The Irish standard., 1897-05-29
EVERY COUNTY IS REPRESENTED.
AFTER MANY YEARS THE EXILES
TREAD ON NATIVE SOIL.
MANY INTERESTING cuR'osnIEs.
THE IRIsHMEN OF NEW YORK CITY
HAVE A GREAT TIME.

"Just a little handful of the blessed
soil of old Kerry-just so much as will
go in this envelope-give it to me an
may the saints bless you'll" -
That was the earnest plea OF a tall,
ruddy-faced lad of twenty years to the
guard at the gate of the enclosure in
which Ireland's counties have been re-
produced in their original soil. The
doors of the Grand Central Palace had
opened but a few minutes when the
young man bought ticket and ran
briskly up the stairs. He lost no time
in seeking out the immense earth-made
map of the land of his birth, and tears
came to his eyes as he stood upon the
little plot of yellow sand and loam
marked Kerry.
STOPPING he picked up a pinch OF the
earth and rubbed it tenderly between
his fingers. Then he turned to the man
at the gate and in voice vibrant with
emotion begged to be permitted to carry
away a handful of the earth upon which
he stood.
1T amt for myself I want it" he
said, though it does my soul good to
set foot on Kerry ground again. It's
i for my brother. He died yesterday in
Trenton, and his last wish was that he
might be sent home to old Kerry to be
buried. That isn't possible, you see,
sir. We will have to bury him in Tren-
ton tomorrow. I'd read about the
Journals bringing over earth from all
the counties for this fair, and came
over on purpose to see if couldn't get
just one little handful of the soil of old
Kerry to sprinkle on poor Toms coffin
as we lay him to rest. Kelly is my
name-James Kelly. There was only
Tom and me left, and now he's gone,
poor boy. I'd give most anything to
think that I'd been able to carry out
his last wish, or part at least
The young mans plea was not in
vain, and the happiness it's granting
gave him would have justified a graver
infraction of the rules than that con-
nived at by the watchman.
Surely patriotism is the strongest SEN
timent in the human breast after family
affection. The emotion shown by hun
dreds of thousands of Irish men and
women when they were permitted to
stand once again upon the beloved "ould
sod" is sufficient proof Of that assertion.
Many are moved to tears and some to
more extravagant demonstrations. Such
one was Mrs. Ann O'Hagan, an elderly
lady Of Long Island City. Mrs. O'Hagan
came to the fair especially to see "old
Ireland reproduced" She bought a
ticket at the gate, entered, and struck
direct course cross counties till she
came to County Sligo Just moment
the old lady stood and gazed about her,
then, unmindful of the surrounding
crowds, she stopped quickly and pressed
her lips to bit of withered sod from
the land of her birth.
1T does my heart good" she said,
as she arose with tear-bedimmed eyes.
Nov where is the Sligo county booth?
I may find old friends there"
This meeting of old friends at the va
rious county headquarters is one of the
most enjoyable features Of the fair.
Sometimes the meetings are pathetic.
Oftener they are jolly to the point of
hilarity. i.
A square-shouldered little man of
about SO and his wife came out of the
crowd and passed through to the soil.
Slowly the couple stepped from space to
space. Before half the counties: had
been covered the woman's eyes began
to dim, and as they neared the soil Of
Mayo, tear dropped on the sod at her
feet. Finally husband and wife stood
together on the little space allotted to
the soil of Mayo.
Above the band played "The Wearing
Of the Green" From around and about q
thousand eyes looked on, but the couple
did not heed them. They we're standing
again on the soil of their dear old coun-
ty, and they we're SO happy-in the food
of memories that filled their hearts they
cared not for the whole wide world.
Blarney Castle was the Mecca of all
comers. The piece Of the Blarneysstone
which the Journals commissioner
brought oyer may be worn TO 9 wafer
before the fair is over Il last n1ght,r
record Of osculati6n is kept up. - The
wishing Cross ef Glendalongh# and st.
Kevin's Wishing seat claimed the n1er-
:ry attention of the younger men and
maids. and many an older man and
woman stopped to gaze reverently at
the baptismal font Of the good saint in
I the historical exhibition.
Tho dslayed srrty