wild wales-第157章

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respectable…looking　old　man　made　his　appearance　behind　a　bar。　　
After　serving　my　companion　with　a　glass　of　peppermint；　which　she　
said　she　preferred　to　anything　else；　and　me　with　a　glass　of　ale；　
both　of　which　I　paid　for；　he　retired；　and　we　sat　down　on　two　old　
chairs　beneath　a　window　in　front　of　the　bar。

〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃I　suppose　you　have　Irish：　　here's　slainte　…　〃

〃Slainte　yuit　a　shaoi；〃　said　the　girl；　tasting　her　peppermint。

〃Well：　　how　do　you　like　it？'

〃It's　very　nice　indeed。〃

〃That's　more　than　I　can　say　of　the　ale；　which；　like　all　the　ale　in　
these　parts；　is　bitter。　　Well；　what　part　of　Ireland　do　you　come　
from？〃

〃From　no　part　at　all。　　I　never　was　in　Ireland　in　my　life。　　I　am　
from　Scotland　Road；　Manchester。〃

〃Why；　I　thought　you　were　Irish？〃

〃And　so　I　am；　and　all　the　more　from　being　born　where　I　was。　　
There's　not　such　a　place　for　Irish　in　all　the　world　as　Scotland　
Road。〃

〃Were　your　father　and　mother　from　Ireland？〃

〃My　mother　was　from　Ireland：　　my　father　was　Irish　of　Scotland　Road；　
where　they　met　and　married。〃

〃And　what　did　they　do　after　they　married？〃

〃Why；　they　worked　hard；　and　did　their　best　to　get　a　livelihood　for　
themselves　and　children；　of　which　they　had　several　besides　myself；　
who　was　the　eldest。　　My　father　was　a　bricklayer；　and　my　mother　sold　
apples　and　oranges　and　other　fruits；　according　to　the　season；　and　
also　whiskey；　which　she　made　herself；　as　she　well　knew　how；　for　my　
mother　was　not　only　a　Connacht　woman；　but　an　out…and…out　Connamara　
quean；　and　when　only　thirteen　had　wrought　with　the　lads　who　used　to　
make　the　raal　cratur　on　the　islands　between　Ochterard　and　Bally　na　
hinch。　　As　soon　as　I　was　able；　I　helped　my　mother　in　making　and　
disposing　of　the　whiskey　and　in　selling　the　fruit。　　As　for　the　
other　children；　they　all　died　when　young；　of　favers；　of　which　there　
is　always　plenty　in　Scotland　Road。　　About　four　years　ago　…　that　is；　
when　I　was　just　fifteen　…　there　was　a　great　quarrel　among　the　
workmen　about　wages。　　Some　wanted　more　than　their　masters　were　
willing　to　give；　others　were　willing　to　take　what　was　offered　them。　　
Those　who　were　dissatisfied　were　called　bricks；　those　who　were　not　
were　called　dungs。　　My　father　was　a　brick；　and；　being　a　good　man　
with　his　fists；　was　looked　upon　as　a　very　proper　person　to　fight　a　
principal　man　amongst　the　dungs。　　They　fought　in　the　fields　near　
Salford　for　a　pound　a　side。　　My　father　had　it　all　his　own　way　for　
the　first　three　rounds；　but　in　the　fourth；　receiving　a　blow　under　
the　ear　from　the　dung；　he　dropped；　and　never　got　up　again；　dying　
suddenly。　　A　grand　wake　my　father　had；　for　which　my　mother　
furnished　usquebaugh　galore；　and　comfortably　and　dacently　it　passed　
over　till　about　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　when；　a　dispute　
happening　to　arise　…　not　on　the　matter　of　wages；　for　there　was　not　
a　dung　amongst　the　Irish　of　Scotland　Road　…　but　as　to　whether　the　
O'Keefs　or　O'Kellys　were　kings　of　Ireland　a　thousand　years　ago；　a　
general　fight　took　place；　which　brought　in　the　police；　who；　being　
soon　dreadfully　baten；　as　we　all　turned　upon　them；　went　and　fetched　
the　military；　with　whose　help　they　took　and　locked　up　several　of　
the　party；　amongst　whom　were　my　mother　and　myself；　till　the　next　
morning；　when　we　were　taken　before　the　magistrates；　who；　after　a　
slight　scolding；　set　us　at　liberty；　one　of　them　saying　that　such　
disturbances　formed　part　of　the　Irish　funeral　service；　whereupon　we　
returned　to　the　house；　and　the　rest　of　the　party　joining　us；　we　
carried　my　father's　body　to　the　churchyard；　where　we　buried　it　very　
dacently；　with　many　tears　and　groanings。〃

〃And　how　did　your　mother　and　you　get　on　after　your　father　was　
buried？〃

〃As　well　as　we　could；　yere　hanner；　we　sold　fruit；　and　now　and　then　
a　drop　of　whiskey；　which　we　made；　but　this　state　of　things　did　not　
last　long；　for　one　day　my　mother　seeing　the　dung　who　had　killed　my　
father；　she　flung　a　large　flint　stone　and　knocked　out　his　right　
eye；　for　doing　which　she　was　taken　up　and　tried；　and　sentenced　to　a　
year's　imprisonment；　chiefly　it　was　thought　because　she　had　been　
heard　to　say　that　she　would　do　the　dung　a　mischief　the　first　time　
she　met　him。　　She；　however；　did　not　suffer　all　her　sentence；　for　
before　she　had　been　in　prison　three　months　she　caught　a　disorder　
which　carried　her　off。　　I　went　on　selling　fruit　by　myself　whilst　
she　was　in　trouble；　and　for　some　time　after　her　death；　but　very　
lonely　and　melancholy。　　At　last　my　uncle　Tourlough；　or；　as　the　
English　would　call　him；　Charles；　chancing　to　come　to　Scotland　Road　
along　with　his　family；　I　was　glad　to　accept　an　invitation　to　join　
them　which　he　gave　me；　and　with　them　I　have　been　ever　since；　
travelling　about　England　and　Wales　and　Scotland；　helping　my　aunt　
with　the　children；　and　driving　much　the　same　trade　which　she　has　
driven　for　twenty　years　past；　which　is　not　an　unprofitable　one。〃

〃Would　you　have　any　objection　to　tell　me　all　you　do？〃

〃Why　I　sells　needles；　as　I　said　before；　and　sometimes　I　buys　things　
of　servants；　and　sometimes　I　tells　fortunes。〃

〃Do　you　ever　do　anything　in　the　way　of　striopachas？〃

〃Oh　no！　I　never　do　anything　in　that　line；　I　would　be　burnt　first。　　
I　wonder　you　should　dream　of　such　a　thing。〃

〃Why　surely　it　is　not　worse　than　buying　things　of　servants；　who　no　
doubt　steal　them　from　their　employers；　or　telling　fortunes；　which　
is　dealing　with　the　devil。〃

〃Not　worse？　　Yes；　a　thousand　times　worse；　there　is　nothing　so　very　
particular　in　doing　them　things；　but　striopachas　…　Oh　dear！〃

〃It's　a　dreadful　thing　I　admit；　but　the　other　things　are　quite　as　
bad；　you　should　do　none　of　them。〃

〃I'll　take　good　care　that　I　never　do　one；　and　that　is　striopachas；　
them　other　things　I　know　are　not　quite　right；　and　I　hope　soon　to　
have　done　wid　them；　any　day　I　can　shake　them　off　and　look　people　in　
the　face；　but　were　I　once　to　do　striopachas　I　could　never　hold　up　
my　head〃

〃How　comes　it　that　you　have　such　a　horror　of　striopachas？〃

〃I　got　it　from　my　mother；　and　she　got　it　from　hers。　　All　Irish　
women　have　a　dread　of　striopachas。　　It's　the　only　thing　that　
frights　them；　I　manes　the　wild　Irish；　for　as　for　the　quality　women　
I　have　heard　they　are　no　bit　better　than　the　English。　　Come；　yere　
hanner；　let's　talk　of　something　else。〃

〃You　were　saying　now　that　you　were　thinking　of　leaving　off　fortune…
telling　and　buying　things　of　servants。　　Do　you　mean　to　depend　upon　
your　needles　alone？〃

〃No；　I　am　thinking　of　leaving　off　tramping　altogether　and　going　to　
the　Tir　na　Siar。〃

〃Isn't　that　America？〃

〃It　is；　yere　hanner；　the　land　of　the　west　is　America。〃

〃A　long　way　for　a　lone　girl。〃

〃I　should　not　be　alone；　yere　hanner；　I　should　be　wid　my　uncle　
Tourlough　and　his　wife。〃

〃Are　they　going　to　America？〃

〃They　are；　yere　hanner；　they　intends　leaving　off　business　and　going　
to　America　next　spring。〃

〃It　will　cost　money。〃

〃It　will；　yere　hanner；　but　they　have　got　money；　and　so　have　I。〃

〃Is　it　because　business　is　slack　that　you　are　thinking　of　going　to　
America？〃

〃Oh　no；　yere　hanner；　we　wish　to　go　there　in　order　to　get　rid　of　old　
ways　and　habits；　amongst　which　are　fortune…telling　and　buying　
things　of　sarvants；　which　yere　hanner　was　jist　now　checking　me　
wid。〃

〃And　can't　you　get　rid　of　them　here？〃

〃We　cannot；　yere　hanner。　　If　we　stay　here　we　must　go　on　tramping；　
and　it　is　well　known　that　doing　them　things　is　part　of　tramping。〃

〃And　what　would　you　do　in　America？〃

〃Oh；　we　could　do　plenty　of　things　in　America　…　most　likely　we　
should　buy　a　piece　of　land　and　settle　down。〃

〃How　came　you　to　see　the　wickedness　of　the　tramping　life？〃

〃By　hearing　a　great　many　sarmons　and　preachings　and　having　often　
had　the　Bible　read　to　us　by　holy　women　who　came　to　our　tent。〃

〃Of　what　religion　do　you　call　yourselves　now？〃

〃I　don't　know；　yere　hanner；　we　are　clane　unsettled　about　religion。　　
We　were　once　Catholics　and　carried　Saint　Colman　of　Cloyne　about　wid　
us　in　a　box；　but　after　hearing　a　sermon　at　a　church　about　images；　
we　went　home；　took　the　saint　out　of　his　box　and　cast　him　into　a　
river。〃

〃Oh　it　will　never　do　to　belong　to　the　Popish　religion；　a　religion　
which　upholds　idol