The times., 1898-11-20

1 proposed tnut Sne was inuCn alltCnSI
to her mother and her mother to her, to
think of getting married. "Arrah. shure,
no husband could equal my mother in
Kindness said she. 'Oh. thin" ex-
claimed the boy, "be me wife and snure
| We can all live together, and see that 1
| don't bate yer mother" He could not
| have meant that he would i'll use the
| mother-that was only Eis Irish way OF
| putting things-for his declaration indcc-
| ed the girl TO yield to his wishes. A bash
| full youth "a rather rare person in Ire
| land be IL said) who was in love with
| girl intrusted his proposal for her hand
| TO his sister. One day the maid visited
| his fathers cabin, while he, with anxious
| heart, hid behind the door, awaiting the
| result. The girl, who did not care to De
| wooed al second hand, replied with
saucy toss of her head, Indeed now, II
| I'm good enough TO be married, m goo1
| enough to be axed" The boy then stuck
| his head into the room and eAc.alfhea'
| with a sob in his voice, Mary, allanah'
| will yez do what Maggie aXed ye!
| When the day has been named, whether
| bv arrangement between the Joy d
| girl Themselves. or through the mtermeui-
airy of their parents, preparations az
made on the most extensive scaie iof
grand wedding II is considered essen
1
honor of the family, the guests at the
wedding. which include sometimes the
whole of the countryside, should nave
| lots of eating and drinking-"lashin ana
! LAWNS of iverything." Closeness on such
an occasion is the unforgivable social SIN.
| ..Arrah. II | wor gettin' married, 1 nave
heard a woman exclaim. when she saw
| a poor display at wedding, Ia sen
every stitch on my back, and go naked
| s,.tfal Il dTssfn
/ pretty Irish servant maid, who had
got married, called to see her mistress.
II hear you are going to Australia with
! YOUR husband Kitty" said the lady;
"are you not afraid of such long Voy-
age?' We'll. ma am, that's his look
out" said Kitty. Il belong to him now,
an if anything happens to me, shure,
| IN be his loss, not mine. But there Is
not always that complete loss oil the
wife's Identity in the husband, which the
above anecdote suggests. II is the wife
that rules the household in rural Ireland
The husband surrenders to her all MS
earnings To the uttermost farthinS; an
excellent arrangement for Pat, who, feel
ing the money burning in his pocket, as
he says himself, is disposed to get rld OF
/ it rapidly; and a still more excellent ar
rangement for the sake of the children.
Bridget is indeed. Pats guardian angel.
| On many a Saturday, when boy in Linz
| erick | have seen the long line of coun-
try cars returning homeward from mar
ket in the dusk of the summers evenings,
the wives driving. and the husbands, with
drop taken" perhaps, quietly In the
straw behind.
There is a story told of a young lady
from Cork. who was presented at the
Viceregal Court, Dublin, shortly after her
marriage. The Viceroy has the pleasant
duty of kissing on the cheek the ladies
presented him at a drawing-room; but
when his excellency was about to give
this young lao the regulation salute she
cried: ''oh, no: that privilege is exclusive
ly reserved for Mr.. O'Mahony.'
of course, there are exceptions to the
general serenity of the domestic hearth,
and the fond attachment between hus-
band and wife. l knew at least of one
Irishman in Limerick whose life was
made miserable by a drunken wife She
had sold everything in the home for drink,
and as a last resource she threatened to
commit suicide if money TO procure liquor
were not Forthcoming. Next morning, be-
fore proceeding to work. the husband,
driven to desperation by his wife's con-
duct. left his two new razors lying on
the table telling her to select the best
one ov thin" At night when Pat came
home trembling with apprehension. he
found his wife huddled up in a corner
not dead, but dead drunk. BY her side
was pawn ticket, and on it was written,
Two razors, Is. Cd.
There is another story of the exception
which proves the rule. Some years ago,
as the mailboat from Ireland was enter
ing Holyhead Harbor, a lady fell into the
water. One of the sailors, an Irishman
jumped overheard and rescued her from
death by drowning. When she was safe
on deck again the husband, who was a
calm spectator of the incident, handed
the brave sailor a shilling. The specta-
tors did not hesitate TO express their in
dignation at the mans meanness, when
the sailor with native shrewlness threw
a new light on the matter by saying:
| "Arrah. don't blame the gintleman; he
knows best; maybe if ] hadn't saved her
he'd have given NE half a crown. / am
disposed TO think that the husband in this
case was not an Irishman. History. GER
tainly, does not indicate his nationality.
Marital relations in Ireland are as a
rule of the most harmonious character,
and if a husband and wife do fall out
occasionally and even resort to blows,
they think nothing the worse of each
other in the end. Pill Lane is classic
locality in Dublin, which might with
some truth be described as the Billings
gate of the Irish metropolis. That's a
fine black eye you've got, missis," said
a man to a woman sitting over her bas-
ket of fish in Pill Lane. "Fightin'. | sup
pose, agin.'' No, ! wasn't fghtin'," re-
piled the woman. Himself [her hus-
bandl il was that gave me that" and
facing fiercely round on her questioner,
she added, ''and I'D like to know who
had a better right"
A laborer out of employment applied
for outdoor relief for himself and his
wife at the North Dublin Union. We'll,
my good fellow, we must have evidence
that you are legally married." said the
chairman of the relief committee. BE
gor, sir, I've the best proof in the wur-
uld," said the applicant, and bending
his head, he displayed a scar on his skull.
Does yer honor think" he added, I'D
be after takin that abuse from any wan
but a wife?"
Having such happy homes and faithful
wives, is it any wonder that Irishmen
are loath to leave them behind? An Irish
car driver was wrapping himself up care
fully before starting on journey on a
cold winters day. You seem to be TAX
ing very good care of yourself said the
impatient fare. ITO be shure 1 am, sur
replied the driver. Whats all the wur-
uld TO a man when his wifes widow?'
MICHAEL McDONAGH.
A CURIOUS HILL.