Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

10 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

THE COLLEEN BAWN. |

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

THE COLLEEN BAWN. | Chapter IV. --0-- How Mr. Daly, The Middleman, Rose up from Breakfast. --0-- But what pen less gifted than his of Chios, or his of Avon, the delineators of Vulcan or of Grumio, can suffice to convey to the reader any idea of the mental and bodily proportions of this new comer, who thrust his small and shining head in upon the family party, to awaken their curiosity, and to rob Mr Daly of so many attentive listeners as he numbered around him at this moment. The person who opened the door acted as a kind of herdsman or out-door servant t4 the family, and was a man of a rather singular appearance. The nether parts of his frame were of a size considerably out of pfoportion with the trunk and head which tlxey supported. His feet were broad and fliifc, like those of a duck; his legs long and cTfcmsv, with knees and ancles like the knobs at one of those grotesque walking-slicks ■w&ich were in fashion among the fine gentle- men of our own day, some time sirtce; his jqSbats hung loosely like those of a paste- board Merry-Andrew; his body was very small; his chest narrow; and his head so difcainutive as to be even too little for his herring shoulders. It seemed as if nature, like an extravagant projector, had laid the fdurndation of a giant, but running short of material as the structure proceeded, had baen compelled to terminate her under- talking within the dimensions of a dwarf. Si far was this economy pursued, that the head, small as it v a.s» was very scantily fur- rriUhed with hair; r.nd the nose, with which the face was garnished, might be compared for its fatness to that of a ) otrng hid. "It looked," as the owner of this mournful piece of journey-work himself facetiously c&served, "as if his head was not thought worth a roof, nor his countenance worth a handle." His hands and arms were like- wise of a smallness which was much to be admired, when contrasted with the hugeness of the lower members, and brought to mind the fore-jaws of a kangaroo, or the fins of .fcggai* fche latter siipiEtude prevailing when t £ e body was put in mofioTl, OQ which occasions they dabbled about fn a very ex- traordinary manner. But there was one feature in which a corresponding prodigality bad been manifested, namely, the ears, which were as long as those of Riquet with the Tuft, or of any ass in the barony. The costume which enveloped this singu- lar frame was no less anomalous than was the nature of Its construction. A huge rid- m coat of grey frieze hung lazily from his sfeouldexs, and gave to view in front a waist- coat of calf-skirt with the. hairy side out- Vratds; a skirt, of a texture afmost as coarse as sail-cloth, made from the refuse of flax, and, a pair of corduroy-nether garments, with hro bright new patches upon the faruses. Grey worsted! stockings with dog- fifcn brogues well paved in the sole, and g*eased until they shone again, completed trite personal adornments of this unaspiring per.<onage. On the whoTe, his appearance night have brought tQ f'<e recoiiecttan of a modern beholder one of those archifecfor- si edifices so fashionable in our tinte, in "which the artist, with an admaiable MOr fcition, seeks to unite afi that is excellent in He Tuscan, Doric. Corinthian, aqd Ionic tmier, In one ccop d'oeiL" The expression of the fi^tfre, though it vauied with circumstanctis, was for the most rt thoughtful and deliberative; the effect a great measure, of habitual peauzy and v dance. At the tiine of Lard Halifax's titration, Lowry Looby, fcheu a very 'Š man, held a spoC of ground in the neighbourhood of Limerick, and was well t. ocio in the world, but the scarcity which prevailed in IEnglantd at the time, and which 8Ccasioned a sudden risa in the price of Steer, butter, and other produce of grazing fend in Ireland, threw att the agriculturists wet of their little holdings, and occasioaed er general destitution, simiiar to that pr0- efeiced by the anti-cottier. system in the present day. Lowry was among the suffar- tCcs. He was saved, however, from the ttecessity of adopting oioa of the thsea uM- piata of Irish misery-begoing, enlisting, or ttmigrating, by the fcii*foess of Mr- Daly, who took him into his service as a- kind of ifunner between his farms, an office for tehich Lowry, by his long and muscular legs, and the lightness of the body that encum- bered them, was qualified in an eminent degree. His excelling honesty, orae of the <3aaracterists of his country, which he was f n •• n to possess, rendered him a still more 11 c,( de acquisition to the family than had at first anticipated. He had, moreover, the aatienal talent for adroif flattery, a quality which made him more acceptable to his patron than the latter would wffiiagly ad- w-it-, and every emulsion; of this kind was ap- plied under the disguise of a simplene s, which gave it a wonderful efficacy. "Ha! Lowry-P said Mr. Daly, "Well, have you made your fortune since yon have agreed with the postmaster ?" Lowry put his hands behind his back, looked successively af the four comers of the room, then round the cornice, then cast his eyes down at his feet, turned up the soles a little, and finally straightening his 'an' you have a good long pair d legs, I "To lose it I did, sit, for a place." "To lose what?" "Tplace of postman, sir, through the Country westwards. Sure there I was a gentleman for life if it wasn't my luck." "I do not understand you, Lowry." Ii I'll tell you how it was, masther. After ftue last postman died, sir, I took your nfcomroendation to the posunaiiker, and axed him for the place, {I'm used to fihra- ^elling, «ir,' says I, 'for Misther Daly, over, and— 'Aye,' says he, C: kin ma tip short,' txai' ya uhave a good long pair c? tegs, I gee.' Middling, sir/ says I (ha's a very aleaant gentleman), Its equal fa me any day, wfnfher or summer, whether I go ien ages or twenty, so as I have the ncransSi- ■rwwtL* 'T would be hard if you didnt get that, anyway,' says he: Sure?!, I think I may Un wd? gfce you the place, for I donft know «ny gerraeman thai I'd sooner take his rie- ISgomencfattofi than Misther Daly's, QC one that I'd sooner pay him a compliment, if I could." I-WEE, and what was your agreement?" "Ten pounds a year, sir," answered Lowry, opening his eyes, as if he annouced something of wonderful importance, and peaking in a loud voice, to suit the magni- tude of the sum, "besides my clothing and shoes throughout the year." "'T\vas very handsome, Lowry." "Handsome, master? 'Twas wageis for a prince, sir. Sure there I was. a made gentleman- all my days, if it wasn't kick, as I said before." '•'Well, and' how did you lose it ?" "Ill tell you, sir," answered Lowry. "I *ms going over to the postmasther yesterday, to get the Thralee mail from him, and to start off with myself, on my first journey. Well anr good, of all the world, who should I meet, above upon the road, just at the turn down to the Post-office, but that red- headed woman that sell the freestone in the sthreets ? So I turned back." "Turned back t For what?" "Sure the world knows, masther, that it isn't lucky to meet a red-haired woman, and you going of a journey." k And you never went for the mail-bags ?" "Faiks, I'm sure I didn't that day." "Well, and the next 9 'The next morning—that's this morning— jwbesn I went I found they had engaged anorther boy iin my place." "And you lost the situation?" "FOIr this turn, sir, anyway. Tis luck that does it all. Sure I thought I was cock pure of it, an' I having the postmather's word. But, indeed, if I meet that freestone crathur again, 111 knock her red head against the wall." "Well, Lowry, this ought to show you the folly of your superstition. If yon had not minded that woman when you met her, you might have had your situation now." lOT\vas she was in fault still, begging your pardon, sir," said Lowry; "for sure if I didift meet her at all this wouldn't have happened me." "Oh," said Mr Daiy, laughing, "I see that you are well provided against all argument. j I have no more to say, Lowry." The men now walked slowly towards Kyrle, and bending dawn with a look of I solemn importance,, m If he had some weighty mtelligence to communicate, he said—1"The horse, sir, is ready this way, at the doore abroad." aVerv well, Lowry. I shall set out this instant." Lowry raised1 himself erect again, turned1 slowly round and walked' to the door with his eyes on the ground, and his hand raised to his temple, as if endeavouring to recol- lect something farther which he had intend- i ed to say. ai/>wty!" saikl Mr Daly, as the handle of the door was turned a second time. Lowry looked round. avt\\ ten me,clid you see Eily O'Connor, the ropemakex's daughter, at the fair of Garryower,; yesterday t i <cAh, you. rt& welcome to your game, ¡ masther." ¡ "eon my word1, then, Eily is a. very pretty girl, Lowry, snd I'm told the old father can give her something besides her pretty face." Lowry opened; his huge mouth (wa forgot; to mentfon that it "rws a huge one), audl gave vent to a few explosions of laughter' which much pacre feseipbted the braying of an ass. rEV oti are welcome to your game, j masher," he repeated'; long life to your honour." "But is it true, Lowry, as I have heard it Insinuated, that old Mihil O'Connor used,1 and still does, trvist ropes far the use of the county goal f Lovrry closed his lips hard, while the blood rushed into his face at this unworthy | alteration. Treating it, however, as. a new piece of "tehe masther's game," he laughed; j and tossed his head. 'Cf'oily 00, sir-folly on." "Because, if that were the case, Lowry, I should expect to find you a fellow of too much spirit to become connected, even by affinity, with such a calling. A ropemaker 1 a manufacturer of rognei last neckcloths- an understrapper to the gallows-a species" of collaternal hartcrman!" fiAh, then, Mi-ssiz, do you hear this ? and all rising out of a little ould fable of a story that happened as good as five years ago, be- cause Moriarty, the crooked hangman (the tMef!) stepped into Mihil's little place of a night, and nobody knowing of him, an' bought a couple o' pen'orth o' whip-cord for same vagary or of her of his own. And there's all the can Mihil O'Connor had ever to gallowses or hangman in his life. That's the whole toto o' their insi ni way tions.' "Never mind your master, Lowry," said Mrs Daly, "he is only amusing himself with you- cQh, hn! rm sure I know it, ma'am; long life to him, and 'tis he that's welcome to his joke." "But Lowry-" "Ah, heaven bJiess you, now, masther, an' let me alone. Ill say nothing to you." "Nay, nay, I only wanted to ask you what sort of a fair it wa.s at Garryowen yesterday." "Middling, sir, like the small 'piatees,' they tell me," said Lowry, suddenly chang- i ing his manner to an appearance of serious occupation; "but 'tis hard to make out what sort a fair is when one has nothing to sell himself. I met a huxter, an' she told me 'twas a bad fair, because she could not sell her piggins; an' I met a pib-jobber, an' he told me 'twas a dear fair, pork ran so high; an' I met another little meagre creatur, a neighbour that has a cabin on the road above, an' he said 'twas the best fair that ever coma out o' the sky, because he got a power for his pig. But Mr Hardress Cxtegaa was there, an' if he did'nt make it a dear fair to some of 'em, you may call me an honest main. (Ta be Continued.)

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Y RADD FARWOLAETH LLEOL.

HENRY GRIFFITHS,

-:0:-RHOSAMMAN.

-:0:-CYFEILLGARWCH.

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