Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-05-19

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one of two results-an early death or long
life of suffering. The latter was Banim's lot;
but there was brief period of sunshine be-
fore the clouds closed in around him. When |
after rrotracted illness, during which his |
brother nursed him with devoted affection, |
returning health brought returning energy, |
he removed to Dublin, resigned his profes- |
sion of artist, and devoted himself to literary |
pursuits. Here he continued several years,
contributing to periodicals. writing plays. and
publishing poems, with moderate success
At the age of twenty-four, he married, and
went to London, to seek his fortune against
his brothers remonstrances, but not less con-
6dent in his own ability to maintain himself
than when, at ten years of age, he was ready
to commence life With a sixpence. He had
no letters of introduction, no friends in Lon
don, and little money; but he took lodgings,
bought Times newspaper, and read the ad
vcrtisements. lie saw new periodical ad-
vertised, wrote to the proprietors, enclosing
some specimens of his writings, and was I'M
mediately engaged as regular contributor
publishers accepted his tales, and managers
his dramas His Damon and Pythias" was
produ ecd at Covent Garden, with Macready
and Charles Kemble as performers, and was
brilliantly successful. And now, slightly
retorting his brothers caution. he writes to
him, with AZ allusion to his own childish mis-
adventure :-''At length. my dear Michael,
one Of my shy-rockets has gone off" He is
happy in his success, and happy in the soci-
ETY. of the men of letters to which that sue
cess has introduced him. OF one of these
our own Washington Irying-he writes at
| this period Il have had opportunities of
| coming into close contact with Goefry Cray
on; he is as natural as his sketches-a man
scho acould play arih u child on the carpet
and one of the few literateurs I have known
whose face and character are in sincere kee-
ping with his talents"
Another great source of happiness to one
SO kind hearted, was the ability to aid others
less successful than himself. One of these,
Gerald Griffin, the wayward child of genius
writes of him at this time :-"What would
l have done if had not found Banim
should never be tired of talking about and
thinking of Banim. Mark me he is mar
the only one have met since l have lef
old Ireland almost" One thing only seems
wanting to his happiness-that his family
might be with him-that they nj ght "clul
, their means and live together in one bi!
house )" that he might see his sister and wifi
working and reading together, and his dea
dear mother sitting in the armchair, AM
E looking at them" eve must live together,
4 is the burden Of his song.
; 1t is chiefly to his brother Michael that W
= are indebted for Johns first appearance in tn
: character by which he is chiefly known-th:
Y of Irish novelist. He believed in Johns g
e nius-belieyed that he could ''raise the N;
u tional character in the estimation of otht
E lands"-that he could do for the Irishma
/. what Walter Scott had done for the Scotcl
II man-previously caricatured by Fieldin!
e Smollett and Macklin. He repeated old st
ries, and talked of their adaptability for Il
e novel or romance. While listening to him
s. plan entered Johns head. With the san
,r feeling which made him, in his youth, wht
III hoping to fly, fasten wings to his brother
>, wrists, he now determined that Michael sho
D. write Also 1t was in vain that Michael r
DC fused, protested his inability; he would a
'e him." he would correct" ''any one wi
! IL could tell story with such genuine pathe
ID could not fail to succeed - he chad only
ce write down what he said !" she might trr
o. Johns judgment" etc., etc. Michael yi'
W ded to his brothers importantly. and VIII
i' behind his fathers counter, discharging
60 the multifarious business of shopman in
If country town, he wove the scenes of his M
lst ratives, and committed them to paper on
''- firing to his room at night; and the joi
y productions of the two brothers, ere long "a
on peared. under the title of ''Tales of t
e. O'Hara Family"-John taking the name
lc- Abel O'Hara, and Michael assuming that
he Barnes O'Hara
I'm The first cloud in Banim's horizon was
ng sickness of his wife. 1t was a prolonged oil
th and brought on him increased expenditu
m' which only increased labor could meet.
un the midst of this he was attacked by the sa
rd racking pains which had afflicted him duri
ess the twelve months succeeding the death
his Anne D.; the symptoms of that spi
III disease, the seeds of which were sown in
NJ. suffering and exposure of that time, 6
which was never to leave him. But he C
we tinued to toll on, in spite of pain by d
use pain by night, pain even il his Dreams
A. snite. too. of threatening physicians;
'no f