The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-02-17

: dirty February day, their bones prob
ably aching and their clothes certain
. ly soaked with sleet, after a Scanty
lunch in the shelter of a wall smoked
in silence the pipe of peace and con-
tent At length one of them broke the
silence with: Jimmy, I'm tout the
imp'ror of Jarminy never smokes!'
Jimmy puffed for still another few mo-
/ ments, reveling in the luxury.
4 Then he spoke the sentiments of both
Poor divil!" and both relapsed into
blissful peace again. Rank and riches
and the other things of this world are
not all-in-all to the soul of the Celt, no
matter how unlettered he may be or
unfortunate his lot One who had been
very poor and hard pressed in Ireland,
but was comparatively prosperous here,
on being asked: We'll, Mat, this is the
country for you-you never had as
happy times in Ireland?' We'll" Mat
said. deliberately, "as regards that,
Americay may God prosper IT'D is a
fine country entirely. But as for me-
self-well, 1 may get a better bite to
ate, and am sure of it, an better buds
to wear, an a sounder roof over me,
but that's all"
That they very, very seldom forget
those that they left behind them in Ire
land does them infinite credit. And it,
by chance. an Irish boy goes ashaugh-
grin (astray) here and ceases to help
his father at home, bad and bad as this
boy may be or grow, he makes heroic
efforts to keep his fall from the knowl-
edge of the father and mother in Ire
land. whose hearts, he knows well,
would break if only they knew. And
as he thinks chiefly of saving them,
so they, in turn, like not for their loads
to rest upon the poor boy who is
away" Because of my position as dis
trict school teacher in my county of
Donegal my services were frequently
requisit ioned as amanuensiS when a
father wished to write to his boy in
America, and often the most beautiful
and touching thing about these let
ters was what they refused to put in
them.
once, I remember, a poor man whose
struggle for existence was sore wished
some help from his son in Georgia, in
case the boy could easily spare it.
There's another years rent comm
due" said he, so I'll have to let him
know that the yaIla COW died lest Sun
day night" But" 1 said, didn't some
one tell me. that you sold the other COW
on the Fairday of Donegal?" 80 l did
so 1 did. 1 had to- and the poor
fellows eyes were suffused. Then you
have not a COW at all left?" Och,
know that, thank God. But We needn't
tell Neil that-don't mention it, plaise."
Don't mention itr' said I, severely.
ooh, no; oh, no" the poor man pleaded;
that would be putting it too barer
All the worlds heroes are not killed
in battle.
My countrymen in America have, de-
spite desperate disadvantages, asserted
their solid worth and sterling qualities,
and compelled the American. the Ger
man and the Jew to acknowledge and
esteem that worth and those qualities.
The Irish NAVY of yesterday is a man
of position and power today, who has
helped to gain for our race the respect
it has richly merited. 1t is a pleasure
and a pride to find in every big enter
prise, every big undertaking, every big
newspaper in every big store, from Sc
attic to South Carolina, Irishmen al
most invariably holding the positions
Of trust and responsibility. And it is
that even the very shrewd
Jew, everywhere over the states, must
have his right hand man Irish. For a
position for a position re-
curing dominating powers, for a po-
sition requiring exceptional executive
ability, an Irishman is the choice.
For, my countryman carried with him
to America and has used to good pur-
pose his old battle cary, ''F'ag an bea-
ach!' (Clear the way.)
SEUMAS MACMANUS.