Disturbed Ireland : $b being the letters written during the winter of 1880-81Becker, Bernard H. (Bernard Henry)
History
Disturbed Ireland : $b being the letters written during the winter of 1880-81
Becker, Bernard H. (Bernard Henry)
Ireland -- Social conditions; Working class -- Ireland
The farmer in question is one of those extraordinary persons who only
exist in Ireland. He is a sturdy, pleasant-looking man of forty, and
has made his way despite what would appear intolerable difficulties.
He has farmed for some considerable time about thirty-three acres of
good land, and must have worked hard, for during that time he has had
a large family to maintain. His father died but a short time since,
and reduced the number by one, but he now supports his mother and his
aged aunt and uncle, as well as his wife and himself and six children.
With all these mouths to feed he has built him, well and solidly, a
thoroughly good house, with extensive outbuildings and other
improvements, obviously worth many hundreds of pounds. It might be
thought the people of Pallas and Castlegard would have been proud of
him; but he has paid his rent, and is marked for "taboo," if for
nothing worse.
Trudging across some fine pastures, and jumping sundry ditches, we
regain the main road and our car, and proceed on that instrument of
torture back to Pallas. Here we find the "threes" and the "fours," not
at issue with each other, but united like brothers against the common
enemy. Fearful howls arise from the railway bridge and the railway
station, both covered with Palladians, male and female. A thoroughly
good Irish yell of execration acts differently on different persons.
The blood of those unaccustomed to it is apt to turn cold at the
savage sound; but, with a little practice, "the ear becomes more Irish
and less nice," and a good howl acts as a stimulant on the spirits of
many landlords and agents. All the screeching at Pallas is brought
about by the departure of Mr. Sanders, who, escorted by the police
till he is safely off, rentless, but undismayed, slips away in the
train, leaving the "Threes" and "Fours" to talk the matter over, not
unaided by the presence, in the spirit, of all-powerful "John
Jamieson."
TIPPERARY, _Tuesday Night._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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