Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-17

The eldest son is worth 50 much.
There it lies in black and white,
or rather, in sheep and cows. The neces-
sary thing, therefore, is now to find 'sgirl"
with fortune" and wed the two; the
''girl's" fortune to go to the bridegroom's
sisters, in consideration of her getting the
farm and a husband. This is the common
law throughout Southern Ireland, and
though certainly primitive to the last de-
gree, is hardly to be improved upon. The
husband, in effect. gets only portionless
wife, but then he gets rid of his sisters,
point that may present itself In glowing
colors-to the bride. at all eventsl
All these negotiations are carried on by
the heads of the two families, sometimes for
months beforehand the juniors being per-
sistently thrust into the background. Say
the intended groom is ugly; that matters
but little if he is an able-bodied man, sound
in wind and limb. Much is conceded to
health and strength, the one thing unfor-
giveable in Ireland being deformity of any
sort. From that they shrink with an almost
childish adherence. As for the bride
well, in that matter the groom as a rule has
the best of the bargain, Irishmen being
proverbially ugly, Irishwomen, beyond all
doubt, extremely good to look at.
Oddly as these marriages are arranged,
they seldom prove unhappy; so seldom that
it is hardly worth while discussing the mat
ter. During whole life's s6journ among
them have known but of one faithless wife,
and she, as it proved later, died in mad
house; and as Tor the husbands, three only
strayed into forbidden paths-a small num-
Der, surely, out of SO large fold.
A FEATHER BED FOR A PIG.
Among the laboring classes, Of course, the
punctilio described is not observable. The
laborer has nothing to give or to expect. He
lives from hand to mouth, and happier than
the farmer and the Crown Prince, can take
his choice of wife wheresoever he listeth;
not but what mercenary complications can
arise even with these impecunious people,
too. I have known a match spoiled at the
very chapel door, because the bride failed In
producing the pig promised BY her father,
after long days of courtship. knew, too,
a case where feather bed (that greatly
priced article with the Irish peasant)
was not forthcoming, and consequently
put stop to the marriage ceremony. The
parties intending matrimony had arrived at
the chapel gate, and had paused to allow of
a greeting between the bride and BRIDE
groom. Unlucky pause. Some friend of
his-under cover of the excitement of the
in his ear the fatal
tidings that "that bed' was q mythical
far lighter, than the down
of which it was thought to be dressed. It
was not there; in fact it had been confscated
to pay for the whisky and porter for the
Wedding feastl
CONSERVATION followed upon this, and
grow Oh the part of the bridegroom's people
into stubborn wrath. The bridegroom him
self was furious. He, too, had gone to
great expense; his orders for the national
drink had been generous and profuse-and
to be fooled after ALL
He drew back from the sacred gates and |
repudiated his waiting bride with indignant
hands. Her stricken father expostulated
with him, not gently but firmly, but all in
vain. The friends looked blank. What q
pity to let the day 60 by without 'an enter
of some sort or another. Suddenly
q diversion arose. Someone among them
thought Of another girl present, whose doWry
was pig. Negotiations were gone into on
the spot between her father and that of the |
late indignant groom. 1t was all settled in |
no time, and the former pretender for the
owner of the feather bed now led to the altar |
The owner OF the pig (never seen before and |
ever after proved as exemplary husband as |
one need wish to find.
OF all creatures the Irish peasant is the |
most uRnL-nearLeu. ne certainly may De
counted among the sociable ones of the. |
,arth. On all possible occasions-births, |
leaths and marriages, the poorer classes !
,all their friends around them ard kill the |
atted calf, which alasl in spite Of its high |
sounding title, must ever be placed among |
he leanest of all lean kline. Nevertheless, |
hey make as merry over their bread and tea |
md porter, as you and 1 would over our
chicken and champagne, perhaps good
leal merrier. They are indeed unhappy if
Ilone. Above all things, either in their joy
n sorrow, they desire someone near them to
whom they can pour out the yearnings Of
heir hearts. Sympathy they crave, and
most eagerly they give. Impul-
i've, troublesome, careless, improvident-
he Irish people are, when all is told, the
in the world.
N HrrNnEREORn