The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-07-14
WASHINGTON, D. G.
For The National Ers.-lCopyrisht seeuredl
THE SHAM ROCK;
RECOLLECTIONS OF IRELAND.
BY SLOW JAMIE.
CHAPTER XI
.SuDerStiiOn

panied BY a voice calling for vengeance, and
that it was the devil who rung the bell in Paris
for the massacre Of St. Bartholomew day
This arose from different causes
Fnst the climate and scenery are we'll cacu-
lated TO promote the ideal. Every American
knows how much the camness of our Indian
summer conduces to melancholy yet pleasant
musings. When the blue haze settles about
the tree-tops, it seems SO much like the spirit
of the woods coming out to defend the fading
foliage from the ravages of time. To this sea-
son the old Indian looked forward, not so much
for his harvest day of hunting as his great time
for worship. Hence, it is called Indian sum
mer In this connection, too, we might men
ton the old Roman superstition about the
faithful lovers, Ceyx aud Halcyon, turned into
king fishers, which built their nests in this
peaceful season, and gave it the name of Hal
cyon days. In Ireland, a mild, moist atmos
phere always presents an aspect resembling our
smoky days, whenever their sky is clear. Be
sides, the tuneful bird, the sportive hare, and
the fragrant hedge, inspire and foster the poetic
feeling. Some poet has said
There Is a uneiui river,
Ia Ems Isle,
Where The sunbeams qulser
Ia silvery smile
Where Tue leaves hat fall
Neaih the summer sky,
Grow eem-like ALL
And never die
Second. The great veneration with which the
Irish regard their foreiathers tended to keep
up their old notions. The profound respect
which they pay to their Immediate parents
deepens in the distance, as is well known, till
many regard their remote ancestors with a ven
Grafton little short of worship. 1t is this feel
ing that binds the Catholic Colt sn strangely to
his ancestral faith, and makes the oral tradi-
ton of the country so full. 1t is no wonder,
then, that old stories about fairies, &c, should
be often repeated and always believed. Nearly
fifty years ago, venerable old man lay on his
dcathbed His disease was hydtocephalus He
manifested but little wandering of mind, except
that one day he pointed to the foot of the bed,
and remarked, :. That young who sits up
thereby my word, he raises and sings psalm
very pretty" That story is to this day repeated
among his grandchildren, as an evidence OF the
pleasant exercises of his mind, which, even
under haucination partook of devotional
character. We can easily perceive how little
ignorance io;- l'ssiilial regard would have
taken a morA % Tor a real fact.
A third cause may be found in choleric
temperament. Among the most intelligent, We
often find some who have strange leaning to-
wards the marvellous. 1t will generally be
found that these are remarkable for an eXclta-
BILE nerve; and,
Fourthly, the imposition of the cunning, no
doubt, often gave rise to many stories, which
are confidently told by the credvfous in evidence
Of their peculiar notions.
Freets related to lucky ynd unlucky places,
persons things and acHOns. The word was
nearly allied, in sense Is well as sound, to the
English word freaEf' | remember, one morn
ing, as we were gang to school, met Sally
Hill gathering d weed she called ST. Johns.
She said thatlif you had but an inch of it ia
your pockes there was no danger of being
whipped. II even scolded. Although it was but
lately bIore that she had helped to fight Hugh,
yet SD was in kind humor, and gave each of
us sShP. Indeed, she was generally very kind ;
arb If IT be true, as Eugene See insinuates, that
GOODNESS Is the result, not the cause, of happi
ness, she could not but be benevolent this morn
ing She had several of the plants carefully
lifted, TO set in her garden. We took the pre-
cious taiisman with much the same feelings
that invalid would read the advertisement of
some patent medicine suiting his case, if he
should be a big enough fool to believe it. That
very day, while Arthur Macon and / were en-
joying a social whisper, we were called up, and
slapped on the hand till we sqnealed. few
days after, happened to have "a piece of the
magic herb, and Hugh had none 90, jamie"
said he, " give me that; | have my grammar
lesson very badly the day, and We know it diz
you no good, enEhow.I | complied, for it
evident that the charm would not work we'll
with me. Still, had an idea that, if had not
had the weed, l might have been punished
more severely. Whether the st. Johns wort
screened Hugh, with his bad lesson, that morn
ing, not, do not remember; but l know
that it was very popular for little while, and
then gradually lost its reputation.
Many who paid no attention to freets believed
IN the terrible power of witchcraft. The devil
had power not only to assume whatever shape
he pleased, and in that form to work wonders,
but he could also impart that power to mortals
who were in league with him.
William Black, in county Antrim, had lit
tie girl who got thorn her eye. The neigh
bors gathered in, but the eye was swelled and
bleeding, and they could do nothing for it. One
man told about old woman, living two or
three miles distant, who could relieve her, and
offered, with the parents permission, to go for
her. The father said he would have nothing to
do with her; but If the other thought proper to
go and see her, he might He accordingly
went and John Black the little girls brother
story, said she knew William Black, and that
he did not believe in charms, but it was pity
that the child should suffer for the obstinacy of
the parents, and she would try and do some
thing for 1t. So she went to bush, and took
d clean linen rag oil 1t. Then she went to the
spring and brought bowl of fresh water. Of
tins she took mouthful three several times.
and blew on the rag. The last time she showed
them the thorn from the chds eve, left stick
ing in the cloth. They returned and found
me child asleep, with the thorn out of her eye,
indeed there had ever been one in it.
certain girl had passed the thirty fifth
summer without any available offer of matri-
Hony. As this was counted the Rubicon of
Via-madenhood, she was admonished by her
orother to turn her attention to some business
"nich would secure her an independent sup
port when thrown OH her own resources. She
sala she wished to do something of the kind,
pu1 oid not know what she could do. 40,
"en' said her brother, 90 and charm sick