grieved if he had wasted the best years of his life in anxious suspense, terminated by bitter disappointment, provided she were left undisputed mistress of the mud cabin he kindly permitted her to share. We do not say that Kate was herself conscious of the cause which led to her reception of the announcement of the approaching wedding with very gloomy looks, but we do say, that if she had probed her own heart, she might have been fully aware of what was passing there. Do any of my readers consider her a very detestable character? If so, let them analyze their own feelings closely the next time they hear of some great change taking place in the situation and prospects of their friends, and then let them condemn Kate Connor, if they dare! As Denis Murphy drew near the house, his mind reverted to the angry countenances of his sister and her husband, when he had the night before imparted to them the intelligence of his immediate marriage; and as he thought over their eloquent objections to his Ellen's want of fortune, as well as the innumerable cogent reasons they had adduced against his marrying so soon, interlarded as they were with exaggerated expressions of attachment to himself, as a sort of set-off against the real unkindness of their words, the present dejection of his mind made him almost dread to encounter another lecture from Kate. But our hero, though remarkably acute in the common affairs of life, knew as little of the windings of a selfish woman's policy, as if he had never known one of the sex. His brother-in-law might, for aught we know, have retained precisely the same feelings he entertained the night before; but Kate had had time to consider the matter in all its bearings, and having decided, that as what can't be cured must be endured, and that as the marriage was, bona fide, a settled thing, the more firmly she persuaded Ellen that it met her wishes, and that she rejoiced in it, so much the "better quarters" she could pull out of Ellen, she, with laudable activity, at once acted on her convictions, and Denis had the exquisite satisfac

tion of finding the whole of his household furniture in the middle of the high road, while his sister, with her petticoats tucked up to her knees, and her face flaming like a little Etna in a penny show, was engaged in bringing an action of damages against the unoffending, though undoubtedly, hard-hearted chairs and tables-" sand and scrubbing versus old age and dirt, the costs of which were likely to be considerable. The moment Kate noticed his approach, she discontinued her employment, and hastily wiping her hands in a blue check apron which was twisted round her waist, and which in case of surprise she could let down in a moment to conceal her dripping garments, ran into the house, in order to place upon the embers of the almost extinet peat fire the half-cold potatoes, of which she now intended to make what she termed ray haters.*

"Well, Denis darling, is that you? You were wonderful long to be sure, and indeed you look as if you were ready to drop after the walk, set down at wanst and rest yourself, for you can't but be tired."

So saying, she rushed into the road, and with one sweep of the wisp of straw she held in her hand clearing the sand from the chair upon which her brawny arms had been exercising their powers at the moment of his arrival, and which now looked among its fellows like a pale face among a sedate party of Cherokees, she bore it hastily into the house. Denis was soon comfortably seated, with a large wooden bowl of potatoes on his knees and a porringer of milk placed beside him on the ground, and then, as the ceremonial of the breakfast-table did not require that Kate should discontinue her labours, she quietly returned to the unhappy pieces of furniture upon which she was expending so much muscular power, and which testified by sundry groans and shrieks the extremity of their sufferings, and their real Hibernian antipathy to being washed.

We shall leave Denis Murphy for a short time while we turn to describe the scenes which had meanwhile been taking place at the cabin of the Widow Leary. The panting and exhausted

parent had scarcely deposited her precious basket on the snow-white table, when she called loudly to Ellen to assist her in unpacking its contents, and unwilling as the poor girl was to appear before her mother at that moment, she dared not disobey her summons. Accordingly, composing her countenance as much as possible, she hastened to render Mrs. Leary the assistance she required. She need not, however, have been very uneasy, as to the effect her looks would produce, as the hospitable widow was so intent on displaying her little stores, that at that moment we believe if her daughter had been in an ague fit, she would not have remarked it. The contents of the well-packed basket were like a teetotal tea-party, "numerous and select." First came a pair of mould-six candles, carefully embedded in hay, and designed to grace the nuptial board; next, a quantity of white cabbage sufficient to have furnished the commissariat of a whole army of caterpillars; then a small piece of very salt-looking beef; a companion piece of pickled pork; and lastly two lemons, a paper of white sugar, and a stone jar containing "good parliament whiskey," as the label on the side ostentatiously set forth.

"Well, Ellen dear, I hope you'll like what I brought, and indeed the gentleman that served me said it was good, for,' says he, ' ma'am, I wouldn't give you any spirits that was not fit for your use; and I'm sure I'm not sorry I'm off the road, for my feet is as sore as if I was after dancing a co-tee-long on a furze bush; but tell me, darling, where's the children, for I brought them a paper of cupitial bull's eyes."

Here was a startling inquiry. Poor Ellen, who had never from the hour of her birth neglected one of her brothers and sisters, had this day, from the moment she had given them their breakfast, completely forgotten their existence. The sister who was to supply her place with her mother was in the service of a farmer in the neighbourhood, and could not be spared for a week or two; but the three younger children were at home,

and should they appear in their dearlybeloved dirt before the wedding guests, it would be a perfect disgrace.

"Run, Ellen dear, before we're shamed entirely, and bring them in crooked or straight, or I'll lose my sinses clear and clean," said the poor mother in a voice of despair; and Ellen, covered with confusion at her own negligence, instantly set off in search of the little truants, whom she discovered seated very pleasantly in a stagnant pool by the side of the road, engaged in the primitive and nevertiring amusement of making mud pies. No sooner were the children made acquainted with the errand than they all vociferated at the full pitch of their by no means particularly-delicate lungs, that they would not be made clean; and it required all Ellen's management, and a very skilful distribution of the "bull's eyes," to induce them to return to the house. This done, however, she soon hurried them into bed; and although poor little Paddy roared and kicked most furiously at being shut up in the dark when he wanted to be out in the sunshine, he was compelled to submit, while his sister endeavoured, by her present activity, to repair her previous forgetfulness. It was about four o'clock when the three liberated children were dressed in their clean clothes, and permitted to run into the outer room; but what a wondrous change met their astonished eyes! The table was placed at the end of the room, covered with a white tablecloth; a pair of most resplendent brass candlesticks were placed upon it, and in them the identical mould sixes we have before mentioned. The jar containing the whiskey was at present invisible, but some tumblers and glasses, borrowed from a neighbouring publichouse, were arranged conspicuously upon the dresser.

"Ellen! Ellen! is mother dead?" exclaimed the whole party at once, having no idea of a table covered with white except at a wake; and learning for the first time to connect the not particularly congruous ideas of matrimony and mould candles, boiled cabbage and salt beef." No, no, you little fools," said Ellen, smiling in spite