New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-29
NfACIiA.
. cyFTCH OF IRISH CHARACTER
ny ROSA MULuOLLAND.

tWeedh aon faxes cold aud gray as steel, or Diack
With the shadow of the raln-cI4uds ny si0 oeons
wars;n the dark sulen earth WIN lts eJisn 49,,
nitbne of purple and emhroderlcs OF eihcId!u ~
Shnaves in curious knobs and bosses. or s'It.ceS
away in wind swept level; twiI;gbt the place is
H. some region OF Ilades where dlsehlhoucu sTis
walk in shadow and muse upon the lily sVcii'S '""'
death mas aS II opnears to human life, there are
, feyv inhabitants of this world OIL silent Hloo %
barren beauty Here and there ii nahin hniIt of
traveIler will come upon an isolated capiu Jun. w
ride stone and rooted with the sou, haIuiA u Gov
;shahle from the hcathercapped rock except dol
the curl of smoke that steals tiIOns er moTnng an
the hearthstOne within. On summer Ill., sse hv
;nnuist We explorer of this Lonesome word pse 10y
one of these smoking novels anu VIII nn,nc or
monster issue from it, was startled by the apPPCnI
once of an exquisite face which shone on mn l.,
moment and vanished: dne in m Imaginative
mood and open to all influences OF 1ne pcauori it
and supernatural and almost beleVeu una H., ~, h
81 The mountain had crossed his path, ana lha' sne
bod a foteful message for him IN her eyes; nuI
shaking himself into more rational Irale ., I'nt ~
he went on his way, with only tURttiht ~ Fat ~
the cabin which seemed to retreat INTO ene us
nosses NJ the rock Yet, in spite OF common sehec
the wild beautiful eyes of the mountain glr plSuu
hIm the message that lay mystery III .hh t
ann3bs bewitched him. and finally, rs the sun shot
forth long shafts of flame and lahces oi eoiu So
ting iieriiy behind cluster oil plaf @ Etroccd
fan-peaks he turned upon his hecl, am lv',S''u
S; sttens in the direction of the enchanted novel;
Macha the owner of the beautlIule nv, i h''
withdrawn it hastily INTO tle interior va Low
scared at the unwOnted sight OF stranger i' IN
land jewellers might be scared by ghoHl., ln
rahin was so poor that only for the req hearth anu
the warm smell of smose II irsne r,hNn Goor was
taken for shed for cattle The earthtn u3oI Wal
nneyen and full of holes the roof, OF healner ANU
sticks was backened with smoke; the hcarlns'" DIV,
was broken. One crazy table one Tl" nail anu not
Or three other nOndescrlpt seats; ketlit p"', "
battered tin can, and few mugs anu PiTn!!t,
these were the chief contents oil lhe d~ciI MI
nrncipal room. Looking around one ngiit WI
al nv what means life could be supported III thiS
nlace Patches of potatoes that struggled l1I cH
istence between bog ana roch G01 1 SSonnd on the
face Of a distant level and was the turinihc.
these gave the only answer to such inquiry. an
bid woman sat spinning in the corner OF lh9 caoll
lean and smOke-dried, like mummy, her uark-IeIi
garment. and the yellow handkerchief wonhd
furban wise round her head, making SPOT Oh suo
iued color in the murky picture; lhe contents oi
pot of potatoes had been turned out on ,iie 'auc
and Macha. who with peculiar cry had sum u,
MINER stood in the middle of the floor. with slant
light falling on her from the sky, across the noun
tain-peaks through the smoke stained dool%ay
IN the corner and dyed with madden by Macha her
elf was short enough to- show her white ieet
shining on the earthen floor. over u she wore q
short brown bodice, and few yards ~ coarse
geIIow white calico were wound about her shoulders;
and had been about her head. but the drapery had
fallen back in a sort of cowl behind her meek: NO
white lily or golden rose was ever 80 beautiful as
The face of Macha, crowned with It's h0ney-cOi9red
hair, set with eyes dark and blue, with LOOK han
match flowers the girl had never seem and creamy
nsmooth. dmpled cheeks. The way IN when
her head set on her shoulders, the pose OF her
figure and the movements of her white bare arms
recalled the goddesses in marble of the early creeks
With her almost superhuman beauty, where had
Macha come from-to battle Win the eleinehts loi
life to grow sun-tanned, weather-beatcn lean ana
withered in the struggle 10 force the potato our Oh
the rock and peat out of the reeklng bog Wnal
was Sue doing in this dreary upper world OF the
barren Irish hills; how could she be the grahd,
daughter of the unlOyely crone III the corner ana
why bad generations OF Ignorance anu ti %at n
had created her for a whim, making her SORT OF
image and expression OF the Wild beauty ol thls
The after-Clow of the sunset was abroad when
Macha went out again. to roam round the iake IN
fashion Of her own. strange amber;and-reu renee
ton illuminated one side of the sky and the mountain
peaks intensified by gloomy fnnges trailing along
the horizon Delicate green tnts overspTcad th9
other; and in this farer skyey field had blOssOned
the ronnd white mOon frightening momentarlly,
and shining among the early stars Ike my among
daisies Earth and heaven were pictured IN the
lake-the gemmed meadows and lurldly llIuul-
mated deserts high, the blackenng hills ana the
moving shapes of orange, brown and purple that
caught and rent the frnges of the slowly approach
ing night
Macha clasped her hands over her head, and
gazed round her half fearfully, enjoying and un,
derstanding the beauty of IL all She had heard OF
q shining city beyond the gold and silver gates OF
the sun and the moon also Of earthly cities, won
derful too, but not 50 beautiful. that lay down
below the mountains in the bnsy world OF men,
She meant to go TO the one but she did not care to
visit the others. Her mountain home. with ITS IN
habitants contained the desires of her heart The
old brown crucifix on the cabn-wall was her pass
port to the final happy destination OF all patient
souls, whittier she and all she loved would depart
when the Master should send them message to
come. Nothing natural or supernatural disinayed
or Disguised her. If there were spirits in the rocks
and fairies in the lake, the Almighty knew what
they were dong there, and everything was all for
the best.
.Macha. come in' called her mother from the
cabin. Something will get you.
A.. I
she fingered looking hard at piece OF rock That
seemed to be taking the shape of something Inc
s sS%ds S sps S SY Tcck ap Suddenly living
seemed TO emerge out of the rock, ana come beside
her; and, startled, She would have fallen INTO the
lake had not strong arm seized her ana swung
Holy Mother nearly drowned you? cried
Mscha, looking at the same Traveller VINO hau
passed the cabin in the morning.
Il nearly drowned you said the stranger, gazing
in wonder at her beauty, which seemed To nave
become almost unearthly as the SUI W., YARN sGT
moonlight from the other whitened her round
cheek and the drapery of her shoulder a..
lake, whispered Macha.
who Ii hey
She looked all round in the air. and her lovely
face caught thousand reflections of fitting cOlors
and lights. Then she signed with her hand toward
the dark lake.
THE water is deep she said 'and there is many
. thing down there. But you are living man, for
saw you in the morning
The person addressed felt strange thrill as she
spoke and put out her round cleaning arm and
touched his hanu with her warm fingers az if to
assure herself that her own words were true. and
that he was indeed a living man:
And you are living woman he said. / almost
thought you were spirit moving along the edge of
the lake. Why do you keep so close to the edge
Thought saw you walking on the water.
Il ike to look in and see what can see, said the
girl mysteriously.
DO you always walk here in the eyenngsp
Yes and sometimes a bit at dawn Mother
says something wicked will meet me. But have
only met yvu and you are not wicked
Il am not rs good As ought to be- said the man