no paper, nor ink, nor pens in the house ; I meant 

 to send the gossoon to Miss Hennessy's for all — 

 but forgot the pens. So when I was seeing about 

 the 'greement, I bethought of tbe ould gander, 

 and while I was pulling as beautiful a pen as 

 ever ye laad ye'r two eyes upon out of his wing, 

 he tattered my hand with his bill in sich a man- 

 ner that sorra' a pen could I hould for three days. 

 Well, one thing or another put it off for ever so 

 long, and at last I wrote it out like print, and 

 takes it myself to the steward. Good evening to 

 you, Mr. Garraty, says he ; Good evening kindly, 

 sir, says I, and I hope the woman that owns ye, 

 and all ye'r good family's well. All well, thank 

 ye, Mr. Garraty, says he. I've got the 'greement 

 here, says I, pulling it out as I thought — but 

 behold ye — I only cotcht the paper it was wrapped 

 in, to keep it from the dirt of the tobacco that 

 was loose in my pocket for want of a box — (saving 

 ye'r presence); so I turned what little bits of 

 things I had in it out, and there was a grate hole 

 that ye might drive all the parish rats through, 

 at the bottom — which the wife promised to see 

 about mending, as good as six months before. 

 "Well, I saw the sneer on his ugly mouth (for he's 

 an Englishman), and I turned it off with a laugh, 

 and said air holes were comfortable in hot 

 weather, and sich like jokes, and that I'd go home 

 and make another 'greement. 'Greement for 

 what? says he, laying down his grate outlandish 

 pipe. Whew! may be ye don't know, says I. 

 Not I, says he. The wheat field, says I. Why, 

 says he, didn't I tell you then, that you must 

 bring the 'greement to me by that day week ; and 

 that was by the same token (pulling a red me- 

 morandum book out of his pocket) let me see — 

 exactly this day three weeks. l)o you think, 

 Mr. Garraty, he goes on, that when ye didn't care 

 to look after ye'r own interests, and I offering so 

 fair for the field, I was going to wait upon you? 

 I don't lose my papers in the Irish fashion. 

 Well, that last set me up — and so I axed him if 

 it was the pattern of his English breeding, and 

 one word brought on another ; and all the blood 

 in my body rushed into my fist, and I had the 

 ill luck to knock him down — and the coward, 

 what does he do, but takes the law of me — and I 

 was cast — and lost the sale of the wheat — and was 

 ordered to pay ever so much money ; well, I didn't 

 care to pay it then, but gave an engagement ; and 

 I meant to see about it — but forgot; and all in a 

 giffy came a thing they call an execution — and 

 to stop the cant, I was forced to borrow money 

 from that tame negur, the exciseman, who'd sell 

 the sowl out of his grandmother for sixpence 

 (if indeed there ever was a sowl in the family) 

 and it's a terrible case to be paying interest for 

 it still,* 



'But, Philip, you might give up or dispose 

 of part of your farm. I know you could get a 

 good sum of money for that rich meadow by the 

 river.' 



' True for ye, ma'am, dear — and I have been 

 seeing about it for a long time — but somehow / 

 have no luch. Jist as ye came up, I was thinking 

 to myself, that the gale day is passed, and all one 

 as before, yarn a pin's worth have I for the rint, 

 and the landlord wants it as bad as I do, though 

 it's a shame to say that of a gintleman ; for jist as 

 he was seeing about some old custodium, or 



something of the sort, that had been hanging 

 over the estate ever since he came into it, the 

 sheriff's officers put an executioner in the house; 

 and it's very sorrowful for both of us, if I 

 may make bould to say so ; for I am sartin he'll 

 be racking me for the money — and indeed the 

 old huntsman tould me as much — but I must 

 see about it, not that it's much good, for I've no 

 luck 



' Let me beg of you, Philip, not to take such an 

 idea into your head ; do not lose a moment ; you 

 will be utterly ruined if you do ; why not apply 

 to your father-in-law?-— he is able to assist you; 

 for at present you only suffer from temporary em- 

 barrassment.' 



* True for ye — that's good advice, my lady; and 

 by the blessing of God, I'll see about it. 1 



1 Then go directly, Philip.' 



1 Directly ! I can't, ma'am dear — on account of 

 the pigs; and sorra' a one I have but myself to 

 keep them out of the cabbages; for I let the 

 woman and the grawls go the pattern at Killaun; 

 it's little pleasure they see, the craturs.' 



' But your wife did not hear the huntsman's 

 story? ' 



' Och, aye did she — but unless she could give 

 me a sheaf of bank notes — where would be the 

 good of her staying — but I'll see about it? 



1 Immediately then, Philip ; — think upon the 

 ruin that may come — nay, that must come — if you 

 neglect this matter: your wife too, your family, 

 reduced from comfort to starvation, your home 

 desolate ' 



'Asy, my lady— don't be after breaking my 

 heart entirely ; thank God I have seven as fine 

 flahulugh children as ever peeled a pratee, and all 

 under twelve years ould ; and sure I'd lay down 

 my life tin times over for every one o' them; and 

 to-morrow for sartin — no! to-morrow — the hurl- 

 ing! I can't to-morrow ; but the day after, if I'm 

 a living man I'll see about it.' 



Poor Philip ! his kindly feelings were valueless 

 because of his unfortunate habit. Would that 

 this were the only example I could produce of 

 the ill effects of that dangerous little sentence — 

 'I'll see about it.' Oh, that the sons and 

 daughters of the fairest island that ever heaved 

 its green bosom above the surface of the ocean, 

 would rise and be doing what is to be done, and 

 never again rest contented with — ' seeing about 

 it!'" 



Prejudice. — New doctrines, however true, 

 and however beautiful, never please men of the 

 olden school. They like to fancy that the world 

 has been losing wisdom instead of gaining it, 

 ever since they were young. 



Inordinate Gratifications of Sense are 

 the fatal prerogatives of Reason; and the further 

 an animal is removed from human organisation, 

 the purer are its habits, and the more healthy 

 its life. 



London : Published by George Berger, 19, Holywell 

 Street, Strand (to whom ali. Letters and Communica- 

 tions, Sealed and Addressed to" the Editor," and Books 

 for Review, are to be forwarded) ; and Procurable, 

 by order, of every Bookseller and Ncwsvendor in the 

 Kingdom. 



