Polynesian., 1856-09-20
Irish Proverbs.

The proverb, as has been well said, embodies the
wisdom Of many and the wit of one. Il is the
quintessence of peoples experience and sagacity,
colOred by their wit and imagination. 1t knits up
n universal law in a particular example, and forms
unfailing argument in the mouths of the people.
Proverbs are confined 10 no age or country, but
often common to different languages and nations.
Thus have been interested in looking over
a collection OF Irish proverbs to see how many of
them similar IN language or spirit to those used
in this country. Thus among the people of Ulster
sly, knowing fellow is said to 'know the butther-
ed side of his bannock;' rough but honest friend
is said to be 'betther nor he's likely, like swing
ed cat - good trouncinT with shielah ls dis
guispd as a :" rubbing down with the oil Of haze;'
of an inefficient it is said s. he will never set
the Lagan on fire :" Z" them at gets the name of
early risin' NAV lie all day. The equivalents Of
these are familiar to all New Englanders. But
there are Others Which have local cOlOung, and
are full of Irish wit. For instance lazy man
is beGgarmans brother" :" of one who with goot
talents and prospects has thrown himself away IN
hfe it is oddly but expresSively said, be was cut
out for a gentleman, but the devil ran away with
the patthern; :" an eccentric person, when the &C.
centricity is not excessive is said, oddly enough,
TO want n square of being round = flighty per-
son is said to - have bee in his bonnet" The
English maxim, " Happy is the wife who is married
to a motherless son." falls infinitely shoit in ex
pressveness of the Ulster rhyme
"Of all the ould thar saw,
Sweet bad luck 90 my muthcT-In law -
4 man who anticipates his income IS said :. to
eat the calf in the cows belly OF niggardiy,
hardfsted chur it Is said that sit is hard to draw
shilling out of his pocket, to drag cat ont OF
silk stocking by the tail" The Ulster proverbs
do not spare the fair sen. DO like the women
say no. and take it" is bad compliment 10 female
sincerity. Mkt after single, good wife's best"
II of tba cha orrrt
of matrimony. There is much good feeling, how
ever conveyed in another of these popular sayings,
~ It's niver lost that friend gets" There Is II
proverbal phrase in in Ulster, that has so Gu
rious an origin that we arc tempted 10 copy the
story
An article in which the cost of accessories far
exceeds that Of the article itself or its nominal
material Is said to be "lke the limestone BROTH.
An oId-schOol farmer whose family Is Just emerg-
ing into gentility will apply thig phrase TO the rIb-
bons or other trimmings of his daughters bonnes,
or to the furnishing of his wife'S new parlor. The
limestone broth was the device employed by sly
old bOccagh, or wandering mendIcant, to secure
GOOD supper without seeming to ask tor H. Making
his way into plain but likely cottage, he begged
the goo6-wife, TO lend him small pot, and permit
him to cook his supper upon her FIRE. On her ac-
cedng to his request, he produced from his wal-
let two substantial pieces of lreshlycu limestone,
which he laid carefully in the pot and just cover
ing them with water, placed the pct on the fire to
boil. The good woman could not help asking him
what it was that he was going to make, and was
informed that it was limestone broth. When The
boiling had proceeded for some time, the beg
par-man tasted the contents, and pronouncing the
broth excellent begged fora little salt to season It.
By-and-bye, he suggested that all it wanted wGs
sooonfuI of meal to thicken it. Next came pc
tition for slice or two Of turniPs and leeks, to
give j, little substance; aud in the end a hint
that it wouldn't be the of "knuckle of ba-
con- "stt to give it the aste taste IN the world the
| favor of the mate.n The good woman who watch
cd The proceeding with the utmost interest cheer
f1lv comped with all those successive requsitions,
and when at last, at the conclusion Of the opera
ton, she was invited to try the limestone broth,
she pronounced it 'quite good as any mate-broth
she ever tasted in all her hfen' The application OF
the story will be readily understood.-POrtfGEa
] Transcript,