The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-02-24
THE OLD FARMHOUSE:
(By Teresa C. Brayton in Rosary lMagazine.)

Observation-Disclosures NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
1t stood at the end OF the messy
boreen running, or rather rambling,
down from the old coach road be.
tween Dublin and Galway Just one
storied, six-roomed house it was
whose matched roof was Overgrown
with many clinglng moss and vag,
rant creeper. The sun and shadow OF
more than hundred years had toned
it's crude outlines to the tender beau
ty which Time loves to bestow on his
favorite things, and the big sycamore
tree that dropped over one tottering
gable seemed to whisper forever OF
the good old days when both were
young together
On the wide flagstone at the en-
trance a new-fangled foot-scraper set
up it's impertinent challenge to all
wandering visitors who did not, per-
haps, feel at all inclined toward such
cleansing operations. and shame
old oak door, both looking as much
out of place there as an American
postage stamp on some ancient Egypt
ian papyrus. Some townreared dame,
who married into the O'kelly family,
had probably carried those seals Of
cultivation into her new abode, but
let us hope that she soon grew sutiici-
emily accustomed to the free and easy
entrance of her neighbors, with their
CHEEKY God save all here" to forget
the existence of such awe-inspiring in
stitutions. Let us also hope that in
time she learned to call back a God
save you kindly" just as cheerily,
while the foot-scraper ceased from
troubling, and the knocker was at rest.
AS the house stood on the slope
of hill one felt a downward impetus
from the moment of entrance, in fact,
the kitchen floor was so inclined that
false step inside the front door was
bound to bring the visitor in wild and
undignified haste with his nose
against the END wall and, consequent
ly, into several flitches of bacon, a
hank of onions or string of mush-
rooms, according to season, that
were hanging there, or maybe into
the shelf OF polished pewter plates
that were winking back the light of a
turf fire big enough to roast an OK
in summer or winter
On the other side OF this down.
ward path and on a more even alti-
tude was the parlor. A big bright
rom with painted walls and sanded
floor. it breathed responsibility and
family pride from every nook and
corner A stately grandfather clock
of time as solemnly and seriously as
If it were not full hour behind all
current Greenwich records, but, as
any correction of such dignified in
formation would be worse than sim
full, we accepted the statement given
us with generation, if not with con-
viction, as We slid our watches back
again in our pockets. From the claw
footed mahogany table to the horse
hair covered sofa on whose slippery
curves not even fly might walk
with safety, everything in that old
room smacked Of days departed and
manners gone, the only modern note
in it all being a highly colored sketch
OF All aviation meet in Long Island,
New York. AS my companion and my.
self We're both from that lively burgh
l felt like apolOgiZing for the crude
note we must both have struck in our
surroundings, as Hugh O'Kelly. last
of his line and our host for the after
noon, opened the door and stood be-
fore us. A tall old man with wonder.
full head of white hair, and wearing
Byronic collar and stiff white neck
cloth, he seemed like the incarnate
spirit of those bygone days which all
around us typitied so wildly.
Drawing forward two spindle-back-
ed chairs, he babe us be seated. and
then pulling an ancient bellcord by
the fireplace, summoned a still more
ancient servitor who was ordered to
bring us refreshments at once. AS
amongst the kingly tribes of the
Orient SO it is with the royalty hos
pitable Irish; all who cross their
doorstep are hidden to the best with.
in, and surely the best thing we
tasted there was the hot oat-cake
with creamy butter and flagons of
sweet milk, which were soon set be.
fore US. Our host smiled as we
broke all rules of etiquette by COB
bling up every crumb on our plates,
and then asked us if we wished to
see his garden. "See that garden
n we'll we were fairly lonoinr tn mn,