The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-10-06

| heights, some hundreds or Feet priow,
 Here was a little eerie where were perehed an Irish ''shebeen," which to one Of an inauiring mind might have been given Identification with certain secluded still farther up the glens; a few cabins where lived score of souls who mind" the herds of the graziers Of
 Kerry; and a mite of a chapel. within which at least once year little altar Is lighted.
 We were among friends. Some plain and hearty food was soon at hand: and before the light had entirely faded from the upper peaks of Knoeknadober. my self and my shaggy companion were sleeping peacefully upon bit Of fresh straw in the secure. if not spacious. loft of an ever-hospitable Irish cabin "shebeen."
 Although slept heavily, several times during the night I heard soft knocks at the door of our tiny cabin. A regular and interesting order of events, distinguishable only by sounds. followed each of these series of rap pings.
 | Our host would stumble to the door: open little wicket within 1t; and then as If in great effort to abjure extraor- "Sh-h-h-h" that could easily have been heard for good quarter of mile. l "Tear an ages!' he would growl. "an' who are yez, ye spalpeen. that'd sphlit the mountain side enthirely wid yer crashin' av tn dure!'
 "Arragh, ye ould shamer. its meself. Jemmy Dooley, from beyant tn Ca ragh Cor .Timmy Duffy, av tn Dlngle side; or Jerry Cooney, av Drung Hill; or Paddy Doran, av Coomasharn) an its a feathers weight O tn rale right sort I'd be havin', swate bad luck to yezw.
 "Divil drop yell get here. ye black mouth gauger! But I'll not be oncivil to yez, tn hour O night. How's the wo- man that owns yez?-Sh-h-h-hw
 Better nor tn divil's luck penny in yer own purse!-Ill go bail to that same, by the elevens"
 | "Sh-h-h-h!'
 l Then, as by this time the night trav- eler had entered, came dim light from splinter" set afiame in the shoulder l ing peat of the fireplace and wedged in an open cranny in the chimney angle. This was invariably followed by the sound of soft and musical gurgling of liquid from some heavy vessel and the silvery wimple of the same into a re- ceptacle of lesser capacity. Then heavy clinkipg of coin like that of copper pence, suggesting a com mercial transaction of well established character, would be heard and after | this, gulp and a hearty smack, from l the parting cup," with the muffled l toast, "Shuid-urth! (Heres to youD;" when Jemmy, Timmy, Jerry or Paddy would depart down the boreen, hum | ming soft strains of satisfaction and l cheer; at which our host would listen and growl for 8 bit when the light would disappear and our potheen-mer- chant would tumble heavily into his bunk near the flickering peat embers beneath the hob.
 These incidents, growing more fre- | quent as the morning neared finally SO thoroughly awakened me that for some time I laid listening to distant rum bling and roaring for which could in nowise account; and as there was lad der leading from the loft to the thatch of the cabin byre, and thence into the little paddock below, I silently stole from my companions side and gained the cliffs overhanging the main high way, as the first tremulous grays of dawn began throbbing over the dark heather-sweeps of the mountain above. A strange confusion of sounds arose from the gorge below.
 At first could but dimly see down there ghostly tumble of moving things, sometimes masses and accom- panied by a Babelbic medley of voices, or again separated into struggling ob- jects making at best only sleepy and silent progress toward the hamlet of Cahirsiveen.
 But as the low-lying fog lifted, and the morning light flooded in upon the wide stone road, the nature of the all- night intrusions at the shebeen and the cavalcade below me- was clearly re- vealed.
 It was Saturday morning; morning of the fair and market day at the old sea- port town; and all the quaint folk from the wilds of Iveragh, as was their inn
 
 the fair afore the break O day."
 And what queer, kindly lot they were!
 Here was group of "th' byes;" wriggling along face to face, settling questions of mountain honor in tremen- dous though friendly harangue and dis pute. Then followed a cart, driven by the "ould man." in which were the "ould woman an childer slapin' rings round their swate selves" Many carts there were with pigs snorting violent ing their necks in viciously-h missed defi- ance and interrogation; and with sheep bleating piteously.
 All these were interspersed with or followed by old women with braideen- covered baskets; young women with packages of yarn or flannel; lasses humping donkeys laden with creels, or guiding recalcitrant goats and kids; but every lass or woman knitting away vigorously, in time to step or gossip; old men bumped and severe, begging along with thump of stick and puff of pipe; and all full of whimsical impor- tance and gosthering, whether they had to sell or the wherewithal to buy; and, of course, squad of constabulary to remind them of their serfdom, tagging at their heels or occasionally charging at gallop through the motley caval- cade.
 My shaggy companion was shortly l ready for our own morning march, We descended the mountain boreen and mingled with the far-going people. l Walking thus to Cahirsiveen, we lin- l