'Cheerful at morn, he wakes from short repose1,
Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes.'
Oliver Goldsmith.
If you drive from Clifden to Oughterard by way of Maam Cross, and then on to Galway, you will pass through the O'Flahertys' country, one of whom, Murrough O'Flaherty, was governor of this country of Iar (western) Connaught. You will like to see the last of the O'Flaherty yews2, a thousand years old at least, and the ruins of the castle and banqueting-hall. The family glories are enumerated3 in ancient Irish manuscript, and instead of the butler, footman, chef, coachman, and gardener of to-day we read of the O'Flaherty physician, standard-bearer, brehon or judge, master of the revels4, and keeper of the bees; and the moment Himself is rich enough, I intend to add some of these picturesque5 personages to our staff.
We afterwards learned that there was formerly6 an inscription7 over the west gate of Galway:--
'From the fury of the O'Flaherties,
Good Lord, deliver us.'
After Richard de Burgo took the town, in 1226, it became a flourishing English colony, and the citizens must have guarded themselves from any intercourse8 with the native Irish; at least, an old by-law of 1518 enacts9 that 'neither O' nor Mac shalle strutte ne swaggere thro' the streetes of Galway.'
We did not go to Galway straight, because we never do anything straight. We seldom get any reliable information, and never any inspiring suggestions, from the natives themselves. They are all patriotically10 sure that Ireland is the finest counthry in the world, God bless her! but in the matter of seeing that finest counthry in the easiest or best fashion they are all very vague. Indirectly11, our own lack of geography, coupled with the ignorance of the people themselves, has been of the greatest service in enlivening our journeys. Francesca says that, in looking back, she finds that our errors of judgment12 have always resulted in our most charming and unforgettable experiences; but let no one who is travelling with a well-balanced and logical-minded man attempt to follow in our footsteps.
Being as free as air on this occasion (if I except the dread13 of Benella's scorn, which descends14 upon us now and then, and moves us to repentance15, sometimes even to better behaviour), we passed Porridgetown and Cloomore, and ferried across to the opposite side of Lough Corrib. Salemina, of course, had fixed16 upon Cong as our objective point, because of its caverns17 and archaeological remains18, which Dr. La Touche tells her not on any account to miss. Francesca and I said nothing, but we had a very definite idea of avoiding Cong, and going nearer Tuam, to climb Knockma, the hill of the fairies, and explore their ancient haunts and archaeological remains, which are more in our line than the caverns of Cong.
Speaking of Dr. La Touche reminds me that we have not the smallest notion as to how our middle-aged20 romance is progressing. Absence may, at this juncture21, be just as helpful a force in its development as daily intercourse would be; for when one is past thirty, I fancy there is a deal of 'thinking-it-over' to do. Precious little there is when we are younger; heart does it all then, and never asks head's advice! But in too much delay there lies no plenty, and there's the danger. Actually, Francesca and I could be no more anxious to settle Salemina in life if she were lame22, halt, blind, and homeless, instead of being attractive, charming, absurdly young for her age, and not without means. The difficulty is that she is one of those 'continent, persisting, immovable persons' whom Emerson describes as marked out for the blessing23 of the world. That quality always makes a man anxious. He fears that he may only get his rightful share of blessing, and he craves24 the whole output, so to speak.
We naturally mention Dr. La Touche very often, since he is always writing to Salemina or to me, offering counsel and suggestion. Madame La Touche, the venerable aunt, has written also, asking us to visit them in Meath; but this invitation we have declined, principally because the Colquhouns will be with them, and they would surely be burdened by the addition of three ladies and a maid to their family; partly because we shall be freer in our own house, which will be as near the La Touche mansion25 as possible, you may be sure, if Francesca and I have anything to do with choosing it.
The La Touche name, then, is often on our lips, but Salemina offers no intimation that it is indelibly imprinted26 on her heart of hearts. It is a good name to be written anywhere, and we fancied there was the slightest possible hint of pride and possession in Salemina's voice when she read to us to-night, from her third volume of Lecky's History of Ireland in the Eighteenth Century, a paragraph concerning one David La Touche, from whom Dr. Gerald is descended:--
'In the last of the Irish Parliaments no less than five members of the name sat together in the House of Commons, and his family may claim what is in truth the highest honour of which an Irish family can boast,--that during many successive governments, and in a period of most lavish27 corruption28, it possessed29 great parliamentary influence, and yet passed through political life untitled and unstained.'
There is just the faintest gleam of hope, by the way, that Himself may join us at the very end of June, and he is sure to be helpful on this sentimental30 journey; he aided Ronald and Francesca more than once in their tempestuous31 love-affair, and if his wits are not dulled by marriage, as so often happens, he will be invaluable32. It will not be long then, probably, before I assume my natural, my secondary position in the landscape of events. The junior partners are now, so to speak, on their legs, although it is idle to suppose that such brittle33 appendages34 will support them for any length of time. As soon as we return in the autumn I should like to advertise (if Himself will permit me) for a perfectly35 sound and kind junior partner,--one who has been well broken to harness, and who will neither shy nor balk36, no matter what the provocation37; the next step being to urge Himself to relinquish38 altogether the bondage39 of business care. There is no need of his continuing in it, since other people's business will always give him ample scope for his energies. He has, since his return to America, dispensed40 justice and mercy, chiefly mercy, to one embezzler41, one honest fellow tempted42 beyond his strength, one widow, one unfortunate friend of his youth, and two orphans43, and it was in no sense an extraordinary season.
To return to notes of travel, our method of progression, since we deserted44 the high-road and the public car, has been strangely varied45. I think there is no manner of steed or vehicle which has not been used by us, at one time or another, even to the arch donkey and the low-backed car with its truss of hay, like that of the immortal46 Peggy. I thought at first that 'arch' was an unusual adjective to apply to a donkey, but I find after all that it is abundantly expressive47. Benella, who disapproves48 entirely49 of this casual sort of travelling, far from 'answerable roads' and in 'backwards50 places' (Irish for 'behind the times'), is yet wonderfully successful in discovering equipages of some sort in unlikely spots.
In towns of any size or pretensions51, we find by the town cross or near the inn a motley collection of things on wheels, with drivers sometimes as sober as Father Mathew, sometimes not. Yesterday we had a mare52 which the driver confessed he bought without 'overcircumspectin' it,' and although you couldn't, as he said, 'extinguish her at first sight from a grand throtter, she hadn't rightly the speed you could wish.'
"It's not so powerful young she is, melady!" he confessed. "You'd be afther lookin' at a chicken a long time and niver be reminded of her; but sure ye might thry her, for belike ye wouldn't fancy a horse that would be leppin' stone walls wid ye, like Dan Ryan's there! My little baste'll get ye to Rossan before night, and she won't hurt man nor mortial in doin' it."
"Begorra, you're right, nor herself nayther," said Dan Ryan; "and if it's leppin' ye mane, sure she couldn't lep a sod o' turf, that mare couldn't! God pardon ye, melady, for thrustin' yerself to that paiceable, brindly-coloured ould hin, whin ye might be gettin' a dacint, high-steppin' horse for a shillin' or two more; an' belike I might contint meself to take less, for I wouldn't be extortin' ye like Barney O'Mara there!"
Our chosen driver replied to this by saying that he wouldn't be caught dead at a pig fair with Dan Ryan's horse, but in the midst of all the distracting discussions and arguments that followed we held to our original bargain; for we did not like the look of Dan Ryan's high-stepper, who was a 'thrifle mounTAIny,' as they say in these parts, and had a wild eye to boot. We started, and in a half-hour we could still see the chapel53 spire54 of the little village we had just left. It was for once a beautiful day, but we felt that we must reach a railway station some time or other, in order to find a place to sleep.
"Can't you make her go a bit faster? Do you want to keep us on the road all night?" inquired Francesca.
"I do not, your ladyship's honour, ma'am."
"Is she tired, or doesn't she ever go any better?" urged Salemina.
"She does; it's God's truth I'm tellin' ye, melady, she's that flippant sometimes that I scarcely can hould her, and the car jumps undher her like a spring bed."
"Then what on earth IS the matter with her?" I inquired, with some fire in my eye.
"Sure I believe she's takin' time to think of the iligant load she's carryin', melady, and small blame to her!" said Mr. Barney O'Mara; and after that we let him drive as best he could, although it did take us four hours to do nine Irish miles. He came, did Mr. Barney, from County Armagh, and he beguiled55 the way with interesting tales from that section of Ireland, one of which, 'the Old Crow and the Young Crow,' particularly took our fancies.
"An old crow was teaching a young crow one day, and says to him, 'Now, my son,' says he, 'listen to the advice I'm going to give you,' says he. 'If you see a person coming near you and stooping, mind yourself, and be on your keeping; he's stooping for a stone to throw at you,' says he.
"'But tell me,' says the young crow, 'what should I do if he had a stone already down in his pocket?' says he.
"'Musha, go 'long out of that,' says the old crow, 'you've learned enough; the divil another learning I'm able to give you.'"
He was a perfect honey-pot of useless and unreliable information, was Barney O'Mara, and most learned in fairy lore19; but for that matter, all the people walking along the road, the drivers, the boatman and guides, the men and women in the cottages where we stop in a shower or to inquire the way, relate stories of phookas, leprehauns, and sprites, banshees and all the various classes of elves and fays, as simply and seriously as they would speak of any other occurrences. Barney told us gravely of the old woman who was in the habit of laying pishogues (charms) to break the legs of his neighbour's cattle, because of an ancient grudge56 she bore him; and also how necessary it is to put a bit of burning turf under the churn to prevent the phookas, or mischievous57 fairies, from abstracting the butter or spoiling the churning in any way. Irish fays seem to be much interested in dairy matters, for, besides the sprites who delight in distracting the cream and keeping back the butter (I wonder if a lazy up-and-down movement of the dasher invites them at all, at all?), it is well known that many a milkmaid on a May morning has seen fairy cows browsing58 along the banks of lakes,--cows that vanish into thin mist at the sound of human footfall.
When we were quite cross at missing the noon train from Rossan, quite tired of the car's jolting59, somewhat vexed60 even at the mare's continued enjoyment61 of her 'iligant load,' Barney appeased62 us all by singing, in a delightful63, mellow64 voice, a fairy song called the 'Leprehaun,' [*] This personage, you must know, if you haven't a large acquaintance among Irish fairies, is a tricksy fellow in a green coat and scarlet66 cap, with brave shoe buckles67 on his wee brogues. You will catch him sometimes, if the 'glamour68' is on you, under a burdock leaf or a thorn bush, and he is always making or mending a shoe. He commonly has a little purse about him, which, if you are quick enough, you can snatch; and a wonderful purse it is, for whatever you spend, there is always money to be found in it. Truth to tell, nobody has yet succeeded in being quicker than Master Leprehaun, though many have offered to fill his cruiskeen with 'mountain dew,' of which Irish fairies are passionately69 fond.
* By Patrick W. Joyce.
'In a shady nook, one moonlight night,
A leprehaun I spied;
With scarlet cap and coat of green,
A cruiskeen by his side.
'Twas tick, tack70, tick, his hammer went,
Upon a weeny shoe;
And I laughed to think of his purse of gold;
But the fairy was laughing too!
With tip-toe step and beating heart,
Quite softly I drew nigh:
There was mischief71 in his merry face,
A twinkle in his eye.
He hammered, and sang with tiny voice,
And drank his mountain dew;
And I laughed to think he was caught at last;
But the fairy was laughing too!
As quick as thought I seized the elf.
"Your fairy purse!" I cried.
"The purse!" he said--"'tis in her hand--
That lady at your side."
I turned to look: the elf was off.
Then what was I to do?
O, I laughed to think what a fool I'd been;
And the fairy was laughing too!'
I cannot communicate any idea of the rollicking gaiety and quaint65 charm Barney gave to the tune72, nor the light-hearted, irresistible73 chuckle74 with which he rendered the last two lines, giving a snap of his whip as accent to the long 'O':--
'O, I laughed to think what a fool I'd been;
And the fairy was laughing too!'
After he had sung it twice through, Benella took my guitar from its case for me, and we sang it after him, again and again; so it was in happy fashion that we at least approached Ballyrossan, where we bade Barney O'Mara a cordial farewell, paying him four shillings over his fare, which was cheap indeed for the song.
As we saw him vanish slowly up the road, ragged75 himself, the car and harness almost ready to drop to pieces, the mare, I am sure, in the last week of her existence, we were glad that he had his Celtic fancy to enliven his life a bit,--that fancy which seems a providential reaction against the cruel despotisms of fact.
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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yews
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| n.紫杉( yew的名词复数 ) | |
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enumerated
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| v.列举，枚举，数( enumerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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revels
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| n.作乐( revel的名词复数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉v.作乐( revel的第三人称单数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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enacts
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的第三人称单数 ) | |
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patriotically
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| 爱国地；忧国地 | |
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indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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descends
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| v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜 | |
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repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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craves
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| 渴望，热望( crave的第三人称单数 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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mansion
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imprinted
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lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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tempestuous
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| adj.狂暴的 | |
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invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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brittle
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| adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的 | |
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appendages
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| n.附属物( appendage的名词复数 )；依附的人；附属器官；附属肢体（如臂、腿、尾等） | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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balk
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| n.大方木料；v.妨碍；不愿前进或从事某事 | |
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provocation
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| n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因 | |
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relinquish
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| v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手 | |
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bondage
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| n.奴役，束缚 | |
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dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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embezzler
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| n.盗用公款者，侵占公款犯 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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orphans
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| 孤儿( orphan的名词复数 ) | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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disapproves
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| v.不赞成( disapprove的第三人称单数 ) | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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spire
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| n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点 | |
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beguiled
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| v.欺骗( beguile的过去式和过去分词 )；使陶醉；使高兴；消磨（时间等） | |
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grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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browsing
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| v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
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jolting
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| adj.令人震惊的 | |
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vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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appeased
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| 安抚，抚慰( appease的过去式和过去分词 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争） | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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buckles
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| 搭扣，扣环( buckle的名词复数 ) | |
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glamour
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| n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住 | |
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passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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71
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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72
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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73
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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74
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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75
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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