Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-06-27
SHE'S ALL THE
WORLD TO ME-.
By HALL 0AINB,
author Of "The ManrmaR," "The Deem
ster," etc.
PRoEM
CHAPTER TX.

tnere, lnOre Llitn nhll uSDhlncu Ol MS sur
roundings but too amiably irresolute, ms
usual, to imperil by absence from this an-
nual gathering his old reputation for good
fellowship.
Jaw, the gentleman he is. isn't he's
And him straight from Oxford college too, :"
whats that they re sayinY oxford col
legeY Och, no; not that at all"
But the fine English tongue at him.
anyway. It's just pleasure to hear him
spake. Smooth rs oil and sweet aston
ishin. Bill Kisseck-I say, Bill, there
why didn't you put up the young masther
for the chairY"
Jaw, lave me alone, " answered Kisseck,
with a contemptuous toss of tho head
Him and mes same as brothers"
"Bill's proud uncommon of the masther
and middlin jealous too Aw, well, who's
wonderin at itS"
"It's bit free them chaps are maxim, 4"
whispered Kissecl to Christian. Then ris
ing to his feet with gravity, Gentlemen,
he said, what dye say to Misther Chris
han Mylrea Balladhoo for ths elber chair
yander?"
"Hooraai Hooraa'' Kisseck resumed
his seat with lofty glance of patronage
ut the men about him which said as plain
ly as words themselves 81 told ye to lave
1t all to me-
Proud, dye say? Look at him, " whis-
pered Davy Cain. The Jolly Herrings
was perhaps the most ludicrous and incon-
gruous house of entertainment of which
history records any veracious record. 1t
was q very gargoyle on the fair fabric of the
earth, except that it served the opposite
uses of attracting rather than banishing
the evil spirits about it. Thirty-f years
ago it was to be found near the bottom of
the narrow, grabbed little thoroughfare
that winds and twists and desceDds to that
part of the quay which overlooks the ruins
of the castle. The gloomy pothouse was
entered by little porch. Two steps down
led you into room that was half parlor
and half bar, and where only the fumes of
tobacco smoke were usually visible. Two
more steps led you to an inner and much
larger room that was practically kitchen,
living room and room of special entertain
ment This was the apartment in which
the herring supper was always given.
What q paradox the place wasl All that
belonged to the room itself was of the
rudest and meanest kind The floor was
paved with stones, the walls were sparsely
plastered, the ceiling was the bare wood
hewn straight from the tree. But over
these indications of poverty there was an
extraordinary display of curious wealth
The little window behind Christian in his
"elber chair was glazed with rich
piece of stained glass that had the Madon-
ma and Child for subject. The elbow chair
itself was Of old oak deeply carved and
bound with clamps of engraved brass.
Bill Kisseck, who by virtue of his office sat
at the opposite end of the table, occupied
small settee covered with gorgeous Grim
son velvet.
On the mantelpiecc were huddled In lux
urious confusion sundry brass censers,
medieval lamps and an ivory cruciflx On
the wall, and beside piece of marble
carved with medallion, hung skate
that had been cut open to dry A pair of
bellows lay on an antique chest in the in
gle. Into the mouth of the censers bun
die of pipe lights had been methodically
arranged A ponderous silver watch hung
round the arms Of the cruciflx, and fry
ing pan was suspended in the reveal of the
window that was consecrated to the Ma
donna
Such was the kitchen and stateroom of
the Jolly Herrings, and no apartment ever
spoke more plainly to those who had ears
to hear of the character and habits Of its
owners. The house was kept by woman
who was thin, wrinkled and blear eyed,
and by man who was equally thin and
no less wrinkled, but had quick, suspicious
eyes, and few spiky gray hairs about the
chin that resembled the whiskers of cat.
AS husband and wife this couple held the
little pothouse, but long years after the
events now being narrated 1t was discov-
cred that husband and wife had both been
women.
What sporti What noisy laughterI
What singing and rollicking cheersl The
men stood neither on the order of their
coming nor their going, their sitting nor
their standing They wore their caps or
not as pleased them, they sang or talked as
suited them, they laughed or sneezed, they
sulked or snarled, were noisy or silent pre-
cisely as the whim of the individual pre-
scribed the individual rule of manners
The chair at the Jolly Herrings was posi-
tion of more distinction than duty, and 1t
was numbered among Christians virtues
that he had never attempted to exercise an
arbitrary control over the liberties Of free
born Manxmen. Jest or jeer, fun or fight,
were alike free Of the gathering where he
presided, but everything had to be in con-
science and reason, for Christian drew the
line rigidly at marline spikes and Delaying
pins
Tommy -Bill-beg was there, and a fine
scorn sat on his face The reason of this
was that, as mistaken tribute to music,
Jenny Balladhoo had also been invited
and was sitting with his fiddle directly in
front Of the harbor master, though that
worthy disdained to take notice Of the hui
initiating proximity Danny Fayle was
there The lad sat quietly and meekly on
a form near the door.
The supper was lifted direct on to the
table from the pans and boilers that SIM
mered on the hearth. First came the broth
well loaded with barley and cabbage but
not destitute of the flavor of two Sleeps
heads Then the suet pudding, round as o
well fed salmon and as long as q 20 pound
cod After this came three legs Of boiled
mutton and a square block of roast beef
A4tSO Vi uii ohO AlyhiiS pan Noo Nbhoh hloiii
the niche of the Madonna, and two or
three dozen OF fresh herrings were made to
frizzle and crackle and bark and sputter
over the fire
Away went the dishes, away went the
CLOTH an oil lamp with it's open mouth--a
relic perhaps of some monkish sanctuary
of the middle ages-was lifted from the
mantelpiece and put on the table for the
receipt of customs; the censer with the
spills was placed beside 1t, pipes emerged
from waistcoat pockets, and pots of liquor
with glasses and bottles came in from the
outer bar.
SIS it heavy on the beer you're goin to
be, BillP'' said Dayy Cain
Kisseck replied with superior smile and
the lifting up Of whisky bottle from
which he had just drawn the cork,
Then came the toasts The chairman
rose, amid Hip, hip, hooraa" to give
Life to man and death to fish" Kisseck
=