Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1861-11-14
BARNY OREIRD0N THE NAVIGATOR.
OF Tw ARD BoUN

Well, he went farther and 'arthcr than can tell.
Nursery Tale.
A vprv striking chnrocreristic of an Irish
m"n is his unwilingnrS> to We ontdone Some
hav" ever heen unwilling to attribute an IN.
"mnh'e motive to my rcuutrymrn whore n bet.
ter NAV he found, and one coaIv tending to
produce similar result. and | consider deep
-eat"d prl' Of emulation 10 originate this pecu-
Iiar''y. PhrenologIsts might resolve it by sup
posing the organ OF the love Of appreciation to
predrminate in our Irish craniums, bnt as
am not in the least metaphy~ician and very
htt'e Of n phrenoogiSt, | leave those who choose
10 settle the point in question, quite content
with the know ledge of the fact with which
started, viz, tie nnwingness Of an Irishman
10 he outdone. This spirit, it il likely, may
sometimes le"d men into ridiculous positions (;
but it is ednally probable that the desire of sur
passing one another has given birth to many of
the noblest actor and some Of the most valu
able inventions let US. therefore, not fall out
with it,
Now, having vindicated the motire Of my
conn'rymen | will prove the total absence Of
national prejudice in so doing, by giving an H.
lustra'ion OF the ridicul'ns consequences attend
ant upon this Ilibernan peculiariiy
Barny O'Reirdon was a fisherman of Kin
sale, and henrtier fellow never hauled a net
nor cast a line into deep water; indeed, ,arny,
independently of being merry boy among his
companions, lover of good fun and good whis-
key, was looked up to, rather, by his brother
fishermen. as an intelligent fellow, and few
hoats brought more fish 10 market than Barny
o Reirdon's; his opinion on certain points in
the craft was considered law, and. in Short in
his own little community, Barry was what is
commonly called leading man. Now, your
leading man is always jealous in an inverse ratio
to the sphere of his influence. and the leader of
nation is less incensed at rivals triumph.
than the great man of village. If we pursue
this descending scale, what desperately jeal-
Gus man the oracle of oyster.dredgers and cookie
women must be Such was Barny O'Reirdon.
Seated one night at public house, the COM
mon resort of Barny and other marine curiosities.
our hero got cntaDged in debate with'what he
caIed a strange sail that is to say, a man he
had never met before, and whom he was incliu-
ed to treat rather magisteriaIly upon nautical
subjects. at the same time that he stranger was
equally inclined 10 assume the high hand over
him, ill at last the newcomer made regular
outbreak by exc'aimng, 'Ah rare an-ouns
lave off your baIderdash. Mr. O'Reirdon. by
the powdhers of war it's enough, so it is, to
make dog bite his father, TO hear You goin an
as if you wor Cnrumherus or Sir Cru-typhiz
Wrsn whin livery one knows the .ivil farther
you ever wor, nor ketchin crabs or drudga
oysters
wv ho 'owd yon that. my Waterford won.
dher ? rejoined Barny, what the dickens do
you know about sayfnrin' farther nor fi,hiu for
'pra's in a bowl with your grandmother
Oh, h"ithershin" says the stranger
Aud who made you so how'd with my name 2
demanded OReirdon.
N" matther for that, said the stran .ed, but
IT you'd like for to know. shurc it's your cousin
Molly Mullins knows me well, and maybe |
don't know you and yours as we'll az the mother
that bore you, aye, in troh; and shure know
the very thoughts o. you as well as if was in.
side O. you, Rarny q 'Rsrdon.'
BY my sowI, thin you know better thoughts
than your own Mr.. Whip2ersnapper. if that 8
tho name you 80 BY