OUR SENTIMENTAL GARDEN 



Home topics, however, are what appeals to their visitors 

 most. 



" Carrie/ 7 the younger sister will say to the elder, " I heard 

 Whalen the guard, and Tim Rooney the porter, at Athen- 

 more Station, talking together. And Tim is thinking of 

 making up to a young lady, you know, and I suppose he's 

 always talking about it, for Whalen was saying to him 

 just as I came up : ' 7 Pon me word, I wish you were mar- 

 ried, and had your family rared on me! 7 They had a 

 great jollification at our station the other night/ 7 she goes 

 on, turning to us. "And they brewed the punch in the 

 station bell! Whalen 7 s a very humorous man/ 7 she 

 proceeds. " They used to stop the express from Galway 

 at Athenmore when required / but there were complaints of 

 the delay and orders came from Dublin it wasn 7 t to be 

 done on any account. But it 7 s a recent regulation and 

 everybody doesn 7 t know about it. And the other day 

 there was terrible work, for there was Father Blake and 

 the Doctor both counting on it for an urgent sick call- 

 dying, they said the poor man was. 

 '"you'll have to stop the train for this once, Whalen/ 

 says Father Blake. 



" ' I'll maybe save him yet/ says the doctor. 

 "'I couldn't, yer riverence/ says Whalen/ 'it's as 

 much as me place is worth. Don't you be askin 7 

 me, doctor. It 7 ud be me ruin. The company 7 s very 

 strict. 7 



" ' Think of his poor soul/ says the priest. 

 " ' I'll hold ye responsible for his life/ says the doctor. 

 " ' Wirra, I can't/ says poor Whalen, and calls up Tim. 

 ' Tell his riverence, Tim/ says he, ' tell his riverence and 

 280 



