much sorrow in parting from the familiar spots. In those days railway officials were much more particular than they now are about the quantity of luggage allowed to passengers, and on this particular occasion our luggage gave my father more trouble than usual and caused no little expense. There was one box, of which Mary had had the packing, that was of inordinate weight, but she vowed it was only full of the children's clothes. When we arrived finally at our destination it was discovered that Mary had packed up some old stones from the rectory garden to preserve as mementoes. The culminating-point of the whole joke was that, having been rather laughed at for her misplaced sentiment, Mary got up in the night, collected the stones, which by this time had acquired a considerable value, and threw them into the river. There was certainly, I think, no lack of faithfulness and good feeling among our own old servants generally, but I cannot forbear telling of a very remarkable case of extreme loyalty and attachment in an old retainer of a gentleman in our county. He had been the valet, guardian, and factotum of a very eccentric master for many years, watching his health, taking care of his substance, and acting more as a confidential and trusted friend than in his nominal capacity. When the master died in extreme old age, Barney told the heir that the "ould man" had a matter of £7000 in a box under his bed. He was quite aware that nobody but himself knew of the existence of this money, and if he liked he might easily have appropriated the whole amount. There is a reverse to every shield, however, and it must be acknow VOL. CLXI.-NO. DCCCCLXXVIII. ledged that gratitude for benefits was not always to be expected, and kindly sentiments were not always to be found. On my father's little estate all labourers received their wages regularly whether sick or well, and provision was always made for the comfort and security of those who were past work. During the Fenian times, of which I shall speak later, it was discovered that old Tiernay, who had lived on the property all his life, and now had a cottage and pension, while his family all had well-paid employment, was one of the most virulent agents of sedition, not only against the Government in general but against my father in particular. Poor old man! no doubt he was only in reality a tool in the hands of others, astuter and more criminal than himself. We always kept a great many poultry, but even their numbers were at certain times of the year insufficient to supply all the fresh eggs required for a large household. The children of the family used therefore to visit all the cottages and cabins in the neighbourhood in order to buy new-laid eggs, finding perhaps one at one place, two at another, and three at a third, and carried home their various small purchases in a handbasket. Unlike cottars in England, every Irish peasant keeps some hens, which run freely in and out of the cabins, and live more as members of the family than anything else. Perhaps on account of the extra warmth of their sleeping accommodation (they generally roosted on the rafters) these cottage hens often were laying when the inhabitants of a regular poultryyard had more or less struck work for the winter. We therefore often collected a good many eggs in an 2 s ye drunk again?" "Blind, Masther Archie," was the reply; and then, in a tone of deep thankfulness, "Glory be to God!" afternoon's walk. We used to road. "Oh, Biddy," he said, "are keep a running account at each cottage for the eggs we took, and it was always extraordinary to us how very accurately the peasant women kept their accounts. None of them could read or write, all their little transactions were noted in their memories alone, and not even tally-sticks were used. The price of eggs was constantly varying with the season; sometimes they were 6d. a-dozen, sometimes 9d., sometimes 1s. or even more, and though, as I said, we bought eggs at many different times, singly or in twos and threes, when payment was to be made there never was the smallest mistake in reckoning up what was the total sum due. Our fish used to be brought to the house by fish women from a small village on the coast about two miles distant. Old "Mary the fish" was the principal one, then there were Biddy and young Mary. Picturesque figures these women were, generally dressed in what was known as a bedgown over a short dark-blue stuff skirt, with bare legs and feet. On their heads they wore white caps with red cotton handkerchiefs folded over them, and tied under their chins. They used to visit all the houses in the district, and hawk their fish through the villages, and, like Luckie Mucklebackit, "scauld and ban wi' ilka wife that will scauld and ban wi' her till it's sauld." Sometimes the fish was carried in a donkey-cart, but more often in a creel slung over the shoulder. These fishwomen all loved the national potheen not wisely but too well and not unfrequently showed its effects. My uncle met " Biddy the fish" one day very far gone in liquor and staggering along the Of course we knew all the women, who were employed about the farm or were married to the various dependents, and indeed most of the villagers and cottars within a considerable distance of the house, and we used to do what we could to help them in their troubles, and sympathise in their happiness. There was one rather trying ordeal which we had to go through when we paid a visit of congratulation after a happy event had occurred in a family. "Sure, ye'll drink the baby's health, miss," and a glass was offered containing whisky poured over some brown sugar. In courtesy, we always braced ourselves to put our lips to this not very tempting caudle-cup, but we would gladly have avoided doing so, if possible. Kind-hearted as I think all the people naturally were, they were capable of being what most persons would call cold-blooded to their nearest and dearest under certain circumstances. The daughter of one of our labourers had long been ill, and it was supposed that she was at the point of death. The priest was sent for and she received the last sacrament. Soon afterwards the crisis of her disorder passed and she only required care, nursing, and food to ensure her recovery. But, as the viaticum had been administered, she was considered to be dead and no one would give her anything or do anything for her. She would certainly soon have died from neglect and weakness if my father had not fortunately heard of the matter; and it was only at his strong re I am quite aware that she may not have had real cases of cancer to deal with and there are numberless other objections which might be raised to the supposition that she had a secret of so much value to the world. I can only say that no doubt was ever mentioned at the time, and that all my family believed that she did what she professed to do. monstrances that she was nursed knowledge to the grave with her. back again to life and health. There was a similar instance in the illness of a stalwart labourer called Barry. He also had received the viaticum, and his wife would do nothing more for him, only watching by his bedside till he should pass away. My sister took him some jelly, found him looking better, and insisted on feeding him with the jelly herself in spite of the tears and remonstrances of his wife and daughters. My sister told me that the wistful look in the poor man's face was inexpressibly touching. Barry recovered, and many years later was one of the men who carried my father to his grave. member two instances at least in which she effected a perfect cure, and these were vouched for by the Protestant clergyman of our parish. The cases had been diagnosed by a qualified medical man, who could offer no chance of cure except by an operation. Mrs Corrigan took them in hand, and the clergyman said that her treatment was the application of certain herbal infusions, which resulted in the whole diseased part coming away as if it had been drawn up by the roots. The patients never subsequently suffered in any way. It was often proposed that some scientific man should try to get Mrs Corrigan to disclose her secret, if she really had one to tell, but the opportunity was lost, and she died, taking her The beggars of the country-side were a very important part of its people, and they used to go the round of all the houses, visiting each at regular intervals, and making sure of receiving charity in one form or another. When they made their visits they would come and stand outside the house until they received notice. They knew each of the family familiarly by name, and took the liveliest interest in all our doings. They were never allowed to go to the back of the house and have dealings with the servants, but always received their dole at the front-door from one of ourselves. It would be considered odd nowadays to hand out a plate of victuals from the luncheon-table to a ragged creature on the doorstep, but this was done, besides giving some trifle of money. The plate, knife, and fork were always carefully handed in again after the food was consumed. Some of the beggars were very eccentric characters, and one in particular, Miss Daly, would in England have probably been put into an asylum. She used to go about dressed in scraps of faded finery, and was always a very grotesque figure. Weak in intellect she certainly was, but she had more wits than she generally received credit for possessing, and could sometimes say a sharp thing. One of my uncles was chaffing her one day when she was more than usually eccentric in her dress. She liked being taken notice of, but on this occasion she became provoked. She made no reply for a while, but at last, looking at him up and down, she broke out with, "Why don't ye take your hands out of your pockets when ye spake to a lady?" Another beggarwoman had exceeded her privileges in demanding alms, and my sister told her to be off, on which she turned round with a friendly remonstrance, "Ah! Helen dear, thim masculine manners don't be come ye at all, at all." Some of the beggars were more privileged than others, and were allowed to come and sit down on one of the chairs in the front hall while they ate the food that was given to them. Among these was a blind harper who played the Irish melodies. He was the last of the harpers in our country, and I doubt much whether in the whole of Ireland one like him would be found to-day. I cannot leave the beggars without repeating a story which has long ago found its way into print, and records what was said to my grandfather, the hero of many amusing tales, by a wellknown mendicant in our county town. My grandfather had been pursued by the man and had paid no attention to his supplications. The beggar, after the manner of his kind, called down every blessing on his possible benefactor, saying, "May the blessing of the Lord and the saints and of the blessed Virgin follow ye for ever and ever" then, when there was no response, "and nivir overtake ye." The winter of 1866 was very disturbed all over Ireland. The Fenian conspiracy was at its height, and there were risings in arms in several places. Two of these risings took place in the neighbourhood of villages within ten miles of our home (though these came to nothing), and it was well known that many of the population in our district were very disaffected. We heard that the Government was taking every precaution to have the soldiers and police ready to act with vigour in case of any serious attempt at revolution. The barracks in the nearest town (where the greater part of a cavalry regiment was quartered) were prepared for defence and the Constabulary quarters in our village were loop-holed. All the gentlefolk were, of course, on the side of law and order and most of them at any rate were ready to defend their homes if necessity arose. The horrors of the " Whiteboy" days had not been forgotten and the story of "Wild-goose Lodge" still was told by survivors of a past generation. It was felt that if the people, instigated by criminal agitators and inflamed by mad passion, once broke out in strength successfully, these horrors might probably be re-enacted on a large scale and that there might be much bloodshed and misery. In the "Whiteboy" days my grandfather had been a very active magistrate and by his personal energy had been instrumental in bringing many criminals to justice. It was quite a familiar story to us when we were children how our grandfather always went out armed, frequently taking our father with him as an additional protection, and how when he drove to the market town on business, he never returned in the afternoon by the same road that he took in the morning. His life had often been threatened; but either the pre cautions which he took baffled his command the front of the house would-be assassins, or his personal popularity with most people was sufficient to swamp the ill-feeling in the minds of a few and to prevent it from showing itself in deeds. However that may have been, there was nothing astonishing to any of our family when the country became again disturbed. We only felt that the bad old days of which we had heard threatened to come again, and that we must make up our minds to meet them. The great want of the would-be rebels in the country was firearms and these they were ready to seize wherever they were known to be. A warning was therefore sent by Government to all householders who were known to have guns in their houses, that they must either hand them over to the Constabulary for safe custody or be ready themselves to protect them by force if necessary. My father, as an old soldier, had no doubt whatever as to his line of conduct. We had many firearms of all descriptions in the house and he said that he would be answerable for them. The house was forthwith put into as good a state of defence as was practicable and every arrangement was made to stand an attack and to give a warm reception to any rebel visitors. The use of the library, which opened on to a verandah nearly on a level with the ground, was given up altogether, as it was very much exposed and could not be securely closed without great delay. The windows were permanently blocked with mattresses, leaving only a small open space at the top through which to fire. Behind the mattresses were piled heavy pieces of furniture, and stands were arranged at each window for the use of defenders, who would be able to through the open spaces abovementioned. If any attackers tried to rush into the verandah, they would be exposed to fire from a bow-window at the end of the house, and also their legs would be in danger from shots from the basement. The remainder of the house was carefully prepared every night. Mattresses were placed against all the windows and the hall-door, besides being locked and bolted, was also made secure against being burst open by the large drawing-room ottoman being raised against it. A beam of wood was nightly placed in position, one end against the ottoman and the other against an inner wall, so that no ordinary force would be required to effect an entrance by the door at any rate. Every provision was made against fire. Buckets of water were placed handy, and full instructions were given how they were to be employed. There was a supply of food and drinking-water also provided, though, of course, we knew that no attack was likely to last more than a few hours. Our gar rison consisted of my father, an uncle, three brothers and their tutor, the butler, and three or four of the men about the place whom we could thoroughly trust. These last, however, only remained in the house during the early part of each night. Everybody was told off to the particular place which he had to defend. Everybody had his arms and ammunition allotted to him and everybody was to lie down at night with his clothes and boots at hand, so that at the shortest notice he could be ready and in his place. My sister and I had our share in the scheme of defence, though we naturally were not to take part in the actual |
