The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-19
PRICE THREE CENTS.
MY GRANDPARENTS WEBBING.
A story of Ireland In the Oiden
Times.

atoms in the vicinity of a small seaport in
| the west of Ireland. j doubt If richer or
more varied scenery Is to be met with any
where. Landmarks stretches broad lake
studded with green islands and begirt by
lofty hills, most of the latter being wooded
to the top. On every commanding point
stands ruined stronghold ; and in every
one of the many pleasant valleys molders
long deserted shrine. While some Of these
ruins are renowned in history, all have
their traditions of supassing interest. even
when told by the rude peasants.
Westward the narrow harbor expands
into wide bay, which in its turn opens
out into the lliinitablc ocean. The coast
| is wild one 1t consists in great part of
| range of stupendous cliffs stretching for
miles, and rising in many places more than
thousand feet sheer above the water.
What with its magnificent scenery and its
wild legends, s. and its neghbOrhoods
precisely the spot to nourish the split Of
poetry and adventure.
Our family was one Of EIGHT or nine
which had divided two counties between
them in the time of James !. Towards the
close of the last century, the period of my
story its prosperity had long been ON the
decline. A succession OF representatives,
given to duelling, gambling, drinking, rol.
licking and unlimited hospitality, had sadly
diminished its resources. They were race
unusually reckless for even the Ireland of
the olden time.
A fair specimen of them was my grand
father. While yet mere youth lie had
succeeded to the leadership of the house,
with its fortunes and liabilities. The lat
ter included fcud with ncghboring clan.
the commencement of which nobody re-
membered, but which had been transmitted
from son to son, exasperating as it went.
Three months never passed by without riot
and homicide-sometmes on an extensive
scale--between the parties.
As it happened, the Gregg chieftain OF
the day was also young, though some years
the senior of my grandchildren fine. pow
erful man of twenty-six. Fortune willed
that the pair should become rivals in love,
both wooing the beauty of the province.
She was indeed a beauty. | saw her fifty
wears later, withered with age and worn
with troubles of no ordinary kind, yet still
handsome; and her portrait, taken in her
prime, fully justified the high praise ac-
corded to her attractions in song, and the
still higher praise included in the fiery, at
fections which they excited, and in the
deeds as fiery which they impeled.
Here shall take leave to remark that the
world contains no finer specimens Of hui
manity than abound among the higher
classes of western Ireland. In the case of
my grandmother, a strong infusion OF
Spanish blood had added the dash and bril-
lance of the South to the native grace of
the handsome Hamltons.
NV grandfather, one of the widest spir-
its of his age aud country, was an enthusi-
astic sportsman. He delighted in high oX
element, was an unerrlng shot and Il dar-
ing horseman, and 10 less skilltul in hand
ling sail and oar than in guiding the steed.
Indeed, Little Allen Grants desperate
feats and hairbrcadth escapes 10 this DAY
form the theme of fireside story IN the land
of his birth. lie was about the last of
mortals whom one would think of turning
rhymer. But love effects strange transfer
nations.
have before me bundle OF mildewcd
3 papers. written over with verses addressed
to ''Pretty Fanny Hamilton" They might
be more polished, perhaps, but they could
hardly be more earnest and original, or
: more free from affectaton and conceit.
/ My ancestors rival was favored of the
relatives of the beauty, and my ancestor
was favored of the beauty herself, whose
heart was completely carried away by the
impetuosity of the frank, fearless rhymcr.
In those stormy days, however, the rela-
tives of Irish beauty were accustomed to
bestow it in marriage without much regard
to the feeling of its possessor. And so
pretty Fanny" as she was called to the
day of her death, was condemned TO wed
Mr.. Gerald Gregg, though the fact that her
} affections were fixed elsewhere was no.
torous. Her prayers and her tears were
unavailing to move the despots Of the do
nestle circle Her threats-for beauty
of spirit can threaten-were despised.
And when she took to pining. they merely
remarked with a laugh, Marriage will
soon rouse her out of that.
But, if they treated Pretty Fanny thus
, lightly, they took another course with her
lover When he avowed, as he soon did,
that he would make her his oan in spite of
all the Greggs aud Hamitons in existence,
every precaution that prudence could sug-
gest was adopted. This, be it remembered,
was the era of abduction, and Little Al
Ian" was lust the man to conduct an alb
duction with success. Here, perhaps it
may be as well to explain the cognomen
which, as in the case of most other Irish
) gentlemen of the day, attached to HIM. y
, man standing five feet seven inches. and
weighing over fifteen stones, can hardly be
termed ''littlc." But Allan Grant was SO
broad of shoulder and so massive of limb
that his height was quite out of propor,i n
with his width, and made him look some
what dwarfish.
Little Allan" was daring, full of strata
!, gem. and not to be moved from purpose,
even if Satan and all his host stood in the
way. The Hamiltons, therefore, not con-
sidering their country residence safe from
A his practices, removed to house in the
centre of the town. This they barricaded
, and garrisoned, planting iron bars in all
the windows, strengthening the outer doors,
stationing sentinels behind the house, and
keeping watch and ward within; in fact,
taking all the measures of people expect
ing siege and storm; while the beauty was
= confined in chamber three stories from the
ground.
Ny grandfather made several attempts TO
enter, but always Intellectually. His spies
Y were discovered. his tampering with the
G servants detected, and one or two efforts at
escapade repealed by force, Eventually it
was whispered that the discomttted sutton
7 was making preparations to quit the coun-
n try, il not forever, at least for many years,
that is, should the last desperate effort
which he was known to mediate happen to
D fail. d.
S That it should fail the Hamltons and
f Greggs were resolved To prevent any in
reference with the marriage ceremony, il
y was arranged that it should take place in
l the drawing room "a common thing in
: those days-and, to Illustrate any attack On
Y the house in force, or any attempt to carry
!. off the bride on her way home the partisans
of the Greggs and llamiltons mustered by
y hundreds the night before, keeping a watch
/ around from shutdown. There was good
It deal of hard drinking among the band, and
not little roaring, along with aquanuty OF
friendly rioting and head breaking, "just
to keep their hands in.
Contrary to all expectation, however, the
foe thew oXpecteu did not mt in an apppar-
e ance that night BIT that he would como
!, some time or other, nobody doubteGi and
!, most the reckless spirits there locked
|, forward to the encounter with high glee.
~ The morning, early in March, dawned
" | nj lennth Ref,ln IL had fnIlY eXpandoh