Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-02

variably friendly procession, was Its
double character, and remarkably con-
tentious nature.
Some tremendous excitement seemed to
wildly influence both lines of march. On
one side Of the way was bright Irish
maiden, surrounded and protected, as it
were, By parents, relatives and at least two
score aggressively defensive followers. On
the other was smart looking Irish youth
in state approaching frenzy, surrounded
and restrained from some violent purpose
by like retinue Of family, friends and
loyal followers Dropping quietly into
line behind, among the nimble-footed, least
partisan and one might say eommiseratingly
blended followers, l speedily learned the
cause Of the otherwise inexplicable spec
tacle. Nora, the daughter OF Kilreekill
peasant, had been wooed by and betrothed
to Denis, son of q peasant Of Ballynoe. The
Kilreekill father disliked the match, and,
bent on irrevocably breaking 1t of, had got
Nora started thus far toward America.
Denis, wild with grief, had secured Long
ford barony for friends for o rescue, and all
the way from Kilreekill the factions had
attacked each other, retreated, parleyled,
blarneyed, scorned, tfuced, and 50 it went
again to Garbally hamlet, when . cheer of
hope arose in the ranks Of Dennis followers,
for down the hill from behind, sight to do
Cupid's sorry eyes good, came hostof "the
byes"from about 0ghill and Kiltomer. These
rushing down and reinforcing our side--and
say "our side, )" for in some way found
myself giving an elbow to the cause of
Denis, we made as fine q rally and sally as
any one would joy to see, captured the
blushing and willing Nora, bore her trium-
phantly into Balinasloe, and had her safely
and securely married to Denis by an oblig-
ing priest within glorious half hour there
after.
But this happy outcome is one out of q
thousand miserable cases. At every little
station, from Galway or Tralee, eastward;
from Dublin or Wexford, westward; and all
along the lines converging at or toward
Mallow, and thence to Cork, these sad-eyed
Conveying" parties may be seen waiting
for the last embrace, hand pressure or
glimpse of the departing one; and il you
were here and would ride in the ''third-
class" carriages, as do, and could see
each little compartment packed with
from 20 to 30 of these emigrants On their
way to Cork and Queenstown, you
would for the first timein your life realize
you would have more compassion for them
that come. And then, at Hallway, at
Blackpool, at Blarney, ON scramble the beg
gar crew who exc livelihood from the hys-
terical, tender-hearted and simple folk who
are found on every one of these trains de-
parting. Legless pipers pipe most patriotic
airs; blind fddlers set all the breasts heav-
ing and eyes weeping from their tender
Irish melodies; while blind minstrels roar,
"The Harp and the Shamrock of Ould Ire
land" Pennies rain into their cups and
hats like "drop-ripe" wheat shaken by the
wind.
Through this lugubrious misery all are
straining their tear-dimmed sight for q
last look at the warm wales and nesting
homes of Ireiand's tender south. Suddenly
the din of the heroic minstrel music is
almost drowned in the thunder OF the train
rushing through the long tunnel. Ireland,
beloved Ireland, is for the first time blotted
out of sight. The minor chords of the pipes
and the fddles are no match for
the resistless wailings now. Sobs, means,
groans, and pitiful exclsmations of endear-
ment, swell into such touching and grew
some miserere as my ears never before heard.
In flash, and we are in the light again;
and here, half way up the noble heights of
the beautiful city of Cork, in a pandemo-
mum and hubbub Internal, the half a thou
sand tortured souls.are shunted out of their
vile pens, shunted into other vile pens, and
whirled away to Queenstown, amid merciless
robbers and murderous runners" to await
the packing and prodding into the great
steamers hold, and such embarking brutali-
ties as disgrace civilization.
Some one Drawer than I must go there
and write of the heart-breaking outrages
they suffer, and of that last swful moment
when they see the thread-like line of misty
green that lies where Erin is, behind. But
1 have seen enough to Danish forevermore
from my own Yankee" breast all those
detestable traces of bigotry, puritanism,
prejudice, littleness, which are the burn
ing shame of those emigrant descended
American" upstairs, who will welcome
such as these, or the sofe-hearted from any
tyranny -accursed land, with other than a
compassionate soul and generous helpful
hand. EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.