The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-12-27
stories that thrill us even in our ow,

| les nalI nluuen Ill the MIDST or long
forgotten centuries, but in Ireland OF
soday, unfortunately, this haunting
spirit of tragedy still exists. l knew
a family when l was living in Galway.
iorty years ago, which then counted
Twelve persons. 1t was IL remarkable
family in many wayS--wonGerful
gifted by nature, all highly intcllectu-
al. and all, at the same time, marvel
GUS examples of roblstness-the men
athletes without nerves and wthout
fear. Not one member of thai family
lives in Galway today, and many of
them have died in far off climes-n
London in the United States, in South
America, everywhere except in the his
toric old town in which they were
born.
Some such malignant destiny seems
to have pursued the family of the Par
nells. In the days when Charles Stew
art Plrnpll was the powerful political
leader who was shaking an old society
to it's foundations some of his more ILL
natured opponents used to recall the
fact that there had been more than one
tragedy in his family history, and used
charitably to ascribe his own appar
emily reckless acts to hereditary in
tiuenceS of that kind. And in Par
nell's own face there was always
something of the tragic. | remember
hearing an IrishAmerican poet once
say-years before Parnell's death-that
he had the face of Il man who could
not die a natural and ordinary death:
that it was the face Of one who was
bound to die on the scatfold. The tall.
spare form. the long. thin, classic nose,
the beautifully shaped forehead, but,
above ;tll. the eyeS-red flint in color
and Il little wild. and later on a little
hunted in cNpreSSion-these were the
| things in Tie face that made it differ
rHt from that of the ordinary man,
and surrounded it with a halo OF
mystery. SORROW, and presnSe OF an un-
usual and tragic ending.
My IriSll-Ameri,an friend who fore
told the Scatfold for Parnell was more
accurate in his forecast than he
thought. perhaps, for, though Purncll
died in his bed as Il matter of fact,
his ending had ull the misery. and
perhaps even all the suffering of death
by the eXecutiOner. And, though some
members of his family survive. many
have either preceded CT followed him
to III, early and painful death. Next
t. himself the most interesting nlcnl-
Der Of his family was his sister Fan
ny. | never saw her, but l am told
by those who did that she was beauti-
flll woman. She was certainly Il woman
! Of great intellectual gifts. She wrote
at least one beautiful and eloquent
poem; it is constantly quoted in Irish
newspapers. She was found dead in
her bed one morning-taken off in a
night. His mother, who lived to Il
great age, died finally as the result of
an accident. One OF his sisters, who
once took Il prominent part in politics,
and who had much of his own strength
of character and vehemence of con-
viction, has taken up her dwelling
place in isolation from the world
which once rang with her name. Two
of Parnell's sisters are widows; one
; was happily married to IL young naval
officer in the sos, and is, believe,
still alive, and. | hope, enjoys the rare
satisfaction. in her family history, of
happiness
1t was there he used to live in his
early days. l saw him there in the
'SGs, shortly before he came down to
my then constituency to make the his
tOric speech about talking off his
coat.' Then he seemed happy there,
after his simple and almost rustic
fashion. For he was I: man of the
simplest tastes in everything; did not
know or understand the meaning Of
comfort; ate simply, dressed badly;
was NEAR" in expenditure on himself,
though no man wasted money so fool
ishly where anything that appealed to
his love of machinery and experiment
was concerned I remember, when the
! suggestion was first made to give him
n big fund. l was asked to lay it be-
fore him by the late Edmund Dwycr
Gray. He at first refused to sanction
it. He said he had but little, but it
was enough.
Afterwards the matter was takel.
out Of his hands and 100000 was col
lectcd and presented to him-onc of the
landsomest tributes ever given by a
nation to its leader. But even of this
money-though it had all disappeared
at the time of his deAtll-Parnell spent
little on himself. n fried sole. Il chop,
toasted brown bread. Il bottle of the
cheapest AIosclle-this WAS Parnell'S
lunch, and this also was his dinner
Sometimes lie so neglected his hair
that it lay in long masses almost down
to his shoulders: and he wore for
years in succession IN appalling Car.
digan waistcoat which reminded one
in it's combined shabbineSs and anxi
ETY. against cold of the black mittens
one sees on the hands of those poor
forlorn old Enslishwomen who sit all
day long ut the table in Monte Carlo