bridle
of salvages tied to his horns. Anything at all to keep their feet from
the ground; for nobody would be allowed to go with the wedding that
hadn't some animal between them and the earth.

* The morning or early part of the day, on which an Irish
couple are married, up until noon, is called the bride's
part, which, if the fortunes of the pair are to be happy, is
expected to be fair--rain or storm being considered
indicative of future calamity.

** A small, shaggy pony, so called from being found in great
numbers on the Island of that name.

"To make a long story short, so large a bridegroom's party was never
seen in that country before, save and except Tim Lannigans, that I
mentioned just now. It would make you split your face laughing to see
the figure they cut; some of them had saddles and bridles--others had
saddles and halthers; some had back-suggawns of straw, with hay Stirrups
to them, but good bridles; others sacks filled up as like saddles as
they could make them, girthed with hay-ropes five or six times tied
round the horse's body. When one or two of the horses wouldn't carry
double, except the hind rider sat stride-ways, the women had to be put
foremost, and the men behind them. Some had dacent pillions enough, but
most of them had none at all, and the women were obliged to sit where
the pillion ought to be--and a hard card they had to play to keep their
seats even when the horses walked asy, so what must it be when they came
to a gallop! but that same was nothing at all to a trot.

"From the time they began to come that morning, you may be sartain that
the glass was no cripple, any how--although, for fear of accidents, we
took care not to go too deep. At eight o'clock we sat down to a rousing
breakfast, for we thought it best to eat a trifle at home, lest they
might think that what we were to get at the bride's breakfast might
be thought any novelty. As for my part, I was in such a state, that I
couldn't let a morsel cross my throat, nor did I know what end of me was
uppermost. After breakfast they all got their cattle, and I my hat and
whip, and was ready to mount, when my uncle whispered to me that I must
kneel down and ax my father and mother's blessing, and forgiveness for
all my disobedience and offinces towards them--and also to requist the
blessing of my brothers and sisters. Well, in a short time I was down;
and my goodness! such a hullabaloo of crying as t