The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-11-21

or good night, without an appeal to the
Almighty. or the Redeemer or the Holy
Virgin. "Howly Mother" is the COM
morest Of calculations, but irish pro
family is always associated with bless
ings and not with curses. You never
hear the anathemas that are so con-
mon in the United States Nobody
over damns YOU if the name If the
Almighty is appealed to it is always
for His blessing and not for condem-
nation.
Everybody in Ireland does not speak
with brogue. It has often been 3uid
that the purest English is spoken In
Dublin and Aberdeen. but that is true
to very limited extent among tine
classes With whom strangers do not
often come in contact. In some places
the hrogue is SO dense that a stranger
requires an interpreter. 1t is difficult
4" understand an ordinary remark.
And you hear the brogue in the pulpit
AS we'll as in the slums. There is no
form of speech richer or more musical
than the brogue of an eloquent Irish
man. and his natural gifts of orat Dry
enable him to convey the meaning of
his words to the fullest degree by his
accent. I never heard the service NJ
n Tricrono1
eloquent and Impressive nlanner than
Ivy a young curatc with hrogue that
you could cut with a knife" as the
saying is. There is nothing to cont
tare with 1t except the sweet, soft
Southern accent in the United States"
When you inquire where the irish
got their hrogue. the answers will he
at the same shop that the Yankee got
his twang."
have been trying to find some book
on Irish idioms. some analysis OF Eng
lish as she is spoke" in Ireland. Rev.
Father Meehan, a philologist, is now en-
gagged in the preparation Of such a
work, but it will not be published for
some time. There are some curious
phrases and odd applications Of COM
mon words.
Take the term, himself" for exam
pie which is used to describe the bose.
the head of a. family, the chief man in
all association, the commander OF a
ship or the colonel of regiment. It
"old man" that we are accustomed tn
in the United States. When a subal-
tern in the army speaks of himself
you may understand that he means the
colonel Of the regiment. When an err
ploye Of a railway company a;Mdes 10
himself" 1t Is the general manager.
And when a sailor uses that term he
means the captain of the ship. Wives
use it to describe their husbands. chill
oren refer to their fathers in that man
ner and workmen to their superintcnJ-
cnt or the boss Of the gang.
Did himself give yez tho order?"
Il will not take any directions ex
cept from himself"
You'll have to walt till himself
comes in" said a young boy behind the
counter In a. Dublin shop.
We're waiting for himself to come
home to dinner" was the remark OF a
good wife. when l inquired for her
husband. ....
Himself has not been very veil
lately" .... ...
The word "HimscIf'' Is frequently
written upon envelopes. where 1t has
the same significance as the word
Personal" or Private" with us, and IS
u warning that no one should open II
but the person to whom 1t is addressed
But these ancient customs arc being
abandoned, and most Of the suporsti-
are the most highly Imaginative and
superstitious in the world. and the ma :
tional schools are blamed for tho
change TINT is taking place among
| Them in this respect. John Dillon told
INC tho other day that he was not quite
satisfied in his own mind whether this
was a good thing for the country. Per-
snnally he would much prefer that the
people would adhere TO the custom:
and preserve the superstitions of their
ancestors. But there is more than one
opinion on that subject. The super :
ntcndcnt of the insane asylum at Kill
| larney asserts that tho most prolific
causes Of insanity here are the imag
inatlon, the superstitions and the ha-
! bitual use Of strong tea. But the M
tional schools and the Christian RI :
;gion have not been able to Danish
some Of the most baneful spirits like
the Banshec, which still gives notice
Of approaching death, sorrow and mis-
fortune and still commands the faith