The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-11-21

washed, c0mDeQ, ana arrdyeu IN
clean starched cotton gown, and with
bright white stockings and well fit
ting boots; she had evidently just
completed the ONE toilet of the davs
Two others squatted at the bush door,
and they were foul as any Hottentots.
One filthy frieze petticOat worn about
the loins, another thrown loosely
over their backs-that was all their
clothing. Their toYzled hair hung
down upon their naked shoulders,
and struggled upon their unwashed
faces, as they sat In full stream of
gossip. All three were fine limbed
women, large and sturdy; as indeed
are many of the inhabitants of this
Arcadian village. Now and then |
came across some fragile creature,
her strength broken; but these we're
the exceptions rather than the rule,
certainly. And several of them were
not only fne-looking, but well man
nered girls-Uhea sober; and l had
an opportunity of seeing letter writ
ten BY one in as pretty and lady
like" a hand as if it had been traced
at davenport in BelgraVe Square,
instead of on the bottom of tin pot
in the Curragh.
Good day to you, sir; will you
walk into our little house?" This
greeting was addressed to me by the
woman in the clean cotton gown, and
| that in voice and with a manner
that had nothing In them but simple
civility & At the same moment her.
companion rose up and one OF them
attacked@my carman, Jimmy Lynch,
with language that was absolutely APP
palling. Now my courage was first
put to the test, no less by the civil
invitation than by the astounding out
burst of that black4haired young vi
rago. 70 walk into the little house
was what had come for; and there
was the invitation to make myself ac-
quainted with Curragh interior and
/ the domestic economy of the wren
1t was not with any alacrity, however,
| that / bowed my head and crept into
the bush-leaviDg ] immy to bear with
the monsterous blasphemies, the raw
ing obscenities, of the girl of eighteen
outside. ~ - .
It was washing day at No. 5 Bush,
with one of its tenants at least; and
she appeared to be engaged upon all
her clothes at once excepting only a
single frieze petticoat which she did
wear), in tin saucepan. Another
young woman, idly squatted near the
doorway, was hidden to get up : and
| give the jintleman safe" when it APP
peared that she was sitting on another
saucepan, bottom upward. This yes
sci was perforated all over, At the
sides and at the bottom alike; the
only explanation of which seemed to
me at the time to be that this was an
Irish device for letting the fire get
more readily at the water: however,
| learned the real use of a perforated
saucepaa afterwards. With apollo
gies to Miss Clancy, / accepted the
'sate "she profered and, dispOsing
| myself upon it with more or less of
grace, looked about me to discover
the appointments of wren's nest.
Little observation was needed to
make the inventory complete. The
most important piece of furniture
was a wooden shelf running along the
back of the nest, and propped on
| sticks driven into the earthen floor.
Some mugs; some plates; some
cups and saucers, a candlestick: two
or three old knives and forks, bat
tered and rusty; a few dull and
dlnted spoons: a teapot (thls being
a rather rich establishment, and sew.
eral other articles of like character,
were displayed upon the shelf; and
| grateful sight it was. declare was
most thankful for the cups and
saucers; and as for the teapot, it
looked like an ark of redemption In
crockery ware. IF they were not as
| told myself when my eyes first
rested on them, the only human look
ing things in the place, they did give
one comfortable feeling of assur
ance that these wretched and desper-
ate outcasts had not absolutely
broken with the common forms and
habits of civilized life. And that
this feeling was not strained or singu-
lar one | learned afterwards in CONVEX
sation with a soldier. This gentle
man averred to me on oath, with the
air of the man who is going to startle
you out of all false and maudlin SYM
! pathies, that wrens used cups and
saucers ''just ike other peoplel ;"
There was little furniture in the
4 nest beside the shelf aud its decora-
lions. Beneath it was heaped an
armful of musty straw, originally
struggled in from the camp stables;
this, drawn out and shaken upon the
! earth, was the common bed. A rough
wooden box, such as candles are
packed In stood in corner; one or
! tive saueepans, and a horrid old tea
kettle, which had all the look of a
! beldsme punished by drink, were dis
posed in various hooks in the furry