Irish ways . doors in a nook much tohis mind, situated at the top of a cart-track, whichdescends steeply to the shore. An unprofitablestone-quarry, soon and long since abandoned, hasslightly notched the south end of the sea-frontingcliffs. This recess faces south-westward, lookingobliquely over a tract of beach, where the wavesmarch to and fro across sand and shingle, and awide plough-land, where the white seagulls fly uplike foam about the shaggy feet of the tramplinghorses. Several rough blocks of reddish stone heregave a choice of seats, variously sheltered and sur-veying, and on one or oth
Irish ways . doors in a nook much tohis mind, situated at the top of a cart-track, whichdescends steeply to the shore. An unprofitablestone-quarry, soon and long since abandoned, hasslightly notched the south end of the sea-frontingcliffs. This recess faces south-westward, lookingobliquely over a tract of beach, where the wavesmarch to and fro across sand and shingle, and awide plough-land, where the white seagulls fly uplike foam about the shaggy feet of the tramplinghorses. Several rough blocks of reddish stone heregave a choice of seats, variously sheltered and sur-veying, and on one or other of these might fre-quently be discovered the figure of Michael theMeditator, as he came to be commonly called,small and spare, in his long coat and tall hat, bothworn to greenness. There he found at his pleasureseclusion so complete that nothing disturbed himmore than the shifting of the lights and shadows,yet not so remote as to hinder him from look-ing on at what was done and let alone by his MEDITATIONS. MICHAEL THE MEDITATOR 249 neighbours, many of whom were his former he wished for conversation, he seated himself ona flat-topped stone beside the track, along whichthere was pretty sure to be some coming and going ;if he preferred silent reflection, he withdrew toanother, where, screened by a projecting bank, heeluded notice, unless a whiff from his pipe floatedout, and led the passer-by to say at a risklessventure : Fine day, Mr. Clohiskey. The ad-vantages of the place endeared it to him more andmore as time went on, and he haunted it withincreasing frequency. In doing so his conductseemed somewhat inconsistent with an aphorism ofhis own, which ran to the effect that it was abad sign when you could find a body in the oneplace ever, like as if he had roots instead of feet onhim. But then the persons to whom he applied itwere in circumstances not at all resembling consistency is sometimes but pig-headedness Occasionally he fell in with an old crony, or ay
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