[The Emigrants Of Ahadarra by William Carleton]@TWC D-Link book
The Emigrants Of Ahadarra

CHAPTER XVIII
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Send him to 'Maynewth,' he is too good a connoisseur on beauty to be out of the Tribunal." "Hycy," replied his brother, "these are sentiments that do you no credit, it is easy to sneer at religion or those who administer it,--much easier than to praise the one, it would appear, or imitate the virtues of the other." "Beautiful rebuke," said Hycy, again staring at him; "why, Masther Edward, you are a prodigy of wonderful sense and unspotted virtue; love has made you eloquent--"'I gaed a waefu' gate yestreen, A gate, I fear, I'll dearly rue, I gat my death frae twa sweet e'en, Twa lovely e'en o' bonnie blue, &c, &c.'" "I am not in love yet, Hycy, but as my father wishes to bring about a marriage between Kathleen and myself, you know," he added, smiling, "it will be my duty to fall in love with her as fast as I can." "Dutiful youth! what a treasure you will prove to a dignified and gentlemanly parent,--to a fond and doting wife! Shall I however put forth my powers?
Shall Hycy the accomplished interpose between Juno and the calf?
What sayest thou, my most amiable maternal relative, and why sittest thou so silent and so sad ?" "Indeed, it's no wondher I would, Hycy," replied his mother, whom Edward's return had cast into complete dejection, "when I see your father strivin' to put between his own childre'." "Me, Rosha!" exclaimed her husband; "God forgive you for that! but when I see that one of my childre' wont spake a word to me with respect or civility--no, not even in his natural voice, it is surely time for ma to try if I can't find affection in his brother." "Ay," said she, "that's your own way of it; but it's easy seen that your eggin' up Ned agin his brother, bringin' ill will and bad feelin' among a family that was quiet before; ay, an' I suppose you'd be glad to see my heart broke too, and indeed I didn't care it was," and as she spoke the words?
were accompanied by sobbings and tears.
"Alas!" said Hyoy, still in the mock heroic--"where is the pride and dignity of woman?
Remember, oh maternal relative, that you are the mother of one Gracchus at least! Scorn the hydraulics, I say; abandon the pathetic; cast sorrow to the winds, and--give me another cup of tea." Edward shook his head at him, as if remonstrating against this most undutiful and contemptuous style of conversation to his mother.

"Don't give way to tears, my dear mother," he said; "indeed you do my father injustice; he has neither said nor done anything to turn me against Hycy.

Why should he?
So far from that, I know that he loves Hycy at heart, all that he wishes is that Hycy would speak to him in his natural voice, and treat him with respect, and the feeling that surely is due to him.

And so Hycy will, father; I am sure he respects and loves you in spite of this levity and affectation.

All we want is for each to give up a little of his own way--when you become more respectful, Hycy, my father's manner will change too: let us be at least sincere and natural with each other, and there is nothing that I can see to prevent us from living very happily." "I have some money saved," said Burke, turning to his wife--"a good penny--too, more than the world thinks; and I declare to my God I would give it twice over if I could hear that young man," pointing to Hycy, "speak these words with the same heart and feelings of him that spoke them; but I fear that 'ud be a hopeless wish on my part, an' ever will." "No, father," said Edward, "it will not--Hycy and you will soon understand one another.


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