The Washington herald., 1908-02-09
NO Pig IN THE EPARLOR
Typical Irish Woman Laughs
at American Inquiry.
POOR LIVE IN HAPPY STYLE
Cabin FIOoP Is of Mother Earth
Packed Down Hard-HOst and
affected Welcome tn Visitors.
Housefurnishinss Not Elaborate.
Ry MRs. LIZ TwEEpIE.

och. sure, and she's line LADY, is a
somewhat embarrassing remark when adj
dressed by a stranger to a friend Of one 5
own. and oneself happens to be present
| at the interview. "Musha. a fine lady,
shure she is" was repeated with a pretty
smile. after another scrutinizing glance
from top 10 toe "A fine pair OF ladies'
We be"'
l smiled sickly smile and tried to look
pleased at such an openly discussed com
pliment
"och. will you plase walk in? I'ra IN
tidy, myself I've been churning and,
och! I'm not tidy; but plase walk in.
ma am"
What courteous. pretty hospitality
from the Irish peasant; what a quiet. un-
ruffied dignity Of mien. just 10 offer all
she had-a warm welcome and no more!
In Scotland the4#tle home would be
called a croft; in Ireland it is called
cabin: but the two are twin sisters IN
more ways than one. The people are Of
| the same Celtic race, and speak the same
/ language. The language. however. has
drifted so far apart they cannot under
stand one another when speaking, al
though the literature remains tlte same
and they can read Celtic in common.
stands by Roadside.
The little whitewashed cabin stood by
the roadside, and between its low COW
shed and its two-roomed homestead an
enormous rock standing some three feet
high, grew right out of the wall That
rock lay on the roadside. 1t was too big
TO move without a lot of trouble, and
Irish people do not Ike trouble, so as it
was convenient to build the cabin on the
road. the rock was quietly employed TO
help strengthen the stone-and-p plaster
walls
When the place was completed, the
pretty thatch water-tight. and the tiny
windows airtight-for Irish windows are
| too small TO admit much light and seldom
made 10 open-then the rock was white
washed with the rest Of the homestead.
and the cabin was complete
Here lived the dearest old couple-regu-
lar characters-naturc's born lady ana
gentleman. the sort of people who are the
backbone of Ireland. the stay Of the land
honest. respectable citizens. who had
reared a large family and lived to see
them all started well IN the race OF life.
She was short and round. and Comely.
with the sweetest and kindest gray eyes
encircled by dark lashes. A dear old
peasant woman with as pretty a tongue /
and IS sweet a manner as the highest
lady Ia the land
Inside Is Dark
"WU you phase to sit down." she said
as We ducked our heads TO enter the tiny
portal For at moment felt like a blink
ing owl is proverblally supposed TO feel.
The peat reek had darkened the walls,
and the fumes from the blocks Of fuel
on the open stone fireplace made the at
m0sphere a little thick, and the room
little dark. added 10 which the one tiny
window was entirely covered with a close
w woven muslin curtain I nearly tum-
bled into the dear old hand churn. and in
trying to evade it's ominous pole. kicked
a tin pail. on the water of which nicely
patted balls OF fresh butter were floating
contentedly.
Suddenly the place seemed lighted. as
if a fiashlight had been turned on. /
| found I could see. And why? Pbrceiving
the ladies enter mis- little cabin Mike had
left the potatoes and had come 10 shdke
them by the hand and add his kindly
welcome to his wifes. Mike was six feet
| four inches high, and his cabin door was
about four feet six inches. Consequently
Mikes entry had entirely blocked up all
the fitful glow from the peat fire and the
little light struggling 10 penetrate the
smart new muslin curtains
Mike was a dear. Cap in hand. he stood
on his threshold and bade Us welcome
"Shure, and fine lady she is, re-
Peated Mrs NJ, standing back and look
ing me over again and again from head
10 foot; "a pair of fine ladies they be
and yourself turning to me-''has trav-
eled all the way from America to see
the mistress"
Courtesy Is Typical.
It was all very pretty. very courteous.
and delightfully."- simple-just typical of
the people themselves.
The floor was of Mother Earth. so
hardly trodden it appeared like stone
Two wooden chairs, large table under
the window, a big cupboard, a small bed
built into the wall, fireplace that was
merely a stone on which the peat re-
posed, with a chimney over it, and
caldrOn or thTee-legged pot hanging by a
chain, completed the furnitude Of the
room. In Brittany the wooden beds-often
of family history-are in the WALL but
| in the Irish cabins the bed is not of
wood it is simply an exCrescenCe like a
cupboard built out OF the wall itself the
stones whitewashed on three sides. It
| looks a little chilly; but the Irishman
loves his bed
If the tenant is at all blessed with
worldly goods he is the proud pOssessor
of feather bed. 1t is his marriage bed,
the joy and pride of his married life; but
no, he must not die on il, for if he did his
soul would never get out of purgatory,
and might land in yet warmer place.
When any one is dying the friends and
relatives assemble around the sick person
and watch for the moment to overheard
him. Generally there is some OLD crone
present. well veTsed in death, and at her
signal the dying person is dragged of the
| feather bed and deposited on an i'm
pTomptu palliasse of straw thrown on
the floor. there TO breathe his last
Feather-bed Superstition.
Why? All, why2 There is a common
superstition about the feather bed in the
west of Ireland 1t is believed that if a
single cocks feather should be within the
downy mass it will cause uneasiness to
the departed soul The dead who dies on
feather bed will never rest; that cock
feather VIII keep his soul ever flying on.
his spirit restless. flying away from sin
because the cock cr0wed for Peter. and
the cock S feather will haunt him as the
cry of the chantieleer- haunted Peter of
cid.
Gazing upward. / soon discovered the
whole of Mr.. and Mrs. NJ. s possessions
were hanging from the ceiling. One string
after another crossed the little Kitchen
and there. among the Tafters, hung
punches of onions. just as those enormous
and curious dried mushrooms and rings