The Ned M'Keown Stories: Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of; William Carleton, Volume ThreeCarleton, William
General
The Ned M'Keown Stories: Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of; William Carleton, Volume Three
Carleton, William
Ireland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
“In this way he went on from year to year, changing from one master to
another; every man that would employ him thinking he might get him to
stop with him for a constancy. But it was all useless; he'd be off after
half a year, or sometimes a year at the most, for he was fond of roving;
and that man would never give himself any trouble about him afterwards;
though, may be if he had continted himself with him, and been sober and
careful, he would be willing to assist and befriend him, when he might
stand in need of assistance.
“It's an ould proverb, that 'birds of a feather flock together,' and
Larry was a good proof of this, There was in the same neighborhood a
young woman name Sally Lowry, who was just the other end of himself (*
meaning his counterpart) for a pair of good hands, a love of dress and
of dances. She was well-looking, too, and knew it; light and showy, but
a tight and clane sarvint, any way. Larry and she, in short, began to
coort, and were pulling a coard together for as good as five or six
years. Sally, like Larry, always made a bargain, when hiring, to have
the holly-days to herself; and on these occasions she and Larry would
meet and sport their figure; going off with themselves, as soon as mass
would, be over, into Ballymavourneen, where he would collect a pack of
fellows about him, and she a set of her own friends; and there they'd
sit down and drink for the length of a day, laving themselves without a
penny of whatever little aiming the dress left behind it; for Larry was
never right, except when he was giving a thrate to some one or other.
“After corrousing away till evening, they'd then set off to a dance; and
when they'd stay there till it would be late, he should see her home, of
coorse, never parting till they'd settle upon meeting another day.
“At last they got fairly tired of this, and resolved to take one another
for better for worse. Indeed they would have done this long ago, only
that they could never get as much together as would pay the priest.
Howandever, Larry spoke to his brother, who was a sober, industrious
boy, that had laid by his _scollops_ for the windy-day,* and tould him
that Sally Lowry and himself were going to yoke for life. Tom was a
well-hearted, friendly lad, and thinking that Sally, who bore a good
name for being such a clane sarvint, would make a good wife, he lent
Larry two guineas, which along with two more that Sally's aunt, who
had no childhre of her own, gave her, enabled them to over their
difficulties and get married. Shortly after this, his brother Tom
followed his example; but as he had saved something, he made up to Val
Slevin's daughter, that had a fortune of twenty guineas, a cow and a
heifer, with two good chaff beds and bedding.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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