Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-03-29
KATTIE'S WEDDING.

1t was the last Thursday in Epiphany
and fair day in Gurteen. The one and
only street the village boosted of was
throngcd with folk laughing and chatter
ing as none but an Irish crowd can laugh
and chatter. Indeed so great were their
numbers that to get along at all you had
to turn aside and scramble through the
shingle, where the boats lay within shout
ing distance of their owners doors. But
there was little buying and selling that
day in the tiny hamlet on the oceans edge.
The little pink "boneen" and the matron-
ly, hoary headed SOW slept more or less
peacefully in the long line of carts, with
their high red crates, that lined the mar
row footpath, as nobody seemed to want
them. In fact, they were there more to
give the assembly the tone" of fair,
for all men knew that matchmaking"
was the real business of today, the last fair
day before Lent, and so the last great
chance to make match
Threading their way up and down the
village passed the "boys" in Sunday best,
ostentatiousy ignoring the girls, who, in
their turn, tried to look rs if they did not
know that they were verify in tho mar
riago market and as if they liked wearing
boots. On the green beneath the chapel
there was dancing to the Tilt of Larry
O'Toole's fiddle, square dances, i'll which
partners sailed up and down past each
other with heads held high, as if a lifelong
GOODNESS. had just sprung up between
them, while their busy feet never ceased
to mark the rhythm on the floor" jigs,
reels, singles and doubles, when some
holder spirit would throw the shoes off
av him" and take his place on the door
that lay on the grass for such as vGntured
''pas do seul" Then Blind Larry
would screw his old eyes tight shut and
make his bow dance on the strings to the
tune of The Trip to the Cottage" or
Tho uumors of Whisky" while the rest
of tho assembly gathered round, beating
time with head and foot, with such re-
marks as, " 'Tis he have the olemint fur
dancin, " Haven't he great warrant
throw the legs, now?" 'Wisha, more pow
er to yere elbow, Larry!"
But while youth disported itself on the
green, age and experience abode in the vii
lage, matching their sons and daughters
in holy wedlock. In such cases it is not
necessary that Corydon and Phyllis should
be acquainted, but Corydon senior must
be satisfied that Phyllis does not come
empty handed. Nevertheless the young
people sometimes managed to introduce
some romance into the transaction, and
of one such case l shall tell.
While Blind Harry ris jigs" for the
fair, party of four people were taking
solemn counsel in a little shanty by the
beach, This was Andy Lyneham's forge
and Andy himself was in the midst Of the
conclavo-not that he took part in it, He
had nothing to say, as a rule, and now he
listened sullenly while his old mother was
making match for him with the daugh-
ter Of Terence Flanagan, who, with his
wife, completed the number Of conspira-
tors.
'Andeed, Mrs Lyneham, ma'am,"
Mrs. Flanagan was saying as she threw
back the great hood of her long cloak, AN
decd, ma am, 'tisn't like as if me dater
Katie hadn't neer boy at all afther her
There's whips av thin wantin her.
There is that" corroborated her hus-
band emphaticOlly.
But, you seo, ma 'am," she went on,
me an mo husban wants some one that
have thrade. Times is so bad wild the
land"
"Thrue furye, Mrs. Flanagan, ma'am,"
said the other woman, with garrulous po-
likeness. Thin as has land is robbed in
tireH these times. IT'S well fer ye. Ter