Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-31

cudoeled and bounded worse than though dumb
animals, and vet bearing all with the light OF
home-saving shining from their gaunt faces
and hollow eyes, in way sn +; wiung my heart
Where under the sky above us all, where with
IN the civilization Of which we boast, where
within the knowledge-and say it reverentiy
of the God that is, may be found such mex
pressible devotion, such prolonged and meal.
culable suffering, such patience illimitable and
aHow's livery shovelful of yez?- was the la
comic greeting received. s'In regards av ait
in an drinkin' an the like" continued the
harvester, ..ye'l get nuth'n fur nuth'n' on the
bridge O. Kilcock, an yen be only lickin' me
pan fur yer intrusion; though, God knows, yer
welcome as the day to that; an will be attn to
wonct, fur bonny brides aisy dressed. an its
as good world as liver 'twas-ye can still buy
two farthing candles fur ha'penny. Faith,
now, III hold We its true yer feelin' little
pickish (hungry) yerselP'
FEAST.
Yes, yes, yes, and ever yes from me, as he
ratified on. But bidding him wait little, I
brought from the tiny Moycullen post-station
and shop such stores of good things as never
before gladdened two belated winter tramps;
and the warmed blood and grateful spirit set
his tongue to a wondrous wagging, in which 1
recall that he wished with intense earnestness,
May the top of yer head never folly yer
hair" that despite ''the ache o. the govt in the
elbow of his leg" his unexpected happiness
compelled him to dance furious jig upon the
rotten stones of the ruin which proved
so forlorn a performance that he pleaded,
what he lost in the dance he made up in the
whirligig," and called me over and over,
with trembling pathOs in his tones, ga s,it-
ligh ,aachree' Qight of my heart) for the
little human Kindness he had perhaps for the
first time in all his life been shown. Then
got the sore-boned sore-footed wanderer upon
his way. Far over upon the savage Conemara
coast away above Clifden, were his waiting
ones; and knew it would brighten his tramp
to travel beside him. So in the bright winter
day we walked and talked along the walled road,
having no care for the scornful looks of pass
ing nobility, no fear for the suspicious looks OF
passing constabularly, and only answering looks
and words of cheer to the ragged peasantry
terest to even the least indication of effortful
privation and sorrow. Toward midday a
strange cortege passed us and we stood with
uncovered heads the while. An hundred pet
ticoated men and women, from the Ballyna-
hinch mountains to the west, starved, gaunt,
ing a rude, implanted deadlock upon their
shoulders within which lay one dead, went by
on their way to the Moycullen graveyard.
Now and thenthe coffin would be set upon the
earth. Then piteous lamentation arose. Paus-
ing, lamenting, progressing, wailing, the weird,
never from ones memory could be effaced that
awful scene and sound.
STONE POCKETS.
At the side of all Irish roads are found every
few miles walled compartments, open to the
highway, called ''stone pockets for storing
broken stone required from time to time in
road repairs. In one of these we found an old
Irish pensioner breaking stone, as he had done
Tor quarter of a century, at a shilling day.
1t was warm and sunny there in the ''stone
pocket" We divided our food with him, and
the silver-haired old white slave felt he must
make an effort to interest and recompense the
stranger. The royal Irish engineers have a
surveyors mark, or sign which is chiseled into
stone, if such be found at angles of survey. 1t
Is called the broad arrow" or ''crow's foot"
and consists of tiny circle, from which radi-
ate, like the sticks Of a fan, three arrow-like
fluctuations. Bringing us to one of these with
dignity, the old man withdrew his hat, and,
pointing to the broad arrow, asked with i'm
pressive solemnity,
Dye mind that? "
Il do" says I.
''Thim prints?' says he.
1.-The same" says /.
Thin, sir" and here the old man seemed
foot taller for the momentous revelation upon
his lips. thin. sir, wor the tread Of the aigle
before the hoodr'
TWO TRAMPs.
Anu 50 we passed the Gay, we TWO tramps IN
Ireland, reaching lovely little Oughterard as
the shuddering winds brought the night and
the great swirls of fog from the sea. Here
housed my harvester friend, with an extra
bit of silver in his pocket for the needs of the
dreary way he still had to go; came back with
the roaring ''long-car" into the quaint old Gal
way town; overheard by chance among the
stablemen at the post-stations Of this marvel
Gus ittlejMadigan inn where nobody ever came;
because of that sought il ont among the ohosflv
and silent ten-century old streets, hurried into
its wondrous warmth and sweetness by the
startling echoes of my own footballs, receiving
from John Madigan and Ellie, his wife, that
sort of suspicious, boisterous, wondering,
wonderful. tender and awful. Irish welcome.
which makes one gasp to recall, and which
shall be told, as best may, for a most unique,
characterful incident of these west of Ireland
folk. the most unique and characterize people
that live. EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.