The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-08-17

y, OBJ, e BIOS FtoPRlHsTakaRIs
2s4ss An Incident Of 'o8. ST. .sss5 4
IN There are soldiers in the market place.
isSS The Judge is in the town, sSss< 2sii
81. And Justice stern-fa ced handmade Id, law.
Now wears her darkest frown; F q
Tis the year Of tears and troubles,
SC a. The year OF blood and fatesSs Il q. II Il
OF blackened heartlls: and, roofess homes,
@ Theayear of ninety-eight!+4 &. 's4iss 1;
For the prisoners to the courthouse 4
II Z he soldiers clear the way; SS6%
N The fate of two young lives shall be
Determined today.
\; Through surging crowds of clansmen
3 The youthful rebels pass,
But not an arm is raised to save: "
I. Stands mute each gallowglass, u
The peoples heart is broken, .!s
, Their. hopes are dead and gone;
They hardly dare to breath with sound;
u Each face is scant and wan, 2#
s. For, heayy,as a thunder-bolt.
Swift as the lightning's fash,
z Upon their patriot plot had fall'n s5
.tg- The English vengeance-lash;
The land they thought with arms free
but the faster bound,
And hearts that freedoms hope had rails
Pr Are dashed again to ground!
h The Judge is seated, round the, court
@ Like statues, soldiers stand,
The two whose doom this day shall NIX
S Are fettered hand in hand;
q Two noble youths, with clear gray eyes
And glance that never quails;
Their lips are set and bloodless, but
z. Their courage never fails;
And only when the Judas friend
Less calm far than they
Stands in the box and faces them,
Do they at length give way.
Oh, then the memory of, the past
Springs up their souls to rend;
They cursed the hour that trusting hearts
Called that black traitor friend
TITS over now. The foreman's lips
Have spoken the fatal word;
And there from out the silent crowd
"A woman's voice is heard:
''Oh, sir, my lord; oh, judge ashore,
Yen give me leave to speak;
J.
Their mother old and weak;
Himself is dead, my lord, for long,
oh, long, long. weary years;
The love of them two boys is all
The poor old widow cheers; 4
Ones not my own, his mother died
An left him a gossoon; s.
But sure love them both, my lord,
- Yell save them both, aroon?
An may the heavens be your bed,
May all the saints look down.
An bless you; an you'll have the prayers
or all that's in the town"
= Then rose a murnlur strong and deep,
And all that anxious crowd
For mercy on the widows sons
Prayed earnestly aloud.
The judge was moved to pity, -
49, But duty held him down;
He tried in vain to steel his heart,
lie tried in vain to frown:
"These men are all the stay you have?
They toll that you may live?
The mercy that can I'll show,
His life to ona TIL give.
Take, then, your choice-your husbands
child
Whose mother Is no more, A. , r.,
or him whom to the sire of both
il You in your bosom BORE =. Ks
A cruel choice! A bitter task!
She bowed her aged head,
+, Some bitter tears coursed down her face,
Then she looked up and said:
II thank you kindly, sir-my lord
But, oh, my lord, it's hard.
How can choose between the boy
=; :. I bore an him I reared?
- O Judge, Halanna, choose yourself +
So, Take which you.please to save;m
II I'd sent one to death I'd not a..
Sleep quiet in my grave -. s~i W.
= 'tGood woman, can do no naore:- +
& One dies--'tis right and just;%
Which life is spared depends Oh you
so make your choice-you must
One moment more and then she spoke:
:s,."Oh, Mike, my darlin' boy, se
You know. tits not love you less
I'd die for you with joy;
e But Patsy's mothers dead, ashore,
He's none to take his part,
So him choose. Oh, Mike, this day -
= IT'S broken is my heart!
His mothers gone, alanna--sure
TITS you win see her soon,
An tell her, Mike, saved her boy:
God bless you, Mike, aroon.''
Z "A cheer rose, from out the crowd,
/. The judges eyes We're dim: ,s
''Take both thy sons, thou noble heart,
Thou shalt not weep for them"
Then to the prisoners, Co. he said,
eff Irish hearts be true, 5
Learn that with justice English rule
May mingle mercy, too" s5
Holy Toll.
What sound was that? A pheasant's
whir?
What stroke was that? Lean low thine
Jul ii ear. !. .st, ,ete.ys, . "a Ill s..
d Is that the stroke Of carpenter,
3s,. That far, faint echo that we hear?
/: is that the sound that sometimes Bedou-