Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-11

then bid his pupil step forward. The first
notes of the Jig were played; the pupil,
| filled with ardor on hearing the beloved
| pipes, would begin a grand and no doubt
picturesque war dance all his own, but he is
stopped by stern reprimand from Flaherty.
/ No; he must conform to rules.
"Now, thin, me boy" says Mr.. Flaherty,
"ye'll do as bid We, or I'll be off to Kitty
Mahoney's house, who's dead bate for the
want O. me this minnit, an the patthern to
be at her cross next Sunday. Whin play
the fifth note yell rise upon 'sougaun' (hay
rope) an at the seventh yell sink upon
'gad;' and now begin, an to the divil wild
ye if ye can't do it before one-half hour Is
up"
And now the screech of the pipes begins;
The famous "Rakes O. Mallow" is in full
swing, but above and over all sounds the
voice OF Misther Flaherty yelling at MS
pupil: .,
f'Rise upon sougan, sink upon gad.m
"Och murdher, was there 1ver slcn iool'
'Tis throwin' away me talent upon ye am.
Arrah, look at him, Mrs. Moloney, ask ye
now, an tell me can he be the son OF
gaun, sink upon gad.' Well, there, I'm off
now, and fegs maybe yell be as good as the
rest of 'em some day."
The meaning of ''gad" I have never been
able to discover; no doubt, however, it had
its had its meaning in Flaherty's time.
PRETTY PICTURE IN THE ROADWAY.
Well, you must make a picture for your
self of our Irish peasant footing it gaily to
and fro on the hard road with her partner
opposite to her, and little crowd surround
ing them, making a ring, as it were-a
crowd consisting of men and women for the
small part and of pretty, sturdy urchins,
male and female, for the great-such hand
some, healthy little beings, rosy-cheeked
and bright-eyed, the outcome and the carry
ing on OF the foinest pisanthry in the world;
and often, driving past them, have I wished
that my own children, carefully nourished
and fed on beef tea and chicken broth,
could look like these cosy rogues, running
about half naked and with nothing in their
pretty, round little stomachs save stlrabout
"a coarse porridge) and boiled potatoes.
However, to get back to our heroine.
When she has learned all she can from her
first mistress-the farmers wife-that is,
how to boil and wash, and how not to break
plates and dishes, her mother instantly looks
round her to find place for her in some
gentleman's family, where the wages will
be higher and the work less. 1t
sounds terribly ungrateful. The farmers
wife has had all the trouble of breaking in
that little, wild, and ignorant specimen of
humanity, and when the latter has absorbed
all that she can learn and when her mis-
tress has become accustomed to her, and
might reasonably be supposed to expect
some comfort from her, the girl calmly
gives her warning. and, aided and abetted
by her mother, leaves her "to better her.
SELF" So the poor farmers wife is left to
commence ali over again-to take in an
other girl, who will undoubtedly take her
in in the same manner little later on.
AT THE LANDLORDS HOUSE.
1t is, in fact. general 'merry-go-
round" and being expected on both sides,
is seldom resented by the farmers wife.
The landlords house is the one chosen by
the girls mother for her next venture, if by
any chance an opening there presents itself
-"the big house, as the tenants usually
call it. Here our heroine begins as kitchen
maid, grows Cif she proves a good girD TO
under housemaid, from that in process of
time to upper housemaid or parlor maid, or
perhaps is given over to the young ladies of
the family if she proves handy with her
needle and develops good appearance.
AS rule, however, their servitude en-
dures but short time. The laborer's
daughter. happier than the daughter born
in the grade above her-namely the farming
class-can marry as fancy dictates, and long
before youth has ceased to be joy she gem
orally meets her mate, stalwart laborer, in
all probability, Oh the landlords farm, and
marries him. She leaves her com fortable
quarters as housemaid to be mistress and
wife, and, as "Artemus Ward" would have
it, very numerous mother in small,
comfortless cabin-there, indeed, to rule |
supreme, if that is any amelioration of the |
discomfort that awaits her to her life's end. |
Ii the Irish peasant woman, however, mar
ries into absolute poverty, she has assuredly |
such compensations as accrue from good |
and faithful husband and culver full OF
those small creatures who make lie blessed |
to the welded. THE DUCHESS.