Morning journal and courier., 1889-01-19
ABOUT IN IRELAND.

is to be an investigation.
 
 ABOUT IN IRELAND.
 ssrwo-EyedBeefstea for Breakfast
 Irish JoviaIty-Ah, It is Love, Hut Love-True Reverence.
 GALWAY, Ireland, January 7. To Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 "An' wull ye be havin' two-eyed beef steak for yer breakfast the mornin'a" sang Ellie Madigan at the wide open door of my cavernous room in the quaint old Madigan inn of Galway. had been lying in my six- teenth century Irish bed in 8 half doze and dream, hearing robin at the casemated window flood the winter morning with me- lodious promise of fair weather. But never sang robin sweeter than came the Irish notes of melodious good will from Ellie Madigan's rosy lips.
 sat bolt upright and stared at the happy couple, for John Madigan, tall and clean shaven. fine as priest and grave as the sly blade he is, stoed behind his fair Ellie, his two big hands tenderly laid upon her ample shoulders, his lips innocently pursed, but with a thousand wrinkles in his solemn, up- raised eyes; Ellie, the while, all attention to
  1 wise and backward eloquent passes at her si- lent husband ssfor the thricks that wor in him.'
 "Beggin' yer pardon, sor," continued Ellie radiantly, ''but ye see ould Nell Morris an a crew O thim air sthandin' feminist the dure, batein' each other with their skibs for first spaehe, knockin' the sky out wid their mur- therin' ways, an sind, sor, top O the morn in, an God bliss an save ye the day an | thim, pair O the heartsomest two-eyed | beefsteaks that iver come for siventy-an'- ! siven year by hand O Claddagh mina" How pretty she looked, and how proud John was as she delivered this great speech But was half in and half out of bed, con- fronted by woman and a quandary. What, l in the name of Irish tradition, were "two- eyed beefsteaksf" In temporization lay my only escape; for could hear the importur nate voices of the honest hsh-wives below, 1 rising shrill and shriller up the winding | stairway; knew that their gaunt forms would follow at the first impulse; and so I asked Mrs. Madigan to kindly convey my best love ! to ancient and odorous Nell Morris and her | friends; bestow a thousand thanks for their ! surprising gift and hint to them how glad I would be would they wash down those thanks l with bottle or two of whatever might turn on their tap of joy-for drinking is regarded by the lowly of Ireland as ''that blissed di-
 varsion that kills grief and rises cheer'-to
 be set down against my slender reckoning. Ellie shook with laughter on her way down,
 and the old inn fairly trembled from her | cumbrous descent. On her arrival at the bar there instantly arose furious battle of hilarious tongues; and in the temporary hush
 and privacy this imposed in my apartment
 whisperingly appealed to John Madigan, be- tween man and man as it were, while as free l from the embarrassing presence of "the sex
 as Mir. Wegg longed to be when the hard
 words stood giant-like in his mental path, He was still standing where Ellie had left
 him in my open door, rosy picture of tole 1 ra.ive, superlative complaeence. He would not face me and I feared the worst. He
 gazed fxediy at the ceiling edge, rising and
 falling with gentle modesty upon his toes
 and soles, his hands deprecatipgly together
 opening and closing in easy sympathy from inger-tips to wrists, and his capacious jowls 1 gradually distending from ears to pursee lips. Finally he doubled and exploded 1T one of those wild Irish whoops which ii
 hardly shriek, not quite yell, something Jess than a laugh, but immeasurably more
 than all four together; and it was in this l condition that Ellie, out of breath but agile l as a whirlwind, found him and clspped hel two true, tremendous hands upon his exposed
 back with far resounding whacks. Like flash they stood facing each other, severe
 naughty, awful, in their affectionate and
 anxious alarm.
 ssGod bless us an save usi phat's the mat
 ter wid youa" exclaimed Ellie, looking sternl,
 into John Madigan's gray eyes.
 | 'sGod bless an save us the same to you l Misthress MadiganI" retorted the husband
 looking searchingly into Flies blue and ten
 der eyes.
 "Ooh, blissed etarnityi tux ye for gon'
 in the fts."
 chree (my hearts sunshine) 'Twor thin
 beefsteaks. The gintleman guy me the whis per av 'emr'
 Then the roar they both set up, treble and
 base in all scales, tones and runs, silencet
 the roaring of river Corrib through Galway and half singing it all in indescribly melodi
 ous tones-the two in half embrace swayinl
 back and forth like innocent, happy childrel } revealed the mystery.
 "Thim's for aitin' (Gurgle and screech.
 They're herrin's (Smothered whoop.) Gal
 way rashers (GigRle and squirm) Platter no bishops; wid butther- grase like Limericl , sausage; and swate beyant all aitin' as heath
 CT bloom Clasps of merriment.) An y
 1idn't know thimi Well, now, railley! O. (Uncoatrollable laughter from both), an , l what aisy goms thim Americans do bel" Then with laughter-shaken courtesies an fnger-tossed kisses the happy, loving psi 3 laughed themselves below; from whence di rectly foated nipples of merriment, sweet g , 1 the melodies of Irish brooks; and odors (
 grilling Galway "two-eyed beefsteaks," del
 cate as that of heather bells indeed. An l while still lay there in the kind, quaiI B place, contemplation of the surpassing tidel ty and content in our good worlds simp | and lowly places, while the robin sang h fair-weather promise in the casemated vii l dow, was imperceptibly wrought into thes l humble lines:
 1 What is that sweet artifcer
 That even in old Ireland's savage west a That clothes cen winter's trees with fancy That brings the throb of summer to the cave
 An, it is love, but love.
 What Is that subtle alchemist
 That in the humblest or most savage breast
 ngs gaey ss soy If S0y o o And glves immortal youth to young or old:- What Is that living miracle
 ~ That wrests a thrillful joy from every pain; Is That lifts triumphant over harm and hate Ia To earthly heaven, and heavens shining gate
 An, it fs love, but love-
 = There is not more thoroughly and chs d | acteristically Irish town in Ireland than a le cient Galway. Because of this you will fl |. extraordinary interest, and that most entrs
 cling of all experiences to the traveller, t d. sense of personal discovery, in the stran l. and unexpected here, which are not Irish a. all. This particularly comprehends th :. subtle yet almost intangible feeling that 7 - are not in Ireland, but have in your Wand'