The Irish standard., 1900-08-25
A Fine Tribute to tie Brilliant
Writer Of Fiction.
HIS PORTRAYAL OF FR. TOM LOTUS
O'Shaughnessy's Famous Toast
st. Patrick's Day.

| Somewhere it is written that read
ing is a selfish pleasure. But the
bookworm thus assailcd may cast the
glove before his dctractors in saving
that as books are well within the
reach of many, and sought by few,
the pcrusal of them, admitting that it
leads to unsociahlity, can hardly be
termed a selfish trait, says Daniel s.
Merccin in the Gael.
The higll-rond of literature is wide.
and there is no need OF iostling on this
most delightful of tlloroughfares,
whose scenery is ever varied and in
tcrcsting.
Again, the characters one meets in
this fairy land O books. The sauntcr-
Ing traveller may loitcr and chat with
old friends or keep on trudging until
he finds Il new and delightful person
age sent to meet him by the roads
engineers, whose construction tools
are not chain and spade, but pen and
intellect.
The strongest friendships of the
flesh may be broken, and oft-times are,
but not SO with the friendship made in
books. / have yet to meet n gray head
who does not number among the
friends OF his boyhood Robinson
Crusoc, Mr.. Milshipman Easy, Cap
tain Brand of the Ccntipcde, Baron
Trcnk, and others of their ilk.
Is there Il man of us now who does
not like to sit with the spectators in
the tilt yard of Ashby de III Zouchc,
| and mentally cheer the good Knight
lvanhoc as lie rolls the naughty Temp
lar in the dust?
Yes one makes lasting friendship
| In books. From the novel reading
| summer girl to the savnnt, deep in the
yellow-lcavcd tones of Il hy-gOnc CEN
| tury, every reader has his or her fa-
voritc author. There is not a writer,
be lie obscure or we'll in the public
eye, who has not his lovers and fol-
lowers. But the theme OF this paper
is not the comparison of authors. This
preface is simply to pave the way, so
to speak, for Il willing but II sadly
inadequate pen driven by one who
would pay tribute to an author who
has made for himself lasting friend
ships en- the broad road of literature
/ | speak of that brilliant and gifted
writer of Irish fiction and history,
Charles Lever.
Never will forget the day found
among the contents Of a long forgotten
trunk, brought to light by n spring
moving, half a dozen or so of "ycllow
backs" of fifty years ago. Among my
prizes was "rhc Confessions of Harry
LOrrequcr." l distinctly remember
that so deeply was Interested in fol-
lowing the fortunes OF the hero that
missed my supper. Truly Il decided
I compliment, the highest boy could
pay. Then and there the author intro
duccd me to my esteemed friend
O'Leary, and even now l often laugh
with and at him in my thoughts. For
quaintncss and originality he stands
out from the books pages in silhou-
cite. Mrs. Ram certainly showed her
good taste in her indcfatigablc pursuit
of the much-sought O'Leary.
In this book the author gave me
also peep of Irish barrack life and
the then mode OF living of the Irish
gentry, whctting an appetite only to
be appcascd by later works, devoted
wholly to these topics.
Perhaps Lever was at his happiest IN
the portrayal of the pcrsonagcs pc
culiar to the times Of the "Risings of
'9S," and of the quarter centuries pre-
ceding and following these stirring
times in Irish history.
Who, after reading "Tom Burke of
Ours' cannot but admire the unques-
tionable patriotism of Darby the
Blast? One cannot help but think that
If the wavering leaders Of the upris-
ing could have acquired but a por-
ton of Darby's unsclfish energy for
the "Cause," Ireland would be in diff
ferent circumstances today.
Yes, Darby is great friend of
mine, and l rarely meet anyone in fic-
tlon's highway who resembles him.
Mayhap because Of the GONZALES
| cence after a dangerous illness and
| allowed to read little, and only q
little each day, thus having plenty Of
spare time to ponder over what read.
my friends among the friends Of