uct be it understood,
but in letting things go on easily, in a happy-go-lucky way, without
any superstitions concerning the profuse employment of soap and water
by their dependents. Probably no lady of the house had for many
generations entered the kitchen, which apparently served as a focus
for the country folk. The stone floor was a stranger to hearthstone
and to water, except such as might be spilt upon it; and was either
slippery or sticky here and there, according to the nature of the most
recent deposits. The table and dressers were in such a condition when
taken over by the "domineering Saxon" that washing was abandoned as
hopeless, and scraping and planing were perforce resorted to. But
overhead, firmly fixed in the beams of the ceiling, hung many a goodly
flitch of bacon, many a plump, well-fed ham. Under the shadow of this
appetising display might be found at any time during the day about a
score of persons who had no business there whatever, but found it
"mighty convanient" to look in about meal times for the bite and sup
my car-driver so regretfully alluded to, and to sit round the fire
smoking a pipe and talking for hours afterwards.

It was in the larder attached to this fine old kitchen that I met a
glorious specimen of the fine Old Irish Retainer, faithful to the
memory of the "ould masther," who had left him an annuity of eight
shillings per week, and not unmindful of the virtues of the new one,
who keeps him on the establishment as an interesting "survival," and
lodges, feeds, and clothes him, in order that he may not be obliged
to divert any portion of his income from its natural course towards
Mary Molony's shebeen, to the purchase of the prosaic necessaries of
life. The Retainer, who was enjoying the occupation of turning some
hams and bacon in salt, and inspecting the condition of some pigs'
heads in highly spiced pickle, was a singularly good-looking man,
with, well--I will not say "clean"--cut features and a generally
healthy look, speaking wonders for the vigour of constitution which
had successfully withstood sixty odd winters and an incalculable
quantity of the poisonous new whisky of the country. He was interested
in the subject of obtaining sundry rounds of salt beef for
Christmastide, holding that roast beef is but a vain thing, good
enough for Saxons, no doubt, but not to be compared with corned beef
or bacon and cabbage. The Retainer spoke kindly of his new master, but
at the mention of