Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-03-01
N0RA'S PERIL.
CHAPTER ii.

After breakfast the next morning Colonel
De Burgho said,
~ shall be glad, Mr.. Mervyn, II you can
place day or two at my disposal; ! wish to
consult you about my plans for the renovation
Of my long-desWted castle,-that is TO cay, /
have as yet really formed no plans; what l
rather meant to propose was that we should in-
spect the premises, and the estate, which is
very considerable in extent, and discuss to
gether the best means OF making the former
habtable, and the latter more productive
From the experience have gathered during my
foreign residence, am led to believe that much
might be done to develop its resources-that, i
think, is the correct phase. As regards the
building, II is so vast that to repair the whole
of 1t would be an almost impossible task for a
man of even the largest fortune TO attempt;
but q judicious selection may be made, and as
now contemplate residing here for the re-
msinder Of my life, cannot too soon mature
some plan, and partially carry II out, before
the winter sets in"
replied that nothing would give Inc greater
pleasure than to assist him in giving effect TO
his views, and that a. | had traversed every
portion OF the estate, could, felt confident,
suggest several ways Of improving Its value, ct
no very considerable cost.
Thanking me for my compliance with his re-
quest, Colonel DE Burgho said;
"Well, then, we will spend to-day in inspect
ing the demcsne attached To the castle; 1t is, or
was some three thousand acres in extent, and
my directions To my agent ON leaving home
were TO keep it always in hand, which he W. ties
me he has done, although he has latterly press
ed me To let of some portions which could be
proftably rcnted and, bv the way" said he,
81 may as well inform you at once of my posi-
ton when Inherited the property, which forms
but a fourth part Of the possessions of my an
cestors, and OF my present hopes and expecta-
lions.
~ was born here" he continued, ''and was
my fathers only child My mother died in my
infancy, and may say my only instructors
were the good priest of the parish, and your
friend, my former nurse, Mary McGlone, who
under my mothers auspices had, fortunately
for me, received a better education than per
sons of her class generally acquire. All the
knowledge these kind guardians OF my youth
possessed they impaired TO me, and grew up
here, not well educated indeed, but not In ali
solute ignorance, till had reached the years
of manhood.
"A place ike this has great attractions for
youth of vigorous constitution and active pro
clivities. / enjoyed the sports of the field and
the mode of life pursued by my father, whose
house was always full OF guests, to whom he
dispensed literally rough but abundant hos
pitality. When ! had almost reached my
twenty first birthdsv, and preparations were
being made for celebrating my majority by the
usual festivities, my dear father met with an
hcclueuJ III tue hunting uclu, from WHICH ne
never rallied, and, after few weeks severe
suffering he died, leaving me sole inheritor OF
a heavily encountered estate and dilapidated
castle.
Having paid the last honors TO his remains
took counsel with some old friends Of my fam
ily and they advised me TO sell so much of the
property as would discharge the debt, which /
very reluctantly agreed To do, as H. involved
parting with nearly tbree-fourths Of II. When
the sales were effected, i found myself owner
of a vastly diminished rental and territory, but
released from debt ard the opportunities of
creditors, who made my fathers life miserable;
and also free TO travel, and see the world while
was yet young.
had reason, not many years afterwards, TO
congratulate myself on having taken this
course. for, had delayed, the great deprecia-
ton I'm the value OF property, resulting from
the famine Of 1916, would have ruined me, as 1t
did so many indebted proprietors; what / sold
realized good prices, aud left me respectable
remnant of the ancestral estate intact.
awhile upon this topic" continued the Col
onel, II may as well observe that, In my opin-
ion, no more cruel act of parliament ever passed
the Legislature than that called the Cucumber
ed Estates Act and none to which the arhOr-
Ism fiat cyperimentum In corpore yil' more
truly applies. Sir Robert Peel, no doubt, was
great statesman, but he was a man Of appre-
heusive, nervous political temperament; and
indeed, all English statesmen OF that era acted
upon panic View,' both regards free trade
In corn, and Irish legislation; both these
measures were carried by an impnlsive squirt
Against the principle OF either do not mean
to argue; but they should have been more
prospective In their operation. As it was, the
unfortunate Irish landlord had at the same
time TO encounter the potato famine and a
heavy depreciation in the price of grain and
cattle; the English markets, as the result Of
the sudden abolition OF the corn duties, being
at once deuged with unusually large importa-
lions OF foreign produce. At this juncture,
mortgages, influenced by panic and greed, sud
denly foreclosed TO an enormous extent, lodged
petitions for sale, aud hurried into the market
millions of acres In the south and west of Ire
land, which are bought up by land spectators,
mary of them the petitioning creditors, at half
their value. Hundreds of the old families of
the country were thus suddenly ousted and
thrown upon the world without shilling, and
where they have all vanished to is incompre-
hepsible.
"IIad the act been prospective, allowing
some two or three years To elapse before be-
coming operative, many of these unfortunates
would now be In my happier position, of bav-
ing portion of their estates left to them: but
embarrassed proprietors TO ell; capitalists will
buy them out; settle, improve the country,
employ the people, and emigration will cease.
This cry was irresistible backed up as 1t was
by the whole Manchester party, with Peel and
Golden at their head and many OF the old
Irish proprietors we're swept away, unpitied
and unwept. In some few instances capitalists
did take their places, but by far the greater
number of purchasers W ere spectators, who
at once proceeded 10 clear the land of popula
ton, with the view of reseling at a profit,
which many OF them have sipce done.
''Sir Robert Peel, as alsol those who sue
ceeded him, / repeat, were impulsive, sen
sationl legislators, as regarded their Irish
measures, holding on TO the last TO an
Anticipated and unsound political econ
omy, and then giving way In a
panic of demonstrative repentance coming
down by the rum and running hundreds of the
Irish aristocrary by their reckless precipi
fancy"
"Your structures on their policy, Colonel, y
said >" are very severe"
"Not a whit too severe" he replied; "and
the natural result will supervene-tlieir ex
ample will be followed by other great states
men hereafter, and we shall have crop Of
Sensational, otherwise exceptional Legislation
for Ireland. Some OF my relatives were among
the sufferers, and feel so actuely on the sub
iect, that you must pardon this long depression
81 will. now" said Colonel DE 9urgho, ICON
tinue my personal narrative. was about Il