;" a warm, bright summer had succeeded it; and the harvest had been now all gathered in, except the potatoes, which were in rapid progress of being dug and pitted. It w

every direction, beside many other sorts of potatoes, bulging up the surface of the ridges-there

ridge wid you; he's not much more nor

as smart a chap on the face of

ake it out of hi

"I'll engage I'll shoulder my loy at the end of

f, Bill," chimed in the man on the next ridge. "Don't hurry Tom Nolan

th handkerchiefs tied over their heads looked up with one accord, annoyed that they were too far off to

ce you seen the likes of t

ate the

gher; and Banag

't be dhrawing tha

etther the year,"

r the sorra take the

t I? I say I

avic m

at Tony

the side of the hill toward the sun. He

ll be three years; an' there wasn't a man of forty of us but turned out eight stone of cup of

mane, Andy; w

sorra take the foot; we all kno

n't cup potatoes was throublin' him that time; but cups a

and the women with the handkerchief

ome dacent, boys; an'

an iligant purty crathur, and a credit to t

e in that," echoed ev

le them to keep close to the men, and that they were losing the fun, of course got up a chat for themselves, and too

more was prosperous and happy, and the

Cavana, who was leaning, with his arms folded, on a field-gate near the mearing of their two farms.

f forty years stannin' in this spot,

ight to be tired, Ned;

ery well what I mane, an' you needn't be so

ed; God bless you an' them!" said

e a fine lot of calves, an'

but you med the most of

own, Mick; an' I think you

doubt it is going into worse ha

that,

with me. He thinks he'll be rich enough when I'm in my clay, without much work. An' so he will, Ned, so far as that goes; but it's only of book-larnin' an' horse-racin' an' coorsin' he's thinkin

doubt he'll mend. I hope

ell enough, as far as it goes, if he'd put

will soon be all sown, an' then

e girl, that id take the wildness out of him, and lay himself down to business. You know, Ned, he'll have every penny and stick I have in the world; and the lease of my houlding in Rathcashmore is as good a

however, but a long thoughtful silence upon old Ned Cavana's part, which Mick was not slow to interpret, and did not wish to interrupt. At last Ned stood up from the gate, and smoothing down the sleeves of his coat, as if he supposed they had contracted some d

men walked down

ther discussion took place upon the subject at the time. He knew Ned Cavana was not a man to commit himself to a h

rsation in silence, determined to throw

e person holding them. Both farms were held upon unusually long leases, and at less than one-third of their value. If joined, there could be no doubt but, with the careful and industrious management of an experienced man, they

ccess in all or any of the above respects? Ned, although he had taken his part with his fathe

misunderstood him. Indeed, he was inclined to think that the same matter might have originated in Ned's own mind, from some words he had once or twice dropped about poor Winny's prospects when he was gone, and t

down to business. He was not a fortune-hunter, for he did not require it; but idleness and extravagance might make him one in the end. Yet old Mick was by no means certain that the propriety of a match between these only and rich children had not suggested itself to his neighbor Ned as well as to himself. He h