The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-01-11 00:00:00

5) to t

TIE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

The Parlour Library. " The Emigrants of Ahadarra,"
by T. J. Carleton. London.
_ - .

Mr. Carleton stands almost alone, or at all events
above most of his contemporary tale writers and novelists
in his nice appreciation of, and power of describing—the
wild habits and eccentricities, both good and evil, of the
peasantry of his native country. In the emigrants of
Ahadarra, he has succeeded in painting some pictures of
the peculiar features of Irish society which are worthy of
being attentively studied. Jemmy Burke, the snug
farmer, ,shrewd and industrious, yet carrying his gene-
rosity to a faulty extreme, and slovenly in the very points
in which want of care renders his shrewdness and indus-
try vain, is a character too commonly to be found in
Ireland and intimately associated with that country's
want of progress in the social scale. The whole history
of the Mahon family is full of interest and instruction.
The old man, Tom Mahon especially, with his credulous
reliance upon the word of a " gentleman " being as good
as a lease, is a capital character, as are several others in
the tale. The working out of the plot is not quite so
happy as Mr. Carleton has been in some of his previous
works ; and the conclusion strikes us as being somewhat
hasty, as if the author had been pulled up before he had
done with his subject. We have given some extracts
below :

occasion some vivid glances, that were burthened, as they
passed aslant their fair faces, with pithier feelings than
those that originated from a simple desire of victory. If
truth must be told, baleful flashes, unmeasured both in
number and expression, were exchanged in a spirit of true
defiance between the interested and contending parties,
as the close of the contest approached. At length, by the
proclamation of the reelers, the great body of the compe-
titors were thrown out, and they consequently gave up the
contest. It was now six o'clock, and the first sound of
seven o'clock by Captain Millar's bell was to close the
proceedings, and enable the reelers to proclaim the victor.
Only four names now remained to battle it out to the
last; to wit, a country farmer's daughter, named Betty
Aikins, Dora M`Mahon, Hanna Cavanagh, and a servant
girl belonging to another neighbour, named Peggy Badly.
This ruck, as they say on the turf, was pretty well up to-
gether, but all the rest nowhere. And now, to continue
the metaphor, as is the case at Goodwood or the Cur-
ragh, the whole interest was centred upon these four.
At the commencement of the last hour the state of the
case was proclaimed, as follows :—Betty Aikins, three
dozen and eight cuts; Dora M`Mahon, three dozen and
seven cuts; Hanna Cavanagh, three dozen and five cuts;
and Peggy Bailly, three dozen and four cuts. Every in-
dividual had now lier own party anxious for her success,
and amidst this hour of interest how many hearts beat
with all the hopes and fears that are incident even to the
most circumscribed contests of human life. Opposite
Dora stood the youth whom we have already noticed,
James Cavanagh, whose salvation seemed but a very
trifling thing when compared or put into opposition with
her success. Be this as it may, the moment was a most
exciting one, even to those who felt no other interest than
that which naturally arises from human competition.
And it was unquestionably a beautiful thing to witness
this particular contest between four youthful and indus-
trious young women. Dora's otherwise pale and placid
features were now mantling, and her beautiful dark eyes
flashing, under the proud and ardent spirit of ambition,
for such, in fact, was the principle that now urged and
animated the contest. When nearly half-an-hour had
passed, Kathleen came behind her, and stooping down,
whispered—' Dora, don't turn your wheel so quickly : you
move the foot-board too fast—don't twist the thread too
much and you'll let down more.'
" Dora smiled and looked up to her with a grateful and
flashing eye ; ' Thank you, Kathleen,' she replied, nod-
ding, ' take your advice.' The state of the contest
was then proclaimed :—Betty Aikins, three dozen and ten
cuts; Dora M•Mahon, three dozen and ten cuts ; Hanna
Cavanagh, three dozen six cuts and a half ; Peggy Bailly,
three dozen, five and a half.

" On hearing this, Betty Aikins's cheek became scarlet,
and as it is useless to disguise the fact, several flashing
glances that partook more of a Penthesilean fire than the
fearful spirit which usually characterizes the industrious
pursuits of Minerva, were shot at generous Dora, who
sustained her portion of the contest with singular spirit
and temper.
" You may as well give it up, Dora M`Mahon,' ex-
claimed Betty; `there never was one of your blood could
open against an Aikins—the stuff is not in you to beat
me.'

" ' A very little time will soon tell that,' replied Dora ;
but indeed, Betty, if I am doin' my best to win the
kemp, I hope it's not in a bad or unfriendly spirit, but in
one of fair play and good humour'
" The contest now went on for about fifteen minutes,
with surpassing interest and animation, at the expiration
of which period, the seven o'clock bell already alluded to,
rang the hour for closing their labours and determining
thei victory. Thus stood their relative positions—Dora
M`Mahon, four hanks and three cuts ; Betty Aikins, four
hanks; Hanna Cavanagh, three hanks and nine cuts;
Peggy Bailly, three hanks and eight cuts.
" When this result was made known, Betty Aikin burst
into a loud fit of grief, in which she sobbed as if her very
heart would break, and Kathleen stooping down, congra-
tulated the beautiful girl upon her victory, kissing her at
the same time as she spoke—an act of love and kindness
in which she would have joyfully been followed by several
of her male friends, if they Lad dared to take that deli-
cious liberty.
" The moment of victory, we believe, is that which
may be relied upon as the best of true greatness. Dora
M`Mahon felt the pride of that moment in its fullest ex-
tent, but she felt it only to influence her better and nobler
principles. After casting her eyes around to gather in, as
it were, that approbation which is so natural, and ex-
changing some rapid glances with the youth we have al-
luded to, she went over to her defeated competitor, and
taking her hand said, ' Don't cry, Betty, you have no oc-
casion to be ashamed ; sure, as you say, it

's the first time
; an' indeed if

I feel proud now, every one knows an' says I have a right
to he so ; for where was there—ay, or where is there—