Book excerpt: 'The Ned M'Keown Stories' is a collection of short stories by William Carleton, an Irish writer, that paint a picture of the stereotypical Irishman. He endeavors in the book to give a panorama of Irish life among the people—comprising at one view all the strong points of their general character—their loves, sorrows, superstitions, piety, amusements, crimes, and virtues. His own boast is that, "in doing this, I can say with solemn truth that I painted them honestly, and without reference to the existence of any particular creed or party."