The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-08
pARNELL's AvoNDALE HOME.
Impressions a Stranger Gets Of the
Place-NeRlect Everywhere,
From the Pal Hall Gazette.

Place-Neglect Everywhere,
From the Pal Hall Gazette.
It was during the Easter vacation last
year. 1 formed one Of a party of
four or five students on a walking
tour through the county of Wick
low, and had left Glendalough,
our last hating place, that morning. We
had got over a good deal Of ground, and got
| a good deal out of our bearings, when, on
making inquiries as to our whereabouts, we
| learned that we were in the neighbor-
| hood Of MIR. Parnells estate at Avon
dale. We had no particular destination
/ IN view at the time, so we decided
to pay a visit to the residence OF
this remarkable man. and get peep at the
| interior if possible. We were soon directed
| thither by some country people, who seemed
| to have no uncomfortable pride at the fact
of the Irish leader having his home IN their
midst. The entrance to the estate was ex-
tremely unpretentiOus. very old man sat
at the door of the lodge, dressed in the now
fast-disappearing costume of the typical
Irish pleasant, who pulled away at a short
pipe, and placidly regarded US with kind
of far-oR look In his eyes. He did not
evince the slightest curiosity as to who we
were or what we might want, but quietly
removed his old dudeen and babe us good
not like to intrude further on the reverie of
this ancient relic by seeking for directions
to the house, 50 we walked on along the
drive.
A short distance through some fine trees
brought us to the house itself, which stands
at the top of grassy slope, and appears
two-storied from one side and three-slded
from the other. 1t is small and of plain de-
sign on the exterior, and appears to have
been Quilt somewhere about the latter part
Of the asst century. The door was opened
| by the housekeeper, who told usthat none
of the family were at nome, but that she
would be happy to show us over the place if
we would leave our car Is, according to Mr..
Parnelps directions. This we did, and en-
tered Neglect seemed written every
where; but then we recollected that the
master of the bouse was unmarried. and
that the general degree of neatness and
order around was no worse than that
usually displayed in q students rooms.
In the center of the hall stood an ancient
billiard table, with a faded green cloth. A
great wood fire blazed in the big, od-fash-
Toned CRATE, and on the walls there hung
some of the usual paraphernalia of such an
apartment. Empty cartridge boxes and
ammunition were scattered here and there
on a side table; a rife occupied an uneasy
position along with heap of lumber, but
by far the most striking and suggestive
feature was the enormous accumulation of
deliberately illuminated and massively-
framed addresses that had been presented
to the leader by corporate bodies of all
kinds throughout the country. These lay
about everywhere like pictures in dealers
storeroom. They had to stay where they
were, for they we're far too numerous to fit
anywhere else. We passed on to the
drawing room, which presented
very crowded-out appearance: the super
abundance of chairs, tables, books, orna-
mentS, and articles of virtu of all kinds
was accentuated by host of silver cups
and vases, silver trowels, and, believe, a
silver spade and wheelbarrow,
and one or two silver-mounted hurting
Sticks and all kinds of presentation ware
wrought in all kinds of national and en-
blematic designs. Everything seemed
| jumbled together into a promiscuous mass.
The pictures on the wall were of various
descriptions and degrees of merit. Here
was a white marble chimneypiece inlaid
with colored floral designs, rare style of
art, the secret OF which seems to have died
with its inventor, an Italian who worked IN
Dublin
We were next shown into the library
Mr. Parnells sanctum. 1t was very snug
and very cosy, and suggestive of lettered
| ease and retirement. The books consisted
for the most part of volumes of the jour-
nails of the House of Commons, whether of
England or Ireland l could not say. A
| vast deal of correspondence was carelessly
strewn about everywhere, and | could not
help thinking that any person so disposed
had only to abuse the courtesy allowed to
callers to acquaint himself with the nature
of these communications. Mr.. Parnell
when at home, uses this room almost ex-
clusively. The windows here commanded
a splendid view OF the mountains opposite
the valley, stretching away to the south
east. Altogether, this was by far the most
inviting part of the house. Leaving the
room to the dining room opposite, which
was, like most other dining-rooms, a har-
monv in mahogany.
Our guide now brought us to the room
where Mr.. Parnell was reared, which she
seemed to regard as the most sacred spot of
all. 1t was entirely devoid of furniture,
save an old box containing empty wine
bottles that lay in one corner of the room
We strolled out and on past the house and
down the slope past the valley below. The
river seemed to be the very ideal OF trout
stream, one succession of falls, rapids, deep
pools and ripping reaches, but believe the
fish to be had therein are few and small.
owing, perhaps, to the metalliferous nature
of the rock formation in the locality. On
the other side of the valley the mountains
rose rugged, rocky and abrupt, but the
banks of the river were well wooded, es-
pecially on our side, a little further on.
where we passed through a wood contain
ing some splendid old trees We continued
our walk through the estate for some miles
till we came to the far famed Vale of
-Avoca.