The record-union., 1894-10-06

! appeared at the door tossing his tiny, bare
footed wife ia the air as though she were
! a babe, while brood of little ones, the
! youngest as big as the little mother,
danced wildly about him, and l was di-
rectly installed as a guest with great
honor, greater garrulousness, and a ring
ing cedd mite tatite.
| And what merry hustle and hustle
| were there about that home welcoming
meal!
! Blocks Of the finest turf were put upon
! the embers and the little ones took per-
! spring turns at the dingy, wheeling bel
lows. Ashes and flame roared up that
| great chimney as never they roared be-
| iore. Schowders (oaten cakes) were set
on edge for fresh tOasting. In jiffy the
white horses were gallopin'" " above the
! ''pratles" III the pot, the 'tay was wetted
| by the fire." and everybody was falling
! over everybody else in very excess Of
| loving effort.
viii it be three aigs th' day?D the
little wife blushingly asked her burly
husband.
Three aigs is it?" roared the giant fish
erman, taking his wifes little head in his
two huge hands-hands so big there was
no place left on her glowing face to
kiss. Three aigsi Phat's three aigs to
empty craythurs like ourselves, suiIlish
machree?"
| head with almost alarming caresses.
sure empty sacks can't stand. It's
rubbing graso to fat pig to say it, but
yez might drink wild this stranger in n
coal hole, wild yer eyes to Uh' slack!
Mako it sex-an'-an' a slewsther kiss of
fondness) villish my sweetr
Not one but many 'sleWsthers' were
showered upon the blushing and protest.
ing matron now.
An two-eyed beelsteak IA herring)
for th' aich of us, an fine miscaun (cone
Of butter) from Misthress O'NeilPs bv
the crag, an a gawlioge Qarge measured
o milk, an th heartsomest tayst in Kerry
Intrely, wild banaght Dhea orrin,
ershi misha with GODS blessing on US,
say Dv'
1t was all that in the pleasant cabin.
and then came the problem of my own
housing for the time / should remain
among the fishermen of the region.
The cabin, like all others OF its class,
had but one room below and q little loft
above. There surely was no place for
me in these. But in little shed at the
end, dry and clean, where all the boat
and fishing gear was stored, we soon had
q fine couch made on q Well-folded seine,
and though a clearly defined aroma OF
OF fish, tar and oakum pervaded the place,
as one little window showed some sweet.
fern-coyered cliffs behind, and another
gave a superb view Of Valencia Island,
the sublime promOntory OF Bray Head,
and of the mighty sea beyond, only
churlish traveller could have found else
than graduation in the sunny and win
some spot.
And yet how little served these quaint
folk fullyi
There was not chair within the cabin.
Two stone strangers seats" one at
either side of the chimney, and few
rude stools answered in good stead. A
bunk against the wall was the bed of the
fisherman and his wife. The bouchaleens
and girshas (boys and girls slept upon
the floor of the loft above. Their only
mirrors were each others eyes. One ia
BILE of heavy deal stood beneath the win
dow. One cupboard, formed by a little
recess IN the wall, and another Of ancient
Irish oak, easily held all the households
scant though precious belongings. One
or two case-knives, several tish-knives
used in cleaning fish and in all seafaring
work, two or three earthen bowls, q pew
ter mug for the rare treat OF sugar, one
modern tin pan, huge pewter basin and
two or three saucers comprised ali the
ware for the table the fisher family pos
sessed,
Besides these, there were few of those
rare OLD Irish methers or square drink
ing-cups carved out OF solid wood, pre-
ciSely the same as those used in Erin
tub, had its place beneath the table. A
Schrahag, or flat oSier basket, with mar
row sides, always held the boiled potatoes
at the meal. And the cooking utensils
were the same and as few, as have been
used by the peasantry since there were
such in Ireland.
There was great iron pot for the stir
about, the potatoes, and for boiling cab
bage leaves and other delicacies for the
pig; a smaller iron kettle, in which an
egg might be boiled, or the ''tay wetted";
and a great, Jund, flat iron griddle in
which black bread, the schowders and all
extraordinary goodies were baked, either
hanging from the crane above the ire, or
set at an angle against it and turned as
necessity required.
The schowder, next TO potatoes, being
here the great staff of life, really deserves
mention. 1t is made of a thick batter of
oaten meal, seasoned with salt, and, on
festive occasions, with the drippings
from fried pork. Strictly speaking, it is
only the schowder when, as the oaten
cake baked on the great hanging griddle,
it is additionally toasted or roasted on the
muddha arran before the greeShaugh or
embers.
This muddha arran is the only other
utensil OF the fireplace OF these fisher
men, or of the Western peasantry at
large. 1t is an iron -forked stick with
three legs, on which the schowder or fish.
and any bit of meat good luck may send,
are toasted or broiled; it is one of the
most ancient cooking utensils remaining
in ireland, and l mention all these SIM
pie things minutely, because without
John l.. Shea's real environment, the
strong, brave mold IN which his fine and
humble nature was cast, could not stand
forth so clear and lofty in its sturdy and
noble worth.
III.
In comparison, wondrously sweet and
happy as seemed this little home-nest
beside the lovely Kerry shores, within it
already lurlNed the demon of nnreSf