It was quite evident from the unusually easy fluency of O'Finigan's manner, that he had not confined his beverages, during the day, to mere water.

Hanna, on seeing him enter, said to Kathleen, in a whisper,-- "Hadn't you better come out and take a walk, Kathleen?
This O'Finigan is almost tipsy, and you know he'll be talking about certain subjects you don't wish to hear." "Time enough, dear Hanna," she replied, with a sorrowful look at her sister, "my heart is so full of suffering and pain that almost anything will relieve it.

You know I was always amused by Finigan's chat." Her sister, who had not as yet been made acquainted with the change which had taken place in her heart, on hearing these words looked at her closely, and smiled sorrowfully, but in such a manner as if she had at that moment experienced a sensation of pleasure, if not of hope.
Hitherto, whenever a neighbor or stranger came in, Kathleen, fearing that the forbidden name might become the topic of conversation, always retired, either to another room or left the house altogether, in order to relieve her own family from the painful predicament in which their promise of silence to her had placed them.

On this occasion, however, Hanna perceived with equal surprise and pleasure that she kept her ground.
"Sit ye, merry jinteels!" said Finigan, as he entered; "I hope I see you all in good health and spirits; I hope I do; although I am afraid if what fame--an' by the way, Mrs.Cavanagh, my classicality tells me, that the poet Maro blundered like a Hibernian, when he made the same fame a trumpeter, in which, wid the exception of one point, he was completely out of keeping.

There's not in all litherature another instance of a female trumpeter; and for sound raisons--if the fair sex were to get possession of the tuba, God help the world, for it would soon be a noisy one.