ty
of the jest was out of all proportion to the mirth that followed it.
Notwithstanding this apparently light and agreeable spirit, she was both
vulgar and arrogant, and labored under the weak and ridiculous ambition
of being considered a woman of high pretensions, who had been most
unfortunately thrown away, if not altogether lost, upon a husband whom
she considered as every way unworthy of her. Her father had risen into
the possession of some unexpected property when it was too late to
bestow upon her a suitable education, and the consequence was that, in
addition to natural vanity, on the score of beauty, she was a good
deal troubled with purse-pride, which, with a foolish susceptibility of
flattery, was a leading feature in her disposition. In addition to this,
she was an inveterate and incurable slattern, though a gay and lively
one; and we need scarcely say that whatever she did in the shape
of benevolence or charity, in most instances owed its origin to the
influences of the weaknesses she was known to possess.

Breakfast, at length, was over, and the laborers, with an odd hiccup
here and there among them, from sheer repletion, got their hats and
began to proceed towards the farm.

"Now, boys," said Jemmy, after dropping a spittle into his pipe,
pressing it down with his little finger, and putting it into his
waistcoat pocket, "see an' get them praties down as soon as you can, an'
don't work as if you intended to keep your Christmas there; an' Paddy
the Bounce, I'll thank you to keep your jokes an' your stories to
yourself, an' not to be idlin' the rest till afther your work's done.
Throth it was an unlucky day I had anything to do wid you, you divartin'
vagabone--ha! ha! ha! When I hired him in the Micklemas fair," proceeded
Jemmy, without addressing himself to any particular individual, "he
killed me wid laughin' to such a degree, that I couldn't refuse the
mehony whatsomever wages he axed; an' now he has the men, insteed o'
mindin' their work, dancin' through the field, an' likely to split at
the fun he tells them, ha! ha! ha! Be off, now, boys. Pettier Murphy,
you randletree, let,the girl alone. That's it Peggy, lay on him; ha!
devil's cure to you! take what you've got any way--you desarve it."

These latter observations were occasioned by a romping match that took
place between a young laborer and a good-looking girl who was employed
to drop potatoes for the men.

At length those who were engaged in the