The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-25
A CHRISTMAS EVE IN IRELAND.

Christmas eve in the mountains o.
Ballycolman, in the County Cork, Ire
land. a blazing turf fire on the hearth
stone. In the chimney corner sat Daniel
Donovan, 20 years old, who could talk
nothing but Gaelic. He was twisting
little wooden wheel which connected by
a passage under the hesrthstone with
the middle of the fire, which fickered
and fared az the current Of air swept
through. Next to the old man sat
Biddy, aged 20. with her hair brushed
smoothly back from her forehead and
tied in Roman knot at the back Of her
head. Close toBiddy sat Mary, who had
never seen black man or Chinaman.
Sandwiched between Mrs. Donovan
and Mary sat the American visitor. The
old woman was smoking and grooming,
and a little grandchild with cheeks like
ripe peaches stood with her golden head
resting on her grandn others knee.
The freight danced and cleaned over
tie little group as the December wind
came down the wide 1outhed chimney.
The scene was so suggestive of peace
and rest that for tfte n minutes no one
spoke Then Mrs. D novan said:
''And mebbe the .Inkee gintleman II
sing us song!'
He would indeed have been an IN
grateful fellow who should refuse such
a request under circ instances at once
SO homely and SO h )spitable. And in
that grateful atmospl ere he felt some Of
the old time SWEET eSs come into his
voice as he sang OF the harp that once
the soul Of music s. ed in Tara's halls,
and told in song the story OF how two
eyes of Irish blue looked up at Pat NAL
10y And as he sang look OF rapt Won
der and admiration came into the face of
his homely listeners. He forgot that his
audience was a few Irish peasants, and
standing upright he clasped the back of
his chair and poured out into the lowly
matched cottage that wonderful aria by
Moligue, Pour Out Tiny Heart Before
the Lord" He had rlIng it before in a
massive cathedral accompanied by a
great organ, and had heard the tones Of
his voice go ringing down the echoinS
nave, but never had he felt the sweet
ness and beauty Of il as on that Christ
mas eve in the lowly little cabin in the
mountains. And when he had finished
the aria and resumed MS seat, Mrs. Dono-
van suggested:
"Mebbe the gintlerlan will sing US a
song about homer
Almost before he knew it the visitor
had begun, do They Miss Me at Home"
! He reached the third line, 80 know at
this moment some loved one were say.
ing, L wish he were Eere,'" when he be-
gan to choke. The memory of his OWL
home in far off Anne rica came to him.
What was the baby doing? Did the
children have the usual Christmas
tree: Was everybody in good healthi
Was any one wishiI g for the absent
one? And before the lines were out OF
his mouth he wer- all to pieces like a
| ship on the roc He was strong
man who prided l.a elf on his cynicism
and materiahsm. U- could not remem
Der the time when lI- eyes had been wet
before But sitting here upon chair
! with seat made of raw rope. and sur
rounded by as simple andinsenuous peo
! pie as the sun ever snJne upon, he placed
his hands over his face. and the tear:
ran through his fingers and fell upon the
hearthstone. An awastruck silence fell
upon the little group, broken by the
moaning Of the winl in the chimney
/ Mrs Donovan. her iace shining with
sympathy, gently tapped the stranger
on the shoulder ana whispered in hi:
| ear:
IF We were 10 take cup o the Congo
| flea ye'd feel betther, SIR
He took the '.Conpo" and felt better
Then he went outside. and looking up al
/ the stars wondered way it was necessary
for him to so 5000 miles away from:
home IN order to max. fool of himself
ERNEST JARRoLD.