The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-11-14
IRISH CHARACTER SKETCHES.
The Village virago or scold.
Cwritten for The Intermountain Cath

forehe cad, from beneath Il worn frilled
linen cap, a cap that seems not to have
known the saving virtues of soap and
water for many long day. Seated
there, this quiet August afternoon, with
one bony back hand supporting her
pointed chin on which a few cat hairs
grow, and the other holding a long sally
rod with which she seemingly heats
time on the ground. Peg looks verita-
bic Sybil in prophesy. a large flock of
hungry geese with a still hunsrier-look-
ing gander gobble up some raw potatoes
that are scattered here and there on the
street before her door. A lean, shaggy
goat, with but one horn is tethered by
means of a hay rope to wheelbarrow.
and judging from the goats frenzied
walk within its bounds and it's piteous
bleat. we came to the conclusion that
Joe Rooneys 'haycock over the way
would not be at all safe if Pegs goat
got her liberty Monarch of that little
village, none dare dispute Peg Coles
right, none dared call into question her
word. Jim Scully. the village loafer
peeps round the adjacent corner and
seeing Peg. quickly withdraws his head
again, muttering to himself, shes reg
ulatin' her timDeT" Jim. that breads
not man or woman or a squadron of
Scotch Grays in full gallon. feels cold
shivering run down his back at the very
sight even Of that gray-haired old wo-
man. Her tongue. boys" jim would
say, is always goin'. even in her sleep.
an ii brushes yeh like Nurty Grimes
big mill wheeh" Father Tom, the loved
parish priest, taking his daily walk i'm
the chapel yard, seees his beautiful
flower beds that he admires and values
so much, torn up an dtrampled upon
and the verdant closely cropped grass
around strewn with droppings
Ali he cries out. taking off his beret-
Ia in dismay, and heaving frienzied
sigh. All! he cries. Peg the Barges'
geese again. Oh, what am I to do with
that woman and her geese. but Tn pow
erless, powerless against her Oetting his
hands fall deiectedlY by his side What
can do when the holy missioncrs have
failed to convert here
John Dowd. the huckster. or Johnny
Come Lately, sitting in his shop behind
the counter rises hastily. so hastily that
in his haste he lays down a COPY of the
Cork Examiner which he is just read
ing or some rolls of fresh butter "a
monstrous thing to do in his eyes), and
with more obsequious bow than usual
and smile that an angel would envy.
says:
All! Mrs. Cole, I'm rale glad to see
yeh. How do yel do? What can 7 get
for yeh? Yis, ma'am. in wan second
III have these things for yeh Won't
Neh take chair while I'm gettin' thin?
And when John Dowd had served Peg
Cole with her necessaries, she usually
took her exit from Johns shop thus:
'Goood mornin' DoWd. an thank yeh.
l haven't any money now to pay yeh."
and with those words on her lips the
small, sunken eyes would CLINT danger
Tu1 NJ
that arrangement
''Oh, don't mention paymint. Mrs.
Dowd; any time will do whin it's con-
Vanient"
But, Dowd," and Peg comes back
from the door
Yis, Mrs. Cole" all servility and at
tention. Il heard on yesterday, Dowd.
from Cauth Doonans eossoon Obov)
that yer dog worrit (worriedD me geese.
and Pegs black bony hand thumps the
counter
The saints above! an do yeh tell me
so. Mrs. Cole, drowned that dog will be
TINS morthial minute. Drowned he'll be. /
! pledge yeh me unmorfhial honour
Yis, Mrs. Cole this northial minute for
his transgressious agln yer geese and
Johnny Come Lately rushes from be- |
mind his counter as if to put his threat |
into execution.
Jack Mccormack or Garfbaldi, the
mail car driver. he who has a Joke and |
a gay word for every passer-by. pre- |
tends to be searching diligently in the
body of his rschety old mail car for a
parcel. When he sees Peg Cole coming |
and then looking around timidly to see !
II she is gone. he rubs his brow with |
me ends Of his red muffler as if to wipe |
on the beads Of perSpiration mutterins |
he 1onc
Dan Reid, the sailor. valiant hero or |
the Grimea and Tahu forts. quits his
quarter deck on Pegs approach dams |
quarter deck was short gravel walk
before his door,, and entering his house |
he says TO his sisters Mary and Eliza /
those two magic words-"She's coming" |
at which announcement Mary and |
Eliza seat themselves in the corner |
with terrified look at the door and |
the ejaculation. God between us and |
harm on their lips.
Ryan. the peeler policeman. whose |
Nigilant eyes allows nothing to ESCAPED
sees Peg Cole pulling a bundle of hav |
from oe Rooney's little cock and passes |
on with his head turned in the opposite |
direction, at the same time sighing |
sadly to himself. ''Oh, why cudn't she |
be now like other women. bud daren't |
arrest her which reflection is still |
more eInbittered by i'm Scully's mock
ing voice:
] Now yeh have her. Ryan. an why |
the blazes don't yeh nab her?"
And Joe Rooney, the owner of that
little hay cock, ha! he has caught the
daring robber at last. and with swift
in his eyes he darts around
The hay cack to seize her-ah, he stops
with
oh! Mrs. Cole. is that you pulling a
wisp ov hay out ov me cock for yer
goat? Yer quite welcome TO it any
time, Mrs. Cole. ma lam. Indeed. was
Just coming meself, Mrs. Cole ma am.
to pull a wee bundle for her an hope
Mrs. Cole ma'am, yer goat gives yeh
enough milk for yer tay."
Mr.. Mannerinng, the local J. P. Gus
tice Of the peace). stroking his broad
chest pompously, says 10 a tramp who
neglected to salute and was not at all
gracious to the majesty of the law:
Do you know. my fine fellow, that I
am the terror Of evil-doers. and that 7
could get you locked up Will you
would be saying Jack Robinson?r
"Oh. indade, are yeh. Mr.. Buster"
answers the tramp sarcasticallyJ walk
ng away. why thin. iv yeh are so
powerful. don't yel1 lock up Peg Cole?"
Mrs. Cole" murmurs Mr.. Manner
ng afterwards to himself IS the
plague spot of my life. She tramples
IN my dignity and despises the law
res deSniSes the Law 4" cIancbi1e bic