New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-06
THE MAID OF MOYTURA.
BYE. OWENS BLACKBURNE.

ern Connaught 10 the mountain Businesses businesses 80,
,rb.re the disappearing race was not extinct
,wsntv wear, ago. The country around ~ MOI IKE
- the smiling green pla ms OF Leiuster LOT "uop
Farl Stron CHOW of martial memory, conceived sucn
strong fancy that he married tue heiress 10 tnein
and thus became their po,seSsor ,,
The district l. mountainous and stony. Mouu-
tam rises against mountain, un II at last VieH sun
ruits blend with the clouds which are always nov
erInp over them The great limestone pi"luS al0
here and there clothed win sphe s s - ,,l
ron and the few fields won from ne Da rem son
ar GASES upon which the eye gratefully tes'S; ms
toric ground is tins where the Iuatnh "h i n'
cnnonered the tIrbOg>-the ancient prlnl' Ne he'I
savag. race of Ireland-and made them their saves
The Nleslans, splendid race IN tneif turu ooti
crared The Iuatha-de- Dauans, enslaVtd lheh auu
saded them 10 their tribes Onligng theih even !"
Iake their names, that thei tribes might appear
TO be the greater, for the greater the 'r'Oo' '"'
The Tuatha de Danans conquered the fIrboIgs
at he famous Battle of MOytura. fought upon tbe
great limestone plains when border the SHORES 81
Tough COrrb. There ~ yer 10 De seen III 'c no'su
borhood the great Rata built over tie bodies OF the
dead and gone warriOrs there Is also the stone OF
the pr1estess called CaIiaGh IhHba, or the Dark
Woman concerning whom there baVe oeen many
weird legends IN the district anu also theIe Is the
y,eat limestone pillar, erected no one kue" Whcn
or Uhv but nevertheless looked upon y ith much
snerstitOus awe by the surrounding pea'aG'ry,
Tine liar stood at the junction OF three roads ana
IN it's nterstices were stuck a NUMBER OF sH"H
wooden crosses. Ii presented "A curious appearance
20 the stranger in the land aud upon unHnily ne
vas told that II was considered an act II piety 10y
tie MAYO peasant to place one OF those crosses
there upon the death of any relative or much-'e-
give reason for so doing yet few MouIu nave so lii
outraged public opinion TO nave 9u'tteu VHr
custom. Some of the more dev"ut sald ue.t
heads there neeling for e lew moments wien
pas.iDo backward or tOl ward from MOytuia 10
far or market at GOrtnachurra or Cong Just TO say
a PRAYER tor the reposs OF the soul OF some Hlehu
Pat HoGon was evidently one of the class which
looked upon the pillar as possessing some ecuildI
s.nctitv The time was a lovely summers evening
toward the end o. June, with Tue Net'lng sun
changing the clouds OF the mountains from opal 10
amethyst. as the man kneit there with Dared neal
IN. was a stunted. swaTthy slavlsh- lOol1ng cIent-
nre with a snock Of black, shaggy haF wulCh
overshadowed ms low forehead ana met ms nsa'y
black eyebrows As the latter extended without
auy division. right across his lace, Fai IlOlou
looked as repusIVe and tyHcal descendant Oh
the ancient ensaved tir9OIg race a. cOuiu ..
fouud in all Connaught He bore, Indeed strong
resemblance to two black pigs when gruhien DO
SIDE him. The animals rather gained Oy the coil
parison. The PIGS gTunted 50 dld Fat iloil"hI
for The deceased c0Oqulai lrlsh tongue III "-Icu
he PRAYED was UncOGth and as gut'ura, ae was
the grunting Of his own pigs IL Game more haV-
nral 10 him TO utter his tLOu9hts ia lrisu Tathef
than in the less familiar EngiIsh-Dut hdd ne
spoken in the latter tongue TINS 10 WHAT he "'"i"
Holy SAINTS l want Hauorah Varuy for my
wife , H. ..;o5 -
sav more hut he was not eloquent although no
felt much he could not utter 1t, so an f,s'!Feo
seif into that one sentence. Why Fat hohoh khelt
there and addressed the saints IN that paiucuiar
spot ne would have found ii dllhcult To "a pi'iu'
Saw mat the crosses stuck IN tue pillar winch as
bio dim nntutored mind with an idea that there
was some peculiar sanctty connected WIN 1he
place. ,..., f,o....
the limestone pillar. dri wing the PIGS before Hi
and soon reached the village OF Nortnac hurra' IL
consisted of number of MISUNDERSTANDING httle
cabins with here and there more pIetehtiOus
slated house. 1t was unpIcturt sque 10 tne lasl
degree squalOr and dire poverty uelng ~ pIeu0hl
mating characteristics, and rs Pa holon ana ms
pigs he'd the father cad o. the village glrl
stepped forth from one 81 the ltue caoHs, IIon
on of the very poorest and most miserable ING
ones; whence also proceeded SOUNDS OF angry al
tCrief of me sowlv CALCULATED Pat Holion in a
low tone as the girl approached him. anu are
they scodn YOU again llanorsh
lie spoke Irish and the glIl replied ~ the same
language. The man gazed furiively at her. whilst
the pigs wallOwed at their own sweet VIII III the
refuse before the doors OF the cabins. sac was
about twenty, bare. armed, are-headed' ana Dare
footed Her luxuriant black barr was bOnnd IN
great knot az the back OF Aer well shaped mead
Her sparkling vIOletgrcy eyes-tDe eyes Oh south
ern aud Western Ireland-were shaded by long dark
lashes which swept her flushed, glowing cheek;
UanoraH Varilys red Tipped mouth was shaped
like Cupd's bow. and each time she spoke or
laughed disclosed set OF teeth Ike TWO rows Oh
mother of pearl.
up since five o'clock this morning. and worked nm
I'll an hour ago, wedding, an Low my aunt says
I'm not 10 20 TO the dance at Bob kenealys
The tears stood in her eyes as she spoke ana
finally rolled down her cheeks.
And promised Pierce joyce that " uan'e
with him . she continued. Oh will go! | must
It's to be a big dance hear SAID Pat Holion.
Maybe your aunt will let You come
AT tins iuncture a suueal from one of the pigs
caused HanOrah to look round. The animal came
fyng out OF the doorway of her aunts cabin a sod
OF turf following in IFS wake that again being lO-
lowed by big peasant woman.
Oh, you're therep she exclaimed, as she saw
HanOrah. Come along here, you lazy thing,
and wipe up the mess that rutcheeHs pigs has made
Throthl | wonder yeh haven't more pride nor to
be taikIn to such a crathur that's more Ike
pig a Christian?
Ann Lynch spoke IN English She was Hanorah's
aunt and the girl. having been left an orphan dur
lnc the famine years had been brought up by tins
relative, for whom she tOlied ana shaved from early
morn TIL night. HanOrah sullenly Obeyed and Fat
HOliOn went his way with his pigs the sharp
words Of Anu LynLh ringing through his brain.
lie knew he repulsve-lOokllg- and. to him,
HalOrah Narily was beautiful as the dawn. lie
wished her aunt had not spoken OF him IN that way
before Hanorah for Pat iOou loved the girl with
chivalrOus devotion which was as "a religion unto
him. HanOrah only a poor girl. She had
never bonnet nor a pair If shoes and stock
IN her life yet the respectful homage Welded
TO her by Pat HOlon was such as au empress
might feel e,ateful for The gir was a rnstic h,le.
the merriest laugh at fair of wake was Uanorah
Nanly's hers was the lghtest foot in the dance
and she had lovers IN p enty. Pat Holion wo
clipped her. Unknown to her, he followed her
home constantly rom wakes and dances. simply
for tine purpose of keeping watch her TO make
sure that no Insulted her. She was the lode
star Of his existence but, aware of his own per-
sonal defects the man never dared to aspire to he
che Of her lovers.
He was the pig-driver at the big house. and
having put his charges for the night Pat HollOn
weuded his way toward his own little cabin. where
he lived with two unmarried sisters. somewhat
older than he Was They were aId-wOIking,
swarthy, low-sized women. much of the same
stamp their brother, who was soon seated at his
supper OF potatoes and butterInilk.
Bridget Holion stood at the cabin door Knitting
Not stockings for bersef-for neither she nor her
sister had ever worn a shoe or stocking IN their
nVes-Out for sale at tie town oil cong on market
There's ianorah VaIily crossin' down by
Murtaghs 1orreen,' she said suddenly; An shure