Daily globe., 1879-06-08
better it isto have great soul than !,
great fist Horace Mann.
AN IRISH IDYL.

Of dawn appeared in the east we turned
out boats bow to aard the shore aud pull
ed 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 throb-
bing convulsively, was calm and bright
as polished mirror, whilst the gaunt,
gray cliffs were family shadowed forth by
the lustrous light Of the moon.
Wearied with my nights labor lay
listlesssly in the stern Of the boat, listen
ing drcamily 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 or Stor-
port. Presently, however, my ears de-.
tected another,sound, which came faint
ly across the water, and mingled softly
with the monotonous splashing of the
oars and the weary washing of the sea.
''It is mermaid singing?" asked
sleepily. "The village maidens are all
dreaming Of their lovers this hour, but the
indian Mayas sing of theirs. o, yes, it
must be a mermaid, for hark the sound
issuing from the shore yonder, and surely
no human being ever possessed a voice
half so beautiful!'
To my question no one vouchsafed
reply, SO I lay still half sleepily and list
ened to the plaintiff wailing of the voice.
It came ACROSS the water like the low
sweet sound Of an 4Eolian 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
magicala hand. Above me sailed the
moon, scattering pale vitreous light
around her, and touching with her cool
white hand the mellow thatched cabins,
lying so secluded on the hillside, the
long stretch of shimmering sand, the
fringe Of foam upon the shingle, the
peaks of the hills which stood silhoutted
against the pale green sky.
and almost brushing my cheek with its
wings, aroused me at length from my
tordor. The sound of the voice had
ceased. Above my head flock of sea-
gulls screamed, and, as they sailed away.
l heard the whistle of the curlew; little
pufins were floating thick as bees around
us, wild rock doves flew swiftly from the
cayerns, and beyond again the cormor-
ants blackened the weed-covered rocks
The splash of our oars had for moment
created comotion; presently all calmed
down again, and again ] heard the plain
tive waiHng 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 Bawn's hair is of thread gold spun
OF gold in the shadow, OF light in the sun;
All curled in coolun the bright tresses are
i They make his head radiant with beams like
i star.
My Owen BaHn's mantle is long and is wide
side;
! And I'd rather face snow-drift and winter win,
there
| Than be among daisies and sunshine elsewhere
My Owen Bawn Con is bold fisherman,
| He spears the strong salmon in midst of tn
Bann,
And, rocked in the tempest on stormy Lougl
| Neagh,
Draws up the red trout through the bursting
/ of spray.
The voice suddenly ceased, and as it di,
so saw that the singer was a young girl
who, with her hands clasped behind hel
and her face turned to the moonlit sky
walked slowly along the shore. Sudden
~ she paused, and while the sea kisse,
her bare feet, and the moon laid tremu
lous hands upon her head, began to sin.
again:
I have called my love, but he still sleeps on
And his lips are as cold as clay;
I have kissed them DER and DER again
have pressed his cheek with my burnin
brow.
And I've watched DER him all the day;
Is it then true that no more thou'lt smile
On Moins?
Art thou then lost to thy Moina?
l once had a lamb my love gave me.
AS the mountain snow twas white;
0, how loved it. nobody knows!
/ decked it each morn with the myrtle rose,
With forgetme not at night
My lover they slew, and they tore my lamb
From Monia
} They pierced the hearts core of poor Moins
| AS the last words fell from her tremr
} lous lips, and the echoes of the swee
voice faded far away across the sea, tn
} boat gliding gently on run her bow int
the sand, and l, leaping out, came sudde1
ly face to face with the loyliest vision
r had ever beheld.
"Is it a mermaid2" asked myse
again, for surely I thought no human bt
, ing could be half so lovely.
7 l saw pale madonna-like face set in
| wreath of golden hair, on which the moor
5 light frightened and darkened like Il
shadows on a wind-swept sea. Lars
: lustrous eyes which gazed earnestly Sc;
! ward, then filled with strange, wonde
[ ing far-of look they turned to my fac
y A young girl clad in PEASANTS dres
q with her bare feet washed reverently
I the signing sea; her half parted lips kis
d ed by the breeze which travelled slow
y shoreward; her cheeks and neck were pa
e as alabaster, SO were the little han,
d which were still clasped half nervous
e behind her; and as she stood, with b.
:, eyes wandering restlessly first to my fa
/ then to the dim of the horizon, the moo
}; Frightening with sudden splendor, wra7
e her from head to foot in a mantle
o shimmering snow.
For moment she stood gazing with
n peculiar, far-away look into my face; tn
le with sigh, she turned away, with b
q face still turned oceanward, her han
At still clasped behind her, wandering slo'
ly along the moonlit sands.
ot As she went fading like spirit am
le the shadows, heard again the low, swe
le sound of the plaintiff voice which h
IL come to me across the ocean, but soon
grew fainter and fainter until only t
echoes were heard.
turned to my boatman, who nj
stood waiting for me to depart.