The Argosy — page 329: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

310 Shrove-Tide in Ireland. this very uninteresting lady, to whose wedding we had come. She was rather inclined to be affable and communicative. ‘‘T suppose you know Cornelius very well ?” ‘Pretty fair, thin.” “When did you see him first ?” ‘Why, thin, on Thursday last.” ‘But you have seen a good deal of him since, I suppose? ” “Noa thin, niver at all, but just now I saw him at the door there.” ‘* And do you like him ?” “T do, thin; he’s a purty lad.” “ And does it cost much to get married ?” “Tt do this; twelve pound we pays to-night. It comes hard enough this bad year, and Corney he wanted his rivirence to wait until the harvest for the money; but, says he, ‘ Corney,’ says he, ‘’tis for the love I have for ye I can’t doit, boy; I done it three times,’ says he, ‘and it were a bad job for ’em all, those couples. One, the pair they died,’ says he, ‘afore the harvest, and t’other, why, they quar- relled like,’ says he, ‘and the third’—why, glory be to God, your honour, ma’am, I forget what he said on the third; but says Cornelius, ‘ Your honour’s rivirence, Johanna an’ me we'll make the money out some- how,’ says he, ‘an’ the champagne too, for your rivirence to drink our health in.’”~ © | Meantime the eventful hour was approaching, Johanna stood as the priest entered, and dropped a low curtsey. He was a nice-looking elderly man. His sacristan, the chapel wardeness, was~a very old and horribly dirty woman. From some obscure and mouldy corner she drew forth Father John’s vestments and got him into them. She then took, from the vestry chimney board, the rush candle stuck in a bottle by whose light we had all sat and talked, and she conducted us into the chapel. What she held made the only glimmer thrown upon the proceedings. ~The chapel corners, and the end of the aisle, or nave, gloried in complete obscurity. A great many steps led to the altar. Up these we were taken (somewhat to our distress) by the old woman and the priest. More by far was made of us heretics than of the principal personages in the drama. It was insisted upon that we should take seats within the sacrarlum. We had to yield. Through the whole ceremony the old woman waved her rushlight in its bottle, and fluttered rays and grease in every direction as far as they would go. The marriage was all over in about ten minutes or so, and the bridegroom, who was even uglier than the bride, kissed his lady with a loud, merry smack. His rivirence prepared for a fresh couple, and we were allowed to mingle with the crowd. As we lingered over our departing, watching and listening, and being greatly entertained, we overheard a conversation between two men, who, it is to be supposed from the sequel, had taken more liquor than was wholesome. “And why don’t you get married to-night, Timsey?” ECOPMIEDIOOKS. © im