Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-09-07
REMlNISCENCE OF 4 MARCH.


ment into Il remote part of the country
where | believe, some disturbances were
apprehended, and we had been started
off at pretty short notice. l have even
now lively recollection of a long rail
way journey, the dingy stations we
passed, the tedious stoppage. occasional
splashes of rain against the carriage win,
dows, and our final exit from the train
in a dark, droughty shed with sloppy
platform. From here we had good
long march to our halting place, through
a sad-colored waste, past hillsides OF
black bog, hardly fence worth calling
one to be seen, now and then a tumble
down howell by the roadside, and off and
on the rain pelting down in the sort of
searching cold showers one gets in bleak
parts of Ireland in the Autumn-time.
The town where we were to stay the
night was no exception to the general
dinginess. After setting the men down
into their billets, We "prospected" the
principal inn in the place, gotta couple of
very middling bedrooms, and made up
GU" minds to make the best of
the situation. We had Invested
ourselves of our wet uniform.
entered our little sitting-roo with its
welcome peat-pile fire, examined some
hideous sacred prints hung round the
Wslls-among them l remember one of
st. Veronica displaying large handker-
chief with the Saviour's face upon it
and were busy planning what to asso-
ciate with whisky and the iacketed po-
tato, when note was brought in and
handed to me, with a message that some
one was waiting for an answer. 1t was
addressed to The officer commanding
detachment, - Regiments" but one saw
at Il glance that it was not an official COM
municatiOn, the envelope being Il dainty
white one, and the handwriting almost
Enthusiastically that of 4 lady. 1t turned
out to be a very courteous invitation
from Mr.. and Mrs. Nj, of Innish-
derry Hall 1--WE will call it,, who, having
heard that some troops we're passing
through Moynetown to-day, hoped for
Che pleasure of the officers company at
dinner that evening. This was really a
timely as we'll as hospitable offer, so
A, my subaltern, and 1 at once
agreed to accept it.
Fortunately when evening came
round, and the rickety- looking car that
was to jolt us to our entertainers clat-
tered up to the inn door. the weather
had cleared little. Well do l re-
member the drive; the cold, keen air; a
pale, half-mOon lighting up the sombre
landscape; dark islands of bog alternating
with pools of shimmering water; hill
slopes near but mysterious. As far as |
can remember, We entered the grounds
of Innishderry Hall about mile and.a
half from the town. Already the coun-
try had begun to wear prettier aspect;
patches of wood appeared; and after
passing the lodge gate We began to de-
:scend val.eyEbroken, rocky ground,
with clumps of spruce and larch on
either side-till suddenly emerging
from this, the drive swept round a cor
ner, and we were in view of the sea.
A few minutes more and we were look
ing down over charming little
bay shut in by cliffs, with a boat high
and dry up the beach; and from this
POINT till we sighted the lights of the
house, copse, park, and heather inter-
mingled one with the other to our
left, while on the right great white lines
of surf quivered and broke in the moon
light
1t was a beautiful scene as it present
ed itselfto US in the obscuritv of the
nighttime. Possibly by day some of it's
enchantment might have been missing.
but We did not see it in daylight. Such
as it was, it probably impressed me and
stamped itself in my memory, more on
account of the subsequent incidents
(which ensued than anything else.
The house, as We drew up to it,
seemed large and handsome one. 1t
had great many windows, steep
pitched roof, and was partly ivy-clad.
Two long ranges of Outbuildings were at
tached to it, one at either end, and from
that nearest us as we approached ran out
an old wall matted with ivy-stems, and
forming an inclOsure screened by row
of thorn trees, behind which one could
max out the ruined gable-end of a
small building. Our driver who had
been most uncOmmunicative all the way
out as to our host and hostess, conde-
stended to tell US this was a very an
Gent chapel, which some ancestor of the
family had pulled down and disman-
tied, ''bad luck to him"
The main entrance hall can recall it
nOw-warmed by an ample stove and
well lighted up, with few dressed skins
lying about, and huge ebon cabinet
over against the door, made CHEEKY
contrast to the outside car and the sur
roundings we had just left. Round the
walls were grouped splendid pair of
stays horns, fox's head and brush, a
stuffed seal, and other trophies of a
sporting life; and black butillo's mas
.Avc trOntlCt surmOunting asheafofassn-
gals, suggested at once what we after
wards learned to be the case, tina, our
host had been in south Africa. II won
der what sort of people they are, maj
orr" were As words to me, soto
voce, as he gave his sleeves final jerk
and glanced down critically at his boots,
while we followed the butler to the
we were face to face with our new &C
4quaintances.
do not recollect anything very note
and rather handsome man, but of some
what faded aspect-quiet and genial in
his manner. II am an old soldier my
SELF" was his greeting to us, and 1 new
er like any one in the service to pass
our place on duty without our tind-
ing him out" But our hostess! AS I
shook hands with her she at once en-
crossed my attention. 1 am at loss
now, as was then, to define the nature
or cause of the peculiar interest she
seemed at once to excite in me. Certain
ly she was remarkably handsome wo-
man, but my observation of her at the
moment of introduction was quickly di-
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