7 ~ 0 ‘ i 374

' vents-ruin

THE IRISH REAPER. (An Irish Sketch.)

There is not a more happy individual, with ’ess means to be so, than the poor, henest, in. ustrious Irish reaper. A stranger to comforts, ‘. e‘does not feel the loss of them. Ask him a -uestion, and you are sure ofa civil, lively, and 'Iitty replv ; show him a kindness, and he is .-rateful t6 you for ever ,- his heart beats light- hv underneath his rags, and although in the .iiidst of wretchedness, his spirits are unusually gay. With his sickle on his shoulder, his shil- elagh in his hand, and a wallet at his back, :ontaining the tattered remains of a change of inen,—with these, his sole companions, he tra- Iels, not only through his own Island, but nakes the tour of England, Wales, and Scot- and ; and, if he returns with three pounds sa- red ofhis earnings, he considers himselfa rich nan for the winter.

Who is there in Liverpool who has not seen clans ofthesc natives surrounding the different steam-packet offices. Waiting for tickets to go by these vessels E Coming out ofone ofthese, a short time ago, I was accosted by one of the Connaughtmcn, who formed one of the group of about twg hundred in and about the en. trance to thkoflice. “ God speed you ma‘am ! How are yen ?" The familiarity of this saluta- tion induced me to attempt to pass him by, thinking the man was either a little disguised, or, as they say in Scotland, “gone daft," when he laid the best claim to my attention, by ask- ing “ How's the masther ?” (Now, how in the world, thought I, came this man to know! had a “masther,” as he called him?) “ He’s quite well, I thank you, Ianswered. “ Well, God speed him and the ship underhis feet, wherever they are,” ,said Padd , “ But I see I am clane gone out of your min entirely,” added he, "al- though it is only three years ago since you saw me." “Out of my mind,” 1 repeated to

myself, and again questioned the intellect of the our fellow ; as for recollecting a Con- nauglit reaper. when they are all as like to one another as their own potatoes, and it would be as difficult a task for me to remember the fea- tures of the one as it would be to recollect the form of the other, which composed part of my dinner this day. “ Well," says Paddy, “ may be, you don’t know me ; but it’s I that remem- her you once saved the life of my grandmo- ther." “ Honest man," said I, growing rather impatient ofhis delay, I never knew you had agrandmother,”! “ Well, may be not, and you may forget that, too, for short memories are none to the good ; but didn't I see wid my own eyes, you, wid your own hands, give the glass of warm punch to my grandmother. who was tok wid the ague aboard the vesseI,—the poor, shivering, ould cratur! and blessings on you for it !" I did recollect the circumstance when he mentioned it, but told him he was more indebted to the generosity ofone of the sailors on board, who gave up his bed to the ,,1 oor old woman, and by the shelter and warm lankets she recovered; for, in cases of sick- ness, sailors are invariably kind and attentive. " Oh, faith,you may say that, ma’am !” “ But how is your grandmother?" “Oh, rest her . sowl ! she’s dead and gone a year ago. She was four score when you saw her; sure, she lived two years after that ; but God’s good. an‘ be tuk her to himself, and left me all alone, ' barring one, an‘ it's to that one I’m now going home ;” and the joy on his broad face as he said this, after enumerating all the endear. ,. tweets he had to return to his native land, gave me the idea to endeavour to express it in

rhyme; and it is well that every one has a word of their, and better still if, in that world, the have a home of their own; so, safe passage over, I left him, . . by his recollection of me, but s gratitude.

THE BRITISH AMERICAN

wish'

.—

rm: muss “unit’s RETURN.

You may talk of your black eyes and blue, Be they bright as the night or the sky ;

But there‘s none can compare to my view With the ‘ world’s wonder’ Ireland’s Eye.

Mighty great are the objects I’ve seen, In wandering northward and south; Yet, believe me, betwixt and between There’s none like the big Hill ofHowth.

People talk oftheir rolling in wealth: Small blame to them all lcan say;

I’d rather be—next to good health— Be rolling in Dublin's sweet Bay.

Let them praise all the fruits of the earth, And plentiful as they ma - be ;

But this I confess from my irtb, No fruit like potatoes for me.

Then for comfort—oh, taste the potheen! I'll engage all your troubles are past;

Give me these, and my Biddy M‘Sheen, And my home in old Ireland at last.

When it is known, that the comforts of the

home of an Irish reaper are comprised in three things,—a mud cabin, turf, and potatoes,—ma- ny would think him a miserable being. How mistaken they are ! possession of three of the greatest blessings in life,—hcalth, checrfulness, and contentment,— and long may he enjoy them ! .

He is, with all this, in

Condition of W'omcn in England.—The youth

is accustomed to trade, and sees no reason why he should not drive a good bargain in a wife, as well as in other affairs. daughter is resolved that so “ respectable” a suitor, who is “ well to do in the world,” shall not slip away from them if they can help it.— Tlie female has not the privilege of “ making offers," and therefore thinksit her duty to ac- cept, if she possibly can. the first which comes lest she could not get another. pens that the process of courtship affords no means ofenabling the parties to acquire a know- ledge of each other’s character. once replied on being asked the character of a woman, “ that he had not been married to her.” continue underpresent regulation. er makes his visits at stated intervals, perhaps every evening or less frequently, and if bad tempered he can stay away. not except in smiles, and in his most engaging garments; he can put what cheat he pleases upon the lady; he may court two at once, but the lady having less freedom, is obliged to have recourses to more art. cheerful or ill-tempered, she must submit to be courted whenever the lover chooses to make his appearance, and she dresses her counten- ance in smiles accordingly. ‘9 * the lover sits, while the lady tats or knits, and discourses on such things as providence has forced on his knowledge, till mamma escapes for ten minutes, to give orders for some “com. pany” supper; and then the lovers do their tenderness till she returns. giving dinners and suppers as a matter of mer- cantile marriage, business has become so com- mon in more classes than one, that a man of re- finement would almost starve rather than par

Mother as well as

But it so hap- Sotne one

He was right, and so must the matter The Lov-

He approaches

Be she well or ill,

There

The principle of

,1

£04

A

take the food of_above one person in a h dred famin men or women. “ Sir,” sai

old man. “when do you mean to pro for my daughter? You have now dined at house fifty times within the last eight months, and it is time you decided on so thing." The gentleman, who was a“ di out” by profession, made his bow and reti

Scolding in Church— In Queen Eli beth’s time, the following entry appea the Corporation books.——Aldermen’s v'v shall not scold in church.” How the c racter of aldermen’s wives has chan since the days of good Queen Bess !

.8 marvellous Story. I was bread u the dislike of the marvellous, or the st.“ wonderful, as my uncle called it. I relate an anecdote, in point. Some g tlemen were dining together, and rela their travelling adventures ; one oft dealt so much in the marvellous, tha induced another to give him a lesson.

“ I was once,” said he, “ engaged skirmisbing party in America ; I advai too far, was separated from my frie and saw three Indians in pursuit of me: horrors of the tomahawk in the hand angry savages, took possession of my in I considered for a moment what was t done ; most of us love life, and mine both preciout. and useful to my family was swift of foot, and fear added to speed. After looking back—for the c

thers and the well-known saying of ‘D' and conquer,’ occurred to me. Islae ed my speed, and allowed him to come we engaged in mutual fury ; I hope here, [bowing to his auditors) will

the result: in a few minutes he lay a c at my feet. In this short space of the two Indians had advanced upon in I again took to my heels—not from ardice, I can in truth declare,—but the hope of reaching a neighboring

where ,I knew dwelt a tribe friendly t English : this hope however I was soo ced to give up; for, on looking back one of my pursuers far before the othe waited for him, recovering my almo hausted breath, and soon this Indian ed the fate of the first. I had now one enemy to deal with; but I felt fati and being near the wood. I was more rous to save my own life, than to de another of my fellow creatures ; I pl perceived smoke curling up among trees, I redoubled my speed,I pray heaven ; I felt assured my prayers \ be granted—but at this moment the y the Indian’s voice sounded in my ea even thought I felt his warm breath— was no choice—-I turned round—“He geutleman who had related the won stories at first, grew impatient past

durance ; he called out, “ Well, Sir you killed him also ?”n-‘No sir,he kille