The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-12-02

shillings of the purchase money to the
buyer, at the same time wishing him
luck of the animal; this is called "luck-
penny" Usually the money is paid in
whisky shop, the seller ordering half
| vans" for both the buyer and the inter-
meddler.
There are class of small dealers
| dubbed Miners" who trade in old
animals of any description, which they
dispose of to butchers for mince meat.
These are a few of the characteristic
| salutations with which gentry of this
| class salute sellers: "How mucn for
the QUIZ hide?' What are you AKIN
for the parcel iv bones?" "Was this
the stripper that gave milk to Noah in
| the Ark?''
In the section devoted to pigs ma
tronly danes are declaiming in loud
tones the praises of their animals. A
man is no match at all for one of these
ladies in making bargain, and in con-
sequence it is the women who do most
of the buying and selling. The result
| is often better imagined than de-
scribed.
The May and November fairs called
the hiring fairs" are by far the larg-
est attended. Farm servants are en-
gagged for six months, and always at
these fairs, at which it is not unusual
to find thousand of them. They are
easily recognized from other people of
their class by their sunburnt complex
ions, their dress always adorned with
a profusion of bright colors), and their
heavy, ungraceful carriage in walking.
Trudging through clay fields day in
and day out takes the elasticity out
of ones step. They seldom see the
towns except on the hiring fair days,
and then everything is new and Won
derful to them; the shop windows,
especially decorated for the occasion
with shoddy bright colors; the cheap
Jacks at the corner holding forth in
praise of their secondhand clothing;
the trick-o the-loop men; the thimble-
riggers; the purveyor of gold watches
at ten shillings apiece. with free
present Of guard of fancy pipe
thrown in-all these sights enrapture
| the simple country people.
| If you will turn up the street a bit
you may observe something Of the hir-
ing. A typical farmer approaches a
girl of the servant class, and says,
Nora"
Nora she replies.
Are We hired yet?" he asks.
"Naw," she says; I'm not hired, but
it's my own fault or might be-"
He looks her up and down in the
same way that he would an animal;
apparently she is satisfactory, for he
says: How much are We axin'?"
Five poun'."
Five poun'!" he repeats, with with
ering sarcasm. Maybe We could be
dom with the half Nv it,"
rs it me?" this with a fine show of
Indignation. Its wean (child) you
want, not grown-up girl, that's able
to do all kin's iv work."
"Houl' out your ham," he says, and
as she does so he slips shilling into
her palm, after the manner of the old
army recruiting sergeants. will We
axe me four poun's?"
bid me four and We'll be talkin'
near the mark them" the inference be-
ing that, although she would welcome
such an offer, she is not disposed to
accept it.
But the farmer does not appear
over anxious to do so. "Can We make
butther?" he says.
| For answer she bares up her arm as
far as the social convention of the
place will permit.
He seems satisfied. "You would hev
a lady's life with me-" he says, in
sinuatingly.. Then, as if another
thought had come to him, he asks,
| Can you wash and iron?"
She mods her head.
Can you engage to milk ten COWS
night and mornin, and darn, and sew,
and give a han in the fields when
| there's nothin' to be done in the
house,"
AYE" she replies, II can do all them
things"
He looks at her again critically
Were you ever sick?"
| Nav" she replies.
I'm glad to hear it," he says; "a
sickly servants no good for anythin';
she would rob a man."
Then they revert to pecuniary mat
tiers again. He slaps her hand and Of
fers four pounds but she will not ac-
cept less than the amount fir.s named.
, She sees that he wants her badly, and