Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-05-16
AN IRISH IDYL.

We had been out all night watching
the herring fishers, but as soon as the
work was over and the faint glimmer-
ing of dawn appeared in the east we
turned our boats bow toward the shore
and pulled swiftly homeward. There
lay the group of curraghs, still upon
the scene of their labor, loaded with
phosphorescent fish and dripping nets
and manned with crews of shivering
weary men: The sea, which during
the night had been throbbing convul-
sively, was calm and bright as a pol
ished mirror, while the gaunt, gray
cliffs were family shadowed forth bv
the lustrous light of the moon.
Wearied with my nights labor lay
listlessly in the stern of the boat, listen
ing dreamily to the measured splash,
splash of the oars, and drinking in the
beauty of the scene around me; the
placid sea, the black outline of the hills
and cliffs, the silently sleeping village
of Storport. Presently, however, my
ears detected another sound, which
came family across the water, and min
gled softly with the monotonous
splashing of the oars and the weary
washing of the sea.
Is it a mermaid singingP" asked
sleepily. "The village maidens are
all dreaming of their lovers at this
hour, but the INDIAN Maras sing of
theirs. o, yes, it must be mermaid,
for hark! the sound is issuing from the
shore yonder, and surely no human be-
ing ever possessed voice half so beau
tifulr'
To my question no one vouchsafed a
reply, so lay still half sleepily and
listened to the plaintiff wailing of the
voice, which every moment grew
stronger. 1t came across the water
like the low sweet sound of an Kolian
harp touched by the summer breeze;
and as the boat glided swiftly on bring
ing IL ever nearer, the whole scene
around seemed suddenly to brighten as
if from the touch of magical hand.
Above me sailed the moon, scattering
pale vitreous light around her, and
touching with her cool white hand the
mellow thatched cabins, living so Sc
cluded on the hillside, the long stretch
of shimmering sand, the fringe OF
foam upon the shingle, the peaks of
e-AN AAAAo blOOu
against the pale green sky.
A white owl passing across the
boat, and almost brushing my cheek
with its wing, aroused me at length
from my torpor. The sound of the
voice had ceased. Above my head a
flock Of seagulls screamed, and, as they
sailed away, heard the whistle of the
curlew; little puifins were floating thick
as bees around us, wild rock doves flew
swiftly from the caYerns, and beyond
again the cOrmorants blackened the
weed-cOyered rocks. The splash of ouI
oars had for moment created com.
motion; presently all Gained down
again, and again i heard the plaintiyt
walllng OF the mermaid's voice. The
voice, more musical than ever, was al
length so distinct as TO bring with it the
words of the song:
NY Owen B9wn's hair is Of thread gold spun;
~ gold m the shadow, of light ia the sun:
All eurled in eOOlun the bright tresses are.
star. -N
Ny Owen Bawn's mantle is long and is wide,
10 wrap me mp safe from the stOrm by his side
there "''''s' "''''
Than DC among daisies and sunshine elsewhere
Ny Owen Bawn Con is bold fisherman,
Bann, va
And. rocked in the tempest on stormy Lougl
Draws up the red trout through the bursting o
spray.
The voice suddenly ceased, and as /
did so ! saw that the singer was a young
girl. who, with her hands clasped be
hind her, and her face turned to III,
moonlit sky, walked slowly along Tn,
shore. Suddenly she paused, and Will