The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-07-31

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families of long, unbroken line, and gives
notice by pitiful lamentation, often accom-
panied by the wringing and clapping of
| hands, OF approaching death. BY those
| who believe in her In Ireland to-day, she
! is sometimes regarded as a spirit from
| purgatOrial realms, released from pen
nance when this pathetic mission is ac-
! complished; by some she is thought to be
a direct envoy from the spirit world; but
! by all she is believed to be the temporary
/ personation of some deceased member of
| the family TO which her grievOus message
is brought She is never trifed with,
! startled or vexed, for if this would hap
| pen the banshee would never again honor
! the same family, at least for a generation
| OF time, with its tenderly plaintive pres
ence.
All Irish FAIRIES are capable Of confer
/ ring sure benefits and their power for
| Furnishing evil is boundless. Conse-
| quently they are folk commanding more
| than ordinary respect; and they are uni
versally spoken of either in the tender
or friendly manner of ''our neighbors,"
or with that delicate Difference easily
! recognizable in the appellation of ''the
good people" Ghosts, phantoms and
demons form a goodly part OF the fairy
phantasmagoria of Ireland. One of the
most hideous of these, and yet fellow of
infinite drOllery, is the dullaghan. He is
generally found with his head under his
arm, IN his pocket, or where there are
number of them together, flinging it mer
rily at some other dullaghan, or engaged
with it in games of football; and | fancy
Washington Irving had got an ink
ling OF Irish dullaghans before
he penned his inimitable tales
OF 'Ichabod Crane" and rip Van
Wrinkle" ! found them curiously occu-
pied in the southwest of Ireland. The
Kerry fishermen claim that once each
year, at a certain time of the tide, ship
manned with a headless crew sails thrice
around Nalentia island IN search of a for
mer pirate captain, who lost his head and
ship in that channel in an engagement
with Queen Aune's forces. Ballindollag-
han, in county Roscommon, was a noted
haunt of these odd creatures, and was so
named in their honor. Drumarraght. in
county Fermanagh, is "the place of spec
tiers, "arraght" being Irish Tor an appari-
ton. Then there are shirtless COLLINS;
for Tough Gillaganleny, the name of sew
eral tiny lakes in Ireland, means nothing
more nor less than "the lake of the shirt
less fellows" Tobertasha is a coffin
shaped well. near Kilnamona, in Glare
and the Specification of its Celtic name,
'Tobar-a' -taise," is the "well of the
ghost kIlleennagallive Irish, C,dli,-nG-
Bdeqlbb) in Tipperary, is ''the little church
OF the phantoms" Again there are fairies
who do nothing but play at conan, or
hurley. and the fairy fort OF Lisfarbegna-
gommaun, near Corrofn, in Clare, is sim
ply "the tort OF the little hurlers.' The
dancing fairies gave Lissarinka its name
the fort OF the dancing. Certain old
forts or raths in the south of ireland
called LissakeOle, mean the fort Of the
fairy music While Lisnateedy, from
fe1d. a whistle, Is ''the fort of the whstling
fairies" The POoka is wonderful sprite
OF merriment and cunning. In fact, he is
the Irish (pUca) Puck. He whisks through
countless legendary tales. a ripple of
laughter and CLEAN OF light; and scores
OF places in Ireland whose names bear his
own, or some of its many notifications,
attest his universal popularity.
But of all Irish FAIRIES the most exasper-
atingly impish practical joker is the lepre-
chaun. He has many names In Celtic such
as luprachaun, luricane, lurrigadsne, cluri-
cane, luppercadane, lOughryman, and the
correct designation from which all these
corrections have come, luchOrpan, from lu,
everything very small, and corpan,
diminutive Of corp, body. Leprechaun
Is the name now universally bestowed in
Ireland upon this merry little spirit. He
is still more Familiarity known among the
peasantry as ''tbe little imp in green" To
a hairs breadth he Is just twelve inches
in hight He is dressed in a little green
coat with long dainty tails, bright scarlet
vest, the prettiest knee-breeches of
purple velvet you ever beheld, with
green silk hose and low pumps
monds or sparkling drops of dew. There
is a iaunty barrhad or cap on his head,
with the daintiest of dudheens stuck I'M
der the band at one side, and a jewel of
emeralds in the form OF a shamrock at the
other A film OF lace made from rarest
cobweb Is gathered at his throat, another
foamy rift of the same rolls over the edges
OF his little vest, and he wears a wonderful
fob of wrought and blazing gold. His eyes
are no bigger than dolls beads, but they
are the merriest eyes that ever glistened.
His mouth is very large from continuous
laughter, and his paunch is something
wonderful to behold, developed into out
rageous proportion from the shaking OF
his sides from uncomfortable merriment;
all the result OF his Jokes, receptions and
diversions" upon those who endeavor to
use him Tor gain Indeed the little fellow
seems to embody the idea OF an endless
torment and scourge TO those who permit
themselves to become possessed OF I'M
molly greed and avarice.
Patient plodding, hard labor, and a
CHEEKY spirit under deprivation and suf-
fering, are all worthy and true character
istics OF the lowly OF Ireland. These are
surely more or less rewarded in various
WAYS by the leprechaun; but woe to the
sOrdid spirit who endeavors to amass
riches through the agency OF this ''little
imp in green" His is the power to give
sudden and great wealth. He has mills
and mines and store-houses Of treasure
innumerable. He is to every Irish man,
woman and child as the end of the seduc-
tive rainbow and its kettle of gold. to our
own chlldhood's fancy, with this IN
portant difference. The leprechaun is an
entity; an actually. No one dare deny
his possession of all the treasures neces-
sary to instantly lift one from poverty to
power and riches. Thousands of aching
Irish eyes have Toasted upon his gorgeous
person and tantalizing face. Besides, you
have the evidence of scores of places
in Ireland being named from his
known haunts. Near the old city of
Cong in Mayo, there is the Mullen
lupraghaun cave, OF "the leprechaun's
mill" Here in former times good
people left their caskeens of corn alright
fall, and came the next morning to find
them full Of meal ground by the obliging
leprechauns during the night Only the
~ har dov ocoauda1 Observation-Disclosures,