Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-07-31
An IRISH IDYL.
BY the Author of .'TEe Queen of Cen.
naught."
London Belgravia.

HdugHt.
London Beleravta
We had been out all night watching
the herring-fshers,b but as soon as the
work was over, and the faint glimmer-
ing Of dawn appeared in the east, we
turned our boats bow towards the shore
and pulled swiftly homewards. There
lay the group Of curraghs still upon the
scene of their labor, loaded with phos-
phorescent fish and dripping nets, and
manned with crews of shivering, weary
men. The sea, which during the night
had been throbbing conyulsively, was
calm, and bright as polished mirror
while the gaunt gray cliffs were family
Swallowed forth by 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 mingled
softly with the monotonous splashing
of the oars and the weary washing of
the sea.
as it mermaid singing?" 1 asked
sleepiIy. "The village maidens are all
dreaming of their lovers at this hour,
but the INDIAN Maras sing of theirs.
Oh, yes, it must be a mermaid, for
bark the sound is issuing from the
shore yonder, and surely no human
being possessed voice half so beauti-
full"
To my question no one vouchsafed a
reply, SO lay still halfsleepiIy and lis
tened to the plaintive wailing Of the
voice. which every moment grew
stronger. 1t came across the water like
the low sweet sound Of an Eolian harp
touched by the summer breeze; and
as the boat glided swiftly on, bringing
it ever nearer, the whole. scene around
seemed suddenly to brighten as if from
the touch of a magical hand. Above
me sailed the moon, scattering pale
vitreous light around her, and touch
ing with her cool, white hand the mel
low matched cabins, lying so secluded
on the hill, the long stretch of SHIN
mering sand, and fringe of foam upon
the single, the peaks of the hills sill
houetted against the pale gray 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 sea-
gullS screamed, and as they sailed away
/ heard the whistle of the curlew; little
puffins were floating thick as bees
around us, while rock-doves flew swift
ly from the caVerns, and beyond again
the cormorants blackened the weed
covered rocks. The plash of our oars
had for a moment created commotiOn;
presently all claimed down again, and
again heard the plaintive wailing of
the mermaid's voice. Tie voice more
musical than, ever, was at length SO dis
tinct as to bring with it the words Of the
song:
MY owen Bawn's hair is of thread gold spun;
OF gold in the shadow, of light in the sun;
All cured in a coolun the brigh tresses are,
They make his head radiant with beams like a
Start
My Owen Bawn's mantl is long and is wide,
To wrap me up safe FRO n the storm by his side;
And I'd rather face snow-drift and winter wind
there. .ft.
Than be among daisies and sunshine elsewhere.
My Owen Dawn Con is bold fisherman, 81.
He spears the strong salmon in midst of the
Bann. --r paw. - -. --
And rocked in the tempest on stormy Tough
Neash, cess
Draws up The red trout through the bursting OF
--,. spray ", s, 81.
The-voice suddenly ceased, and as il
did SO, | saw the that singer was young
girl, who, with her hands clasped be,
hind her. and her face turned to the
moonlit sky, walked slowly along the
shore. Suddenly she paused, and while
the sea kissed her bare feet, and the
moon, laid tremulous hands upon he1
head, began to sing again:
II have called my love, hut he still sleepson,
Aad his lips are cold as clay;
have kissed them DER and DER again, - :.
have pressed his cheek with my burning brow
And Eve watched DER him all the day; o.
is Ii then true that no more thoulC smile e.
On Moira?
Art thou then lest to thy Molina? .l-
once had a lamb my love gave me, . asa d.
As the mountain snow twas white;
oh, how loved it nobody knowsl
decked 1t each morn with the myrtle rose,
With. forget-me-not' at night $50.
My lover they slew, and they tore my lanb
.s..- $50. From Moing. :
They pierced the otpoor Mons
As the last words fell from the Il en-
ulous lips, and the echoes of the swee
voice faded far away across the sea, the
boat gliding gently on ran on her bow
into the sand, and /, leaping out, came
suddenly face to face with the loyelies
vision had ever beheld EEf SIS
us it a mermaidW [ asked mysel
again, for surely thought no human
being could be half so lovely.
Isaw pale, Madonna-like face Sc
in wreath of golden hair, on which
the moonlight frightened and darkenet
like the shadows on a wind-swept sea
Large, lustrous eyes, which gazed earn
estly seward, then filled with strange
wandering, far-off look, as they turned
to my face A young girl, clad in {
peasants dress with her bare feet washed
reverently by the ching sea; her half
parted lips kissed by the breeze which
travelled slowly shoreward; her cheek.
and neck were pale as alabaster, so were
the little hands which were still claspei
halfnervously behind her; and as she
stood, with her eyes wandering rest
iessly first omy face, thento the din
line OF the horizon, the moon, bright
ening with sudden splender, wrapt hel
from head to footin mantle of SHIN
merlng snow. ~-4
For moment she stood gazing with
far-away look into my face; then WITH
a sigh she turned away, and with hel
face still turned oceanward, her hand:
still clasped behind her, wandered
slowly along the moonlit sands. s7sa 2
As she went, fading like spirit among
the shadows, l heard again the low
sweet sound of the plaintiva- voice
which had come to me across the ocean