The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1886-02-09 00:00:00

gontsponbrnu.

SSYWEEN SCYLLA AND CHABYDDIS

To the Editor.

Sir,—To my misfortune. lam an Irishman. What
1. or my forefathers. hare done tittt Providence
at Id have the. Ain't., me lam tillable to say. I
am nil resp.nsilde for my birthplace, yet, prattleally
,Meaking. Englishmen hold that I am, and punish Intl
scconlingly.
.liist now the political atmosphere i. redolent of
Home Rule, National Leagues, boycotting. agrarian
outrages, I ,efence ITiliona, Loyalist deputation., ,to.,
ad nniteen is soil if I should, in company, In a
moment of forgetfulness, mon my mouth and no
discover myself, I am looked upon as if—by same
mvoteriona agency—linked with tome or all of these
trouldewime associations.

Now, .iwaki.ify srri.iitniy, I shook the duet of my
unfortunate and ill-starred country from my feet
wens 34 years ago, but yet I carry the original sin of
my nationality, and find it, as I shall endeavour to
show, a heavy burden.
I nerved iny country (I mean England, of course)
for six awl twenty years. I have participated in two
sieges, and served through several sampaigns, and
was at length rewarded, by a gratefol and hc..ent
nation, with a pension just sufficient Jotsi being
cheap) to keep me from aetual start &cites. lam a
Prutestant, but certainly not a Naomi.) one.. / ion
loyal- none more .s,—to the queen and cimstitution,
end I Mice no empathy w hat., er with Irish
Nationalist policy or its 111..tiVi... lint notwithstanding
all thin I 4111 under lila be.,, of English iticoninoino
in. For toy station In life I hetet a fair cdfltift-
tit el, and I HMV Midi, wit Iv at any
nan, little .iiiiity and the (Aeolic of seeing things
pr I etty straight. can, however. though in issicessen
of good testimonials, find no E inhllo.lll. Isr firm. tn.
body .4 Engli4 WI/. I Will eta] di 5). um in airy
learsig whatever,
i„„t years, in it any towns end lilac,, evtentling
indeed (nen Durham to 11... ellester, in Mr sonie
huielred• of sled icat it HIP for situations. whirl, I know
myself perfectly capable lif fulfilling. lett in each and
all of thew. auMications out 14 my own Month Wan I
condemned. My accent, though not YY.yltr'euumetuf,
was my instant ennileinitation. Where do you
cane from ?" "I was born in Inland, air," I reply.
" Humph !" after some consideration, " Well, you
wet. we have a number of applownts, lett if we should
tievitle upon creep. ng you we will write to yon at
your address. ' Thou is alien the usual style of
reply to iiiy applications, end that M course
knew was the end of the to ii •r.
Now, I may Mawr.« that after this experience I
might, and with some show of reason, be expeettsf to
have cooled somewhat in my loyalty, and. like the
riiiiiinum o famous f the Rol) .icrot, find it fast timing
away fronts my fingers' ends ; and, in shirt. la,a!
tuyaelf, af not in act, at least lit synittathYt with this
Nationalist (TY. Illniesd, I have often suggested to
myself —"lf F.nglislitnen are no twejudieed against
me nationality, why. not go to my native country.
where such prejudice. cannt 1i exist r 14111, after
Instil, consideration, I cum. to Ow machismo that
that would only le an aggravation of our to eiltle ; at
least even if poor, I can live at 'ware in England. but
I am mit at all so sure of that on the other side of
the channel. FOr inetance, say I settle in • small
town or village. In the course M a few days lAM
sure to be visited by that protuberentt otlY•ltwAtalf
perattnage. the parish pried, who, with an unctuous
, suavity all his own, worms out if me easily enough
• all ills events of my past life, anti probably, if I know
anything alsitit it. that 1.1 my ancestors back to Inv
great •grrabgrasolfather He finds I aill a l'ititestant,
and attend the Church of Englansh. t‘t this*
announcement he raises his eyes and hands to heaven
in pious horror, and invoke.. all the angels and nal Mil
to have mercy tilitm my I oor, erring, end miserable
soul! After Masoning all the information he
requires, he leaves toe with the intimation that he
will soin call and me again, with a vieW. lon
1., averting the sad fats ony chlorine/ this wurld
out of the toot /lonian and .ipostsilio Church. He.
his month after his usual unstom, calling at the
}Muses 4 his parishioners, and in • few days all in
the parish know a. much shout me as I know about
myself. 1 may assume that I soon one lob. profit).