The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-07-10

society. They made no attempt, nor
had they any mind, to mouth outland-
ish banalities about the lawful"
of this or the "beastli" ness of that,
for there was not a word of English
on the lips of any of them, thanks
be to God. They just conducted them
selves in the commonsense way that
out the least embarrassment they
babe us welcome and then, like sens
ible girls, went on with their work.
The mother, a widow, was moving
about in that quiet gentle way, so
characteristic of Irish mothers, which
it does one good to see. Her counte-
nance had that indefnable expression
of patience for the love of God which
so marks her race and sex in similar
circumstances; but, like the rest of
her kind, you could see that under
meath the surface there was a fund
of fun which is as good as prayer.
She is the mother of ten, five sons
and five daughters-One of the daugh-
ters had died some time previously
And that widow reared those young
giants and those comely, well-man-
nered and Industrious daughters up
there in the heather, where the cur
Jews pay occasional passing visits.
was trying to keep up my end of
the conversation with her, till the
pandemonium of yelping dogs and
yelling men threatened, by it's near
approach, to demolish the building. l
went out with the rest just as the
sheep, like shock troops, came charg-
ing round the wall into the yard. We
had to shake hands all round again
with the newcomers, bare-footed,
brawny fellows with a refreshing look
about them after long hours in the
heather in search of the sheep, where
limb and lung were severely tested.
Then the battle of the bargain be-
gan. Hughie, who, | take it, is the
eldest of the family, is the only one
who knows English, and his knowl-
edge is confined to the buying and
selling of sheep. How he ever learn
ed and retained what he knows of the
English language passes my compre-
hension, for no word of English do
the people of that glen ever speak
among themselves. Hughes own
family would not understand him, and
the nearest town is distant about five
miles as the crow would fly across
the mountain, if any crow had the
courage to do it. l cannot describe
the negotiating of that deal. With
the exception of the final word on
each side, it was all patent bluff from
start to finish; and both parties SEEM
ed to be well aware that it was only
bluff. My friends came with their
minds made up to buy the sheep, and
Hughie knew their price to a penny
Notwithstanding this, they went
through the whole pantomime; and
must admit that l was unable to see
how it could be otherwise. The only
difference between this transaction
and the bargaining in the ordinary
fair was that in this case the buyers
did not disparage the sheep; they
admitted they were good sheep, the
best on the mountains; but they in
sisted that Hughie was not much bet
ter than highway robber, that his
chances of salvation were worth little,
If they met many more like him, they
would end their days in the poor
house. All of which Hughie accepted
with a knowing smile.
What will you take for the sheep,
Hughie?"
You would imagine, by the way this
was said, that we had been buying
everything else about the house and
that the sheep were only kind of
afterthought. Hughie took up half
reclining position against the garden
fence, with his hands under the waist
band of his trousers, and badly sup
pressed smile on his face at his own
Importance. The others disposed
themselves round about in various
attitudes of semi-repose, watching
their chief negotiating with those
dealers who frequent every fair in
the Almanac.
What are they worth to your"
asked Hughie, in reply.
"Oh, tell us what you are looking
for them. Aren't you selling?"
You know the price of them better
nor l do" Hughie answered, a state
ment which was not true and did not
deceive anybody, except perhaps my
self. Thus they went on for some
time, but at last Hughie said Sos
apiece. The would-be purchasers
looked at each other in CONSERVATION,
shocked at Hughes INSCRIPTIONS ra-
pacity. But Hughie just smiled and
spat out over his shoulder to avoid
hitting nothing at all in front of him.
One of the buyers now took the
lead and the other assumed the atti-
tude of fair-minded and virtuous
umpire, determined on seeing that JUS
tice be done all round though the
Heavens fell.
Here, Hughie,'' said No. 1, "I'll buy
hundred of them,' which he had no
notion of doing, for he wanted them
all; but this dodge was adopted to
make Hughie more anxious to sell the
lot
"Pll not break them for no man.
| came the reply from the fence.
I'll give you AIS. apiece for the
lot"
I'll take that from no man."
And what will you take? You
know you are not putting yourself in
way of selling the sheep. We did
not come here to waste time Como