The Banks of the Boro - 1867 Author:Patrick Kennedy 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: CHAPTER VI. MASTERS AND WORKMEN. Eedmond,—I suppose that if a part of school business lay in the education of our consciences, there would be fewer injurie... more »s done, and more indulgence shown to other people's feelings. Mrs. O'Brien, if I only knew where Sleeveen, your cottier man, and his friends, Murtheen Caol and Shemus F.adh, went to school in their youth, I'd take care not to send my own children (when I happen to have any) to their school-master's son. Ah, if you had been in the big kitchen at the castle, one cold day last winter, when the three were called in to clear out the ash-pit! They were so delighted with the ease of the task and the agreeable warmth of the place, and the opportunity of talking to the servants as they passed to and fro, that I am sure the owner of the castle was not half so happy for the time. When a shovelful of the dry ashes was to be raised, they first took a lazy hold of the shovel, and then sloped it after a due pause to a proper angle with the floor, and rested it on the edge of the pit. A vigorous push next sunk the blade half way in the dry heap, and the operator took a glance round the many-sided room, and indulged in some sly jest, or paid a compliment to pretty Biddy Foran. " Eecalled to the business on hands, the shovel at the next stage was driven home, and after some ingenious manoeuvres, was at last transferred full of ashes to the basket. Ah, the thieves ! I'll never forget the office they forced on me last winter, and the way I got, or properly speaking, was pulled out of it. Mr. Larkin gave me in charge to settle the boundary walk in the old castle lawn, the work being near the Colaght road, and in full view of the castle, looking across the lake. The three heroes I was speaking of were placed under my command, after they had ...« less