Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-08-30
From Backwood's Magazine.l
Renaissance OF A MARCH.

Several years ago it fell to my lot to
be on the march with a subaltern of my
regiment In Ireland. l was taking a de-
tachment into a remote part OF the
country, where, believe, some disturb
ances were apprehended, and we had
been started off at pretty short notice. [
have even now lively recollection of a
long railway journey, the dingy stations
we passed, the tedious stoppages, oc-
,casional FLASHES of rain against the car
rage windows, and our final exit from
the train in dark, draughty shed with
q sloppy platform. From here we had a
good long march to our hating place,
through a sad-colored waste, past hill
sides 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
LII bleak parts OF Ireland III the autumn
time. The town where we were TO stay
the night was no exception to the gen
eral dinginess. After setting the men
down into their billets, we prospect
ed F." the principal inn IN the place, got a
couple of very middling bedrooms, and
made up our minds to make the best of
the situation. chad Invested ourselves
of our wet uniforms, entered our little
sitting room with its welcome peat-piled
fire, examined some hideous sacred
prints hung round the walls-among
them [ remember one of st. Veronica
displaying large handkerchief with the
SavIour's face upon it-and were busy
planning what to associate with whisky
and the jacketed potato. when a note
was brought III and handed TO me, with
a message that some one was waiting for
an answer. 1t was addressed to "The
officer commanding detachment regi-
ment;' but one saw at glance it was
not an official communication, the en-
velope being dainty white one, and the
handwriting almost Enthusiastically that
of lady. It turned out to be very
courteous invitation from Mr.. and Mrs.
M, of Iunishderry Hall Eve Will call
it, who. having heard that some troops
were passing through Moynetown to-
day, hoped for the pleasure of the
officers company at dinner that evening.
This was really a timely as well as a
hospitable offer, SO A, my subaltern,
and [ at once agreed to accept it.
Fortunately, when evening came round,
and the rickety-looking car that was to
to the inn door, the weather had cleared
little. Well do I remember the drive.
the cold, keen air; a pale half-moon
lighting up the somDre landscape; dark
islands Of bog alternating with pools of
shimmering water; hill slopes near but
mysterious. As far as l can remember,
we entered the grounds of Innishderry
Hall about a. mile and Ealf from the
town. Already the country had begun
to wear a prettier aspect; patches of
wood appeared; and after passing the
lodge gate we began to descend a valley
broken, rocky ground, with clumps Of
spruce and larch on either side-till sud-
denly emerging from this; the drive
swept around a corner, and we were in
In view of the sea. A few minutes more
and we were looking 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 In
termingled one with the other to our left,
while on the sight great white lines OF
surf quivered and broke IN the moon
light.
1t was a beautiful scene as it presented
itself to us III the obscurity of the night
time. Possibly by day some of its en-
chantment 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 draw up to it,
seemed large and handsome one. Il
had great many windows, a steep
pitched roof, and was partly ivy-clad
Two long ranges of outbuildings were
attached to it, one at either end, and
from that nearest us as we approached
ran out an old wall snatted with ivy
stems, and forming an inclOsure screened
by row of thorn trees, behind which