Delaware State journal and statesman., 1865-11-28
o,ooNNELL AND THE sooLD.

O,CONNELL AND THE sCOLD.
One of the drolest scenes of yituperation
that O'Connell ever figured in took place in
the early part of his life. Not long after he
was called to bar, his character and peculiar
talents received rapid recognition from all
who were casually acquainted with him.
His talent for vituperative language was per-
ceived, and by some he was, even in those
days, considered matchless as scod. How
ever, there was at that time in Dublin q GER
tain woman, Biddy Moriarty, who had
huckster's stall on one end of the quay,
nearly opposite the -Four Courts. She was a
virago of the first order, very able with her
fists, and still more formidable with her
tongue. From one end of Dublin TO the
other she was notorious for her powers of
abuse, and even in the provinces Mrs. Mori-
asty's language had passed into currency
The dictionary of Dublin slang had been
considerably enlarged by her, and her yolu-
Bile impudence had almost become proven
bial. Some of o 'Connell's friends, however,
thought he could beat her at the use of her
own weapons. OF this, however, he had
some doubt himself when he had listened
once or twice to some minor specimens of
her billingsgate. 1t was mooted once wheth-
er the young Kerry barrister could encounter
her, and some one ofthe company, Tin O'Con-
nell's presence,) rather ridiculed the idea of
his being able to meet the famous Madame
Moriarty. 0'Connell never liked the idea
of being put down, and confessed his rcadi-
ness to encounter her, and even backed him
self for the match. Bets were offered and
taken, and it was decided that the matter
should come off at once.
The party adjourned to the hucksters stall,
and there was the owner herself, superin-
tending the sale of her small wares. A few
loungers and ragged idlers were also hang
ing around the stall, for Biddy was ''char-
acter," and in her way was one of the sights
of Dublin.
o'Connell was very confident of success.
He had laid very ingenious plan for over
coming her, and with all the anxiety of an
ardent experimentalist, waited to put it in
practice. At this time O'Connell's own
party and the loungers about the place
formed an audience quite sufficient to rouse
Mrs. Moriarty, on public provocation, to a
due exhibition of her powers. O'Connell
commenced the attack by asking
"What's the price of this walking stick,
Mrs. What's-your-
"Moriarty, sir, is my name; and good
one it is, too, and what have you to say agin
itG-and one-and. six pence's the price of the
stick. Troth, it's as cheap as dirt, so it is. "
"one-and-six-pence for such walking
stick? Whew! why, you are no better than
an imposter, to ask one-and-six-penc for
what cost only two-pencel'
"Two- pence your grandmotherr' replied
Mrs. Biddy. "Do you mean to say that its
cheating the people amH Imposter in
deedl"
"Ay, imposterl and it's that call you tc
. your teeth" replied O'Connell.
Come, cut your stick, you cantankeroui
jackanapes!n
Keep civil tongue in your head, yor
II, old diagonal!" replied o'Connell, calmly.
"stop your jaw, you pug-nosed badger, o.
by this and by that" cried Mrs. Moriarty
4 ''l'll make you go quicker than you come.
I Don't be in a passion, my old radius
>. Anger will only wrinkle your beauty
by the hokey, if you say another wore
of impudence III tan your dirty hide, yol
bastely common scrubl and sorry III be Il
soil my fist with your carcass"
"Whew, boysl what passion old Bidd,
= is inl 1 protest, as am gentleman"
"Jintlemanl jintlemanl The like of yOi
jintlemanl Wisha, by gor, that bang
i, Banagher Why, you potato faced, pipper
sneezer, when did Madagascar monke.
like you pick up enough of common Chri!
tian dacency to hide your Kerry brogue?"
), "Easy, now," cried o'Connell, with in
perturbable good humor; "don't choke you
G self with fine language, you old whiskey
,s drinking parallelogramm
y "What's that you call me, you murderil
= villainr' roarcd Mrs Moriarty, stung int
fury.
~ call you," answered O'Connell, "
parallelograml and Dublin judge or jur
would say it's no libel to call you so'
30, tare and ounsl 0, holy Biddyl thu
an honest woman like me should be called
parybellygrum to her facel I'm none
your parrybellygrums, you rascally gallov
bird; you cowardly, sneaking, plate-lickin
blaggardp'
ooh, not you, indeed" retorted o'Col
- nell. why, suppose you'll deny thi
you keep hypotheneuse in your houseI'
"Irs lie for you, you bloody robberl
never had such thing in my house, yC
'ssss swindling old thiefl'
. "Why, all your neighbors know very We
~ that you not only keep hypotheneuse, b
that you have two diameters locked up
your garret, and that you go to walk wi
them every Sunday, you heartless old he
tagonl"
"ohl hear that, ye saints in glory o
el that's bad language for a fellow who wan
Co to pass himself off for a jintleman! May Il
diyil fly away with you, you mincher fro
MS Munster, and make celery sauce from yo
ind rotten limbsr'
i. "Ah, you can't deny the charge, you m