24 Naturalist at Large 



walked down the road after the party, one saying to the 

 other, "Don't say it," and the other muttering, "I must! 

 I must!" This was repeated over and over again until one 

 blurted out, "To hell with King William." And his col- 

 league, who was a Protestant, promptly picked up a cob- 

 blestone, knocked him on the head, and kicked him into 

 the gutter. For those are fighting words indeed in that 

 lovely land. 



The blame for the fighting is evenly divided. On the 

 anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne the Orangemen pa- 

 rade with the whole idea of insulting their Catholic neigh- 

 bors. They sing: — 



Teeter, totter, milk and water, 

 Slaughter the Catholics every one; 

 We will take them to battle 

 And kill them like cattle, 

 And pile them up under 

 The Protestant's drum. 



Of course preparation has been duly made and the house- 

 tops are well piled with cobblestones and brickbats. The 

 great Linen Thread Works, which have been operated by 

 my family since the middle of the eighteenth century, ex- 

 pect to close down for a few days twice each year — once 

 after the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne and again 

 after St. Patrick's Day. 



Father told a story which well illustrates the unbeliev- 

 able agility of the Hibernian mind. It ran something like 

 this: — 



Ireland is a rainy country, but there are spells of dry 

 weather. At such times an elderly retainer was employed 



