The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-07-26
VOLUME 27.1

IhOdSV3 W NC oulS3 Hdo CIOWu6uJ DuI SIG lid
already made arrangements, and had be
ready. AS for fire in my bedroom, sh
could not recommend that, because th
wind blew so mortal sthrong down tn
chimney since the pot had blown off-ba
cess to it; and that loon, Mick Hackett
wouldn't lend hand to put it up again
because there were jobs going on at the BIZ
house bad luck to every joint of his body
thin,' said Mrs. Kirwan, with great energy
Nevertheless she and Mick Hackett, tn
mason, were excellent friends
protested myself ready to go at once t
the bedroom without the fire, and was lie,
away up stairs. asked where was to ca
my breakfast and dine On the next day, am
was assured that should have the room s
strong ly perfumed with whiskey all to my
lself. l had been rather cross before, but OF
hearing this became decidedly sulky. |
wac not that l could not eat my breakfas
in the chamber in question, but that | saw
before me seven days of absolute misery,
| could have no other place of refuge 70
myself than room in which, as was toc
plain, all Ballymoy came to drink anC
lsmoke. But there was no alternative, a
any rate for that night, and the following
morning, and therefore gulped down my
anger without further spoken complaint
and followed the barefooted maiden upstairs
seeing my portmanteau carried up before
me.
Ireland is not very well known now, tc
all Engishman, but it is much better
known than it was in those days On this
my first visit into Conpaught | own that
was somewhat scared lest should be
made victim to the wild lawlessness and
general savagery of the people; and fan
cled, as in the wet windy gloom of the
night | could see the crowd of natives stand
ing round the doors of the inn, and just dis
Germ their naked legs and old battered hats
Ballymoy was probably one of those places
SO far removed from civilization and law as
to be an unsafe residence for an English
Protestant. | had undertaken this service,
with my eyes more or less open, and was
determined to go through with it; but
confess that was by this time alive to its
dangers. 1t was an early resolution with
me that would not allow my portmanteau
be out of my sight. To that would cling :;
with that ever close to me would live on
that, if needful, would die. | therefore
required that it should be carried up the
narrow stairs before me. and saw it depos-
tied safely in the bedroom
The stairs were very narrow and very
steep. Ascending them was like climbing
into loft. The whole house was built in
a barbarous, uncivilized manner. and as fit
to be an hotel as it was to be church. 1t
was triangular and all corners, the most
uncomfortably arranged building had ever
seen. From the top of the stairs was
called upon to turn abruptly into the room
destined for me; but there was a side step
which | had not noticed under the glimmer
OF the small tallow candle, and stumbled
headlong into the chamber, uttering inpre-
cations against Pat Kirwan, BaIlymoy and
all Connaught. | hope the reader will re-
member that | had travelled for thirty con-
secutive hours, had passed sixteen in a
small comtortless canal boat without the
power of stretching my legs, and that the
wind had been at work upon me sideways
for the last three hours | was terribly
tired, and | spoke very uncivilIy to the
young woman.
''Shure. yer honor, it's as clane as clane
and az dhry as dhry, and has been slept in
every night since the big storm, y said the
girl, good-humoredly. Then she went on
to tell me something more of Father Giles,
OF which however, | could catch nothing, as
she was bending over the bed folding down
the bedclothes. ''Feel of 'em'' said she,
"they's a, dhry as dhry." | did feel them,
and the sheets were dry and clean, and the
bed, though very small, locked as if it would
be comforta BILE. So somewhat softened
my tone to her, and babe her call me next
morning at eight. "Shure, yer honor, and
Father Giles will call yer hisself," said the
girl. | begged that Father Giles might be
instructed to do no such thing The girl,
however, insisted that he would, and then
left me. Could it be that in this savage
place, it was considered to be the duty of
the parish priest to go round, with mathis
perhaps, or some otner abominable papst
ceremony, to the beds of all strangers P
My mother, who was strict woman, had
warned me vehemently against the mach
nations Of the Irish priests, and ], in truth,
had been disposed to ridicule her. Could it
be that there were such Vaccinations Was
it possible that my trowsers might be re-
fused me till | had taken mass Or that
force should be put upon me in some other
shape, perhaps equally disagreeable?
Regardless of that and other horrors, or
rather, ] should perhaps say, determined to
face manfully whatever horrors the night
or morning might bring upon ME, began
to prepare for bed, There was something
! pleasant in the romance of sleeping at Pat
Kirwan's house in Ballymoy, instead of my
own room in Keppel street, Russell square.
So chuckled inwardIy at Pat Kirwan's
idea of hotel, and unpackek my things
There was little table covered with clean
cloth, on which l espied small comb
moved the comb carefully without touching
it, and brought the table up to my bedside
put out my brushes and clean linen for the
morning, said my prayers, defying Father
Giles and his Vaccinations, and jumped in.
to bed. The bed certainly was good, and
the sheets were very pleasant. In five
minutes | was fast asleep. How long haC
slept when was awakened, never knew
But it was at some hour in the dead o.
night when was disturbed by footsteps in
my room, and on jumping up saw tall
stout, elderly man standing with his back
to me, in the middle of the room, brushing
his clothes with the utmost care. His coa
was still on his back, and his pantaloons OF
his legs but he was most assiduous in hi
attention to every part OF his BODY which h'
could reach. | sat upright, gazing at him
as | thought then, for ten minutes-we will
say that l did so perhaps for forty seconds
and of one thing became perfectly certain
namely, that the clothesbrush was my own
Whether, according to Irish hotel law,
gentleman would be justified in entering
strangers room at midnight for the sake Q
brushing his clothes, could not say
but felt quite sure that in such case b
would be bound to use the hotel brush o
his own. There was a manifest trespas
on my property. Sir" said /, speakin!
very sharply, with the idea of startling him
what are you doing here, in this cham
ber?''
; Deed, then, and I'm sorry I've wake
ye' my boy" said the stout gentleman.
= Mhl you have the goodness, sir, to tel
q me ~. Shat you are doing here? ~
: B3e:dad. then, just at this moment it.
= . nIushlng my clothes l am. Il was hadl