The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-09-08


Several years ago It fell to my lot to be on
the march with subaltern of my regiment
in Ireland. I was taking a detachment into
q remote part of the country, where, [ be-
lieve. some disturbances was apprehended,
and we had been started off at pretty short
notice. Ihave even now lively recollection
of long railway journey the dingy stations
we passed, the tedious stOppages, occasional
FLASHES Of rain against the carriage windows,
and our final exit from the train in dark,
draughty shed with a sloppy platform From
here we had a good long march to haltine-
place, through a sad-colored waste, past hill
sides of black bog, hardly a fence worth call
ing one to be seen, now and then a tumble
down hovel by the roadside, and off and on
the rain pelting down in the sort of search
lug cold showers one gets in bleak parts of
Ireland in the Autumn time. The town
where we were to stay the night was no ex-
ception to the general dinginess. After set
ting the men down into their billets, we
" prospected the principal inn in the place,
got couple of very middling bedrooms, and
made up our minds to make the best of the
situation. We had divested ourselves of our
with its welcome peat piled fire, examined
some hideous sacred prints hung round the
walls-among them I remember one of St.
Veronica displaying a 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 in and handed to me. with A mes
sage that some one was waiting for an an
swer. 1t was addressed to 'The officer com.
manding detachment, Regiment - but one
saw at glance it was not an official commu.
nicatiOn, the envelope being a dainty white
one. and the handwriting almost unnistaka-
bly, that of lady. 1t turned out TO be a very
courteous invitation from a Mr.. and Mrs.
NJ, of Innishderry 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 time
lya well as a hospitable offer; so A. nv
subaltern, and I at once agreed to accept It.
Fortunately, when evening came round.
and the rickety-looking car that was to Jolt
us to our entertainers claetered up to the inn
door, the weather had cleared little. Well
do 1 remember 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 m ysterious. As far as I can remeu-
Der, we entered the grounds of Innishderrv
Hall about mile and half 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 valley-broken, rocky ground.
with Jumps Of spruce and larch on either
slde-till suddenly emerging from this, the
drive swept round a corner, and we were In
view of the sea. A few minutes more and
we were looking down over charming little
bay shut In by cliffs, with boat high and
dry up the beach, and from this point till we
sighted the lights of the house, copse. park.
and heather intermingled one with the other
to our left while on the right great white
lines of surf quivered ard broke in the moon
light.
1t was beautiful scene as it presented IT,
self to us in the obscurity of the nighttime.
Possibly by day some of its enchantment
might have been missing, but we did not see
IL In daylight Such as it was, it probably
impressed me and stamped itself in my mem
ory, more on account of the subsequent in
cidents which ensued than anything else.
The house, as we drew up to it. seemed a
large and handsome one It had a great
many windows, a steep-pitched roof and
was partly ivy-clad. Two long ranges of ont
buildings were attached to it, one on either
end, and from that nearest us as we an
preached ran out anrold wall matted with
ivy-stems, and forming an enclosure screen
ed oy row of thorn trees, behind which one
could Just make out the ruined gable AMI of