Washington sentinel., 1900-01-27
T.If1 TT, SENTINEL
HumOrs or Irish Life,

grumble. Anything short OF a
deluge is "a grand day, glory be
to God" or, if he iS completely
wet through, "a fine soft day for
the country" On one occasion,
when it had rained necessarily for
weeks, and the crops were almost
under water, | said to a man,
"What do you think ofthe weather,
Flanagan" Il think" said Flan-
nagan, looking round at the drip
ping hedges and soaking fields, II
think, Miss, if l was to be maxim
weather, an made the likes OF this,
there'd be grumblin at it," Itwas
wrung out of him, and surely dis
appreciation was never i-ore deli
cately expressed. AS might be
expected. ours is soil in which
blessings and curses flourish in al
mos tropical luxuriance, and both
are dispensed with a liberal hanu
Among the causes which insure a
plentiful supply Of the former may
be reckoned the possession OF red
hair. "The ould masther'S funeral
was a grand sight" said an old
woman. "but shure the grandest
SIGHT OF all was to see MaSther
Andy standin there with his head
shinln' like gould in a bog dhrain.
May the Lord bless HIM an the
barber that barberized hlmw We
are often credited with a disposi.
ton to accept statements without
proof Of their accuracy, but the
following story goes far to dis.
prove such an accusation. OTIS
wlshin' to inform the family / am
that there's cross baste beyant in
the field, was announced one
morning Dy an ola herd. "Are
you sure it's really CROSSE" some
one asked. "Ah begorra, l am
sure; Mrs. Casey herself was
walkin' across on her way from
market, whin It wint at her an
turrened her upsid down, and the
crathure was that skeared she
couldn't spake hardly a word whin
she got up, an himself wouldn't be-
lave her, so he TUX Mary out to see
II 1t was thrue, an begOrra it Wint
at her an turrened her upside
down too, so thin he knew it was
cross baste." The same old herd
described his cattle. "Shure,
they're fine bastes now, but troth,
if ye'd seen thin whin they came
FIRST, it's thin skilitons they were"
No paper on Irish humor would be
complete without at least a few
specimens Of bulls. Here are two
or three jotted down at random.
"Dhrunk!" said a man speaking
OF his neighbor, "he was that |
dhrunk that he made ten halves OF |
livery word" "Arrah, ma am.
have ye heard the news7 Misther
Johns best calls been dhrowned
on him, Shure, I'm afther goin'
through the field mesili, when they
were gettin' the crathure out OF the
ditch, an he was that wake he
could hardly walk home" "ButI !
though you said he was drowned2"
"Dhrowned. And sure so he was
dhrowned, but he wasn't dhrowned !
dead!' WAS it good fair today?" !
incurred a master. "A h, no, your |
honor. Shure it was only a little |
fair, and thin little fairs are big |
ones" "Why is the chapel bell |
ringing, MIke2" "Shure, it's two |
men over there beyant in Gurtna
ghur that's died, and they re a
buryin' Of one another today, and
that's the sign"
Among the many factors at work
in Ireland there is one the extent
OF whose influence is supposed, by
both friends and foes, to be almost
unlimited. l mean what IS called
the power of the priest, and as it
undoubtedly has prominent place
Tor good or evil IN Irish life, the
following example may be OF in
terest. Old Mike aad his wife
lived in little cabin on the noun.
tain, one Of a type which is hap.
PLY every day becoming more and
more rare The walls were oil mud,
and the floor OF the same useful
material, with a gutter running
down the middle to divide the fam
ilv apartment from that Of the do.
mestlc animals. To this mansion |
came his reverence one cold, show
cry morning in March to hold a
station. HIS umbrella was wet and
dripping, so, being a careful man,
he placed it open in the space va
Gated by the animals, who were
grazing outside. Alter the usual
devotlons, when the congregation
had dispersed, he went for a stroll
while MORA prepared his break
last, for to entertain his reverence
afterwards IS the CrownIng honor
Of station. He had not gone far
when a heavy shower obliged him
10 take shelter under a tree, and
send a little gossoon running back
Tor his umbrella. His reverence
IS afther sending me 10 bring his
said the boy, bursting +
into the cabin. THE saints pre- I
sarve us" said Mike. maybe IT'S r
he thing he left there beyant in
he corner" and seizing the um. {
orella he tried to pass it through I
he door, but the entrance was low
and narrow and the umbrella large I
and wide. Without a moments r
hesitation he caught up a spade I
Ind began shovelling down the I
vail al either side OF the door. {
Man alive said the priest, ap- {
,earing on the scene, "whatever :
IRE We at7' "Shure, it's maxim r
way l am for yr Uverence's ON.
'rell, said old Mike; "divil bit