Washington sentinel., 1898-05-21
tt, ~ SENTINEL
"A Eenian Memory I"

Sophie L. aehnt0sA, in "BeLgyaVsa"
was lounging on the low wall
at SandYmount, Strand, Ireland,
watching the water lazilY creep
up over the yellow sand, and in
the distance, the cockle pickers,
bent nearly double at their work,
their bare legs and bright cOlored
petticoats cleaning in the sun. 1t
was my first visit to the distress
iul country" and looking at the
peaceful scene before me, / found
it well nigh imp ossibIe to imagine
the fair land shaken from time to
time by fierce passion and lust OF
blood; to think ofthe mirth-loYing
sons of Erin fighting like demons
against law and order, My rev.
erie was interrupted by a big
brown bearded man, who came up
and asked for a light. We entered
into conversation, and, following
out my train of thought, l told him
how difficult l found it to realize
that there could be discomfort un-
der such a smiling surface,
"There never was period in the
history OF Ireland when patriotic
feeling was so utterly dead as it is
at present." said he. Famine
and emigration have killed the
true Irish feeling. A poetic imi-
taton OF patriotism is practised by
a few idle people the upper mid
die Siasf RY5 i a0sSq U9ta ta6dY tHdY6s 6srm the
less. On the very wall where you
are sitting now Fenian plots were
hatched in go. l was a boy of
fourteen then, and we lived on the
Strand Road. Many a time l saw
the chief conspirators sitting Just
here, or walking up and down
talking earnestly. Long after
wards l recognized them by their
portraits as the leaders OF the
Fenian movement. You English
men forget that though the Irish
are a conquered nation they are
not subuded. They have never
taken kin dly to their captors. In
deed, l think it is your own fault,
but that is an Irishman's view"
said he, with a pleasant smile,
"and l apologize"
"Go on" replied I.
The Fenian rising was an hon
est, open rebellion, not like the
disgraceful affair Of thirteen years
ago, that ed to nothing but secret
assassination and shooting inno-
cent people from behind hedges.
That brought out all the worse
traits in the character of the Celt.
But l am growing loquacions and
impertinent, sir; / forget that this
old history can have no interest
for you"
hastened to assure him that it
was the dream Of my life to hear
an Irishman's side of the story and
that 1t would be all the better from
the lips of one who could remem-
Der it.
"Well," said he, il you really
care aboutit, l can tell you a story
that never appeared in print.
Look" SAID he, pointing with tt
stem Of his pipe into the distance,
you see the tide rising-it is
creeping slowly up, filling a pool
here and there; covering up the
yellow sand, but leaving some
patches far out still dry. 1t was
Just like that the tide OF discuntent
rose and spread, till, at last. the
whole country was swept by
wave Of rebellion from the Cause.
way to Cape Clear. The hillside
men were drilling everywhere in
the moonlight.
Down the hills twin:ng, their blessed
steel shining,
Like rivers Of beauty they flow from
From mountain and valley, tits Lib
critics rally,
Out, and make way for the Fenian
men.
Every day the papers were full
Of rumored risings, guns were
found in the most unsuspected
places, and the old Irish pike Ia
deadly weapon) made its reappear.
ance in many an Irish cabin. The
conspiracy would have been very
formidable but for the treachery OF
one Of its most trusted brothers,
who picked his friends pocket of
important documents while he
slept, and then betrayed the plot
to the Government. This man af-
teTwards met the fate that he de.
served. He was found in London
with dagger through his heart.
The words Ireland's vengeance,
were written on a piece Of paper
attached to the handle.
Zone dark night l heard two
men talking on the Strand Road,
and l caught a sentence or two
that made me hide in the shadow
and listen breathlessly. To my
amazement, l learnt that the man
known as Mr.. Cuthbert, whose
open life had apparently no mys-
toy it, reall,- Michael
OConnor, the most dangerous
and powerful FenIan of them all.
His identity had been betrayed,
and these men, who were detec-
tives, were even now planning the
the manner Of hi3 arrest, by which
they hoped to cover themselves
with glory. The warrant was not
yet signed, but would be on the
morrow, so Michael O'Connor
had only about twelve hours to
escape.
There was but one thing to be
done. I went in mad haste TO