all
going on, heller-skelter, together. When they'd be all in full chorus
this way, may be, some new friend or relation, that wasn't there before,
would come in, and raise the keena; of coorse, the youngsters would then
keep quiet; and if the person coming in was from the one neighborhood
with any of them that were so merry, as soon as he'd raise the shout,
the merry folks would rise up, begin to pelt their hands together, and
cry along with him till their eyes would be as red as a ferret's.
That once over, they'd be down again at the songs, and divarsion, and
divilment--just as if nothing of the kind had taken place: the other
would then shake hands with the friends of the corpses, get a glass or
two, and a pipe, and in a few minutes be as merry as the best of them."

"Well," said Andy Morrow, "I should like to know if the Scotch and
English are such heerum-skeerum kind of people as we Irishmen are."

"Musha, in throth I'm sure they're not," says Nancy, "for I believe
that Irishmen are like nobody in the wide world but themselves; quare
crathurs, that'll laugh or cry, or fight with any one, just for nothing
else, good or bad but company."

"Indeed, and you all know, that what I'm sayin's thruth, except Mr.
Morrow there, that I'm telling it to, bekase he's not in the habit of
going to wakes; although, to do him justice he's very friendly in going
to a neighbor's funeral; and, indeed, _kind father for you_* Mr. Morrow,
for it's he that was a real good hand at going to such places.

* That is, in this point you are the, same kind as your
father; possessing that prominent trait in his disposition
or character.

"Well, as I was telling you, there was great sport going on. In one
corner, you might see a knot of ould men sitting together, talking over
ould times--ghost stores, fairy tales, or the great rebellion of '41,
and the strange story of Lamh Dearg, or the _bloody hand_--that,
maybe, I'll tell you all some other night, plase God: there they'd sit
smoking--their faces quite plased with the pleasure of the pipe--amusing
themselves and a crowd of people, that would be listening to them with
open mouth. Or, it's odd, but there would be some droll young fellow
among them, taking a rise out of them; and, positively, he'd often find,
them able enough for him, particularly ould Ned Magin, that wanted at
the time only four years of a hundred. The Lord be good to him, and rest
his sowl in glory, it's he that