The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1849-03-13

likely, They had been drawing the dray, the
peasant'a cart, stilIsmeared Their bodies, and
lhrir MINES few as wild and untrimmed as
tbe sedgr, or the cotton rush Of the waste
Through which they flew. Their riders.
welding each heavy slick instead Of u ri.
ding whip which they applied ever and
anon, TO shoulder or flank Of the smoking
animals, were mounted on their bare backs,
land guided them by ghalters instead of ibri-
dps They were of those short, frieze coat
cd, shon knee breeched, grey stockinged
fellows, vino are as plentiful on Irish soil as
Ipotatoes.s From beneath taieir narrow
bri,nmed, old, brown hans, sireamed hail as
unkemped as their horses names. There
were were the Celficphysiognomy,the snub
and somew hatupiurned nose, the black tint
Of skin; they eye now looking grey, now
black; the frccklcd check, and sandy hair
Beard and whisker covered half the face;
and sbeir sheti, square saouidered bodies,
were bent forward wrih eager impa,icnce,
as they lhumped and kicked along their
horses, and mutcred what seemed more
curses than any thing else as they dashed
along. Ira ~i3. HsF..-'.- .+'E
The heron, sailing on broad and seeming
ly slow vans, still kept them invirw. Anon,
they reached apar, of the moorland, where
traces of human labor werc visible. Black
plies of peat stood on the SOLITARY ground,
ready, aflera summers cutting and drying,
! TO be carried away 10 the next village -
Ano ], patches Of cultivation presented
themselves. Plots Of ground, where the po
tatoe had giown on raised beds of a few
feet wide, with intervening trenches TO carry
of the bcggy water, and small fields where
grew more stalks of ragwort than grass, Ell.
closed by banks cast up and topped, here
and there, by briar or stone. Ii was Il e
lusbandry Of misery and indgence. The
ground had already again been been ma
nured by sea weed; but he villnge, where
was in Instead Of village, there were
patch s Of burnt ground, scoiched heaps Of
rubbish, and fragments of blackened walls.
There we've garden plots troddcn down, and
their few bushes rent up, or heavy with lat
ters of rags-and the two riders, as they
hurried by with gloomy visagcs aud mutter-
ed curses, uttered the sole but fatal court
eviction! @ =,
Anon, they came 10 where the ground
heaved itself into chaotic confusion.--
The huge bones of the earth protruded
themselves through the skin; stony heaps
swelled up here and. tlicre,s naked, black
and barren. Shattered rocks arose, sprin-
kled with bushes, and smoke curlcd up from
what looked like mere heaps Of rubbish, but
which we're in reality, human habilalions.-
Long dry grass Kissed and rusled in the
wind on their roofs, which were sunk by pla-
cos as if falling in, and pits Of reeking 6l'h
seemed placed 10 prevent every access 10
their low doors.
But here the TWO riders turned their s'eeds,
and speedily tying them to an elder bush,
disappeared in one of these cabins. 1t was
the closing hour of darkness: the heron
slowly sailed, and sought the place of its
regular roost.
Far different was this 10 the scenes il had
left Lofty trees darkened the steep slopes
near fine river Rich meadows lay at the
feet of these woods. stretching 10 the stream.
Fine heards of cattle lay in them, chewing
their cuds, aGer the plentiful gazing of the
day. A noble house showed itself by its
white walls, through the dusk of night,
around which the loftest trees seemed TO
stand as in proud guardianship, and broad
winding walks, dIscerned here and there,
gave evidence Of place where nature and
art had comb ned TO form paradise. There
we're ample pleasure grounGs; the ground
around which the heron had flown, might be
truly styled pain grounds. What has an
Irish cabin TO do with pleasure?
Within that house was assembled a happy
family. There was the father, fine 10 ,k-
ing man Of forty or so. Proud you would
have deemed him by his air, as he sal for o
while absorbed in his cushioned chair by the
fire, but moment afterwards, as troop Of
beautiful children came bounding into the
room, and lea was announced as ready by the
mother, his manner was instantly changed
into one so pleasant, playful, and full, moi
only Of ease, but of enjoyment, that you
saw him only as the glad father and amiablc
do nestle being. The mother, handsome
and lady-lke woman, was seated already at
the tea-table, and in another minute circle
of bright and teautifnl faces were alternate
}ly gazing at her own sweet and happy face,
and at the sunny one of the father. A
sound Of merry voices and childish laughter
was mingled with the prose tones of the
father, and the playful accents of The mother.
addressed now TO one, and now 10 another OF
the youthful group
Tea over, and the time for The retirement
Of the children approaching, the father rang
the bell, and the household assembled TO