hands had contributed to make every thing in and about the house look
"dacent"--scouring, washing, sweeping, pairing, and repairing, had
been all disposed of. The boys got their hair cut to the quick with the
tailor's scissors; and such of the girls as were not full grown, not
only that which grew on the upper part of the head taken off, by a cut
somewhat resembling the clerical tonsure, so that they looked extremely
wild and unsettled with their straight locks projecting over their ears;
every thing, therefore, of the less important arrangements had been gone
through--the weighty and momentous concern was as yet unsettled.

This was the feast; and alas! never was the want of experience more
strongly felt than here. Katty was a bad cook, even to a proverb; and
bore so indifferent a character in the country for cleanliness, that
very few would undertake to eat her butter. Indeed, she was called Katty
Sallagh (* Dirty Katy) on this account: however, this prejudice, whether
ill or weil founded, was wearing fast away, since Phaddhy had succeeded
to the stocking of guineas, and the Lisnaskey farm. It might be, indeed,
that her former poverty helped her neighbors to see this blemish more
clearly: but the world is so seldom in the habit of judging people's
qualities or failings through this uncharitable medium, that the
supposition is rather doubtful. Be this as it may, the arrangements for
the breakfast and dinner must be made. There was plenty of bacon, and
abundance of cabbages--eggs, ad infinitum--oaten and wheaten bread in
piles--turkeys, geese, pullets, as fat as aldermen--cream as rich as
Croesus--and three gallons of poteen, one sparkle of which, as Father
Philemy said in the course of the evening, would lay the hairs on St.
Francis himself in his most self-negative mood, if he saw it. So far so
good: everything excellent and abundant in its way. Still the higher and
more refined items--the _deliciae epidarum_--must be added. White bread,
and tea, and sugar, were yet to be got; and lump-sugar for the punch;