MEMORIES OF THE COUNTRY PEOPLE 73 



buying hats and yellow shoes. It was possible 

 to get men for the harvest then for is. 6d. a day 

 or 2s. Now here near Limerick it is five shillings 

 a day and two drinks, and in the country three 

 and six to four shillings a day also with drinks. 

 So tillage is practically given up, and the farmers 

 go in for what they call " dhry sthock " and hiring 

 as httle labour as possible. 



You will still see the shawled women working 

 in the west ; in Clare and Galway where it is 

 difficult to pluck a living from the stony poor land, 

 but in the richer pasture countries all that is dead. 



One thing which they will never lose is their 

 sense of humour. " It's the fair price of him," 

 will be an expression which will never die. 



Near Glenwilham one farmer was giving trouble. 

 He had just a couple of fields which the Hunt often 

 crossed, and he came blustering to the diplomatic 

 keeper of that country swearing vengeance if 

 ** his fences were knocked on him agin or his land 

 thrampled." 



Next to his little patch was land belonging to 

 the owner of the " Great House." So our friend, 

 on being informed that foxes were free agents 

 and could not be warned overnight as to their 

 choice of line, went home to ruminate on ven- 

 geance. 



Hounds found on the hills next day and ran 

 hard but keeping away from this ConoUy's land 

 so that the muchly harried Field Master drew a 



