The mud cabin of the Irish peasant is the most miserable cottage you can imagine; the walls are formed of clay, which hardens in the sunshine, the roof is made of sticks and straw, and the floor is the mere damp earth. It has frequently neither door, nor chimney, and consists of only one room; the furniture is rarely more than a stump bedstead, two or three stools, an iron pot, to boil the potatoes in, and a table to eat them from. Generally, there is a small piece of land attached to the dwelling, and in this potatoes are grown; the peasants of Ireland hardly ever eat anything besides potatoes. When they have enough of them to eat, and a little whiskey to drink, the poor people are exceedingly jovial and merry; they laugh, sing, and joke; and go to weddings, fairs, dances, and what are called in Ireland "wakes," which, among the poor, is a kind of laying in state before funerals;--but sometimes the crops of potatoes fail, and then the unfortunate peasants die by hundreds from hunger. The favourite dance of the common people is called a jig. Dublin, which, I dare say, you know is the capital of Ireland, is an elegant city, with fine houses and good streets. The churches, the castle, the linen hall, exchange, bank, custom-house, and post-office, are all very noble buildings. There are also parks, gardens, theatres, canals, and other ornamental places throughout the city. From Dublin have been sent models of carriages, specimens of metals, slates, and linens, and a model of a house made in granite. [Illustration] I have now told you, my dear little friends, a great many stories about the industry of all nations, and we have gone through the World's Show together. We have seen nearly all the useful and splendid things sent to the Great Exhibition from all parts of the world. I have told you about Europe, and Asia, Africa, and America; and I must soon leave you. But before I go, we must have another look at the Exhibition, and one more glance at those few things which we have not as yet seen. We forgot to examine this magnificent chess-board, worth one thousand two hundred guineas. You will doubtless wonder why it is such a dear board, but your surprise will cease when you observe that the "checks," as they are called, are of mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell, while the rim is of beautifully burnished gold, and the chessmen are of gold and silver, elaborately wrought, and ornamented with the portraits of celebrated historical characters; one of them represents the Emperor, Charles the Fifth. I dare say you would like to play a game with me on this chess-board. As a companion to this beautiful chess-board, is a very elegant colour box, fit for the Queen, or the most noble young lady in the land, to use for painting with. And here is a model of the town of Liverpool, with several thousand little people in the streets; and these figures are so exceedingly small, that a thousand of them would fit into an ordinary sized pill box.