ed
on him by his Reverence at the station.

Before I introduce the conversation which took place between Phaddhy
and Briney, as they went home, on the subject of this literary ordeal, I
must observe, that there is a custom, hereditary in some Irish families,
of calling fathers by their Christian names, instead of by the usual
appellation of "father." This usage was observed, not only by Phaddhy
and his son, but by all the Phaddys of that family, generally. Their
surname was Doran, but in consequence of the great numbers in that part
of the country who bore the same name, it was necessary as of old, to
distinguish the several branches of it by the Christian names of their
fathers and grandfathers, and sometimes this distinction went as far
back as the great-grandfather. For instance--Phaddhy Sheemus Phaddhy,
meant Phaddhy, the son of Sheemus, the son of Phaddhy; and his son,
Briney, was called, Brian Phaddy Sheemus Phaddy, or, _anglice_, Bernard
the son of Patrick, the son of James, the son of Patrick. But the custom
of children calling fathers, in a viva voce manner, by their Christian
names, was independent of the other more general usage of the
patronymic.

"Well, Briney," said Phaddy, as the father and son returned home, cheek
by jowl from the chapel, "I suppose Father Philemy will go very deep in
the Latin wid ye on Thursday; do ye think ye'll be able to answer him?"

"Why, Phaddhy," replied Briney, "how could I be able to answer a
clargy?--doesn't he know all the languages, and I'm only in the _Fibulae
AEsiopii_ yet."

"Is that Latin or Greek, Briney?"

"It's Latin, Phaddhy."

"And what's the translation of that?"

"It signifies the Fables of AEsiopius."

"Bliss my sowl! and Briney, did ye consther that out of yer own head?"

"Hogh! that's little of it. If ye war to hear me consther _Gallus
Gallinaceus_, a dunghill cock?"

"And, Briney, are ye in Greek at all yet?"

"No, Phaddhy, I'll not be in Greek till I'm in Virgil and Horace, and
thin I'll be near finished."

"And how long will it be till that, Briney?"

"Why, Phaddhy, you know I'm only a year and a half at the Latin, and in
two years more I'll be in the Greek."

"Do ye think will ye ever be as larned as! Father Philemy, Briney?"

"Don't ye, know whin I'm a clargy I will but I'm only a _lignum
sacerdotis_ yet, Phaddhy."

"What's _ligdum saucerdoatis_, Briney?"

"A block of a priest, Phaddhy."

"Now, Briney, I suppose Father Philemy know