American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-01-31
HID IN A TURF-RICK.

An Irish Episode.
"The Irish are a fine racei''
"That's your opinion, is it?''
The speakers were myself and Ellers
lie, Captain in the Royal Engineers, OIL
the "Sappers," as we called them in
popular phraseology. Place, the smok.
ing-room of the r. A. mess at Wool
witch. Time, anywhere in the small
hours. When l say that of the above
sentences the first was spoken by me, ]
shall be in position to plunge at once
in medals res.
After uttering the above oracular
answer, Ellerslie pulled away silently at
his long Havana for awhile 1 did not
interrupt him, for saw twinkle in
his eye, and knew there was something
coming presently. He was one of
those men whose thoughts it is not well
to hurry, for fear of losing their thread
altogether.
At last it came, as 1 anticipated.
81 don't think 1 ever told you, did L,
of my adventures in that lovely coun-
tryP In fact, the story is so much
against myself, that thought it Just as
well to keep it dark. However, if YOU
will swear solemnly to be silent as the
grave don't mind telling you now.
At all events, it is not bad joke as it
turned out, though it might have been
a serious one.''
OF course I promised inviolable
secrecy, however good the story
might be, and, having fortified myself
with a brandy-and-sod Ellerslie be-
gan:
81 dare say you know that in the
spring of 1877 1 was sent to Ireland on
special service to see about building new
barracks in two or three places where
they were needed, especially at Long
ford, where the Government had at that
time an idea of quartering whole cav
airy regiment, though now 1 believe
they have come down to one troop of
Scots Grays. was rather pleased with
the commission, for had never been to
the Emerald Isle before, and saw nv way
to pleasant little excursion at Govern
ment expense. OF course, as all nv
disbursements en- route were to be paid
for me by the Gberality of my country,
chose the most convenient way of
getting to my destination, and travelled,
via Euston and Holyhead, by the MI hit
mail, the Wild Irishman, L believe thew
call it.
1--WE left Euston at 1928 p. m. L
didn't feel much inclined to sleep, and
you know 1 am a great smoker, so /
turned into compartment sacred to the
consumption of the soothing weed.
There was only one occupant besides
myself, man of about forty, well
dressed, but not, to my mind, a gentle
man. Indeed, at first sight 1 put him
down to be what he was, a well-to-do
Irish farmer returning from a business
trip to town, and INDUCING himself in
the unwonted luxury of first-class car
rage.
Whatever other faults those Irish
have, they are certainly most friendly
race. By the time we got to Rugby
had told my fellow-traveler all about
my projected plans for seeing his native
country, and found that he rejoiced in
the name of Cormack, and lived in the
County of Westmeath, not far from the
Longford boundary. Before we reached
Chester we were sworn friends, and by
the time we arrived at Holyhead had
promised to pay him visit during nv
stay in his part of the country. This
visit it was which gave me such taste
of Irish customs as / could very well
have dispensed with.
"Not to delay too long, I shall pass
over all the incidents of my first fort
night or so in the Emerald Isle, they
being no doubt exactly what any one
else would have experienced under like
circumstances. At length | reached
LoDgford, got through my work there,