THE FALLS OF BALLYSHANNON. 289 



" Upon my soul," said the Captain, 

 " there is a great deal of truth in this. 

 John Bull* worthy, honest, conceited old 

 gentleman, is fully convinced that no one 

 can enjoy, or ought to enjoy, one single day's 

 comfort or happiness in any other habili- 

 ments than his own wide-skirted blue coat, 

 broad-brimmed, flat-crowned hat, and brown 

 topped-boots ; he has, in his wonderful gene- 

 rosity, fitted out poor Paddy with a full suit 

 of his own as good as new, and now gets 

 thoroughly scandalised that his jaunty cousin 

 has cocked the steady, sober old hat, over 

 one eye, trod the respectable boots down at 

 heel, and is trailing the venerated blue coat 

 through the mire, with a flourish of sticks 

 and a ' Hooroo ! who'll dare to tread on 

 that ? ' I remember, when I was ten years 

 old, a fox-hunting old uncle of mine rigged 

 me out in a pair of top-boots and buckskin 

 breeches, just like his own ; and the first 

 thing I did with them was to put them on 

 for an evening party. If John really has 

 Paddy's welfare at heart, he will not stick 

 him up with such manly absurdities, but fit 

 him out with a good round boy's jacket, 

 send him to school, give him a little birch 



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