Those who had
heard the same story from the mischievous merry little doctor before,
were I dare say, amused at the grand and complimentary turn he gave it
now.
The fact was, that poor Magnolia's name came to her in no very gracious
way. Young Lady Carrick-o'-Gunniol was a bit of a wag, and was planting
a magnolia--one of the first of those botanical rarities seen in
Ireland--when good-natured, vapouring, vulgar Mrs. Macnamara's note, who
wished to secure a peeress for her daughter's spiritual guardian,
arrived. Her ladyship pencilled on the back of the note, 'Pray call the
dear babe Magnolia,' and forthwith forgot all about it. But Madam
Macnamara was charmed, and the autograph remained afterwards for two
generations among the archives of the family; and, with great smiles and
much complacency, she told Lord Carrick-o'-Gunniol all about it, just
outside the grand jury-room, where she met him during the assize week;
and, being a man of a weak and considerate nature, rather kind, and very
courteous--although his smile was very near exploding into a laugh, as
he gave the good lady snuff out of his own box--he was yet very much
concerned and vexed, and asked his lady, when he went home, how she
could have induced old Mrs.
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