The Irish standard., 1888-08-11

IN her writings, and taxes
now aud then the rather Objectionable
form Of moralising and preaching, This
is the only fault, in my opinion, to be
found in her work. She has been far
more successful than Lady Morgan in
depicting the manners and customs Of
the peasantry, she is altogether free from
the caricaturing Of Lever and Lover;
but she falls somewhat behind the
Banims, Griffin, and Carleton in the ex-
tent OF her acquaintance with the national
characteristics Of the people. Her hus-
band says her books were never popular
III Ireland, though very popular, i'll every
other country. He accounts for that in
this way
she tried, as she did by her bonnet
ribbons, to blend the orange and green
She saw in each party much to praise
and much to blame, but what one party
approved the other condemned. and be-
tween two stools-the adage is trite.''.
I think the fault to which have re-
ferred was more than anything the cause
OF her seeming appropriately. Nobody
likes to be- preached at in novel. Then
the schoolmaster was not so much
abroad in the days Mrs. Hall wrote as he
is in these days; and if her, novels could
now be procured III cheap form they
would, no doubt, be widely read. ''She
loved her country and it's people dearly, "
writes her husband. No one can galnsay
that.
Her husband tells some extraordinary
anecdotes Of her forgetfulness Of her
own writings. lie writes
"Her sketches and tales OF Irish char
acter were numerous; yet, even when
their number 1s kept in view, Che reader
may find it difficult to credit the accuracy
of the following Observation-Disclosures
about 1860 we were travelling from
Liverpool to London. 1 had bought for
amusement on the way some OF the serial
publications of that time. I saw her
reading one Of them with great attention.
She put it into my hand, saying, Read
that, it is capital Irish story [ looked
at it and said, well, that's modest at
any rate, for it's your own She had
read it through, and had evidently
pondered over it without the slightest
idea that she had written it. The story
may be comprehended when [ add that
whatever she wrote she rarely read after
it was written, leaving it entirely for me
to prepare it tor the printers and revise
proofs, never thinking to question my
Judgment as to any erasure OF addition l
might make. Several of her I1sh
sketches--one I particularly remember
being Well see about It'-she wrote
between The morning and evening Of a
summer day. I remember seeing her
reading THE Whiteboy,' bordering and
wondering how the author would manage
to dispose Of the hero OF the tale"
Her forgetfulness Of having written
''The Whiteboy' is certainly an amazing
curiosity of literature" 1t is her most
ambitious novel, and perhaps the best.
Il deals with the agrarian war which
ragged in Kerry and Cork in that dark
and dismal period Of Irish history which
preceded Catholic Emancipation, when
the people were ground down by merci-
less rackrents and as merciless 1.-THE
charges, and with no hope Of legal re-
dress, banded togetherin the oath-bound
Whiteboy Association, and met cruelty
with cruelty and outrage with outrage.
The work is written in spirit of kindli-
ness towards the people, and in sympathy
with their suHerings. It contains many
characters raey Of the, soil, and is
marked by incidents conceived and
drawn in the highest dramatic spirit.
Mrs. Hall also wrote three successful
dramas, one of which, ''The Groves of
BlarneY,' was founded on an Irish story
from her own pen.
Mrs. Hall died at Devon Lodge, East
Molessy, on Sunday, 30th January, 1881.
On the 9Th of that month she had enter
sained large circle Of friends in honor
of her 81st birthday, and played and
sang to them with all her accustomed
health and sprightliness. Her illness
was 80 slight up to the hour Of her death
as to give no warning Of the departure
so nigh at hand In the morning her
husband was leaning over her pillow,
when she opened her eyes and smiled
up to him. He asked her did she know
him. She smiled again. 'tThen say
darling said be. She said the one
word darling breathed into his lips,
and was dead.
Mrs. Hall was inferred in the grave in
which her mother had already been laid
to rest in the burial ground attached to
A