The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-24
TERRENCE ON HIS COURTSHIP.

1t was merry party that assem-
bled last night at Goodfellows hall.
The congress of nations as guests of
Tim Sullivan, proprietor of the sign of
the silver mug, where the information
al congressman usually meet had their
first annual Christmas supper. In
marked contrast to their ordinary meet
ings, they had their wives along this
trip.
Terrence, the Irishman, was accom-
panied by Honora; Sven the Swede had
Hilda on his staff; Hans, the Dutch
man, had Wilhelmina; AIRY the Eng
lishman was accompanied by 'Arriet,
and Donald, the Scotchman, by Tibbie.
There is no need of wasting space in
The Spy telling just how it came about,
but one subject brought on another, I'M
til finally, by some ASSOCIATION OF
IDEAS Terrence, the Irishman, recalled
that exactly IA years ago, in Castle
island, he became engaged to Honora.
Faith" said Terrence, "oi sappoose
thot tonnes have changed in the ould
dart since OF was there, but in my
tonne there was but little promiskyuse
love-mdkin'. Twas all a cut an dhred
affair. Whin a young gossoon av bye
and a colleen got aV an age whin twas
behaved tonne fer thin to marry, the
Guild folks took the matther into their
own hands. This was what we mott
call match-makin', and faith, it's
strange whin We come to think av it,
how minny av these marriages have
tur-rned out all roit whin We undher-
stand thot often the couple never laid
eye on wan another until the mott av
the match.
''Sthop kickin' me shlns, Honora. TITS
no disgrace to we fer me to up an till
the byes jist how We happened to be
so forchunate in gettin SIGH a hand
some broth av a bye as mesilf fer d
loife partner. OF was too, OF raymim-
Der, the second chise av yer father
Lord a mercy on the ould mans sowl
'Honora, it was common talk at the
fairs in Thralee, was as foine a lookin
colleen as wan wud mate wild in all
Oireland, an to circumnavigate it. Sha
was good catch too, be hiVins fer her
father, 1t was reporthed, had the grass
ay half a hundred cows. OF knew the
ould man a bit-matin' him at the
fairs-an he had a koind av loikin' fer
me, too. as me own father was a
townie av his. But sthrange as it may
same, byes, OF niver had met Honora,
though loike all the young bluds, OF
was dyin' to get the range aV me eye
on her.
"Honora, she musd hat been a Maig-
lockchen alretty, sometimes oggasion-
ally" said Hans.
Faith, she was no Mclaughlin at
all, at ALL" answered Terrence. she
was av the foine ould sept av O'Brien,
more power to the clan"
you vos misunderstanding me mid
dout comprehensions uf yot 1 hat
meanings vor," said Hans. "Maiglock-
chen, i'd is der Yerman vurd vor lily
uf der valley"
"Oi see what We name now, Hans
Faith she was a what-ye-call- all
roit, as OF aftherwur-rds found out.
Now, ii was known" continued Ter
renee, that an ommadaun be the name
av Shaun O'Shea was dapely in love
wild Honora and thot it was baleYed
thot Esther OConnor was loikely to
call the banns any Sunday Shaun's ia
Their and Honora's father made the
match at the Thralee fair an av coorse
it was arranged thot Shaun shud mate
Honora at a partly given in honor av
the proposed match, at the O'Brien
mansion. Shaun was a reglar clip, an
all the gerruls were woild about him.
He was a whole theather av intertain-
mint hinsilf an as jolly a companion
as wan wud mate wild in days walk.
Well, Sor, to make a long sthory
shor-rt, Shaun was invited to the par
thy an he had thin all in a roar until
supper tonne, whin, fer some unac-
countable rayson, he was as glum as
an eyesther an as gloomy as haunted
house.
Faith, they cuddint make him out at
all, at all Mkt day Mrs. O'Brien met
the mother av Shaun an she inquoired
about it. What did we have fer sup
per?' asked Shaun's mother. 'Pud-
ding said Honora's mother What
did we do wild the scrape av the not q
continued Mrs. O'Shea. 'Oi threw it out
to the hins, says Mrs. O'Brien. We'll,
says Mrs. O'Shea, list invite Shaun
agin,' says she, an whin We have por-
toned out the pudding says she, list
give Shaun the scrape av the pot, >
says she. 'Oi will says Mrs. O'Brien.
Shaun came the mkt mott an he
was sthill grouty. He didn't spake a
wor-rd until supper tonne. Formally
Mrs. O'Brien portioned out the pud-
ding and handed the pot to Shaun.
Now, byes, wud We behave it? He was
the jolliest man in three counties fer
the rist av the mott. But shure, Homo
ra wuddint have him If there wasn't
another man in the woide, woide wor-
ruld, after thot.
Now, whin this match was broken
up, my father got it into his hid thot
AioiiOi q az AiSs9iiA W uu We the tome
pair an bein' 'townie 'av Mr.. OBrien
he dhropped a hint av it to him whin
mkt they met at the fair. Mr.. O'Brien
sid thot OF was the loikely gossoon, an
afther he ler-rned thot OF wud come
into bit av land, an the grass av
number av cows aikel to his own. he
proposed thot OF mate Honora at his
house.
"Oi came, an the minute me eyes
set on Honora, me heart soined away
Its fraydom. OF was her slave. The
ould folks saw the way things was
dhriftin' an they whit into the parlor