n
families, and so on to the single-handed play between individuals. At
all events, one-half of them were for peace, and two-thirds of them were
equally divided between peace and war.

"For three months after the accident which befell Rose Galh O'Hallaghan,
both factions had been tolerantly quiet--that is to say, they had no
general engagement. Some slight skirmishes certainly did take place on
market-nights, when the drop was in, and the spirits up; but in those
neither John nor Rose's immediate families took any part. The fact was,
that John and Rose were on the evening of matrimony; the match had been
made--the day appointed, and every other necessary stipulation
ratified. Now, John was as fine a young man as you would meet in a day's
traveling; and as for Rose, her name went far and near for beauty: and
with justice, for the sun never shone on a fairer, meeker, or modester
virgin than Rose Galh O'Hallaghan.

"It might be, indeed, that there were those on both sides who thought
that, if the marriage was obstructed, their own sons and daughters would
have a better chance. Rose had many admirers; they might have envied
John his happiness; many fathers, on the Other side, might have
wished their sons to succeed with Rose. Whether I am sinister in this
conjecture is more than I can say. I grant, indeed, that a great portion
of it is speculation on my part. The wedding-day, however, was arranged;
but, unfortunately, the fair-day of Knockimdowny occurred, in the
rotation of natural time, precisely one week before it. I know not from
what motive it proceeded, but the factions on both sides were never
known to make a more light-hearted preparation for battle. Cudgels
of all sorts and sizes (and some of them, to my own knowledge, great
beauties) were provided.

"I believe I may as well take this opportunity of saying that real
Irish cudgels must be root-growing, either oak, black-thorn, or
crab-tree--although crab-tree, by the way, is apt to fly. They should
not be too long--three feet and a few inches is an accommodating length.
They must be naturally top-heavy, and have around the end that is
to make acquaintance with the cranium three or four natural lumps,
calculated to divide the flesh in the natest manner, and to leave, if
possible, the smallest taste in life of pit in the skull. But if a good
root-growing _kippeen_ be light at the fighting-end, or possess not the
proper number of knobs, a hole, a few inches deep, is