Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-08-19


settlement of Australia caused his name
90 become q household word throughout
ireland long before Irish children began
to sing his songs and ballads. At that
time hewaS esteemed only as daring
patriot who had dened the British gov
erumcnt and broken loose from its thral-
dom.
As his songs, however. became known,
&c was seen that a new and true irish
poet had appeared. and at last when
''No0ndyne. his famous romance,
showed the real mcttic of the man,
thinking men everywhere admitted that
John Boyle O'Reilly was not only pa
triot but was also a man of fine imagin-
alton aud of unique intellectual equip
mcnt
And of late years the publichaS learn
ed that he did not devote all his time TO
Scdcutary pursuits. but that. after the
fashion of the old Greeks, he cultivated
his bodily strength and seemed TO be as
ambitions of success i'm the athletic
arena as he was in the domain of pocSy.
That he proGtcd by his physical eN-
crcise> goes without saying. \ finished
athlete of great bodily strength, me
took great pleasure i'm athletic cNer-
cises and did what he could i'm the in
terest of athletics. I'm canoeing ne
took special delight, and many a long
summer day has lee spent floating alone
down some cool, silent stream
And now. i'm conclusion, few words
about his poems and his great romance,
''NO0ndync.'
His most notable verses are contained
iu two vo'umeS-oue entitled Songs.
Legends. Ballads. and the other The
Statues iu the Block" CHANGING
through these volumes one finds airy,
breezy lyrics side by side with spirit
stirring battle songs. Everywhere
breatheS the sturdy optimism that was
$50 characteristic of the writer; every
where are tokens that the singer had
learned through suffering what he
taught Ia song.
SOME STIRRING VERSES.
Here. for example. are some striking
VerScS:-
Life Is % certainty
Death is 90 doubt;
Men may he dead
While they're walking about
Love Is us uecdful
To being as breath.
Loving is dreaming
And waking Is death.
Here is humorous quatrain:-
..You cave. nue. the Key OF your heart my love.
Then why do YOU make me knock
ooh tlat was Yesterday. saints above,
And last night changed ihe loch
SOME CHARACTERISTIC SONGS.
What a contrast isthis martial stanza;
soldiers. why DO You shrink from the hiss OF
THE bullet That vhilzed is past; the approach
stand straight, You cannot shrink from
, comra ad'' in front may hear it whiz-whcn you
are dead
What q moral is taught in this little
poem. entitled "RemorSe';-
7 remember when was % boy
That % grown girl wanted to kiss me-
And struggled. was angry and shy
land rlu OH when she tried 20 cAresS me-
And I've tbou,ht of chat day through the years
What 90 moral. my friend, lies IN tnlH'
Under every sweet leaf that appears
Iurl, 81 pain for thc loss of that Kiss.
OF the many melodies evoked by the
sorrows of Ireland this Stanza is an APT
example,
ID rnothcrlaud. there is mo- cause to doubt thr''
Thy mark is left on every shore To-Day.
Though grief and wrong may cling Ike ropes
about thee.
THY motherhood will keep thee queen Away
Iu faith and patient working. ana ueueIlu-
Nnt power alone can make noble >lA,e'
Whatr'rr Che land. though all Things 'lH' ''"
ceiyiug
Unless il breed great IN nit is not great
Many other beautiful poems are wor-
thy of quotation, but we must close
with these touching lines of his about a
little Malay maiden, who was his sweet
heart long ago. OF her he says
Costly robes were not for Golu;
No more raimeut did she need
Than the milky budding bread FRUIT
or the lily of the mead.
Aud she was my little sweetheart
MANY 20 sunny summer day.
When We ate the fragrant sua'a>
Tn the land of the Malay.
They may cali YOU semi-,ayage
Golu. ] cannot forget
How poised my little sweetheart
Like copper >tatucttc.
Now ms path lics through the cities.
but they cannot drive away
Nv sweet dreams of little Gnlu
lu the land of the Malay.
A GREAT ROMANCE.
And now We come 10 'Moouu4 u'
that strong prose romance. which some
how reads like an autobiography OF
John Bowie O'Reilly. The hero, Noon
DIVINE. is am escaped Australian convict,
who spends his years of liberty in doing
his utmost TO ameliorate the condition
of England's prisoners in the penal set
Elements.
"Fabulously wealthy and endowed
with rare physical and intellectual gifts
he obtained an extraordinary influence
over the Ministers of Her MajeSty.s
government, who never dream that he
is am escaped convict and gladly allow
him 20 introduce such reforms in the
Australian settlements as he may think
hest And SO hc labOrS year after year
until finally the end comes tragicaIy
and Unexpectedly. Riding homewaru
one dav he sees behind him the names
of a vast forest fire. Only by racing at
the utmost speed can he escape. \ mo-
ment be pauseS and then dashes BACK
ward toward the flames.
AN outcast man and woman almost