Here are Ladies

He seemed to have leaped from boyhood to manhood at a stroke, and the things which had pretended to be of momen

him the price of a ticket for the coming Bank Holiday excursion, whether his brother would be using his bicycle on Saturday afternoon,

hese things took on a new and important dignity. He bought a walking-stick, a card-case, a purse, a pipe with a glass bottom wherein one could observe one's own nicotine inexorably accumulating.-He bought a book on etiquette and a pot of paste for making moustaches grow in spite of providence, and one d

iscovered that a well-bred person always speaks to the young lady's parents before he speaks to the young lady. He straightened his shoulders.-It would be almost as bad

iked liquor, and, moreover, it disagreed with him. He had, to paraphrase Lamb, toiled after liquor as other people toil after virtue, but the nearer he got the less did he like it. As a consequence of this enforced decency the ill-temper, which is the normal state of scriveners, had surged and buzzed around him so long that he had quite forgotten what a good temper was like.-It might be said that he hated every one, not excepting his

rth to ask him for the hand of his daughter in m

e's hand. It was loot, so he ate it with an extra relish and

the loaf. "Doesn't it make you think of the hym

izabeth?" and he daringly and skilfully abstracted the next s

again, "I wish you would give me a chance, O'Reil

uestion. Now then, ma'm, in two words, where is that girl? My whole life seems to be oc

d his wife severely, "

n. "What sort of an answer is that for a mother to give about her dau

ry-she put her plate in

e now for I'm not well, I say, on the head of her. I never know where she does be. One night it's (sh

husband fiercely. "Can't y

'she wants to go out

ig hat and no morals,

r she 'wants to go

them all up and put the actors in gaol, with their

I talk to her, so I do. Last night when I mentioned about her going out with that Rorke man she turned round as

his long arm and arrested the

t way," he grinned, "I'

er lap to his plate, but she had ab

d to her but she has a look in her eye that's next door to

e did she

akfast thi

ve me a bit of bread, or do you want to eat the whole l

ad his wife began to cut the

Out,' said she, and not another word could I get from

ast slice of bread and

s nothing of his own but a cigarette and a walking-stick, and they both borrowed. I'

O'Reilly settled to her frustrated tea,

t the door. Mrs. O'Reilly was again cutting the loaf in an exasperation which wa

ither, so you can go away.-The crankiness of that man is more than tongue can tell. As Miss Carty says, I shouldn't stand it for an hour-Come in, can't you-and well she may say it, and she a spinster without a worry under heaven but her suspicious nature and her hair falling out. And then to be treated the way I am by that g

to have poor health and a crotchety husband, but we all have our trials. Is your father well too? but what's the use of asking, every one's well but me. Did your aunt get the pot of jam I sent her last Tuesday? Raspberry is supposed to be good for the throat, but her th

e and its multiplicity of direction, but the interval gave him

and mother are quite well, thank you, and Aunt Jane g

, "we all have our troubles and jam doesn't matter. Give her

ot at the jam before she could, and they clean

might ensue and death would be instantaneous and cemeteries the price they are in Glasnevin and all: but the children sh

se for it," said he, laughing

ightpence the pound in Grafton Street, and the best preserving sugar twopence-three-far

lence which followed w

beth in, ma'm?"

O'Grady, and she's mine. I don't complain, but I don't deserve

astily, "for I wanted to speak to yourself an

wheeled slow

en you bought the yellow boots. She's a real good girl, Mr. O'Grady. There's many and many's the young man, and they in good positions, mind

: it's, if I may presume

down to her waist, and won prizes at school for composition. I'll call himself-he'll be delighted. He's in the next

the door and c

young Mr. O'Grady

en in his mouth and looked v

ou round, young

ery nervous. He st

aid he, "and I thought it would o

dy broke in

nd contented, and this young gentleman talking to us the way he is.

bewildered but sava

e. "Well," he barked at Mr.

ak about your

a delicat

t the measles, and they're wholesome when you're young, and an appet

ned on her with

their visitor, "What have y

he stammered, "I'm

he delicate subje

t to marry

that's disease, young

zabeth ab

btain your and Mrs. O'Reilly'

ed, "to see a young, bashful youth telling of his love for our dear child? Doesn

ed, "I never heard of the song I

again to

ut don't blame me if she marries you. People who take risks must expect accidents. Don't go about lamenting tha

fe was

, O'Reilly

tinued, looking

" said he, "she g

s. O'Reilly's w

like a cat," sa

," cried the lady

, sulky, stubborn

solute tissue," she repeated with

continued

en she has the toothache she curses like a ca

powerless against love and etiquette-

steadily, "and I'll be

of enthusiasm, Mr

t of jam." She turned to her husband, "Isn't it delightful, O'Reill

lly repli

a'm.-I'm going

ly," said his wife plea

tle of stout or a

y, for it is well to hide o

," said he, "I never dri

homes it has ruined, and the things the clergy say about it you'd be astonished. I

o me, young man. You want to marry Julia Elizabeth, and I'll be glad to see her married to a

ime," said his wife.

I winke

rl," said her husband,

her waist, and she won a prize for composition

eilly c

cup of tea every mor

life," said Mrs. O'Reilly, "and sh

o," said M

fe con

n that broke his leg down a coal mine and it never

y, "how are you young peopl

e inter

ings and sixpence a week.-Take my advice and live on

of wages since that information passed, but candour belo

y much, of course," said he,

his host, "when I was your

turned instantly with a letter in her

she plaintively. "Maybe it's a bill, b

d, at once as it appeared, he went mad, he raved, he stuttered, now slappi

a'm," he stammered. "Her

"What is it, O'Reilly?" She aros

y repelled

ddance," h

y, I command you,

jade," snar

d. I'm not well, I tell you. My head

bout him a sudden a

nd you too, young man, and b

is is to tell you that

going to open a littl

his finds you as it lea

g dau

A ELI

Christie's

y sank again

ficulty. Her eyes were fixed on space, and she s

turned to her husband-"What an amazing thing. Doesn't it make you

a'm," said her

an going to do?" she continued,

ied her husband fiercely. "He

his wife, "is a sad com

ke you think

"I'm going back to my work," and once a

g about him. Love had deserted him, and etiquette was

r be going now," sai

eil

said that lady with

" and he moved

e my love to your moth

with firm politeness, "thank y

it, Mr. O'Gra

towards the table smiling madly. She sank in

d she in a loud and threatening voice, and