The Dickinson press., 1889-04-20
ON THE RIVER SHANNON.
AN OLD IRISH TOWN WHERE THE
WOMEN ARE BEAUTIFUL.

| AN OLD IRISH TOWN WHERE THE
WOMEN ARE BEAUTIFUL.
The Legend of st. Mary's Bells. Whose
| Chimes Tollcd Their Makers Dcath-A
Little Scene at the station-Popular,.y
| of English Novels.
| After Skibbereen and many of tho West
Cork towns it is delightful, indeed, to find
ones self in pleasant Limerick. To the lover
OF the ancient and the modern the city offers
equal attractions. In the English town,
which is tho oldest portion, the narrow
| streets are rs quaint us any one could meet
in Normandy. AT ono time this was the
choicest residence quarter, and here, defend
ell 10y high walls, tho freemen of the CITY
lived, and did all its business in dignitied So
clusion, apart from the moro "Irshry," their
ncshbors, who, being neither Protestant nor
loyal" wero relgiously kept from all
chances of money making in the unprosper-
Gus Irish town. Here all tho wholesome
bounds and restrictions which hedged in tho
Celtic inhabitants were devised and from
hero Mt tho outbreak Of the American war
| three volunteer corps started to aid King
Georges army
| Now both sections are alike decayed.
Fashion and business have forsaken them
for Ncwton-Pcry, a modern addition to the
city, built within tho last ninety years. 1t
would bo hard to find anywhere finer street
than its principal thoroughfare Georges
street. Ekcd out by Patrick street and the
Crescent, it extends for about mile one long
line Of handsome buildings and well stocked,
attractive shops Tho women of Limerick
are famous for their beauty, and in the
crowded street wo saw many in the rustic
garb, rs well as in fashionable attire, who
borc testimony to tho truth of that reputa-
| ton.
TIE SWEET GINNING BELLS
| Wellesley bridge and Thomond bridge
across tho Shannon aro noble structures,
well worthy of tho river they span, andNo-
| sides these four other bridges connect ..riols
portions of the city divided by tho Abbey
stream. King Johns castle, St Mary's
| church and tho treaty stono are the princi-
pal historical lions of Limerick, and very in
tcrcstins they all are.
Or st. Marys bells tho lovely old legend is
told that their maker, an Italian, because of
the surprising sweetness of their tone, ha, Il
love approaching worship for them. Being
Ill need OF money he was Obliged to sell them
| TO convent, which in a troubled time was
| sacked and its inmates and belongings scat
tered. In his old age tho maker of the bells,
broken in fortune and health and only longing
once more to hear the beloved bells for which
| he had long and fruitlcssly sought, found him
self OH tho broad bosom of tho Shannon in
tho vessel that had conveyed him from tho
south. 1t was evening; Iimcrick's towers
rose before him in the sunset light, and tho
evening peace was Oh all things. Suddenly
from st. Marys belfry tho evening chimes
rang out, chimes that made his heart leap to
henr-thcy wcro his long sought darling bells!
UP tho broad stream went the boat. the
chimes still playing with tender Ausic, the
Old man lying back with folded h ,nds and
look of unutterablo happiness OF his face
deadl
Atalittle station outside Liner ck d, Young
Lady got into our compartment An aiIer-
tionate party of friends were the e to 500 her
of, and while we remained beside the plat.
form she and they were consumed with grief.
Ono old lady interrupted her sobs every once
III Il while TO remind the Traveller of various
articles i'll tho shawl strap and lunch baskct,
which would DO essential to her comfort dur
Ing her journey-tlc shepherds plaid shawl,
| tho thick veil, the sandwiches and tho sherry
| iiask-but tho girl sobbed on behind her
handkerchief as if meat and drink would
evermoro lo odious to her. The young man
staring ruefully at her with his heart in his
| eyes, ;ls they say here, was, | think COM
tortcd by this last, and | was rather glad
when, all tho good-bys being over and the
train well out of tho stntion, Le was not
there to see how promptly she flung grief to
tho winds and settled herself comfortably for
tho journey with novel Of Ouida for be-
guilcmcnt up to Dublin.
| HASTE TO THE WEDDING.
Tho SUD was shining over u smiling country,
already well awakened out of its winter sleep
On tho waysde banks the glory of the furze
1 bloom was like another sunshine, the brown
of the plowed fields WIS in rcL contrast with
tue deep green headlands, ana here ana lere
In the hollows there was the de,, m- MY
gold Of tender pri1nroses and .Ac 1f e, dog
violcts. More than once we o;,,I.. n, .i,5.t If
| gay procession of ''wcddngers uas..:..5 m
| the long procession of the "hauing home w
to tho village church, where curious crowd
awaited them
In the perfect spring day the sight of the
| gayly dressed merry makers headed by II
tuncful piper, playing Haste to the We'd
| ding" in his livcliest style, was charmingly
idyllic, aud one willingly forgot for the time
that after the wedding bells and the music
it would bo tho samo old round of scrupins
and dclving and warning against overwhclm-
ing odds for those for whom the piper played
so chccrily.
1t had not escaped me upto this that in the
book shops and at the railway stalls the tic
tional literature offered is almost entirely
English, Ouida, Wilkio Collins, George Mere
dith, Miss Braddon, John Strange Winter,
Rhoda Broughton, within substantial Eng
lish dress. Tolstoi and Zola himself are the
guides, philosophers, and friends of the Irish
novel reading public just nov Women
everywhere are the chief novel readers. and
remembering ho" much of the morality of Il
race depends on the mothers the array of
names just given cannot fail to strike an Oh
server rather painfully
'But what arc VIC to do2' quercd nv com
panion to whom l said something like tins
There is no Irish authors male or female,
writing novels now, and the old wr!la,.5,
Baninl, Lever, Carleton and Lover. b.s.d.s
being vulgar were not true"
"But, Griffin" l said, hotly, eager to de.
fend him whose beautiful story and songs cro
of the very essence Of tho land ti.a. lost him
all too soon.
"Oh, Grif1in!' sho cried, "but who wants
to read whole lot of old fashioned trogu,
and things when there are lovely rlo,.4.i
novels, perfect in English, to b, ha.. III
plenty!'
And SO we left our young friend, With lei.
Folio Farinc and her flask of strong sa2:Iy
as refreshments, for her six hours Journ4g-
Limerick Letter in Chicago Times.
Franklin and tho Convention.
When tho illustrious Franklin was in his
cightieth year he found tho duties of t.linls
fer to pnriS foo frreat for his S+ro,--n ,r1