The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-11-26
A CHILD's HISTORY OF IRELAND Is
PUBLISHED IN DUBLIN.
BOTH ENTERTAINING AND INSTRUCTIVE.
A FAVORABLE REVIEW OF 1T BY AN
EASTERN PAPER.
II SHOULD Be IN EVERY HOUSEHOLD.
FACSIMILEs OF THE AUTOGRAP OF
CELEBRATED IRISHNEN.

The question is often asked by teach
ers and others who desire to give mod
crate amount of instruction in Irish his
| tory to pupils, what history OF Ireland
is best fitted for practical school work,
says the Worcester Messenger and OBJ
| server. Some are grossly prejudiced.
Others are far too heavy reading for the
!! average pupil and still others too lengthy
and legendary. A complete up to date
juvenile history Of Ireland has not yet
been written, though A. NJ. Sullivan's s
| "Story of Ireland" comes near the mark
and nearer still comes DR.. P. w. Joyce's
"Child's History of Ireland" a second
| edition of which has been brought cut
this year by the great publishing firm of
| Longman, Green & Co., Of London, rep
resented in Dublin by W. II. Gill & Son.
The volume is small in size, but con-
tains, including preface and index, over
500 pages and is generously illustrated.
The book is absolutely impartial, not
flattering the Irish nation in an extrav-
agant manner, though giving the people
full credit for the virtues Of valor, char
ity and constancy, which, as a majority,
whether Catholic or Protestant or dis
senting, they undoubtedly possess.
The author does not hide England S
gross misconduct in dealing with Ire
land, and at the same time, any English
man-the most self-conceited and intol-
erant-can read the volume without Of
fense Many Irishmen will, no doubt,
regret that the work is not more out
spokenlY separatist than it is, but all
such, including ourselves, must bear in
mind that this chiids history is written
for all Ireland without distinction of
race, creed or party, and not for any
particular section Of Ireland. This, of
itself, is an excellent feature If the pub
lication and cannot fail to be productive
of good results in the quarters where the
spirit of Irish nationality has been most
neglected.
1t is pity that Dr.. Joyce cut short
the history at the point where the illus
trious, if unfortunate agitalor, Daniel
| O'Connell, passes from the scene dis
comfited and heartbroken, leaving his
country baffled, beggared, in the throes
of the worst famine that ever scourged
Europe, and hopelessly faction-rent
ireland has had many sad as we'll as in
spring experiences since O'Connell died
at Genoa in May, 1847. Young Irelands
| devotion and self-sacrifice, Sherman
| Crawford's we'll meant struggle for ten
ant right, the Phoenix emente and Fen
ian uprising, John Martins battle for
! home rule, under the leadership of the
eloquent Isaac Butt. the land league
struggle under Parnell and Davitt-all
these chapters remaining unwritten and
yet they are among the most interesting
and Instructive in Irish history. DR..
Joyce may have shrunk from rendering
his book too voluminous, and yet he
might have easily remedied the matter
by making his earlier chapters, which
deal with antique Ireland, slightly less
prolix.
Not the least attractive feature Of the
"Child's History" is the attention given
to fac SMILES of the autographs of Irish
celebrities. "By me. Thomas Fytz Ger
ald," shows the knightly hand Of the
heroically impetuous "Silken Thomas, "
who perished under the cruel ak of the
eighth Henry, against whom he rose In
justifable but ill-timed rebellion. Then
follows the bold hand of Shane the
| Proud, thus Misi (Mish-e) O'Neill. (My-
self O'NeilD, scholarly hand showing
bold, strong strokes-a hand entirely
characteristic of it's fierce and fiery
owner
Who raised aloft the Bloody Hand until
it paled the sun.
And shed such glory on Tyrone as chief
| had never done!
| Next appears the rather grabbed "fist'
| of the great (and last) earl of Desmond
head of the Geraldine uprising against
Elizabeth, who was basely murdered by
some Of his own degenerate countrymen,
for English money, at lone cabin in
County Kerry. His slayer, the infamous
Moriarty, was enriched by the bloody
deed, for when the head of the slaugh-
! tered earl was sent. pickled to London,
the virago queen caused it to be spiked
| on London Tower as a grewsome warm
| ing to other Irish rebels" of the Des-
mond pattern. He signed himself "Gerot
Desmond'-a quaint form of the Chris
tian name Garrett, which was a favorite
| among the Munster Geraldines.
The autograph of Hugh, 'the great
carl of Tyrone as the English called
him, consisted of an Informed capital
co. with an irregular cross in the cen
ter. The three first letters of the sur
| name are plain and stiff in construction,
while the two final "l's' are shaped ex-