The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-04-17
Next week: The Ra gman.
WIT AND HUMoR OF IRELAND.
Vivid Glimpses of Life and Character
of People of Emerald Isle.

of People of Emerald Isle.
THE Irish are to other nations a
strange and incomprehensible race
says Michael MacDonagh in his recent
| ly published entertaining volume on
his countrymen, Irish Life and Char
acter." He has accordingly devoted a
good many pages TO explaining them,
and nearly every one of those pages is
amusing and interesting The very
chapter headings have, fascination.
Bulls From Irish Pastures" one chap
ter. is quite crammed with the frisky
cattle. while who is there who could
refrain from wanting to read of Love
making in Ireland" THE Sunniness of
Irish Life" The Irish Beggar" and
nearly a score more promising equally
we'll?
In the chapter Irish Humor." the
author asks: What is the national
characteristic that eXcites US to laugh
ter?" He thinks 1t cannot perhaps. be
exactly defined. However. this
much may say. EVERYTHING.
no matter how sober, serious or solm-
emn, has its comic, its luoicrous side,
/ if we could only see it: and it seems TO
me that the source of Irish humor lies
in the extraordinary intuition of the
people in discovering this, not always
obvious, side of a situation.
Two peasants at a street corner are
watching a gloriously uniformed off,
GER After he has passed by one of
them. gazing after the glittering vision
in awe and admiration, exclaims: ar
rah. now. shouldn't L like to pawn
him %
A servant who has broken a valuable
tea set replies to her mistress exclama-
lions ot distress, Don't be onafsy.
ma am; the Lord be praised, l didn't
hurt myself in the Taste"
The bitter touch often to be found in
the humor of the poor receives illustra-
ton in several anecdotes A man about
to emigrate IS given a box by a chart
table lady. And what is the box for,
ma ann" he asked. ITO put your
clothes in ''Arrah, ma'am. do YOU
wish me TO go naked?'' And when
ragged old woman was commiserated
for the loss of her last tooth: Time for
me to loss EN- when I've nothing for
EN- to do" she replied.
On one occasion a gentleman noted
for his huge bulk fell i'll and was kept
alive by an occasional teaspoonful of
brandy. A servant in the house men
toned this to a friend, and received the
contemptuous answer: And what good
would tayspoon be. sthrayin' round
in such a wilderness of a man?"
An Irish peasant was asked whether
he knew what an Irish bull'' was. ITO
be sure 1 do. If you was goin' along
high road and you seen three COWS lyin'
IN field and wan of thims standin' up
that wan is an Irish bull" Pat is al
ways ready with his answer.
a refractory prisoner, refusing to go
IN
den's command: ME go on the thread
mill? Niver. sur. I'll lave the Jail first!'
The marriages of Ireland are mostly
settled in continental fashion by the
older people. the youngsters doing as
they are bid in the matter. But they
are Vouched for as generally happy,
and the wife is mistress in her own
home.
The tendency, which we ascribe on
this side of the water to our colored
population, Of using big and high
sounding words with no clear idea as
to their meaning, is, Mr.. Macdonald
says, an Irish characteristic.
All. the poor thing was always full
OF sediment was said Of a romantic
girl who made poor runaway match.
Another voices the opinion that the
ways of Providence is INSCRIPTIONS
MI. MacDonagn expresses the hone
In his preface, that his book may not
be regarded as simply a collection of
funny stories. There is a laugh on
every page, to be sure, even the chap
ter headed The Gates of Death" hav-
ing its quiTk. But reading the volume
through one also gets a fair idea of the
conditions that go to make the present
Ireland, and some conception of the
characteristics that bundle up into the
Irish man or woman. OF their passion
ate love for their country we get many
a proof. OF their courage and good
humor under circumstances which
would break the heart of another race.
as many more. Even their faults and
weaknesses have about them something
winning, mingling of child and poet.
They are like people who have stepped
within fairy ring and who, hearing
words and seeing visions, can afford to
laugh at griefs and llardships which
would bring despair to those without.
The rainbow that shimmers so fire.
quently in their rainy skies has coIored
the light of common day for them and
enriched them all with its magic gold
New York Times Saturday Review