El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-19
NOREEN.
A Pathetic Story of an Irish
Girls Love.

/ +
The morning sun shone in all its
grandeur on the beautiful valley Of Cal.
Ian. The sky was cloudless and there was
q cool and gentle breeze stirring. The
verdure seemed dressed in natures
brightest green, and the buds were open
| ing on the trees; but before noon the tide
| of war swept through the valley, leav-
| ing behind it's usual horrors-the wound
| ed, the dying and the dead. The inhab-
itants of Armagh were standing upon
the walls, men, women and children,
| anxious to ascertain the result of the
| battle, for many had friends and rela-
| tives engaged in the deadly strife. The
distant moaning of cannon borne upon
the wind made every heart tremble with
| fear. After awhile several stra gglers
| from the fight appeared in view, who, on
| approaching, occasioned a general COM
| motion among the crowd who were de-
| sirouS of learning the result of the bat
| tie. The accounts varied and only served
| to torture the eXpectants. Late in the
day information arrived that the British
had been defeated and the whole army
put to flight; but this, also, was contra
dicted, and the evening closed in I'M
certainty and terror.
AT mornings dawn the same uncer-
tainty and anxiety existed in the town of
Armagh. The walls were still crowded
with the anxious townspeople, eager to
obtain the first intelligence. Some, tired
and fatigued with watching, had gone
and their places were filled by others:
but there was one, a young woman, who
from the first had never left the walls
who sat patiently and motionless with
out uttering a word. There was a sad
ness in her fair face, and the quick and
successive changing of her countenance
as the various reports of the combat met
her ear told how much she felt and how
deeply she was interested in the safety,
of some dear friend. All night she had
remained sitting upon the spot, which
she had not quilted even for a moment.
Her face was pale and her eyes were dim
with intense watching. 1t was whispered
among the crowd that she had formed an
attachment for young soldier in Mar
shall Bagnafs army. He had been a kind
friend and benefactor to her poor, wild
owed mother and to her brother and a
father, for he had, by kindness and af-
lection, supplied the loss of both. They
loved each other tenderly, and the hand
of the lovely girl was to be his reward.
The young man was poor, but sought to
gain fortune in the then profitable sery-
Ice of the army, and, though only a
private, he had reason to expect promo
ton. Prudence made them postpone
enforcing language, and they at length
determined that they would hear the ar
guments of prudence after marriage. The
lovers were therefore to be united when
Marshal BagnaPs corps entered the
town.
The patience of the multitude was
nearly exhausted when the young wo-
man, who had not before spoken, sud
denly clapped her hands, crying:
"a hOrSemani A hOrSemapv'
All gazed, but none could discern him.
The young woman was positive, and
again cried out,
''Look! BE comes! His horse is of
dark color and covered with foam. See!
There is second-now a thirdr'
All strained their eyes by looking to
the place to which she pointed. but no
one else could see or hear anything. 1t
was the opinion of those around that
grief and anxiety had impaired her fac
ulties.
a minute, however, had scarcely
elapsed when they were convinced of
the soundness of her mind and the ac-
curacy of her eyes and ears. A man
mounted on a black horse was seen in
the distance, and, she had stated, Gov
cred with foam and approaching at full
speed, followed by two other horsemen. |
Anxiety had sharpened her sight and !
had given her, to speak, the instinct |
of an Indian.
When the first horseman was within |
hearing, thousand tongues inquired the |
fortune of the day. Noreen spoke not: |
her bosom heaved heavily, and she lean
ed eagerly forward to catch the sound |
that might fall from the horSeman'S lips. |
but he answered them only by signs.
which could be distinctly interpreted. ,
The multitude awaited his nearer APP
proach, but the soldier, turning his
4.
passed the town and continued his fight.
The second horseman approached and
passed, as the other, to the south, with
out speaking; the third, who was wound
ed, slowly advanced, keeping the anxious
crowd in painful suspense. But NOreen.
whose anxiety was worked up to the
highest pitch, exclaimed before the
of the traveller could be dis
cerned by those around:
cit is lost-it is lost And he will tell
you SOP
She then wrung her hands in anguish
and set up the mournful cry of the Irish
for the beloved of their hearts.
"All is lostp' the horseman at length
said. 1.-The whole army is destroyed; few
have escaped
Noreen at this intelligence gave loud
and fearful shrek and sank upon the
ground. The byStanderS raised her. AS
sudden joy often destroys the vital spark,
SO also does unlocked for misfortune.
The mind of the young girl had been on
the rack for many hours; still there was
hope, but when this soft passion fled SO
also flew the spirit from it's earthly tene-
nent. The beautiful Noreen was
corpse. For a time the bystanders forgot
heir own fate, and, gazing upon the once
lovely Noreen, shed a tear over her re-