in the heath an' trudged off. The next mornin'
I bargined with a farmer to bring me up
a load iv fir cuttins from the Squire's, an' by
the evenin' they were thrown down within a
quarter iv a mile iv my place,- for there was
no road to it then, an' I had to carry 'em
myself for the remainder of the way. This
occupied me till near nightfall; but I remained
that night till I placed two upright posts of
fir, one at each comer iv the front iv the
cabin.

"I was determined to get the cabin finished
as quickly as possible, that I might be able to
live upon the spot, for much time was lost in
goin' and comin'. The next day I was up
betimes, an' finding a track iv stiff blue clay,
I cut a multitude of thick square sods iv it,
an' having set up two more posts at the
remainin' two corners iv the cabin, I laid four
rows iv one gable, rising it about three feet
high. Havin' laid the rows, I sharpind
three or four straight pine branches, an'
druv them down through the sods into the
earth, to pin the wall in its place. Next day
I had a whole gable up, each three rows iv
sods pinned through to the three benathe. In
about eight days I had put up the four walls,
makin' a door an' two windows; an' now my
outlay began, for I had to pay a thatcher to
put on the sthraw an' to assist me in risin' the
rafthers. In another week it was covered in,
an' it was a pride to see it with the new
thatch an' a wicker chimbley daubed with
clay, like a pallis undernathe the rock. I
now got some turf that those who had cut
'em had not removed, an' they sould 'em
for a thrifle, an' I made a grate fire an' slept
on the flure of my own house that night.
Next day I got another load iv fir brought, to
make the partitions in the winter, an' in a
day or two after I had got the inside so
dhry that I was able to bring poor Biddy to
live there for good and all. The Heavens be
praised, there was not a shower iv rain fell
from the time I began the cabin till I ended
it. an' when the rain did fall, not a drop
came through,-- all was carried off by my
dhrain into the little river before yees. The
moment I was settled in the house I
comminced dhraining about an acre iv bog in front,
an' the very first winter I sowed a shillin's
worth of cabbidge seed, an' sold in the spring
a pound's worth of little cabbidge plants for
the gardins in the town below. When spring
came-- noticin' how the early planted praties
did the best, I planted my cabbidge ground
with praties, an' I had a noble crap, while
the ground was next year fit for the corn. In
the mane time, every winther I tuk in more and
more ground, an' in summer I cut my turf
for fewel; where the cuttins could answer, in
winther, for a dhrain; an' findin' how good the
turf were, I got a little powney an' carried
'em to the town to sell, when I was able to
buy lime in exchange, an' put it on my bog,
so as to make it produce double. As things
went on, I got assistance, an' when I marrid,
my wife had two cows that guv me a grate
lift.

"I was always thought to be a handy boy;
an' I could do a turn of mason-work with
any man not riglarly bred to it; so I took
one of my loads of lime, an' instead of puttin'
it on the land, I made it into morthar- and
indeed the stones being no ways scarce, I set
to an' built a little kiln, like as I had seen
down the counthry, I could then burn my
own lime, an' the limestone were near to my
hand, too many iv 'em. While all this was
goin' on, I had riz an' sould a good dale iv
oats and praties, an' every summer I found
ready sale for my turf in the town from one
jontleman that I always charged at an even
rate, year by year. I got the help of a stout
boy, a cousin iv my own, who was glad iv a
shilter; an' when the childher were ould
enough, I got some young cattle that could
graze upon the mountain in places where no
other use could be made iv the land, and set
the gossoons to herd 'em.

"There was one bit iv ground nigh han' to
the cabin, that puzzled me intirely. It was
very poor and sandy, an' little better than
a rabbit burrow; an' telling the Squire's
Scotch steward iv it, he bade me thry some
flax, an' sure enuf, so I did, an' a fine crap
iv flax I had, as you might wish to see; an'
the stame-mills being beginnin' in the counthry
at that time, I sould my flax for a very
good price-- my wife having dhried it, beetled
it, an' scutched it with her own two hands. I
should have said before, that the Squire
himself came up here with a lot iv fine ladies and
jontlemen to see what I had done; an' you
never in your life seed a man so well plased
as he was, an' a Mimber of Parlimint from
Scotland was with him, an' he tould me I was a
credit to ould Ireland; and sure, didn't Father
Connor read upon the papers, how he tould
the whole story in the Parlimint House
before all the lords an' quality: but faix, he
didn't forgit me; for a month or two after he
was here, an' it coming on the winter, comes
word for me an' the powney to go down to
the mentioned (mansion) house, for the steward
wanted me; so away I wint, an' there, shure
enuf, was an illigant Scotch plough, every
inch of iron, an' a lot of young Norroway
pines-- the same you see sheltering the house
an' yard-- an' all was a free prisint for me
from the Scotch jontleman that was the
Mimber of Parliment. 'Twas that plough
that did the meracles iv work hereabouts;
for I often lint it to any that I knew to be a
careful hand; an' it was the manes iv havin'
the farmers all round send an' buy 'em. At
last I was able to build a brave snug house;
and praised be Providence, I have never had
an hour's ill health, nor a moment's grief, but
when poor Biddy, the cratur, died from us.
It is thirty years since that morning that I
tuk up the first spadeful from the wild
mountain side; an' twelve acres are good
labour land, an' fifteen drained, an' good