The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-10-07
For tho National Era.
,,o,va,eur SECURED ACCORDING TO LAW
u,,ywoop LEAVES FROM OVER THE SEA.
BELFAST, September 10, 1852.

-, Of A dull wet morning, Nature let down
nv na drop.curtan on the scene OF all our enjoy
l' ~ Killarney. | think we all felt and
nj n little blue, as we took our places on
~" outside.seats of the stage coach. and set
u' q c,r Tarbert on the Shannon. Nor were
I ~, r;eys and objects ON our way such as were
uI,rI,ted TO raise our spirits, or kindle our
.hnsiasm The country was weary, Doggy
,o with few-and- far between patches of cul
',"st.on and homes Of comfort. The cabins of
w. ,,oasants were the most miserable of mag
MI. ~. and inhabitable places-the peasants
.n"nsol,es we're yet one depth of wretchedness
,t"', anv we had seen before. Now and then,
W. ,,ossed An ivy-wreathed castle-tower, which
once frowned in embattled strength on
u'S of assaulting foes or the unroofed walls
III ,J Wondering closters of an ancient abbey,
". the black rocks circling amid the arches
,tsa,rb which the white incense of worship
W. "',n Stole and screaming harshly above the
III. lawn which once rolled the pious priest
w. ob.nt in fnll-youmed melody Everywhere
INV repeated the same sad pieture-old
T',land in ruins-young Ireland in rags
''G Tear Tarbert, our driver pointed out to us
hat had been good estate on rising
'.onnd stood large imposing mansion, but
ia Limitations surrounding it had an appear
,d of inter desolation and abandonment
This was the property of jovial Irish Squire
who for many years kept open house, and lived
in A rioting, frolicking way, entertaining his
snorting friends with horses, and hounds, and
oceans of good whiskey-punch
Rut during the late general distress, there
was a scattering among the jolly guests and
the host himself, hunted by baiiffs, stripped OF
outdoor lux,ries and indoor comforts carriages,
horses hounds. plate, furniture, library, wines,
wbiskey, and all, was obliged to abandon his
mansion for little matched cottage and act
uallv to allow his ancestral hall to be con-
verted into work-hOuse. There is something
very like retributive justice in the fact that in
the walls which once rung and rocked to the
reyelries of the mprOvident MASTER the poor
tenants whom his heartless extravaganza tend
ed to reduce to beggary find in sickness and
old age quiet and comfortable home
The passage up the Shannon from Tarbert
10 Limerick was an absolute delight. The
river. in itself, is most glorious broad, clear,
Kissing food sweeping between softly undula-
ting. emerald shores, here and there made more
beautiful by noble wooded estates and fine lord
" towers. We drew near to Limerick through
long and gorgeous sunset, which Overspread
the heavens, wrapt the shore, and fioated on
the water, in a fine glory of golden light. 1t
was a scene for the sense of beauty to revel in
not alone for the hour, but which vanished from
the outward vision, but to become one of the
souls uniading pictures Of delight-an illumi-
mated memory.
We were greatly pleased with Limerick,
which We found a well-built, pleasant, and ap-
parently prosperous town. Cruises Hotel,
where we stopped is an elegant and admira-
bly-conducted house, which | would heartily
commend to all Americans touring in Ireland.
In the morning. We took a car and drove to
the rapids above the city some five or six miles
These are exceedingly beautiful--grand in
deed and very nearly equal to those of Naga-
ra We went down several of the least dan
gerous, in long narrow skill, much like an
Indian canoe, and | shall not soon forget the
wild almost mad excitement, the peculiar
periLzested pleasure of the swift descent, when
our little fairy bark seemed to leap fearlessly
from ledge to ledge, yet quickly and cunning
Iy to avoid all fatal enticing currents sharp
rocks lying in wait under cover of white foam,
and angry waters whirling in delrious eddes.
On our return to the city, we visited the old
Cathedral, Of whose melodious bells beaut-
full legend is told which | cannot now pause
to relate, but which, a year ago, made the
SulptC1 VI " pahou-hS pcTHdpS yOu
member After an outside survey of the old
castle, which is in q fine state of preservation,
considering its great age, we visited one of the
largest lace manufactures in which | was
pleased to see many poor girls employed but
panied to find them crowded into two small
and hl-ventated rooms While breathing the
close air of those workshops and looking on
The pale worn faces of some of the toiling young
creatures around me, the delicate beauty of
the richest lace they wrought had small charm
for even my feminine fancy
In one of our drives in Limerick, we passed
through a sort of rag fair, which showed ms
where the beggars obtained that marvellous
variety of color and texture 80 remarkable in
their costume. Here we saw some strange spe-
cmens of the last dire extremity of tattered
cvilization-Only to be distinguished from saw
age scantness OF apparel and embruted stupid
ity, by greater squalor and o sullen conscious
ness which has not the grace of shame. We
saw one lad whose whole attire did not boast
OF one ordinary garment, hut who was literal
iy hung with rags, by means Of cord wound
about his body, sustaining fragments Of every
conceivable shape and cOlor-sO his entire cos
tune was curious piece of festoOping All,
there Is little need for the tourist to pass through
tins part OF Ireland, spying out the nakedness
oil the land 1t is thrust upon him at every
turn. Yet you must not believe that all this
outward wretchedness is real, necessary, and
helpless. BY far the larger number of those
who apply to the traveller for charity are vag-
abondIsh in their instincts and indolent in their
habits and prefer to beg rather than 70 labor,
either in or out of the wOrk-house. The profess
sonal beggar dresses, for his part, with as
much care and skill as any other actor; and
the whine, the limp, the melancholy tale, blind
ness, palsy, widows tears, and orphans walls,
are often the results of laborious practice and
splendid triumphs of art. You must bear this
IN mind aud set your face rs q flint" if you
would enjoy Ireland have heard here an
~neGdotc OF a wealthy American gentleman,
~ "rse-hearted and tender-hsarted benevo-
n maGe, VINO, alter making a tour through some
- 'ne poorer parts Of the island, and scattering
a renn,es among crowds Of ragged urchins where
ever ne went dropping a tear and q sixpence
'n'o every blind beggars extended hat, or to
9'ery poor wlddy's2 hand--returned to his
'o'ei w Dublin, saddened man, and shut
'''C.e" IN ms room to muse on the sOrroys and
ouuer'hgs OF the innumerable host of peregrin-
atng paupers infantile, maternal, juvenile and
enc'ent which had thronged his way through
many days Suddenly he heard, somewhere
without his door, u sweet voice, and the plain
1--WE notes Of q harp. "Ah!" exclaimed the
good man, some poor creature having heard
~ my benevolence, has followed me here and
=. y appealing to my sympathies through one Of
ue monrntul ancient melodies of her native
, IAN What melting, heartbreaking voice
heavens what touching strain was that |
can endure it no longer and with fearful agi-
alton he rings violently.
walter, cant stand this--give that wo-
''an nan crown Cor me, and send her away"
ihe waiter stood aghast, for the harpist
and singer was a noble lady in the nert room.
But must not loiter by the way in this man.