The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-01-25
Lady Aileen's Warning.

Lady Aileen's Warning.
was quite a young girl not more than
twenty, when first entered service AS
lady 's-maid to the Lady Aileen UBran.
My aunt had been housekeeper for years
at Squire Harcourts, and |, from quite 4
child, had waited upon the young ladies.
Lady Aileen was Il niece of Mrs. Har-
courts SO when she came to Fairholm on
visit, before her marriage, and inquired
for an English maid, was recommended
to her.
She was Il great heiress AS we'll as a
beauty, and was to marry Il gentleman as
rich and great as herself She was very
lovely, with 4 soft, bush-rose complexion,
tender dark eyes, and great masses Of
ripping hair. shining in the sun like liv
ing gold. She was very bright and rest
less never resting one moment in one
place. but fitting, hither, thither, every
where; laughing, chatting-so different
from our young ladies, who were very
gentle and scdate She was like Il child
with her wild spirits and madcap trolics.
have seen the squire laugh until the
tears poured down his cheek at her drOll-
cries; "hs wild Irish lass" he always
with the old man.
Sorry as | was to leave Fairholm, that
had been Il home to me all my lite, and
the family who had always been 50 kind,
| was delighted at the thought Of change,
and at the prospect of going abroad, as
my mistress was to travel ON the Cont
nent after her marriage
She was married from Fairholm, lor she
was an orphan, and the squire was her
guardian and nearest relative. There was
a great wedding; all the gentry i'll the
country were assembled. | thought she
was lust the sweetest creature had ever
seen with her golden hair shining thro'
her vail of misty lace, and her sweet face
all glowing with tears and smiles and
bushes As lor the bridegroom, Sir
George Evreton, he was as handsome and
radiant with happiness as so fortunate q
man could be expected to be,
We went abroad, and then saw quite
enough OF strange scenes and new faces ;
indeed, at times grew heartily homesick,
and We're ii not that | had learned to love
my Young mistress 50 dearly should
often have wished ny self al home again.
Suddenly, while we were in Rome, my
l,dy fell i'll OF fever, and for some time
we thought each day would be her last,
Sir George was almost beside himself
with grie and anNety; together we at
tended her until all danger was past One
day, when She was beginning to recover,
/ was sitting beside her, Sir George hay
nT retired TO rest, As he had watched ali
Tie night before.
Anne" ." she said hooking up at ne sud
den!y-' Anne, | knew thai | should not
die, though YOU We're all 50 frightened
about me, and poor Sir George was 50
wild with terror | never heard the wal!
OF the banehep, 10 knew that | was quite
safe
The banshee, my lady !" repeated.
''WEat is that ~
Did you never hear Of the banshee p?
but, OF course. | forgot that you are not
Irish. Well, it is q sort of ghost, OF spirit
/ cannot exactly explain what - but
something delightfully."- unearthly and su-
pernatnral, which all Old Irish families
boast OF possessing This lady--for it al
ways appears as q female, sometimes
Young and beautiful, sometimes as an old
and shriveled hag-appears to be of =
melancholy temperament Tor ii ~ only
Il
makes her appearance.
'5etore q death occurs in the family,
her wall is heard, loud and shrill. so you
see that though she is not Il cheerful re-
tainer, she certainly is an aristocratic one !;
for. even in these days of social equality,
it is not every one who can have 4 ban
shee: money cannot buy it.
"Only fancy hearing the wall OF a gem
uine old Irish banshee in classic Rome -
and she laughed merrily, while the bright
color surged up into her face, making her
look once more like her own blooming
self.
But, my lady" said, "you are not
seriOus?0
Yes, | am perfectly serious" she an
swered, grayely. 81 knew perfectly that
if | were doomed | should hear that cry.
Our old servants at home could tell You
tales of the banshee that would make
your hair stand on end. However, one
thing is certain-the wall is never heard
but it is Immediately followed by a death
in the family. Mamma was in London,
visiting at my grandfathers. when, one
night, at the opera, she heard the cry of
the banshee At first it sounded faint and
far off, and mamma thought that her inn
agination had deceived her. The famous
Swedish nightingale, Jenny Lind, was sing
ing that night. and she held the audience
SO entranced by the exquisite beauty and
sweetness Of her voice, that you might
have heard !; pin TALL then suddenly
high above her. rang out that Wailng,
piercing cry. The others heard nothing
and only ridiculed mammals fears; but
she would not allow herself to be per-
suaded. and, though she had only arrived
in London the day before, she started for
Ireland early the next morning. When
she reached home she found the whole
household in terror and confusion; papa's
Gun had burst, aud shot him through the
heart SO. if you hear any such cries,
Anne, yon will understand what they sig
nitv."
Though the lever left my mistress, she
did not regain her strength, but continued
pale and delicate, to my masters great
anxiety. One doctor after another pre-
SCI ibed for her; but none of them appear
ed to do her much good, though all agreed
in saying that the climate of Italy did not
agree with her, and advising an immedi-
ate return home Her native air would
prove more etlicacous in restoring her
lost strength than any medicine could
Ent my lady manifested strange repug-
nance TO returning to Ireland. She would
90 anywhere else willing ly, but, ''"h, not
to Ireland ~ she protested
could not imagine the reason Of this
sudden whlin, ior she loved her country
passionately-in particular, one Of her
estates in Connaught, called Balbrogan,
whose wild, picturesque beauties she nev-
er tired OF describing. In time, however,
she yielded to her husbands entreaties
and once more we found ourselves en- route
this time for Ireland.
Well when saw Balbrogan, l thought
that my lady's enthusiasm had certainly
been justified; for, in wild, grand sort OF
/ beauty, it could certainly compare with
anything we had seen abroad. Such in
tensely blue hills; lakes, clear and placid
as crystal mirrors; dashing, toaming wa
terfalls, and such exquistely cloudless
skies. Still it was a strange, lonely place,
with scarcely soul to speak to; for the
| l.