The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-02-09

world. 4srcells Grace, !" 20 we'll known,
a. are her tales for children: ''Hetty
Gray" .Gianetta,'' aFour Lattle Mis-.
chiefs and is now coming forward with
new volume entitled '.Banshee Castle
published by Blackie & Son OF London
and imported by Charles Scribner's
Sons, New York.
Many Of Mrs Gilbert's poems appeared
in the Lamp and in the Irish Monthly
during the seventies. One OF the sweet
est Of her poems is that on
ST. BRIGID.
Mid dewey pastures girdled with blue air.
Where rudy kline the limpid waters drink,
Through violet-purpled woods of green Kildare.
Meath rainbow skies, by tinkling rivulet's
brink,
Brigfd, young, thy tender snow-white feet
In days of old, ON breezy morns and ewes
Wandered through labyrinths of sun and shade.
Thy face SO innocent sweet
Shining with love that neither joys nor grieves.
Save as the angels, meek and holy maid.
With white fire III thy hand that burned DO man
But cleansed AMI warmed where'er its ray
might fall,
No, ever wasted low nor needed fan,
Thou walk'dst at even among the oaktrees
tall.
There thou dist chant thy vespers while ca h
star
Grew brighter listening through the l,afy
screen.
Then ceased the songbird all his love notes soft,
His music near or far,
flushing his passion mid the sombre green
To let thy peaceful whispers float.
And still from heavenly choirs thon stealst by
night
To tell sweet AYES in the woods unseen.
To tend the shrine lamps with thy hambeau
white
And set thy tender footprints in the green,
Thus sing our birds with holy note and pure
AS tho the love of angels were their theme;
Thus burn to thropbing flame our sacred fires
With heats that still endure;
Thence hath our daffodil its golden CLEAN,
From thy mindfulness that Ii. yer tires
Mrs. G;lbert's latest novel, "Banshee
Castle,' is a story Of Irish life beautifully
written, and although intended mainly
for the younger class of readers, can be
read with interest by the older ones.
The plot of the tale revolves around
three young girls who have been brought
up in the great English metropolis, but
inheriting an estate in the County Gal
way, remove to that place and take pos
session of the ancient and historic
Banshee Castle. irish peasant life is
brought in incidental to the story and
several very beautiful fairy tales are re-
tailed in the rustic gatherings, with gen.
uine Irish wit and humor. There is no
explanation in the story Of the reason
why Mrs. Gilbert so completely trans
plants we'll known Ulster family, the
Tyrowens, to the County Galway; but
as this in nowise affects the interest in
the tale, our young people will pass over
the mistake No purer tale could be
placed before young people than BAN
shee Castle The pictures drawn of
Irish life are natural and true to life and
each of the characters of the three sisters
in the story are models in their way, the
whole tone of the book being of a high
character and very wholesome in moral
Some excellent poems adorn the
chapters of the work, several of which
are supposed to have been composed by
one of the young misses, who has taste
for poetry.
''Banshee Castle with it's many differ
emit phases of life, it's highly imaginative
and well-told fairy tales will no doubt
enjoy a lasting popularity as it we'll
deserves. No better book could be
placed in the hands Of the young people.