboring clergy, and at their first pre- touch of the saline in it,' says he, stirring the cup sentation it was their hint to fall upon their again, and making a face; it's my favorite mediknees and ask his blessing. Young and old, fat cine, says he, in a crisis.' Ochhone says poor and slender, threw themselves on their marrow-Biddy, crying out, what would I do if I lost his bones before their spiritual superior, and humbled rivirence? Ah, Mr. Kisbey, you see the state I'm themselves in the dust before a man. Is this in, says she: it's a poor case that you can't relave seemly? and what greater personal homage can they pay to the Deity? We certainly bow the knee to kings, but we don't, even to them, prostrate ourselves, in grovelling abasement, as these men did. "Whether the bishop, a gentleman and a man of the world, did not feel a little ashamed of all this before Protestants, is not for me to say; but he was uncommonly active in picking them up before they fell, and after a while received them in a separate room."-Ibid., p. 283. him, says she, wid your crisis, and he hearty o' Thursday.' Ah, be aisy, Miss Biddy,' says the codjutor, stipping up behind her mighty quite (sure it's him that got the parish after Shea); be aisy, Miss Biddy,' says he, laying the heel of his hand upon her shoulther, and his fingers came down rather far, indeed; be aisy, Miss Biddy, says he, for by the blessing o' God, it will all be right wid him. Sure, if human manes can do it, says he, Mr. Kisbey can do it; he's a man of skill, says he, and his practice extensive. So keep up your heart, Biddy, says the codjutor; but For this deathbed scene of a parish it's well to be prepared for the worst. We're frail priest the author does not give any author-creatures, and life's but a span, says he, drawing ity but that of a Paddy in livery, evidently him,' says he, greatly, pressing her bussom. her towards him, mighty kind; sure I feel for a relation of Miss Edgeworth's famous let-And while the codjutor was offering consolation ter-writer; but take it, valeat quantum. to Miss Biddy, I seen Kisbey houlding his riviMr. Kisbey is a doctor of all-work, for rence by the nose, and trying to put the febbriwhom this Paddy has no respect: fewdge into him; but divle a taste he'd have of it at all, but kicked and struggled like mad. 'Ah! "Father Shea was confined to the house, and hould still, Mr. Shea, and take it, says Kisbey: the master tould me to run down to the town it's the cooling draught, says he, that will aise you. and inquire for him, and take him a hare, 'for,' | Sure it's mighty pleasant when you get it down, 6 says Kisbey, forcing it an him. Faith, I did not like to see his rivirence treated so rough. Well, Mr. Finn,' says the codjutor, you'd better go down wid your hare, and give it to Kitty, says he, for the soup. Maybe my poor friend will like it, says he, when the draught has aised him.' But the divle any aising did Father Shea get, barrin death, for he died that night."-vol. i., p. 61. nal discovery of the facts did in the enlightened author of " Paddiana." The chapter is entitled "Of the Potato :" "Sailing in a little yacht on the south-eastern coast of Ireland, and having with me a young fisherman from Youghal, a sudden north-west gale arose and blew us off the coast. For some hours it was impossible to carry sail at all, so violent We should be very sorry to endorse Father Shea's exit; but the gallant author is di-coast; and there seemed every probability of our were the squalls that came off that iron-bound rectly responsible for one death-scene in bringing up somewhere on the Welsh coast should his book, and we must quote it, for no the gale continue, and our boat weather the short, page therein throws stronger light on life in heavy seas, which rose higher and more dangerous Ireland: as we left the land. Fortunately towards evening the wind lulled, and we were able, under a closereefed mainsail, to stagger back towards the coast, shaping our course with many weary tacks for Ardmore Bay, at the rocky, southern side of which we arrived in thick darkness, the black outline of the cliffs being only recognised against the equally black sky by their immovable position amongst the driving clouds. Relying upon the conning of the trusty Mike, we stood into the bay, and finally dropped anchor abreast of the village and under shelter of the cliffs. Of food we had a lump of hard mouldy bread, left forgotten from some forme trip: but there was a keg of fresh water, a cooking apparatus, and good store of sea-birds killed before the gale came on. "I have seen many executions, civil and military, in various countries, including the beheading of Fieschi and his associates, and I never saw a man come forth to be put to death who did not appear already more dead than alive, excepting one criminal at Naas. He had murdered his wife, and the fact was proved undeniably. He came out with a placid smile and a healthy complexion, and, I fancied, familiarly acknowledged some acquaintances in the crowd. Perhaps he was nerved with the hope of reprieve,-an expectation certainly indulged in by the priest who attended him, and whose cold, and as appeared irreverent praying, extended to full twenty minutes. It was dreadful to see a man stand smiling and nodding on the very brink of the grave, and the more so as again and again he calmly asserted his innocence of the crime for which he was about to suffer, though he admitted that he had been a murderer before. That such examples, I fear, are of little use, may be inferred from the fact of how readily the spectators are moved to joke and laugh at any ludicrous occurrence, even at the most solemn moment. In this case the priest had inadvertently placed himself beside the man upon the drop itself, just previous to the bolt being drawn, and was there loudly praying. Recalled by some circumstance to a sense of his situation, he jumped nimbly back to the standing grating without pausing in the prayer, and then, hold ing firmly by the railing, extended his other hand to prevent the prisoner following his example. There was an audible laugh at the priest's agility, in which I have no doubt the man about to be turned off would have joined, if he had not been blindfolded with the nightcap."-vol. ii., p. 8. We are now well aware that a Paddy will allow himself to die of sheer starvation, although all the while he has half a dozen gold sovereigns sewed up in his neckerchief. The following detail of some of his idiosyncrasies as to the choice and selection of viands, the constancy of his affection for the potatoe, and his irreclaimable prejudice against articles both more familiar to him and more acceptable to people in general than maize, will no longer therefore excite so much wonder in our readers as the origi “To make a fire, skin and prepare the birds for stewing, we busily addressed ourselves. And let not the fastidious reader imagine that such a mess is a mere unpalatable make-shift: sea-birds produce a rich and savory soup, little, if at all, inferior to hare-soup, especially if after skinning they are allowed to soak for some hours in cold water. "Each time that the lid of our kettle was removed arose a more grateful fragrance from the simmering fluid, till about midnight a supper was ready that an alderman might not have disdained, let alone two hungry men fasting since an early breakfast, and who had been working hard in the wet for nine or ten hours. As president of the mess, I made an equitable division of the fare, and, handing Michael his portion, fell furiously upon the Guillemot soup. Anything more exquisite to my taste on that occasion I never encountered; but, behold! the trusty Mike stirred not, neither did he lift up his spoon. He would not touch it! Faith, I never see any one ate them things at all! But you have nothing else, man, except that mouldy crust! Faith, I wouldn't eat it at try a puffin-or this cormorant you'll find exceedall Is it fast-day? No! Come, nonsense! ingly juicy and tender. No? Perhaps you are not hungry? Faith, it's meself that is, then. Sorrow bid I had to-day! Would you like a kettlefull of Connaught lumpers well boiled? Be my sowl I would!! (With much energy.) Suffering from the heat with their coats unbuttoned? But as you haven't got the praties, try a bit of willock? Ogh! I wouldn't taste it at all! I'd be sick!-So he munched in preference the mouldy bread. But I have to record another peculiarity in the trusty Michael's taste. 'Just so!' |