Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-23
A BORN MATCHMAKER.
How Father Fahey Married on His Flock
in Buenos Ayres.
[Robert Crawford's Trayels. ]

Robert CraWtOrdS travels.
When Father Fahey, the Irish priest in
charge Of the immigrants in Argentina,
thought that sufficient means were forth
coming in anv case to start housekeeping
in a comfortable manner, some such con-
yersation as the following frequently took
place between the priest and his sturdy
parlshioner, who had just concluded agood
sale of his wool:
- have been thinking Pat. that you
ought to get married"
''Is it married your Reverence says
Sure where would see a girl TO speak to
while am looking after the sheep all my
time?"
"If that's all the difficulty in your way,
think / can find wife for you. There's
Biddy Flanagan, in service with Mrs. Dash,
in Buenos Ayres, as nice and modest girl
as ever you laid eyes on; slip away down
and see her, and tell her / sent you"
Wouldn't next wool season be time
enough, your Reverence
Wool season indeedl Do you know
what you are talking about, Pat? Is 1t q
girl like Biddy Flanagan that you would
leave till next wool season. Why, man
aliyel she is just as likely to be snapped
up from under your very nose while you're
lettering down the street TO see her,"
Maybe your Reverence knows BEST" is
the rejOinder, and away goes my brave Pat.
to make the acquaintance Of Miss Biddy.
When he gets TO Mrs. Dash's door his
perplexities begin, and the hesitsting
knock with which he announcesh his arrival
indicates pretty fairly the condition of his
mind.
The door is opened to him by girl
whose looks and bearing fully justify the
clerical encomium passed upon her. The
bashful woer gives an approving glance,
but his words don't keep pace with his adj
miration, and IL is some little time before
he gets out what he has to say. Biddy
does not hurry him, but waits his pleasure
patiently. Most likely she has heard be-
fore of visits of the kind paid to other
girls, and she is all attention. At last Pat
finds his speech, and uses 1t in this wise:
Are you Biddy Flanagan"
Yes" is the reply.
"Then," says the enamoured swain,
going bravely to the heart of the matter at
once, ~ am Pat Mulligan from one side of
Chivilcoy, and Father Fahey sent me down
to marry you"
"Get away with youl Aren't you
ashamed of yourself, that l take from the
look of you. to be an honest boy, coming
here to make fool of q poor. girl that has
plenty to do without thinking Of marry
ing?n
That is what Blddy says to him; but she
does not shut the door in his face nor does
he go away, and, after long chat, some
how or other they arrive at an understand
ing. The result is that Biddy, with con-
siderably heightened color in her comely
cheeks. seeks an interview with her mis-
tress, whom she informs. with much hest
tation and circumlocutlon, that there's
been boy speaking TO her."
The mistress, however, not being Irish
| born, is somewhat puzzled by the express
sion and Biddy has further to explain that
she wants TO be allowed to 60 up and see
the priest with the said boy. Her mistress's
objections to the shortness of the notice
are soon overcome by Biddy's tears and
good looks, and off the bride-elect trips
| lightly and soon afterward returns to
fetch away her things. for she is now Mrs.
Pat. Mulligan.