“Larry would keep his word, though his own corn was drop-ripe; and havin’ once undertaken the job, he couldn’t give it up till he’d, finish it off dacently.  In the meantime, his own crop would go to destruction; sometimes a windy day would come, and not leave him every tenth grain; he’d then get some one to cut it down for him—­he had to go to the big house, to build the master’s corn; he was then all bustle—­a great man entirely—­there was non such; would be up with, the first light, ordering and commanding, and directing the Squire’s laborers, as if he was the king of the castle.  Maybe, ‘tis after he’d come from the big’ house, that he’d, collect a few of the neighbors, and get a couple of cars and horses from the Squire, you see, to bring home his own oats to the hagyard with moonlight, after the dews would begin to fall; and. in a week afterwards every stack would be heated, and all in a reek of froth and smoke.  It’s not aisy to do anything in a hurry, and especially it’s not aisy to build a corn-stack after night, when a man cannot see how it goes on:  so ’twas no wonder if Larry’s stacks were supporting one another the next day—­one leaning north and another south.

“But, along with this, Larry and Sally were great people for going to the dances that Hance used to have at the crass-roads, bekase he wished to put money into his own pocket; and if a neighbor died, they were sure to be the first at the wake-house—­for Sally was a great hand at washing down a corpse—–­and they would be the last home from the berril; for you know, they couldn’t but be axed in to the dhrinking, after the friends would lave the churchyard, to take a sup to raise their spirits and drown sorrow, for grief is always drouthy.

“When the races, too, would come, they would be sure not to miss them; and if you’d go into a tint, it’s odds but you’d find them among a knot of acquaintances, dhrinking and dancing, as if the world was no trouble to them.  They were, indeed, the best nathured couple in Europe; they would lend you a spade or a hook in potato time or harvest, out of pure kindness, though their own corn, that was drop-ripe, should be uncut, or their potatoes, that were a tramping every day with their own cows or those of the neighbors, should be undug—­all for fraid of being thought unneighborly.

“In this way they went on for some years, not altogether so bad but that they were able just to keep the house over their heads.  They had a small family of three children on their hands, and every likelihood of having enough of them.  Whenever they got a young one christened, they’d be sure to have a whole lot of the neighbors at it; and surely some of the young ladies, or Master George, or John, or Frederick, from the big house, should stand gossip, and have the child called after them.  They then should have tay enough to sarve them, and loaf-bread and punch; and though Larry should sell a sack of seed-oats or seed-potatoes to get it, no doubt but there should be a bottle of wine, to thrate the young ladies or gintlemen.