Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-09-24
Peter Mulrooney.

intensely Irish; and must have kissed the barney
stone every morning regularly, from his youth up
wards. Ireland--if you believe him was The
Eden Of the world; aud yet. somehow or other,
ailer Peter go. settled here, he did not seem to
have any very fervent 10 go back 10 his Para
disc.
His FIST introduction of himself to my notice
was Characteristic of the man. he came towards
me with quick, stumbling gait, and touching
his hat lightly, said
'.rhe top Of the mornin' to yer honor! Would
ye like to hire handy boy!'
PeIer waSa at least lorty.
'What can you dog l enquired.
'Isit Tvs hatcan L do! Oh, begorra, there's nothn'
comes amSs TO me. any way
do you know any thing about farmins?'
Och, muIther! What 'ud be good fur if
didn't! Sure there was Mt more ilIIgant hand
in uld Ireland than meselE'
Have you ever had anything TO DO with horSes!'
'Bedad Slr, ye Just guessed it. Divil mater
hand wild the horse ye'I find in all the county of
Galway than Pether Mulrooney; All that S no r.'
'And cows!'
as IL >bastns ye name? Sure yer h0nor'S in
luck the day! Fax, I'd like 10 see the man 'ud
bale me wild the craythuts.'
'But, we farm differently here, Mulrooney, from
what they do in the old county.
Sure that's thrue any how. rs the dirlhy,
black naHgurS, the haythenS that's be dom the bad
work see. Augh! Sorra thing they're good for,
the Eating cannibaIs.'
And SO you think you could better it, 'Io you!'
'Bedad, slr II 'ud be poor chage of SpaPeeuI
am if couldn't Wasn't head mau to
SprCwPS, for more than two years! Och! but he
was the lllgant farmer! Bad cess TO the day left
him.
'But you regret SO much, why did you do so?'
'Ayeh and you may we'll az. Twas ov my
own dom sure. lis bit Of shindy l had,
and bruk Terry Lannahaa's head wId me SMILE
Iah. Oh, wlrra! witra! who'd a thought it was
so soft3'
'YOu didn't Kill him?' said 1. starting back in
horror.
as it murthered. ye name? Begono, he'd he
poor thing 10 MUD cracke skull, any way. Sure
sir, it " as nothing 20 Spake Of
Then why did you come way?'
'lrs dirty, name constable that I'D be coming
afther me, an what could 90 but bate him for the
trouble he was takin'! Mighty OnaSy IelI him,
amy way; an that's no lie.'
'Well, Peter, suppose try you for month. OF
course do not expect you 10 have perfect knC w
ledge of our ways al FIST. You must let me see
what you can dO.'
Good luck TO yer honor, IT'S raal gntlemln
ye What'lI be doin' first.
Peter was set TO perform various light services
upon the place; for entertaining Certain mlsgiv-
ing, as 10 Mr.. GluIrooneys capacity, determined
10 employ him as SOFT Of odd man until such
TIM. us could test more fully the amount Of farm
ing skill he possessed. The result was that soon
found Peter knew actually nothing beyond the
simple use OF the shovel. With that implement
he was truly dexeIouS. Horses he could neither
feed, clean, nor manage. In ploughing, he was
positively so awkward, that instead OF guiding
LrmIy the la miles of the plough, he pushed them
forward with all his strength tEOltng along all the
time by the side Of the iurrow; and instead UI
cutting the furIow slices straight, aud OF an even
depth, he ian them i'll and out, in the CrookrdeSt
way imaginable, while the depth undulated from
two to eight inches.
These experiments convinced me of Peters in.
capacity; SO, from thenceiorth, kept him employ
cd at ditchIng, or i'll the garden, i'll performing
light Offices for the household.
One day, having occasion TO go 10 town, called
him 10 me.
'Peter,' said |, Il think my carriage runs heavi-
ly. 1t wants greasimg; you do It!''
sure, sir he, 'what'nd be good for il
couldn't! Is 1t erase carriage? Faith, that's aSy
enough any way
Easy as it is, Peter, am half afraid to tust
you 10 do II; you make SO many LiunueTS. Per-
haps, alter all, had better go with you and see
ii done"
'Oh, wirra! wirra! did liver hear the likes o.
that What 'ud you be goin' Tor! Sure know
sab, but Peter, recolIect what you said about
the blowing,
Be!orroP said Peter, nothing abashed. .Its
all the FAULT oil the ploughs' in this conthry, any
how. Them's the coutrariest thing that liver bloke
a poor divll'S back; an that's no lIe.'
'And the horses, too, Peter, that you knew so
much abOut.'
'Irs Ameriky basis they are said Peter. would
yer honor understand Irish at FIRST, if ye whit a.
Cross to the ould cOunthry?'
shook my head.
'Skure, thin, that's the way it was,' said Peter,
triumphantly. III rael gintleman, like yer
honor, couldn't understand Irish. is it a brute
basic that has the farming To know il before tache
hung
well, we'll; but about tie carriage'
'Bedad, ye needn't throuble yourself about it
at all. There's mighty little dilIer in the carriages,
see, all the wurd over
BE careful, then, Peter; and grease it we'll, do
you hear?'
'Farz, I'll do that SINE thing. I'll be plszing
yer honor this time, any way.
an hour passed, and waited impatiently for
the caIUage. O.ce or twice saw Peter pass the
window wi h the siush bucket in his hand, and
began TO wonder what took him 10 the kitchen SO
often. Al length hailed HIM, TO know ii the We
hiCle was II, almost ready.
'Ayeh!' said Peter, 'wUud We have me spoil a
pueiy piece OF workl' It's little them naygurs
know about grasIHg any thing, the haytEenS'
But you are so long, Peter, had better come
out and see aGoutit myself
Fax! an there's no need. Your honor shall
haveit tUrnct the dure in no time.'
well; make haste then. for am in hurry
1t might have been fifteen minutes alter this,
that Peter knocked AT the door,
'Wlll L ut the horse IN, sing
Certainly If you eau. Is the carriage ready?'
'Och' sure, but lis beauy! Would your hun-
or cnme and look at il?'
Draw it out, will be there Directly
Feter went of, and was in the act of finging
open the doors of the outrage Louise as ap.
ptoached.
There sit!' said he, pointing to the carriage in
evident admiration. Did Yer honor ivet see the
like o. thal!'
'why, What on earth have you done to it?'
Creased il, sure, Elegantly! Bedad, but it
takes the slime; anyhow?'
never felt so angry in my life; and yet, the
WI ole affair, combined with Peters conscious
importance as if he prded himself IN having done
god thing, was So IudicronS that soon became
undetermined whether TO laugh or storm.
There stood my new carriage creased all oper
with slush, or what is CO nmonLy called in the
country, soap fat; not only the leather curtains
but the top the body, the running gealS, and even
the shafts and swingIetIee; literally one shining
mass of unsavCry grease. And thele stood Peter,
with his hat cooked knowingly on one side of his
head, his arms skinbo, and his eyes travelling
from mine to his work, with look ofthe most m
tense admiration. The aries 1rere left untouched