Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-01-18

very plain and clear to me. Ihey are not
hospitable people. I think they represent an
opposite extreme in this particular to tho
kindly Irish. In all my wanderings among
the lowly of many lands I was never before
refused food and shelter; and if they were
ever proffered and charged for, or if slight
gift of coin dexterously placed among the
children was allowed, it was always as if
with something akin to shame that bitter
poverty prevented full expression of the
generous wish within the heart. And in Ire.
land, what whole-hearted, tender, and even
aggressive hospitality is there everywhere!
With delusions and snares, with devices and
excuses, with fnesse and monstrous lies for
givable, you are wheedled inside to the Irish
hearthstone, and piled with cead mile failte
ian hundred thousand welcomes) if there is
not enough left in and about the woebegone
place to grow healthy hair on ths wailing
cabin pig. Bless their generous hearts, how
aggressive they sometimes become! shall
never forget two instances among count
less others where Irish hospitality was illus
trated to me with startling and ludiorous
emphasis.
I had passed the night with a peasant
farmer in the lake region of Conemara be-
tween Toombeola and Roundstone Bay. His
father, weakened but remarkably spry old
man, was living with him. They were pitt
ably poor, and could see that the scant en-.
tertainment had got was q sore tax upon
their slender resources. On departing. as is
the Conemara system. my host and the little
old man set out with me some miles upon
the road, each insisting on carrying some
one of my belongings, and both, full of the
truest frieAdliness and concern, warning 1ae1
against this pit.tall or that. and above all,
that "kape an aisy eye on the murthsrin'
consthabulary," until the moment of parting
came, when their goodness aud poverty 30
touched me I could not resist the risk of Of
fense, and while shaking the little old fathers
hand, I managed to leave half-crown with
in it. With 'whoopl" you could have
heard o mile the old fellow sprang three feet
into the air. He flung the money at my
feet, and his hat and coat came after. In an
instant he was dancing about me, delivering
sundry taps and cuttings that cracked and
| rung stingingly, and perforce placing me in
| q condition of the liveliest defence. While
lodging and parrying gave utterance to the
avail. Fight must. Fight did. Wholly
on the defensive with the old man, whom I
soon tired out, the son took up the affair,
depositing his jacket upon the road wall and
splitting upon his hands and cracking them
together with terrible report. I must own
| they both fonght fairly and with many kind
| ly injunctions and warnings, and We had it
out there on the old stone road until the dust
hid the spectacle from the rest of Ireland.
| But was the best-trained, best-fed mar, and
| though ashamed to say It, "bested" the two
| of them until tears of admiration ran down
their generous faces and shrill and pathetic
torrents of oratory thanked me for the added
| go wild yezl" and "Gods blessings on yezi"
reached me as far as I could hear along the
| pleasant way. But offered no Irish peasant
money for his hospitality after that
In the other experience was not SO for
tunate. was tramping down the Boyne from
Navan to ancient Droeheda by the sea. Full
of lettering and revery had paused at canal
set like bit of cameo against the emerald of
frs and onyx of black cliffs above. Beyond
across the Boyne stood the ruins of the De
Lacy castle of Dunmoe, below, a picturesque
old mill. The whole place is always instinct
with olden glories and
r,,+ s..,n from ,o i the .aes messy ~ Wheel
Aa ashn aassn paSds doeS
While leaning on the old lock and drinking
| in the beauties of the spot . tall gaunt Irish
woman appeared in the door of the cabin. I
must come in and rest by the FIRE, she said.
I thanked her, but declined, as felt must
hasten on. II was long walk to Drogheda,
and wanted to get the evening train for
Belfast. Surely I would step in and have a
sup of posset. No, would move on. Then
the old woman came out and confronted me.
A whole column of this journal would not
hold her blarneyings and wheedlings to in-
duce me to honor her by partaking of her
hospitality. But withstood them all; bade
,,sr good luck and good day, ,and started down
the toll path. In twinkling the old dame
was beside me. In another instant her lively
leg had described semi. circle that would
have done honor to Cornwall wrestler; my
! own legs went spinning into the air, and my
body, like that Of poor McGinty, sank like a
plummet within the canal. When arose
there stood the old woman, her face
filed with kindly and anxious concern. She
clutched me, dragged me to tho bank, lifted
me out as easily as though had been q cat,
carried me into her cabin and set me before
!; CHEEKY peat fire, and for two mortal hours
while drying me out, filled my body with
food and my memory with such evidences oi
Irish hospitality as can never forget.
missed my train at Drogheda, but learned
proffered hospitality In Ireland.
You will never have anything of the sort
to learn In Brittany. Call at roadside cot,
tsge here and ask for shelter and food for thu
night and the whole family will crowd into
the door to obstruct your passage. Then they
will silently and sullen1y look you over
, Whittier froma whittier bounda II . foreign.
er, they are even shrswd enough to demand
your passport. No vagabond, deserter no,
ticket-of-leave man will they harbor. Finally
assured you are none Of these they set about
bargaining for the last sou they can wrinl
: from you. The food you are to get. to thu
very color Of the coffee, is set powerfully
, against your money. Their own poverty
} their bewilderfng number Of children, the
, lonely road to the nearest village inn. the fac
that at the next cottage they would probably
murder you as we'll as take you in; all ant
much more is set forth to make your bargain
) a hard enc. So too the toothless old peasan
, hag mother while eyeing you askance crooni
to her husband running Ere of objection
to the arrangement, few of which set yo'
2 down to your face as villainous German
SPY, some wretch shat has cheated the gibbet
a and certainly no less than the thief of Bretol
. horses who was caught and foggsd ct thu
: last horse fair at LaFolguet. They are shrew,
! and canny, these simple folk, and they vii
i make you very,very miserable until the pric