Middletown transcript., 1892-05-12
FROM COLOONEY.

I'D E came to us when the last field
II of wheat had fallen before the
irrepressible advance of the reaping
machine, and consequently at q time
when fresh hands were hardly wanted
His approach was leisurely and phil
osophical, bis manner as easy as the
| flow of his conversation, bis attire
| light and picturesque. Diogenes
going through modern England could
could not have maintained one 1.-THE
Of the quiet, semi-cynical self possess
sion typifeld in the bronzed face and
humorous eyes that came down the
lane and shone over the garden hedge
like a new sunburst.
"The top Of the mornin' to ye, sor
and many av thim.'
Civility, as the proverb says, is q
cheap comr.odity. / returned the
salutation, the original surveyor there
Of meanwhile adopting an easy and
graceful attitude against the pivet
hedge that separated us.
"'Tis foine wither for the harvest,
glory be TO God, and it's me own
hands that is Uneasy to be handlin'
fork or rake wild the colleens beyant
there. Maybe the masther has job
of worruk that he can give to a man
loike mesilf."
He slanted his head over in the
direction of field where half dozen
rosy English lasses were engaged in
heaping the rakings ola thick crop of
wheat. The employment was easy and
congenial. I thought it would fit we'll
with the disposition of the traveller.
The master came toward US at that
moment.
Here is man who wants work. ,
"Ah, God be good to yer honor, so
I do indade. Iudade. It's mesilf
that has an iligant hand at harvest
worruk. And yer honor'll give me a
job Of worruk ?"
His honor wanted no more hands,
and said so abruptly, with certain
pointed remarks concerning the assur-
ance of people who 60 idle at the end
of harvest.
Oh, papa anti it is not an hour
since you said you could not do with
out another man to take Jobs place.
Give the poor man something to do"
This poor man looked over the
hedge. quick to seize the opportunity.
Miss Maud, fresh and dainty as one Of
her own roses, blushed and started
under the frank alteration of those
wicked Hibernian eyes.
"God be good to ye, miss, but It's
only raison that swate young thing
loike yourself should spake soft to
poor man as is wanting worruk SO
badly. All, now, your honor'll give
me the worruk that the young lady
was spakin' Of"
His honor gave in, beaten by the
touch of his daughters little hand and
the audacity of the bronzed features
before him.
aIt's only waste Of money" he
said when the traveller, after liberal
meal, had wandered away to the
harvest field in search of the much
desired worruk. "He'll do nothing.
These wandering Irishmen never do"
Certainly this one did not kill him
self with oYer-exertion. He perform
ed his task deliberately, if well.
There was tendency about him to
sit down every few minutes. If he
had an audience close at hand he be-
trayed further tendency to discourse
on various topics.
"Sure, now," he said, as I stood by
him among the corn, what time the
sun was doing its level best to burn us
all into rags, 'tis moighty improve
dent this spending of yer strength in
the hot sun-loight. It's aslape we
should be at this mint. Worruk in
the cool and slape in the hot--that's
how we do at Colooney."
"And where is Colooney ?"
"Sure, yer honors knows that Co.
looney is in Sligo. | am from Coloon'
ey mesilt."
/ You seem to have wandered a
long way from home"
"Ah, thin, but what good would l
do and me not havin' seen the
worruld? It's the travelled men that
makes fortins ?"
Are you making your fortune ?"
All, sure, but I'm on the way to
that same. Ye should see me at me
own trade. Me hands bit out at
the harvestin. Did your honor iver
hear tell tell of Judy McCann ?"
He dropped easily to convenient
seat amid the sheaves and prepared to
" discourse at his leisure. l moved
| -.