Reassuring

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 52, 28 December 1905, Page 2

Reassuring

The ' Irish humor ' of the newspaper consists mainly of bags of chestnuts. It is in the main melancholy stuff, but .it probably passes off well enough «with the beef-witted who like that elephantine sort of thing. But one rarely meets in it so much as one specimen of the true Irish wit — like- that, for instance, of the days before ' Black Forty-seven '—that sparkles like Clicquot and flaphes like Ithe ripple of sunlight on the waters. A writer who recently spent a holiday in the Green Isle unloaded some samples of jarvey-wit into the columns of • Reynolds' s Newspaper.' One story at least v seems to have the merit of originality. The writer, moreover, has had the saving grace to avoid inlaying his narrative with the customary impossible • brogue ' of the foreign tourist— such as * belave ' for ' believe,' ' indade for ' indeed,' ' bhoy ' for ' boy,' etc. His story gives a good idea of the cool nerve and happy-go-lucky character of the driver of the Irish jaunting-car. 'In a break-neck race down a hill,' says the writer, ' the driver suddenly realised that the spirited little Irish mare was running away. ". Pull her up ! " the tourist shouted excitedly. " Hold tight, your honor," returned the jarvey easily. " Pull her up ! " again commanded the traveller, making a grab for the reins. " For your life don't touch the reins," the jarvey answered, without tightening his grip. "Sure, they're as rotten as pears." The traveller made ready to jump, but the jarvey laid a soothing hand on his shoulder. " Sit aisy," he said reassuringly. " I'll turn her into the river at the bridge below here. Sure that'll stop her." '