The Works of Samuel Lover Author:James Jeffrey Roche, Samuel Lover Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: RORY O'MORE CHAPTER I THE COTTAGE OF RORY O'MORE, WITH SCENERY, MACHINERY, DRESSES AND DECORATIONS IN a retired district of the South of Ireland, near s... more »ome wild hills and a romantic river, a small byroad led to a quiet spot, where, at the end of a little lane, or boreen, which was sheltered by some hazel- hedges, stood a cottage which in England would have been considered a poor habitation, but in Ireland was absolutely comfortable, when contrasted with the wretched hovels that most of her peasantry are doomed to dwell in. The walls were only built of mud — but then the door-way and such windows as the cabin had were formed of cut stone, as was the chimney, which last convenience is of rare occurrence in Irish cabins, a hole in the roof generally serving instead. The windows were not glazed, it is true, but we must not expect too much gentility on this point; and though the light may not be let in as much as it is the intention of such openings to do, yet if the wind be kept out, the Irish peasant may be thankful. A piece of board — or, as Pat says, a wooden pane of glass — may occupy one square, while its neighbour may be brown paper, ornamented inside, perhaps, with a ballad setting forth how Vol. i. — i " A sailor coorted a fanner s That lived convaynient to the Isle of Man," or, may be, with a print of Saint Patrick banishing the sarpents — or the Virgin Mary in flaring colours, that one might take for " The king's danghther a come to town, With a red petticoat and a green gownd." But though the windows were not glazed, and there was not a boarded floor in the house, yet it was a snug cottage. Its earthen floors were clean and dry, its thatched roof was sound : the dresser in the principal room was well furnished with delf; there were two or three chairs...« less