National Republican., 1883-03-03
THE MAID OF MoYTURA.
ny. F. OWENS nLAcKDuRxE.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER /.
ask my readers to accompany me away to
Western Connaught, to the mountain fast
nosses of Mayo, where the Irish speaking race
was not extinct twenty years ago. The coun-
try around is not like "the smiling green
plains of Lcinster," for which Earl Strongbow
of martial memory, conceived such strong
fancy that he married the heircss to them and
thus became their posscssor.
The district is mountainous and stony
Mountain rises against mountain, untilat last
their SUBMITS blend with the clouds which
are always lowering over them, The great
limestone plains arc here and there clothed
with some scanty vegetation, and the few
fields won from the barren soil are oases upon
which the eye gratefully rests. Historic
ground Is this, where the Tuatha-de- Danans
conquered tho Firholgs-the ancient. primi-
tive, half savage race of Ircland-and made
them their slaves. The Miesians n splendid
race, in their turn conquered the Tuatha-de-
Danans, enslaved them, and added them to
their tribe, obliging them even to take their
names, that their tribes might appear TO be the
greater, for the greater the tribe the greater
the glory
The Tuatha-de. .Danans conquered the Fir
bolgs at the famous battle of Moytura fought
upon the great limestone plains which border
the shores Of Lough Corrib. There is yet to
be seen in the neighborhoOd the great Rath
built over the bodies of the dead and gone
warriors; there is also the stone of the priest
ess, called Callagh Dhubh, or the Dark
Woman, concerning whom there have been
many wierd legends in the district and also
there is the great limestone pillar erected no
one know when or why, but nevertheless
looked upon with much superstitious awe by
the surrounding peasantry. The pillar stood
at the junction of three roads, and in the
interstices were stuck q number of small
wooden crosses. 1t presented n curious ap-
pearance to the stranger in the land; and
upon inquiry he was told that it was consid-
cred an act of piety by the Mayo peasant to
place one of those crosses there upon the death
Of any relative or much regretted friend. Not
one in the neighborhood could give reason
for SO doing yet few would have so far out
ragged public opinion as to have omitted the
custom. Some of the more devOut said their
beads " there-kneeling for few moments,
when passing backward or from Moytura to
fair or market at Gortnachurra or Cong-just
to say prayer for the repose of the soul of
some friend or relative.
Pat Holion was evidently one Of the class
which looked upon the pillar as possessing
some peculiar sanctity. The time was
lovely summers evening toward the end Of
June, with the setting sun changing the
clouds Of the mountains from opal to ame-
thyst, as the man knelt there with barred
q
looking creature, with shock of black
shaggy hair which overshadowed his low
forehead, and met his heavy black eyebrows.
As the latter extended, without any division,
right across his face, Pat Holion looked as re-
pulsive and typical a descendant Of the an
cient enslaved Firbolg race as could be found
In all Connaught. He bore, indeed, strong
resemblance to two black pigs which grunted
beside him. The animals rather gained by
the comparison. The pigs grunted-so did
Pat Holion-for the debased colloquial Irish
tongue in which he prayed was as uncouth
and rs gutteral as was the grunting of his
own pigs. IL came more natural to him to
utter his thoughts in Irish rather than in the
less familiar English-but had he spoken in
the latter tongue, this is what he would have
said
"Holy saints want Hanorah varily for
my wife,"
That was the burden of his prayer. He
tried to say more, but he was not eloquent /;
although he felt much he could not utter IT,
so all resolved itself into that one sentence
Why Pat Holion knelt there and addressed
the saints in that particular spot he would
have found 1t difficult to explain, save that
the crosses stuck in the pillar, which was
looked upon with such superstitious awe in
spired his dim, untutored mind with an idea
that there was some peculiar sanctity con-
pected with the place.
He slouched down the road Immediately
hcing the limestone pillar, driving the pigs
before him. and soon reached the village of
aortnachurra. 1t consisted of number of
miserable looking little cabins, with here and
there more pretentious slated house 1t was
unpicturesque to the last degree, squalor and
dire poverty being its predominating charac-
teristics, and as Pat Holion and his pigs
reached the farther end of the village girl
stepped forth from one of the little cabins
from one of the very poorest and most miser-
able looking Ones-whence also proceeded
sounds of angry alteration.
"Grief of me sowl" calculated Pat Holion
in low tone, as the girl approached him
and are they scoldin' you again, HanOrah?'
He spoke In Irish and the girl replied in
the same language. The man gazed furtively
Mt her, whilst the pigs wallowed at their
own sweet will in the refuse before the doors
of the cabins. She was about twenty, bare
armed, bare-headed, aud bare-footed. Her
1uXuriant black hair was bound in one great
knot ut the back Of her we'll shaped head.
Her sparkling violet grey eyes-the eyes of
southern and western Ireland-were shaded
by long dark lashes, which swept her flushed,
glowing cheek Hanorah Varilys red Tipped
mouth was Snapped like Cupid's bow and
each time she spoke or laughed disclosed
set of teeth like two rows of mother.of-pearl
" Yes" she replied, they are at IL again
am up since o'clock this morning, and
worked until an hour ago, wedding, and now
my aunt says Pm not to go to the dance at
BOD kenealys"
! The tears stood in her eyes as sho spoke,
and finally rolled down her cheeks.
"And ] promised Pierce Joyce that I'd
dance with him!" she continued. "oh,
will go ] must go "
I" It's to be a big dance, hear" said Pat
Holion. Maybe your aunt will let you
come"
At this iuneture squeal from one Of tho
pigs caused HanOrah TO look round. The ami
NAL came flying out of the doorway of her
aunts cabin, sod Of turf following in its
wake, that again being followed by big
peasant woman.
"oh, you're there !" she exclaimed as shc
aY Hanorah. "Come along in here, you
lazy thing, and wipeup the mess that rutcheeas 5
pigs has made ThToth / wonder ven
haven't more pride nor to be seen talkin' to
such crathur, that's more like pig nor q
ChTistianI !"
Ann Lynch spoke in English. She was
HanOrahs aunt, and the girl, having been
left an orphan during the famine years, had
hcel brought up by this relative, for whom
she toiled ana shaved from early morn till
Dight Hanorah sullenly obcyed and Pat