The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-10-04
AMONG THE CONNEMARAS.
4 sketch OF tho Irish Famine.

invitation anything but complimentary.
I felt exceedingly uncomfortable when
confronting my commanding officer in
the orderly room; instead Of cordiality
ho merely recognized me, frowned, and
whispered to old Trennery, the adjutant,
whom all OF us subalterns hated cordi-
ally. Trennery was the perfection OF
cavalry drill he paid no respect to
rank, title or anything else, and the way
he used to abuse us, when in adiutant
field day, would have gladdened the
heart OF tho hitterest Communist TINT
ever lived. They sent for my captain,
who, though his military and social rank
was high in the land and pcerage, could
do nothing with old Trennery, who as-
serted, in tho most matter-of.iact way, I
had conuived ut the escape Of Smith
0'Brien. and limited OF the reason, sub
rosa. This was enough. The colonel
was furious at such pleboian insinua-
ton; became excited my captain
called in tho orlerlics, aud went to my
room to await further orders. Those
orders wore read Mt night stables, TINT I
should Immediately Join the squadrons,
under Sir William Russell, then stationed
in small villnge at tho foot OF the Con-
nemara mountains. Three days after 1
reported myself ready for duty to tho
officer, Sir William Russell, commanding
three squadrons OF the Seventh Hussars,
Inwardly thanked the stars I had es-
capped old Trennnry. l had necessarily
to undergo n certain amount Of what is
known in such benighted places as n
mcssroom "clmfT'; but the state OF that
mess on tho first evening Of my arrival
somawllat astonndel me. My comrades
munched ut bread crusts; there was no
wine, only snail jugs Of table beer. l
ordered from batman some wine; he
said, politely enough, the mcssman had
none. I looked to the president OF the
.ness, who was, in fact, the officer com.
.manding, for m explanation.
"My dear boy" he exclaimed, in II
subducd voice, eve have relinquishcd
our mess luxurics for awhile, the de.
mands of our soup kitchens arc 80 very
imperative. You know there are thou,
sands around us actually starving to
DEATH" rsr-t.
"Starving to death! Why, Sir vii.
linn, I dined ut the castle four nights
ngo and We had Indian meal pudding.
and were invited expressly to taste it by
the chamberlain ut the request OF his OK.
cellency. 1t was really delicious, and
his gace afterwards informed us, in n
nice little speech, that tho Americans,
with generosity beyond all praise, were
shipping cargo after cargo Of it for the
relief OF Ireland" i"
"Most true, ny dear fellow" he re.
piled, with sigh, "but the misfor.
time is, Indian meal is not potatoes s-and
thoy have not. neither will they learn,
how to cook it."
"Why2"
"Why? simply, it is supposed to lie
some invention to destroy them-some
idea that the English wish to poison
them. They call it Peel's Birthstone
and though there is, l have no doubt,
enough Of it in the country to sustain
the population--and it has been well dis
tribrted-thcre is no one here or else.
where to show them how to cook it. l
do get angry ut times to see so many
starving people dying around us, day
after day, knowing full well they are
dying III the midst Of abundance-but
what can one dot I don't understand
how to cook the stuff myself--do you!"
/ acknowledged my ignorance then,
little thinking how, in subsequent years,
that Ignorance would be very considern-
bly, enlightened.
"Wcll, continued Sir William, az
have turned my troopers into sportsmen
after parade they Rrc detailed of for
wild fowl shooting, md we have three
splendid soup kitchens, I tell You, my
boy, md We are supporting then, on
good solid broth, and not fighting them,
thepoor, good,heartcd souls rs we were
Inst year, and between You and l,
Fnuk - but military discretion pre-
vented the completion Of tho sentence.
Sir William Russell, tho lineal d.
scenlant of the great man OF TINT ilk.
had n heart too great for the colossal
frame that inclosed it.
l was then, and still am, an habitually
early riser, and on the morning succeed
ing my arrival Mt the detachment, the
first opal blush in the eastern sky found
me in my bath; but few minutes
more, with my Hy.rod fixed, l was step.
ping out, happy rs q bird, toward the
mountains which overshadowed the small
village, in the center of which our bar.
racks lay, with n gloomy, forbidding
aspect. passed ouo or two videttes i'll
my progress, who, after the ordinary
challenge which I was prepared to an
swcr, I regarded with some degree Of
curiosity. The men looked hungry and
cadaverous, and the lashing chargers Of
year ago hung their heads, and the
flank bones were painfully obtrusivc. l
felt m oppressivcncss in witnessing this,
that only what followed can explain.
Is it possible, I thought, that what
Sir William said can be truel That re
nro in II lind where people are dying Of
starvationl That even our own troops
have to share the common fate? l was
metlitating thus when I struck small
mountain stream, and, arranging my
flies, commenced casting. The trout,
though not very lOrgc, rosc eagerly to
the fly, and by the time I hnd ascended
to tho summit had killed throe parts OF
creelful Of fair average brook trout.
Upon attaining the summit, I found
that was on tho immediate border OF
IN extensive lake. I threw rod, creel
nnd coat uslor the shadow OF fallen
tree, aud then myself, and, lulled by the
dcsolation OF surrounding objects, |
,,,.I l. H., ,plnan