IttW.J [ 81) ] 



THE PROCRASTINATOR. 



Time only regarded in Music and Dancing." 



Cunningham's Fashionable World Displayed. 



PROCRASTINATION may be unfortunately considered as the predomi- 

 nant habit of many of the inhabitants of all countries under the sun; 

 but as it is one of the national characteristics of our sister land " the 

 green and flourishing island/' I trust the warm-hearted inhabitants of that 

 verdant country will forgive me for presenting an Irish procrastinator, 

 as the procrastinator, par excellence. The portrait will be recognized 

 by some, who can doubtless even now remember the original ; but the 

 principle must be admitted by all who have been acquainted with Irish 

 habits during the past century. A more active spirit is now, I believe, 

 alive amongst them ; and, in a very few years, this, and other sketches 

 of a similar character, will be looked upon as the records of a past race. 

 Let us hope, however, that their virtues will survive their vices, and 

 that they may never be numbered among the more cold-blooded 

 nations of Europe. 



" Thunder an' ages ! Molly Maggs, Katty Purcel, Tim Cleary ! sure 

 ye won't answer, if I bawled myself black in the face, and skinned my 

 throat for ye'r sakes. Mistress Molly Maggs ! oh ! its yourself that's 

 the pathron of a housekeeper/' continued the old steward, sarcastically, 

 at the same time elevating his candlestick, that was simply a scooped raw 

 potatoe, and contained nothing more distinguished than a farthing 

 candle, which he held, so that its flickerings fell upon sundry dilapi- 

 dated chairs, where the moth and the worm securely revelled amid 

 destruction. Shaking his grey head, he repeated, as he passed from 

 the anti-chamber into the great hall " It's ye'rself that's the pathron 

 of a housekeeper, Molly Machree ! to see the dirty dust upon thim 

 illigant chairs. Katty Purcel ! sure, thin, you're a beautiful house- 

 maid. Tim Timmy Cleary; I'd take an even bet he's as drunk as 

 Moses at this blessed minute I'll just ring the 'larum bell; och, 

 bother ! here's the string broke, and sorra a word it 'ill spake. Bat 

 Beetle ah, there ye are, Batty, my boy, run agra, run, and tell every 

 one o' them that here's a letter we should have got ten days ago, only 

 'cause of the delay; and masther's married to a foreigner for any 

 thing I know an' he an' the new misthress 'ill be here to-night, as 

 sure as ye'r name's Bat that's a gay gossoon ! well, ye'r a nimble boy, 

 I'll say that for ye, it's a sin and a shame to put such feet as your's into 

 brogues at all." 



Bat's intelligence was, as might well be supposed, of an alarming 

 nature. Soon the passage leading to the great hall echoed . a scuffling 

 and shuffling of bare or slip-shod feet, and presently the members of 

 the kitchen household of Castle Mount Doyne crowded around the 

 eccentric, but faithful old steward, Morty Mac Murragh. 



" Och, ye'r come, are ye \" he exclaimed, without heeding their 

 vociferous demands for news " ye'r come, and a purty figure ye'll cut 

 before the foreign lady. You, Mistress Maggs, as housekeeper, with 

 a blue bed-gown, andbut I don't want so say any thing offensive 



