Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-17
THE IRISH PEASANT
Is Described by Mrs. NJ. Hungerford,
Better Known as The Duchess.
AN FRESHMAN is ALWAYS POLITE.
His Thankfulness for the Small MercieS
VOuchsafed Him.
ERIEs CURIOUS MARRIAGE CUSTOMS
WRITTEN FOR THE D1srArcH.1

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATcH.1
The old fond fancy that every car drive
in the Emerald Isle must of necessity be
walking volume of witty sayings is happily
dying out. The modern Englishman find
him civil indeed, but dull and irresponsive
and the belief that this arises from the new
and complicated state of affairs existing be-
tween the sister isles is erroneous. In spitt
of all that has been said or written of the
Irish peasant, he is, as rule, not only shy
of airing his native wit before strangers, but
that wit itself is of nature so indigenous
to his surroundings that one outside his
daily life could not by any possibility grasp
the "cuteness" of it.
| It takes an Irishman to know an Irishman
"a trite remark that sounds dangerously
like "set thief to catch thief" but, on
the whole, Paddy is pheasant creature, "
with kindly word for everyone, and a
| deeply religious spirit His good nature is
born with him-his gaiety is spontaneous.
His gratitude to Providence for the ex-
tremely small favors vouchsafed to him is
large and unbounded. If it is fine day,
why" tbs wontherful weather, thank God. ''
If it rains good deal without being posi-
lively tempestuous, Its fine soft day,
glory be-" II the potato crop is passable,
81 niver saw the pratles finer yer honor, the
Lord be praised" and so on at every turn.
If the lower classes in Ireland repine or
rebel at all at that station in life into which
they have been called, it is always against
man their protestatlons are directed, never
against the Maker and Ruler of all.
Mother Nature has been singularly care
full of their education. They are born with
an instructive sense of courtesy that clings
to them through all misfortunes. You meet
the commonest peasant on the road coming
toward you, the everlasting 'dhudheen"
between his lips, but before he comes to you
he whips the beloved pipe out of his mouth,
and calmly places it behind his back until,
with passing "Yis, thank God" in an
swer to your remark of fine day." he
gets past you, and can safely restore the
holder of the vile tobacco he smokes, to its
proper place.
Say it is one of their 'soft" days, when a
heavy drenching mist is sweeping down
from the mountains beyond, threatening to
saturate your clothes and destroy your tenn
per, and seeing cabin over there to your
left you make for it with view to gaining
shelter. You hesitate at the low doorway
on seeing that the family are Just going to
their dinner-of potatoes and milk-feeling
they will regard you as an unmitigated
bore if you insist on now claiming their hos
pitality.
GENUINE HOSPITALITY.
But no. Whatever their private feelings
NAV be, you need never be afraid of a rough
or cold glance or word. Instantly. the one
Ohoir 10 I'd nd foI
down by "herselt," as the mistress of the
house is always called by her spouse. You
are earnestly requested to walk in. It was
Sudden shower, sure enough" but
"'twill be nothing, place God. Safe yer
self now, do, AlannaP' it you are girl-or
"Do, surr," if you are man. It is i'm
possible to refuse such pleading, so you take
the chair, and turn it that your eyes may
90 straight through the open doorway,
where the pig and chickens are grunting
and picking, and may by no chance fall on
the inhabitants OF this rustic villa" who,
no doubt, in spite of their cordiality, would
not care to have their meal interviewed.
Useless. They are obliged to you no
doubt, and being so naturally weIl-bred
themselves are quite alive to your intended
delicacv, but in moment you find plate
thrust under your nose with two steaming
"murphys" on it and two-pronged fork.
"Would yer honour ate a praty whilst
you're waitin'? Do nowl Faith tits sorry
am it's nothin' better 1 have for We, but
they're hot, any way" Then. of course, if
you have soul at all you accept the plate
gratefully. Get through the potatoes, even
though you have but just now lunched like an
alderman, and tell the kindly creature
afterward that they are the best potatoes
you ever ate in your life. This will delight
her and serve as gossip for the next day or
two with her cronies. She will chat little
with you then, seeing you are one of the
right Sort and presently the mist clears OF
again, and rising you thank her afresh,
squeeze shilling into the hand of the blue
eyed urchin who has been staring at you so
shyly ever since your entrance, and go on
your way with recovered spirits and two
large potatoes.
1t is remarkable that with so much poV-
erty among the lower classes their spirits
should be so universally joyous. A happy
go-lucky lot they must be called, ready for
laugh on the smallest provocation.
OF the Irish peasant woman 1t may be
said that she Is as faithful to her trust,
whether as wife or servant, as it is possible
to find woman in any country. Much has
been said OF her in the latter capacity as to
her idleness and want of systsm, but that
she is teachable is beyond doubt. In the
nursery, indeed, she shines as an example
of tenderness and patience. The Indian
ayah and the Irish nurse are the two most
trustworthy creatures in the world; no
heart is larger than the latter's-at all
events where the baby is concerned. 1t is
needless to say, therefore, that she makes
an excellent wife and mother. Poor souls,
and how they drudge! And how uncomplain-
ingly! With hardly enough money to keep
body and soul together, and yet ever with a
smile, and curtSey, and "God save you,
sir" or "ma'am, as you pass the cabin
door and cast a kindly glance on all the
merry, dirty cherubs that cling around her
skirts, and are the coming members of the
"Foinest pisinthry in the world"
MARRIAGE IN ERIN.
Marriage in Ireland among the farming
classes is conducted on very much the same
scale as that of crowned heads. A curious
fact scarcely "understanded of the people"
in England. These marriages are arranged
and brought to a satisfactory conclusion
without reference to the two most concerned;
the bride and bridegroom apparently being
the last to be consulted as to the advisability
OF matter that has to do with their whole
life's happiness. The fathers and mothers
on both sides settle all preliminaries. There
is no love making between the young folk,
they do not even see each other as rule
until everything is arranged; he being in
his part Of the barOny, she in that, and time
for lovers dalliance" in seed-time and
harvest being nil.
II =
well-to-do for ireland, with a farm worth
so much, 20 cows or so, ashOrse or two for
farming purposes, an outside car-that
stamn ornap0 formara oud fbai-