AN IRISH FAIR 417 



of stewards and caterers, extra indulgence at the hands of 

 chaperones, and perhaps a breakdown during the drive 

 home, few of the quality laid head upon pillow before six 

 in the morning. Believe me, if you would see joyous- 

 ness develop into a tine art, and love of life a national 

 characteristic, you must go to Ireland, in spite of hard 

 times, and even in the midst of such a county calamity as 

 is a hard frost to genial Tipperary. 



The other event — and this also narrowed and circum- 

 stanced by the " accursed cold " — was Clonmel's February 

 fair, attended by most of the cheery fellows who go to 

 make up a Tipperary field, and nearly all of whom had 

 assisted at the ball aforesaid. Of the two events the fair 

 was much more under the weather than the festive gather- 

 ing within doors overweek. There was something very 

 melancholy in the spectacle of a snowclad regiment of 

 horse-purveyors patrolling the main street, with no one to 

 challenge their wares. These wares, if picturesque, were, 

 it will be understood, not quite the cream of the fair. But 

 they maintained its position, and served to uphold its 

 popularity, whether through the medium of its quaintly clad 

 salesmen or of their queerly cropped steeds, I can hardly 

 venture to say. Both were funny and interesting ; at least 

 to the Saxon eye. The former were frieze-clad and whisky- 

 primed to the hilt. The majority of the latter were clipped 

 and trimmed much on the same principle as the poodle 

 dog ; such portions of their hairy coats being eliminated as 

 in the opinion of their owners might best discover their 

 proportions and least expose them to the biting blast. 

 Thus some were scissored out as to legs and stomachs ; 

 some, on the contrary, were privileged to retain a woolly 

 mat on which to carry a saddle, their legs remained fur- 

 nished like those of a grouse, and all the rest was bare. 

 And so they paraded the livelong day, in most cases, I fear, 

 to carry the same owners home at night, together with the 

 extra weight of whisky that had accumulated during such 

 hours of waiting. Trade, however, certainly appeared to 

 improve a little towards the afternoon. There were at 

 least three free fights under the window, within whose 

 sanctuary and in jovial company we were sedately listening 



2 D 



