Their Building Had So Much Glass In
Front, With So Many Geraniums In Flower, A Perfect Blaze Of Them Behind
The Glass, That It Looked Like A Conservatory.
Left Ballinrobe behind and drove to Lough Mask Castle, where the
celebrated Captain Boycott managed to kick up such a fuss.
We passed a
couple of iron huts occupied by policemen, who came out to look at us. I
may as well mention that after I left Ballinrobe I found that the driver
was more "than three-quarters over the bay." He had a way of talking to
himself on the land question, of Captain Boycott, Lord Mountmorris and
Lord Ardilaun, that was not pleasant to listen to, especially as he
spiced his monologue with many words that savored strongly of brimstone.
I was not without hope that the fresh air might dissipate the fumes of
liquor from his brain as we drove along. I had the more hope of this as
I could see that he was a habitual drinker, poor man, as his face but
too plainly testified. Drink is universal here, as medicine a universal
remedy, as a daily, almost hourly, stimulant for young, and old, rich
and poor, man and woman. They tell me that Scotland is worse; if so,
Scotland should be prayed for. I confess that I have not seen much
drunkenness. I saw very few that I could call drunk, but it is constant,
steady, universal, or almost so, sipping and tippling.
XLII.
LOUGH MASK CASTLE - CAPTAIN BOYCOTT AND HIS POLICY - LORD MOUNTMORRIS.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 264 of 404
Words from 69592 to 69849
of 107283
