incident to his lot in life,I must not dwell upon the wider theme of national disturbance. Ihave endeavoured--how weakly, I am well aware--to shew, that socialdisorganisation, rather than political grievances, are the source ofIrish outrage; that neglect and abandonment of the people on the partof those who stood in the position of friends and advisers towards them,have disseminated evils deeper and greater than even a tyranny couldhave engendered. But for this desertion of their duties, there hadbeen no loss of their rightful influence, nor would the foul crimeof assassination now stain the name of our land. With an educated andresident proprietary, Ireland could never have become what she now is;personal comfort, if no higher motive could be appealed to, would havenecessitated a watchful observance of the habits of the people--thetares would have been weeded from the wheat; the evil influence of badmen would not have been suffered to spread its contagion through theland.
Let me not be supposed for a moment as joining in the popular cryagainst the landlords of Ireland. As regards the management of theirestates, and the liberality of their dealings with their tenantry, theyare, of course with the exceptions which every country exhibits, a classas blameless, and irreproachable as can be found any where--their realdereliction being, in my mind, their desertion of the people. To thiscause, I believe, can be traced every one of the long catalogue ofdisasters to which Ireland is a prey: the despairing poverty, recklesshabits, indifference to the mandates of the law, have their source here.The impassioned pursuit of any political privilege, which they are givento suppose will alleviate the evils of their state, has thrown theminto the hands of the demagogue, and banded them in a league, which theyassume to be National. You left them to drift on the waters, and you maynow be shipwrecked among the floating fragments!
My tale is ended. I have only one record more to add. The exercise ofthe law, assisted by the energy and determination of a fearless andresident landlord, at length suppressed outrage and banished those whohad been its originators. Through the evidence of Gavan Daly, whosetreachery had been already suspected, several of the leaders were foundguilty, and met the dreadful penalty of their crimes. The fact of aninformer having been found amongst them, did, however, far more to breakup this unholy league than all the terrors of the law, unassisted bysuch aid; but it was long before either peace or happiness shed theirtrue blessings on that land: mutual distrust, the memory of some lostfriend, and the sad conviction of their own iniquity, darkened many aday, and made even a gloomier depth than they had ever known in theirpoverty.
There came, however, a reverse for this. It was a fine day inspring--the mountain and the lake were bright in the sunshine--thevalley, rich in the promise of the coming year, was already green withthe young wheat--the pleasant sounds of happy labour rose from thefields fresh-turned by the plough--the blue smoke curled into thin airfrom many a cabin, no longer mean-looking and miserable as before, butwith signs of comfort around, in the trim hedge of the little garden andthe white walls that glistened in the sun.
Towards the great mountain above the lake, however, many an eye wasturned from afar, and many a peasant lingered to gaze upon the scenewhich now marked its rugged face.
Along the winding path which traced its zigzag course from the lake-sideto the little glen where Owen's cabin stood, a vast procession couldbe seen moving on foot and some on horseback. Some, in country cars,assisted up the steep ascent by men's strong shoulders; others, mountedin twos and threes upon some slow-footed beast; but the great numberwalking, or rather, clambering their way--for in their eagerness toget forward, they, each moment, deserted the path to breast the fernymountain-side. The scarlet cloaks of the women, as they fluttered in thewind, and their white caps, gave a brilliancy to the picture, which, asthe masses emerged from the depth of some little dell and disappearedagain, had all the semblance of some gorgeous panorama. Nor was eye theonly sense gladdened by the spectacle--for even in the valley could beheard the clear ringing laughter as they went along, and the wild cheerof merriment that ever and anon burst forth from happy hearts, while,high above all, the pleasant sounds of the bagpipe rose, as, seatedupon an ass, and entrusted to the guidance of a boy, the musician movedalong; his inspiriting strains taken advantage of at every spot of levelground, by some merry souls, who would not "lose so much good music."
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As the head of the dense column wound its way upward, one little groupcould be seen by those below, and were saluted by many a cheer andthe waving of handkerchiefs. These were a party, whose horses and gearseemed far better than the rest; and among them rode a gentleman mountedon a strong pony,-his chief care was bestowed less on his own beast,than in guiding that of a young country girl, who rode beside him. Shewas enveloped in a long blue cloak of dark cloth, beneath which she worea white dress; a white ribbon floated through her dark hair, too; butin her features and the happy smile upon her lip, the bride was writtenmore palpably than in all these.
High above her head, upon a pinnacle of rock, a man stood, gazing at thescene; at his side a little child of some four or five years old, whosefrantic glee seemed perilous in such a place, while his wild accentsdrew many an upward glance from those below, as he cried--
"See, Nony, see! Mary is coming to us at last!" This, too, was a "St.Patrick's Eve," and a happy one.--May Ireland see many such!
THE END
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