The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-04-06
prise, and scowls Of indignation betrayed them
selves in the tell-tale features Of the members Of
XIha bar
IRISH sUPERsTITIoNS.
BY P. M'TEAcuE, Esa.


about, that they hardly gave us one dry day; and|
boatman on lnchqnn lake gravely assured mel
they made such noises al night that he never|
could row about till after sunrise
As Tor mermalds, the rocks and waves of the|
ocean claim them; but strange to say, they sell
dom visit the shores Of Ireland Thousands|
must have seen them, or how could they haveI
been so accurately described, with their looking
glasses in one hand, and small tooth combs in|
the other2 They give decided preference to|
Scotland; and if our gallant neighbors will coax
them their way, we cannot help it, happy and|
proud enough with our own sweet girls-indeed|
we would not give one Of our warm hearted
rosy checked milk maids for a hundred mer-
maids.
What particular kind of devils, witches, sprites
or fairies were concerned in the tricks and out
RACES which am about now to relate, neve ed
could find out; but assuredly the following oc-
currences caused not only great alarm in my
neighborhood, but actually, as was said, baffled
for time the power of the priest, were the cause
OF numerous family being obliged 10 quit al
snug farm, and have never yet been openly ac-
counted for on any other principle but that of be-
ing deserved punishment for irreverence tod
wards the 'good people" or fairies. Puck must
have had instructions to punish this family sell
yerely, because every member Of it felt its ven-I
geance. The narrative is quite current in this|
part OF Clare, and the account as familiar to|
numbers as the other stories.
have heard different versions of this tale, but
prefer the relation of it as given by my neigh
Dor Ned Hurry "a shrewd fellow by -ihe-by,) and
shall endeavor TO keep to his own words as near
as can.
sob! then, them Clunes was the unlucky|
people an so well as the might a. done butt
I'll tell yer honor all about it as near as have i'll
mesef
"Wel, yer honor, you see the Clunes lived in|
a shnug lump of a farmhouse on the Scarif|
road. The wor purity large family o. them,
and rinted twelve acres of right good land but,
somehow or another, the wor not well ordher-
ed family, by rason of negecting mass, and|
drnkin' whiskey. Paddy Clune himsf might
be at or over fifty at this time, and his wife NIGH
hand it. They had four boys an two girls att
home wild 'em, most of all ages betune ten and|
twenty -four, an not wan of 'em could read, or
write, or say catechism, Chem was dark times, i
yer honor, an swearn' an dhrinkn' times, butt
it won't be SO, phase GodD So what could the|
cratures do, but be gagging, an humbuggng,
an desaving, and dhrinkin', an fghtin' an tell
lin lies among the neighbors, an what was
worst of all, 'ud be intherfarine wild the good
people, an crassn' an making game NV 'em
an long enough the put up wild the thratement !;
but If the did, the pay dag KEN at last
1T was just at the edge of the last hard win
ter we had in these parts, an they wor all sittin'
wan evening round the hearth, an over the fire
there was great pot of p'trhates nigh hand
upon the bile, an, bein' hungry enough, the
tongues NV 'em wor moving about inside ther
jaws, and acrass ther mouths All at wanst off
went big crack
"s What's that at all p said ould Paddy. Mick,
ibid you hear il -siz he.
al did, siz Mick. Maybe it's the good peo-
Dle' sig he. Geern.' YOU Dersaye0
- ell, there was great big hape o. turf
stacked up in wan corner of the kitchen, an in
wan minute more there was another crack, that
med the old woman jump up clane aft Nv her
stool.
"'Tunder an turf! what soort a TRICKS are
We. at now, boys p sz she.
"'None in life, mother siz Jenny. Itmust
be the cat atther mouse in the turf, or maybe
it's rat she's got, siZ Jenny.
81 wish it was that ould bag that turn'd the
milk an rue this mornin,' siz Biddy, or the wan
that sharmed the butter yesterday 2 an another
bang wint aft as loud as blunderbush j
Get up, Jenny, an look inside the turf,
siz the ould man. whats it at all now {? slz
he.
$50 fatherp siz Jenny, there's great big
pair Nv eyes looking at me full in the face out Of
the turf, an hapes o. things moving about up an
down! o pull me away out o. this can't stir
a fut, or them eyes III break my collar bone Y
siZ he.
"The words wor hardly out of Jemmy's
mouth, whin a laundering big clod of dirt kem|
down the shimminy, an such cryin' an baw i
ling as the ould woman an her daughter sot up \
an thin the turf began swellin' up like wave|
av the say, an stint Jenny down on the fiat uv|
his back, an hard sod flew out and fetchd|
Mick a rattlin' blow an his head!
"Jemmy sprung up an his feet, and Mick fell
~ op5 M ho ~ hn hat "
sz he, scratchin' his poll, 'Musha be the grey
goat-an' that's a hairy oath (the devil FROM
me y but I'll kill some o ye if we don't stop sill
he. An hardly wor the words out iv his ugly
mouth but up comes shower av turf sods out av
the corner, rattin' an dhrivin' about ther heads
an sorra wan NV em at all but didn't get cou-
pie of turrble pelts at fursht go aft! The ould
man had the wig hot aft his head an his wife
was tumbled on her hands an knees, an thin
row over an over, dhrivn' the air wild her heels,
an alt NV em tearin', an swearin,' an bawln' a
murdhers and the harder they swore
1.-THE Lord save us y the thicker the turfsods wo1
flying, great voys an showers entirely, till the'
wor nigh hand smuddercd undher the turf anil
not wan sod left in the corner, nor a lvin' sowl
to be seen but themselves. So whin the turf
was all out o. the corner, there was little pace,
to be sure, an the help'd pull one another aft av
the fure an hills o. turf, an Mick, an Jem, anil
Biddy swearing worse than ever, an calm Out,
/ Bad luck TO we, whoever We are, an whatever
We arer (thnk of them words, yer honorD and
to the devil well pitch ye ? and so the went an !;
an if the, did that minnet the big pot of lum i
pers began to bile over, an up comes one clane|
out av the pot, an hot Jenny plump on the|
nose an thin another riz billing hot, an gov
Jenny turr'ble pet an the face, another nigh
tux the very ear clean aft Bddy's head. Oh bel
the powers y siz Mick, 'we' be ruined,' siz he
h o wisha-wishap siz Biddy, what do7 II
believe the caro- me is gone ? siz she.
"An' with that up comes the whole contint's
av the billing pot of p'trhaties, like shower of
balls out av big cannon, an knocked the ould
couple down again, an all the shildher, big anil
IL. :.