The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-29
AN IRISH CABIN
II Resembles in Many Ways a Nina
ture Noah's Ark.


ture Noahs Ark.
1t was o'clock in the morning, and
was sitting on a wall with the village
Dugort, in Achil Island, in front of me.
was there for the purpose of seeing
the animals come out of an Irish hut
after their nights rest.
The village was filed with music as |
sat upon the wall Nearly every kind
OF British bird was singing, and the At
lahtlc murmured on the Dugort strand.
but the doors Of the cottages were
closed, and their inmates were asleep.
wondered why I should not run away
with pair of trousers which were
hanging on door in the sun. And I
wondered what was to prevent me maxi
ing Off with spade and basket which
lay near the road. The owners of these
articles seemed to assume that / was
honest, which felt little strange.
Patiently, however I kept my eyes on
the cottage doors. And al last about a
quarter past I, one of them was opened.
Immediately three geese, eight goslins,
slX hens, fifteen chickens, two pigs and
cat darted forth in the daylight. The
geese formed themselves in a noisy pro-
cession to the nearest pond; the hens
gathered their families together in tri-
umph in a field the pigs, without any
ado, began eating the first things they
could discover, and the cat, after a
moments hesitation, climbed on to the
~ 1, 4
and the family arose and had break
fast AT least SO l should think. In
any case, twenty minutes later, a man
once more flung open the entrance of
the hut, and 10; four cows slowly
marched forth on the road. And when
two barefooted girls had driven these
away to pasture on the mountainside
the master of the house himself APP
peared leading out the family horse.
Two somewhat dilatory sons followed,
and, taking up the spade and basket
which had lain outside all night they
went after their father to the daily
work Of the field. And now romped out
three small children, filled with the in
tention of playing a game, until they
saw me looking at them. But then
wondering against the wall After
these came two elder sisters carrying
cloth bags filled with books, and I
watched their bare feet tripping down
the winding road to the National School.
And finally emerged the strapping and
bronzed mother, leading the faithful
donkey, loaded with peat baskets, and
followed by a gentle dog with its muz-
gle on.
And l reflected as I went back hungry
to breakfast that fifty-three animals
were good many for a hut. When l
returned after breakfast 1 found that
the goslings had olambered over the
wall, and three little, children were
playing with them. But very soon
these children got tired of the goslings
and sat solemnly on the grass wonder
ing what to do next. And then their
heads appeared over the top of the wall
They scrambled down on to the road,
and began to make defiantly for the
duck pond. Two little feet We're al
ready in this pond, and two others were
just on the brink, when 10! their
mother saw them and called out, as
severe as the mountain that overshad-
owed them: Keep out of that pool,
now." 1t was a horrid pool Such a
one as an ordinary man would deodor-
ize with a pipe. And for years their
mother had been telling these children
to keep out of it. Now they crept very
subdued into the hut, and sat III dis
grace with their toes round the peat
fire. There, too, their grandmother was
seated her body shaking and her face
withered with age. / saw her fill her
pipe with little pieces of burning wood.
Good gracious said, what is she
smoking?" only kippins," the mother
answered. "She's finished her tobacco"
she explained.
There were six children in the hut al
together, with about year between the
ages of each. The mother had buried
four, she told me, and two others were
at school.
do they make a noise at night?"
asked. well, no sir" she answered,
they don't be very noisy at night, in
deed" And when I suggested that
they looked fairly well she agreed that
they were pretty healthy enough in
deed. She offered me some seaweed to
eat. ITS dillusk," she said; "it's very
nice when it be dry" But I never felt
inclined TO eat ANYTHING in an Irish hut |