a high-pitched
monotonous voice, and without any regard to punctuation, of which,
indeed, in all probability, the letter was devoid.

"'Dear Mrs. McNally,--I write these few lines hoping you are quite
well as I am at present thank God it's a long time since we come
across each other but I haven't forgot the old times and I am sure
yourself is the same I did be hearin' a while ago about the fine
family of daughters you have God bless them and how well you prospered
in business dear Mrs. McNally I have one son a fine young man that I
do be anxious to settle in life--'

"Look at that now!" put in Mrs. McNally jocularly. "Didn't I say the
letter was more for you than for me, girls?"

"Whisht! can't you whisht?" put in Henrietta eagerly. "Go on, Ju!"

"'Settle in life,' resumed Ju. 'The farm is doin' finely for me thanks
be to God though I'm not able to stock it as well as I'd like these
bad times.' He's lookin' out for a bit o' money, ye see, m'mah?"

"To be sure he is," responded her mother comfortably. "Trust Tim
Brennan to be lookin' out for that. An' why wouldn't he, the poor ould
fellow? Dear knows, it's hard set the most o' the farmers is to live
at all. He's a cute ould schemer, Tim is, though."

"'There's not one o' the girls in these parts I'd let him take up with
at all,' went on the reader, 'but it come to me mind that if you was
willin' we might make up a match between himself an' one o' your fine
young daughters--'

"Yous 'ull have all the luck, I suppose?" put in Maggie Nolan
enviously.

"Not at all. What's that he says here about nieces, Ju?" returned Mrs.
McNally, leaning over her daughter's shoulder, and pointing with her
plump forefinger.

"'Or maybe one of them three nieces I was hearin' ye have livin' with
ye I knew your poor sister Bridget R.I.P. as well as I know yourself
an' I know all she done for her family.'"

"The sharpness o' that!" interrupted Henrietta. "The ould fellow knows
me A'nt Bridget had a nice little fortun', an' I'll engage he made
sure the three of yous has a share in the business."

"Young nieces," soliloquised Matilda, looking pensively at Bridget and
Mary.

"Young daughters, too, if ye please," returned Bridget with spirit,
and her glance fell upon Juliana.

"Well, go on, Ju, finish it," said Mrs. McNally, laughing
immoderately. "You can all be pulling caps for him afterwards."

"'Me son,' read Juliana, 'has business in Dublin this next week an' if
you've no ob