an excellent and hearty breakfast, which he took care also to share with the greyhound. But then the old lady called her son to her bedside, and explained how that it was "the Boy" who had done the mischief, "and I command you," said she, "to get rid of him, and for that purpose desire him at once to go and make 'cuisseh na cuissheh na guirach' (the road of the sheeps' feet), that you have long been intending to do, and then to send him with the flock over the road to the land of the giant; we shall then never see him more; and it is better to lose even a flock of sheep than have him longer here, now that he has discovered our trick." The farmer called Rooshkulum to him, and taxed him with what he had done to his mother. 66 And," said Rooshkulum, " could you blame me?" Why, no," answered the farmer, remembering his part of the agreement, "I don't blame you, but you must never do it any more. And now you must take these (pointing to the sheep), and because the bog is soft on the road to the land of the giant,' you must make the road of the sheeps' feet' for them to go over, and come back when they are fat, and the giant will support you while you are there. Do you blame me for that?' "No," said Rooshkulum, driving away the sheep. But, contrary to all their expectations, in an hour's time in marched Rooshkulum, covered with bog dirt and blood. "O!" said he, "I have had hard work since, and made a good deal of the road of the sheeps' legs; but, indeed, there are not half enough legs after all, and you must give me more legs, if you would wish the road made firm." 66 And, you rascal, do you tell me you have cut off the legs of all my fine sheep?" "Every one, sir; did you not desire me? Do you blame me?” "O dear no! by no means! Only take care, and don't do it any more.' " They went on tolerably for a few days, for they were afraid of Rooshkulum, and let him alone, till one morning the farmer told him he was going to a wedding that night, and that he might go with him. 64 Well," said Rooshkulum, "what is a wedding? what will they do there?" Why," answered the farmer," a wedding is a fine place, where there is a good supper, and two people are joined together as man and wife.' "O, only when we are going, don't take your eyes from the horses till we get there; then have your two eyes on my plate, and an eye on every other person's plate; and then you'll see what they'll do." Rooshkulum said nothing. They went to the wedding; but when they sat down to supper, all were surprised to find a round thing on their plates, covered with blood, and not looking very tempting. But the farmer soon guessed the sad truth, and calling Rooshkulum aside, he sternly asked him what he had done. "Can you blame me?" answered the provoking Rooshkulum; " did you not desire me not to take the eyes from the horses till I got here, and to put them on the plates, and two on your own plate, and that I would see what they would do then?" 64 O, don't imagine I blame you,” said the farmer; "but I meant your own eyes all the time; and, mind me, don't do it any more!" They were all by this time heartily sick of Rooshkulum, especially the old lady, who had never left her bed; and one morning, feeling something better, she called the farmer to her bedside, and addressed him thus:-" You know, my son, that your agreement with that rascal will terminate when you both shall hear the cuckoo. Now, in my youth I could imitate the cuckoo so well that I have had them flying round me. Put me up, therefore, in the big holly bush; take him along with you to cut a tree near; I will then cry 'cuckoo!' cuckoo!' and the agreement will be broken!" said she, chuckling to herself. This seemed a capital idea; so the farmer lifted his mother out of bed, and put her up into the holly bush, calling Roosh- | kulum to bring the big axe, for that he intended to fell a tree. Rooshkulum did as he was desired, and commenced cutting down a certain tree, which the farmer pointed out. And not long had he been thus engaged when the old lady in the holly bush cried out "cuckoo!""cuckoo !" "Hah! what's that?" said the farmer; "that sounds like the cuckoo !" "O, that cannot be," said Rooshkulum, "for this is winter!" But now the cuckoo was heard, beyond a doubt. 66 Well," said Rooshkulum, "before I've done with you, I'll go and see this cuckoo." 66 Why, you stupid fool!" said the farmer, “no man ever saw the cuckoo." "Never mind!" said Rooshkulum, "it can be no harm to look. Wouldn't you think, now, that the cuckoo was speaking out of the holly bush?" "O, not at all!-perhaps she is five miles away. Come away at once and give up your place. Did not we both hear her ?" "Stop!" said Rooshkulum; "stay back! don't make a noise! There! did not you see something moving? Ay! THAT must be the cuckoo!" So saying, he hurled the axe up into the holly bush with his whole force, cutting away the branches, scattering the leaves and berries, and with one blow severing the head from the shoulders of the farmer's mother! "O!" said the farmer, my poor old mother! O! what have you done, you villain! You have murdered my mother!" "And," said Rooshkulum (seemingly surprised), I sup pose you BLAME me for this, do you?" 66 And now was the farmer taken by surprise, and in the heat of his passion answered, "How dare you, you blackhearted villain, ask me such a question? Of course I do! Have you not murdered my mother? Alas! my poor old mother." "O, very well!" said Rooshkulum, as the farmer continued looking at his mother, and lamenting, " perhaps you also remember our own little agreement. I have but too good reason to think that you and your accursed old mother, by your schemes, caused the death of my two fine brothers. But now for the fulfilment of my share of the bargain!" In a moment the axe descended on his head; and Rooshkulum, the wise simpleton, having now got rid of his enemies, took possession of all the farmer's property, returned home for his mother, and lived free from care or further sorrow for the remainder of his happy life; but he never forgot the services of the greyhound, and never allowed her to want. And here let us conclude our legend, by observing, by way of moral, "Be ever charitable to the distressed, whether of the brute or human kind, for you know not but that they also may belong to the ranks of the good people!'" AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION FOR THE THAT agricultural improvement is extending with very rapid strides in many parts of Ireland, is evident to all who have had an opportunity of observing the country; the best proof of which is, perhaps, that our agricultural exports have been greatly increased for some years past, whilst during the same period the population has been augmented to a degree unprecedented in any of the old countries of the world. That our exporting food to such an extent is a proof of the wealth or happiness of those who produce it, may well admit of doubt, otherwise the miserable serfs of Russia, Poland, and other corn-growing countries, would be entitled to rank higher in the scale of happiness than the English farmers, who are not able to raise sufficient food for their own country! But notwithstanding the pleasing proofs of improvements in farming which meet the eye of the tourist in various parts of the country, and particularly in the north, he will in too many places find it difficult to imagine anything worse either in the farms, the habitations, the cattle, or the implements, even should he extend the retrospect to a period ever so remote. Agricultural schools, with even a single acre of land attached, and worked by the elder boys on a system of rotation adapted to the ground and to the district in which it happened to be situated, would soon effect a wonderful reformation in the farming of the country. That such would be the happy result, is self-evident; and we are strengthened in our conviction by having witnessed in very many instances the good effect of the agricultural education imparted at Templemoyle, in the county of Londonderry. Entertaining these views, we need hardly say how much we were gratified by a visit to one of these schools a short time since, situated in a remote and se cluded part of the county of Donegal. Here, on the estate of Sir Charles Styles, Bart., and under the direction of his efficient agent, whose anxiety and exertions towards bettering the condition of the poor of this county are well known and appreciated, we found a small piece of ground being laid out into five divisions, as an example of the five-course rotation suited to that part of the country; in the school-room were suspended tables, exhibiting at one view, plain, practical instructions as to the season for performing the different work on the farm; the quantity and best kind of seeds to be sown; and, in one word, the modus operandi, according to the most improved practice; and the proficiency of many of the boys, not only in agriculture, but in levelling and surveying, was most creditable. We cannot, perhaps, better second the exertions of Captain Kennedy and other philanthropists engaged in the regeneration of their country, than by bringing under the notice of the public an instance of the successful working of the system we have here advocated. this gentleman are beyond all praise. It was chiefly through his On a The undrained fenceless farm, with its many-angled small fields and crooked ridges, exhausted to the last degree by successive corn crops, is still but too general; and the habitations, notwithstanding the marked improvement in their appearance in many places, in many others accord but too faithfully with the melancholy picture that has been drawn of them by so many observers" walls decayed, roofs bent and sunken, thatch tattered, no windows, no chimneys; the turfsmoke rolling slowly from the doors, or seeking its way through the chinks and crevices innumerable with which these hovels abound. The appearance of the inmates corresponds with that of the miserable tenements-ill clad, squalid, haggard, listless and idle, in every countenance discontent strongly CIRCASSIAN WOMEN.-We observed two women looking marked, and in some an expression akin to despair." Such is the out of a balcony, and earnestly beckoning to us. We entered description given by Mr Weld in his Statistical Survey of Ros- the house, and saw two Russian grenadiers, who by a mistake common, taken in 1831. One epithet in that accurate descrip- of their corporal had taken their quarters here, and whose tion requires to be qualified to those who have not seen the presence was the cause of the inquietude manifested by the interesting and highly valuable work from which it is taken. two ladies, who, with an old man, were the only inhabitants The poor of Elphin were" idle," not of choice, but because of the house. Whilst the soldiers were explaining these the employment which offered itself in the wastes and sites things to us, they appeared at the top of the stairs, and again for manufactories with which he describes the country to renewed their invitation by violent gesticulations. abound, were not rendered available; and throughout the nearer approach, we guessed by their age that they were country, wherever idleness and its concomitant misery are ob- mother and daughter. The former, who still preserved much servable, there also it will be found that these evils are trace- of the freshness and beauty of youth, wore very wide trouable to a want of sympathy and exertion on the part of the sers, a short tunic, and a veil, which fell in graceful folds on owners of the soil; for abundantly remunerating employ- her back; while round her neck she had some valuable jewels, ment abounds in every part of the country. We cannot re- though badly mounted. With respect to the daughter, who sist, even at the risk of extending this paper beyond the limits was scarcely fifteen years of age, she was so extraordinarily which we had at first proposed to ourselves, the temptation beautiful, that both my companion and myself remained awhile to bring forward an instance of that industry which we have motionless, and struck with admiration. Never in my life never seen wanting when the inducement or even the possibi- have I seen a more perfect form. Her dress consisted of a lity of exercising it with effect was present, afforded too by short white tunic, almost transparent, fastened only at the these same "idle" people of Elphin, as recorded in the same throat by a clasp. A veil, negligently thrown over one work." Girls," observes Mr Weld, " amongst whom some shoulder, permitted part of her beautiful ebony tresses to be were really pretty and delicate, and of an age and frame of seen. Her trousers were of an extremely fine tissue, and her body seemingly but ill-suited to the task, sought a precarious socks of the most delicate workmanship. The old man reand hard-earned livelihood in hawking turf about the town ceived us in a room adjoining the staircase; he was seated in cleaves, which they had carried on their backs from the on the carpet, smoking a small pipe, according to the custom bog, distant about two miles. The ordinary weight of one of these of the inhabitants of the Caucasus, who cultivate tobacco. cleaves was three stones, or forty-two pounds, sometimes more. He made repeated signs to us to sit down, that is to say, in The price asked for two cleaves was only 34d, but as demands the Asiatic manner a posture extremely inconvenient for of this kind ordinarily exceed the selling price, 1d might those who like ourselves wore long and tight trousers, whilst probably be set down as the utmost price of a single cleave; the two beautiful women on their side earnestly seconded his from this was to be deducted the price of the turf at the bog, request. We complied with it, though it was the first time the small surplus being all the gains for bearing this heavy that either of us made the essay. The ladies, having left the burden, mostly up hill, and afterwards hawking it from house room for a moment, returned with a salver of dried fruits, to house." The cattle in the demesnes of the gentry and on and a beverage made with sugar and milk; but I was so dairy farms have in like manner been greatly improved much engaged in admiring their personal attractions, that I within a few years, but amongst the small farmers the de-paid but little attention to their presents. It appeared to me scription of stock is in many places bad in the extreme; im. provement in this branch of economy cannot take place, however, except as the consequence of an improved system of farming. As a powerful means of extending a knowledge of improved husbandry, if properly exercised, we have regarded since their establishment the National Schools of Ireland. A cotemporary says, "The agriculture of Bavaria has experienced a great improvement in consequence of the system of national education which has been adopted, and by the teaching of agriculture and gardening both by books and examples in the schools. One of the first consequences was an improved rotation of crops. Almost the whole of the details of agricultural improvement in Bavaria have originated with M. Hazzi, an agricultural writer, and editor of an agricultural journal in Munich. The activity and patriotic benevolence of an inconceivable caprice of nature to have produced such prodigies of perfection amidst such a rude and barbarous people, who value their women less than their stirrups. My companion, who like myself was obliged to accept of their refreshments, remarked to me, whilst the old man was conversing with them, what celebrity a woman so transcendantly beautiful as the daughter was, would acquire in any of the capitals of Europe, had she but received the benefits of a suitable education.-New Monthly Magazine. Printed and published very Saturday by GUNN and CAMERON, at the Office THE following Sunday morning, Rose paid an early visit to her patient, for, as it was the day of young Dandy's christening, her presence was considered indispensable. There is, besides, something in the appearance and bearing of a midwife upon those occasions which diffuses a spirit of buoyancy and light-heartedness not only through the immediate family, but also through all who may happen to participate in the ceremony, or partake of the good cheer. In many instances it is known that the very presence of a medical attendant communicates such a cheerful confidence to his patient, as, independently of any prescription, is felt to be a manifest relief. So is it with the midwife; with this difference, that she exercises a greater and more comical latitude of consolation than the doctor, although it must be admitted that the one generally falls woefully short of that conventional dress with which we cover nudity of expression. No doubt many of her very choicest stock jokes, to carry on the metaphor, are a little too fashionably dressed to pass current out of the sphere in which they are used; but be this as it may, they are so traditional in character, and so humorous in conception, that we never knew the veriest prude to feel offended, or the morosest temperament to maintain its sourness, at their recital. Not that she is at all gross or unwomanly in any thing she may say, but there is generally in her apothegms a passing touch of fancy-a quick but terse vivacity of insinuation, at once so full of fun and sprightliness, and that truth which all know but few like to acknowledge, that we defy any one not irretrievably gone in some incurable melancholy to resist her humour. The moment she was seen approaching the house, every one in it felt an immediate elevation of spirits, with the exception of Mrs Keho herself, who knew that wherever Rose had the arrangement of the bill of fare, there was sure Indeed he is the gossips will be here presently, an' so will her mother. But, Rose, dear, will you take the ordherin' of the aitin' an' drinkin' part of it?you're betther up to these things than we are, an' so you ought, of coorse. Let there be no want of any thing; an' if there's an overplush, sorra may care; there'll be poor mouths enough about the door for whatever's left. So, you see, keep never mindin' any hint she may give you-you know she's a little o' the closest; but no matther. Let there, as I said, be enough an' to spare.' "Throth, there spoke your father's son, Corny: all the ould dacency's not dead yet, any how. Well, I'll do my best. But she's not fit to be up, you know, an' of coorse can't disturb us." The expression of her eye could not be misunderstood as she uttered this. "I see," said Corny-" devil a betther, if you manage that, all's right." "An' now I must go in, till I see how she an' my son's gettin' an: that's always my first start; bekase you know, Corny, honey, that their health goes afore every thing." Having thus undertaken the task required of her, she passed into the bedroom of Mrs Keho, whom she found determined to be up, in order, as she said, to be at the head of her own table. Well, alanna, if you must, you must; but in the name of goodness I wash my hands out of the business teetotally. Dshk, dshk, dshk! Oh, wurra! to think of a woman in your state risin' to sit at her own table! That I may never, if I'll see it, or be about the place at all. If you take your life by your own wilfulness, why, God forgive you; but it must'nt be while I'm here. But since you're bent on it, why, give me the child, an' afore I go, any how, I may as well dress it, poor thing! The heavens pity it my little man-eh? where was it?-cheep-that's it, a ducky; stretch away. Aye stretchin' an' thrivin' an, my son! Oh, thin, wurra! Mrs Keho, but it's you that ought to ax God's pardon for goin' to do what might lave that darlin' o' the world an orphan, may be. Arrah be the vestments, if I can have patience wid you. May God pity you, my child. If anything happened your mother, what 'ud become of you, and what 'ud become of your poor father this day? Dshk, dshk, dshk!" These latter sounds, exclamations of surprise and regret, were produced by striking the tongue against that part of the inward gum which covers the roots of the teeth. "Indeed, Rose," replied her patient, in her sharp, shrill, quick voice, "I'm able enough to get up; if I don't, we'll be harrished. Corny's a fool, an' it'll be only rap an' rive wid every one in the place." "Wait, ma'am, if you plaise. Where's his little barrow? Ay, I have it. Wait, ma'am, if you plaise, till I get the child dressed, an' I'll soon take myself out o' this. Heaven presarve us! I have seen the like o' this afore-ay have I— where it was as clear as crystal that there was something over them-ay, over them that took their own way as you're doin'." "But if I don't get up" "Oh, by all manes, ma'am-by all manes. I suppose you have a laise o' your life, that's all. It's what I wish I could get." "An' must I stay here in bed all day, an' me able to rise, an' sich wilful waste as will go an too ?" "Remember you're warned. This is your first baby, God bless it, an' spare you both. But, Mrs Keho, does it stand to raison 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 poser in fact settled the question, not only by the reasonable force of the conclusion to be derived from it, but by the cool authoritative manner in which it was put. "Well," said the other, "in that case, I suppose, I must give in. You ought to know best." I 66 Thank you kindly, ma'am ; have you found it out at last? No, but you ought to put your two hands undher my feet for previntin' you from doin' what you intinded. That may never sup sorrow, but it was as much as your life was worth. Compose yourself; I'll see that there's no waste, and that's enough. Here, hould 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 headache when it comes in full bint upon the eyes that way. Come, alanna, come an now, till I show you to your father an' them all. Wurra, thin, Mrs Keho, darlin'," (this was said in a low confidential whisper, and in a playful wheedling tone which baffles all description), "wurra, thin, Mrs Keho, darlin', but it's he that's the proud man, the proud Corny, this day. Rise your head a little-aisy-there now, that'll do-one kiss to my son, now, before he laives his mammy, he says, for a weeny while, till he pays his little respects to his daddy an' to all his friends, he says, an' thin he'll come back to mammy agin-to his own little bottle, he says." Young Corny 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 youngsters on this occasion-jokes which have been registered by such personages as Rose, almost in every 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 breakfast, which, in honour of the happy event, was nothing less than "tay, white bread, and Boxty," with a glass of poteen to sharpen the appetite." As Boxty, 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 peeled raw; then is procured a tin grater, on which they are grated; the water is then shired off them, and the macerated mass is put into a clean sheet, or table-cloth, or bolster-cover. This is caught at each end by two strong men, who twist it in opposite directions until the contortions drive up the substance into the middle of the sheet, &c.; this of course expels 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 knead it into cakes, and bake it on a pan or griddle; 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 christening began to assemble. The gossips or sponsors were four in number; two of them wealthy friends of the family that had never been married, and the two others a simple country pair, who were anxious to follow in the matrimonial steps of Corny and his wife. The rest were, as usual, neighbours, relatives, and cleaveens, 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'Cann, the fool, who by the way could smell out a good dinner with as keen a nostril as the wisest man in the parish could boast of, and who on such occasions carried turf and water in quantities that indicated the supernatural strength of a Scotch brownie rather than that of a human being. Bob's qualities, however, were well proportioned to each other, for, truth to say, his appetite was equal to his strength, and his cunning to either. Corny and Mrs Moan were in great spirits, and indeed we might predicate as much of all who were present. Not a soul entered the house who was not brought up by Corny to an out-shot room, as a private mark of his friendship, and treated to an underhand glass of as good poteen "as ever went down the red lane," to use a phrase common 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 mirthful to an unusual degree. Breakfast at length commenced in due form. Two bottles of whisky were placed upon the table, and the first thing done was to administer a glass to each guest. good woman's health before we ate, especially as it's the first | lounged about Corny's house, or took little strolls in the time, any how." "To be sure they will, achora, an' why not? An' if it's the first time, Corny, it won't be the- Musha! you're welcome, Mrs. -I an' jist in time too"-this she said, addressing his mother-in-law, who then entered. "Look at this swaddy, Mrs ; my soul to happiness, but he's fit to be the son of a lord. Eh, a pet? Where was my darlin'? Corny, let me dip my finger in the whisky till I rub his gums wid it. That's my bully! Oh, the heavens love it, see how it puts the little mouth about lookin' for it agin. Throth you'll have the spunk in you yet, acushla, an' it's a credit to the Kehos you'll be, if you're spared, as you will, plaise the heavens !" "Well, Corny," said one of the gossips, "here's a speedy uprise an' a sudden recovery to the good woman, an' the little sthranger's health, an' God bless the baker that gives thirteen to the dozen, any how!" "Ay, ay, Paddy Rafferty, you'll have your joke any way; an', throth, you're welcome to it, Paddy; if you were'nt, it is'nt standin' for young Corny you'd be to-day.' "Thrue enough," said Rose, "an', by the dickens, Paddy is'nt the boy to be long under an obligation to any one. Eh, Paddy, did I help you there, avick? Aisy, childre; you'll smother my son if you crush about him that way." This was addressed to some of the youngsters, who were pressing round to look at and touch the infant. neighbourhood, until the hour of dinner. This of course was much more convivial, and ten times more vociferous, than the breakfast, cheerful as that meal was. At dinner they had a dish, which we believe is, like the Boxty, peculiarly Irish in its composition: we mean what is called sthilk. This consists of potatoes and beans, pounded up together in such a manner that the beans are not broken, and on this account the potatoes are well champed before the beans are put into them. This is dished in a large bowl, and a hole made in the middle of it, into which a miscaun or roll of butter is thrust, and then covered up until it is melted. After this, every one takes a spoon and digs 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 ascribing the motive of their proceedings to the principle of the old proverb, devil take the hindmost. Sthilk differs from another dish made of po tatoes in much the same way, called colcannon. If there were beans, for instance, in colcannon, it would be sthilk. This practice of many persons eating out of the same dish, though Irish, and not cleanly, is of very old antiquity. Christ himself mentions it at the Last Supper. Let us hope, however, that, like the old custom which once prevailed in Ireland, of several persons drinking at meals out of the same mether, the usage we speak of will soon be replaced by one of more cleanliness and individual comfort. After dinner the whisky began to go round, for in these days punch was a luxury almost unknown to the class we are writing of. In fact, nobody there knew how to make it but the midwife, who wisely kept the secret to herself, aware that if the whisky were presented to them in such a palatable 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 those visits which she continues to pay during the convalescence of her patients. "It won't be my fault if I do, Rose," said Paddy, slyly eyeing Peggy Betagh, then betrothed to him, who sat opposite, her dark eyes flashing with repressed humour and affection. Deafness, however, is sometimes a very convenient malady to young ladies, for Peggy immediately commenced a series of playful attentions to the unconscious infant, which were just sufficient to excuse her from noticing this allusion to their marriage. Rose looked at her, then nodded comically to Paddy, shutting both her eyes by way of a wink, adding aloud, "Throth you'll be the happy boy, Paddy; an' woe betide you if you are'nt the sweetest end of a honeycomb 'Come, Rose," said Corny, who was beginning to soften to her. Take care an' don't bring me upon you. Well, Peg-fast, "it's your turn now to thry a glass of what never seen gy, never mind, alanna; who has a betther right to his joke wather." "I'll take the glass, Dandy-'deed will I-but the than the dacent boy that's-aisy, childre: saints above! thruth is, I never dhrink it hard, No, but I'll jist take a drop but ye'll smother the child, so you will.- Where did I get him, o' hot wather an' a grain o' sugar, an' scald it; that an' es Dinney? sure I brought him as a present to Mrs Keho; I much carraway seeds as will lie upon a sixpence does me never come but I bring a purty little babby along wid me good; for, God help me, the stomach isn't at all sthrong wid than the dacent boy, dear, that's soon to be your lovin' hus- me, in regard of bein' up so much at night, an' deprived of my band? Arrah, take your glass, acushla; the sorra harm it'll do nathural rest." you." Bedad, I'm afeard, Mrs Moan. What if it 'ud get into my head, an' me's to stand for my little godson? No, bad scran to me if I could-faix, a glass 'ud be too many for me." It's not more than half filled, dear; but there's sense in what the girl says, Dandy, so don't press it an her." In the brief space allotted to us we could not possibly give any thing like a full and correct picture of the happiness and hilarity which prevailed at the breakfast in question. When it was over, they all prepared to go to the parish chapel, which was distant at least a couple of miles, the midwife staying at home to see that all the necessary preparations were made for dinner. As they were departing, Rose took the Dandy aside, and addressed him thus: Now, Dandy, when you see the priest, tell him that it is your wish, above all things, that he should christen it against the fairies.' If you say that, it's enough. And, Peggy, achora, come here. You're not carryin' that child right, alanna; but you'll know betther yet, plaise goodness. No, avillish, don't keep its little head so closely covered wid your cloak; the day's a burnin' day, glory be to God, an' the Lord guard my child; sure the least thing in the world, where there's too much hait, 'ud smother my darlin'. Keep its head out farther, and just shade its little face that way from the sun. Och, will I ever forget the Sunday whin poor Mally M'Guigan wint to take Pat Feasthalagh's child from under her cloak to be christened, the poor infant was a corpse; an' only that the Lord put it into my head to have it privately christened, the father an' mother's hearts would break. Glory be to God! Mrs Duggan, if the child gets cross, dear, or misses any thing, act the mother by him, the little man. Eh, alanna! where was it? Where was my duck o' diamonds-my little Con Roe? My own sweety little ace o' hearts-eh, alanna! Well, God keep it, till I see it again, the jewel!" Well, the child was baptized by the name of his father, and the persons assembled, after their return from chapel, 66 "Rose," said one of them, "is it thrue that you war called out one night, an' brought blindfoulded to some grand lady belongin' to the quality?" 66 Wait, avick, till I make a drop o' wan-grace for the misthress, poor thing; an', Corny, I'll jist throuble you for about a thimbleful o' spirits to take the smell o' the wather off it. The poor creature, she's a little weak still, an' indeed it's wonderful 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 scald the drop of spirits for herself, or, in other words, to mix a good tumbler of ladies' punch, making it, as the phrase goes, hot, strong, and sweet-not forgetting the carraways, to give it a flavour. This being accomplished, she made the wan-grace for Mrs Keho, still throwing in a word now and then to sustain her part in the conversation, which was now rising fast into mirth, laughter, and clamour. "Well, but, Rose, about the lady of quality, will you tell us that ?" "Oh, many a thing happened me as well worth tellin', if you go to that; but I'll tell it to you, childre, for sure the curiosity's nathural to yez. Why, I was one night at home an' asleep, an' I hears a horse's foot gallopin' for the bare life up to the door. I immediately put my head out, an' the horseman says, Are you Mrs Moan?' That's the name that's an me, your honour,' says myself, 'Dress yourself thin,' says he, for you're sadly wanted; dress yourself, 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 face in sich a way that I couldn't catch a glimpse of it. Well, my dear, we didn't let the grass grow undher our feet for about a mile or so. Now,' says he, you must allow yourself to be blindfoulded, an' it's useless to op A wan-grace is a kind of small gruel or meal tea sweetened with sugar. |