assemble after mass at
the corner of Cathedral Street. They were all friends of the
Kearneys--musical friends or Nationalist friends; and, when they had
played every little counter of gossip, they shook hands with one
another all together, laughing at the crossing of so man hands, and said
good-bye to one another in Irish. Soon the name of Miss Kathleen Kearney
began to be heard often on people's lips. People said that she was
very clever at music and a very nice girl and, moreover, that she was
a believer in the language movement. Mrs. Kearney was well content at
this. Therefore she was not surprised when one day Mr. Holohan came to
her and proposed that her daughter should be the accompanist at a
series of four grand concerts which his Society was going to give in the
Antient Concert Rooms. She brought him into the drawing-room, made him
sit down and brought out the decanter and the silver biscuit-barrel. She
entered heart and soul into the details of the enterprise, advised and
dissuaded: and finally a contract was drawn up by which Kathleen was to
receive eight guineas for her services as accompanist at the four grand
concerts.

As Mr. Holohan was a novice in such delicate matters as the wording of
bills and the disposing of items for a programme, Mrs. Kearney helped
him. She had tact. She knew what artistes should go into capitals and
what artistes should go into small type. She knew that the first tenor
would not like to come on after Mr. Meade's comic turn. To keep the
audience continually diverted she slipped the doubtful items in between
the old favourites. Mr. Holohan called to see her every day to have her
advice on some point. She was invariably friendly and advising--homely,
in fact. She pushed the decanter towards him, saying:

"Now, help yourself, Mr. Holohan!"

And while he was helping himself she said:

"Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid of it!"

Everything went on smoothly. Mrs. Kearney bought some lovely blush-pink
charmeuse in Brown Thomas's to let into the front of Kathleen's dress.
It cost a pretty penny; but there are occasions when a little expense
is justifiable. She took a dozen of two-shilling tickets for the final
concert and sent them to those friends who could not be trusted to come
otherwise. She forgot nothing, and, thanks to her, everything that was
to be done was done.

The concerts were to be on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
When Mrs. Kearney arrived with her daughte