The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-06-03

closet until he had earned the sum re-
CURED, which in a few years he fully &C
complished.
When Catholic emancipation was car
ried, to which he contributed so very
materially by his powerful poetical arti-
Giles in the London Times, which he kept
up for several years in the very citadel
OF Ireland's enemies, deputation from
Ireland arrived, headed by Gerald Grit
fin, to offer him the representation of
Limerick in the imperial parliament, and
as it was known that he had not the
property qualifications OF three hundred
pounds year required by the laws OF
parliament, it was proposed to raise a
subscription to purchase for him an es-
tate that would yield the necessary in
come.
But Moore refused to consent to the
proposal, although he afterwards ac-
cepted a pension OF f3oo, which was Sc
cured for him by his Wing friends. He
hired a small tllatched cottage in Wilt
shire, furnished at rent of forty pounds
year.
Moore's cottage had a small grass
lawn flower garden in front and kit
chen garden behind. The poet had made
a raised terrace walk for himself around
this kitchen garden. At the far end, u11-
der a leafy bower, was small deal table,
fixture there in all weathers He COM
posed as he walked around the garden,
and at every round would pause and
pencil down the product from his brain
of this three minutes walk. Here he
lived for ttirty-6ve years with wife he
loved. Her name was "Bessy." In one
OF his letters to his mother in Dublin he
says: "Bessy is delighted with her
matched cottage" He passed the morn
ngs in his library, the largest room in
the cottage, whose pleasant window
commanded view of the fields and the
high road 1t contained his books, his
piano and two Irish llarps, with various
chairs and tables, which in any other per-
sons house would be called "mean," and
a few pictures. More loved nature more
than pictures. Here he lived, say, for
thirty-fve years in complete indepen-
dence, and here he died poor, but not
in debt. The titled and the wealthy fire.
quently tried to send him presents and
offered him loans Of money These Of
fers, however we'll meant, he persistently
declined. Lord Lansdowne, his friend,
who resided near him, often thought it
a great privilege to see Moore"
One OF the distinguishing traits in
Moore's character was his abstinence
from intoxicating drinks. He was not,
indeed, a tectotaler, but was most GER
tainly an abstainer from the use Of
strong drinks. This was shown in re-
rarkable manner at public dinner in
support of the Literary Charitable Fund,
at which the Prince Consort, the Queens
husband, was chairman. On one side
OF the chairman sat Thomas Campbell,
the Scottish poet, author Of Pleasures
Of Hope ETC.; on the other side sat
Thomas Moore, the author of "Irish
Melodies etc The large party at the
dinner tables would hear those distin-
suisled men speak. A toast was first
given to Campbell, but he was so con-
fused from having INDUCED freely at
the dinner table that he could do no
more than utter few words and sat.
Moore was then called, who. sober, cool
and scli-possessed, delivered a beautiful
address on the mission OF literature,
weaving into his discourse numerous
names, spirit Of thought, each of which
called up uproarious cheers from the
company.
The love and obedience which Moore
ever rendered to his father and mother
are signs among others OF the very high
est human attributes. Whether he was
the guest OF duchess, duke, min
lister of state or the editor OF the London
Times, he would be sure to write re-
port OF every title that occurred-from
the quality of the dishes on the table to
the chit-cllat OF the withdrawing-room-
even his f1irtations with the ladies. On
the death OF his mother, in 1925, it was
found that she possessed four thousand
letters from her son Tom This at a
time when letters by the score would
come to him by the post from all parts
OF creation, even from peers and peer
esses, which, in general, he said, he left
without replies. Ono distinguished per-
son said: 1T would be easier to get a
new book from Moore than letter.
In reference to the grand dinners tc
which he was SO often invited he wrote
to his mother, telling her she would
rather sit down with her to her lavorite
dish OF mutton stew than sit at the table
OF the grandest duchess in England"
In the year 1875 his father, who hac
been eight or nine years previously ;
barrack master in Dublin, was deprived
OF that office and reduced to half pay
The family now had to seek aid from. thu
son, who made this note in his diary
"Entreated them not to despond, bu
rather to thank Providence for llavn:
| kept them so long above want until h
(thc sony was in situation to kee,