rning in the tenantry to the forthcoming
bonfire, proceeded upon his message in high spirits, not on account of
the honor it was designed to confer on Woodward, against whom he had
already conceived a strong antipathy, in consequence of the resemblance
he bore to his mother, but for the sake of the fun and amusement which
he purposed to enjoy at it himself. The first house he went into was a
small country cabin, such as a petty farmer of five or six acres at that
time occupied. The door was not of wood, but of wicker-work woven across
long wattles and plastered over with clay mortar. The house had two
small holes in the front side-walls to admit the light; but during
severe weather these were filled up with straw or rags to keep out the
storm. On one side of the door stood a large curra, or, "ould man," for
it was occasionally termed both--composed of brambles and wattles tied
up lengthwise together--about the height of a man and as thick as an
ordinary sack. This was used, as they termed it, "to keep the wind from
the door." If the blast came from the right, it was placed on that side,
and if from the left, it was changed to the opposite. Chimneys, at that
period, were to be found only upon the houses of extensive and wealthy
farmers, the only substitute for them being a simple hole in the roof
over the fireplace. The small farmer in question cultivated his acres
with a spade: and after sowing his grain he harrowed it in with a large
thorn bush, which he himself, or one of his sons, dragged over it with
a heavy stone on the top to keep it close to the surface. When Barney
entered this cabin he found the vanithee, or woman of the house, engaged
in the act of grinding oats into meal for their dinner with a quern,
consisting of two diminutive millstones turned by the hand; this was
placed upon a praskeen, or coarse apron, spread under it on the floor to
receive the meal. An old woman, her mother, sat spinning flax with the
distaff--for as yet flax wheels were scarcely known--and a lubberly
young fellow about sixteen, with able, well shaped limbs and great
promise of bodily strength, sat before the fire managing a double task,
to wit, roasting, first, a lot of potatoes in the _greeshaugh_, which
consisted of half embers and half ashes, glowing hot; and, secondly, at
a little distance from the larger lighted turf, two duck eggs, which,
as well as the potatoes, he turned from time to time, that they might
be equally done. All