The Irish standard., 1907-05-11

importance. and guessed Alright. ID
was John O'Leary who was then Wis.
1ting at the home of Ethna Carbery's
father. an old and valued friend.
Before that winter had passed, all .
the barriers which shut ME up in soli-
tary exile had fallen away, or rather.
good fortune had brought me for a
couple of weeks to Dublin where the
barriers did not exist. | was not a.
day in that city till. on the strength
Of having written a. few National hal.
lads. was hospitality welcomed into
the inmost circle of Irish Nationa]ism.
IN few days time ] was standing on
John O'Leary's threshold, in q. house
out beyond historic Clontarf. secure
of an Influential and flattering intro-
duction--hut alas, only to he disap-
pointed John O'Leary was not at
home, was not in Dublin. was not ex.
pected home that day, though he was
down for a lecture at the rooms 81.
the National Literary Society the same
tIit>ii'. IiIdCVu IIldIe one 0I an auQl.
ence which. hoping Eainst hope. sat
and waited for him till a late hour.
l recollect, amongst others. Mr. w, 3,
Yeats, who wjled away the time draw
ing chalk sketches of imaginary fairy,
creatures, on the blackboard There
was A. blazing fire. and we We're happy
huf uoI,,,
that night
IT was in March. '94.-1 was back
in the same room. and actually reading
a lecture on ancient Gaelic literature
myself, when the door opened on a
late e-colner. and there strobe in the
picturesque. White-head ded, eagle-eyed
old man whom had seen and noticed
in Belfast ON the road that winds
around the foot of cavehill. This time
he wore a. wide -hrimmed white hat
and was ever more of a. picture. Mr..
J. 3. Yeats Gather Of our poet) for
tunately painted an admirable portrait
of him just about this time, and more
over the fine photograph by Hollyer.
which is published in his Fenian REM
iniscences. was probably taken very
little LATER.
recollect that after my lecture he
was ono of those who Joined in the
discusson, though Gaelic literature
was by no means his speciality, and
tn hc Sf Il r,f hi eo 1,,>
ready to argue l1otly as to whether
t;aclicsm was an essential part of Ma
tionalisn. Thomas Davis. was, Of
course, pro-Gaeljc, he allowed, but
then Wolfe Tone took no count Of
such matters: and. in his own expert
ence. there was the famous John
ing a hair about National politics. and
his sons, good Fenians all, not bother
ing their heads about Gaelicisnn But
he watched this intellectual movement
with keen interest. and came always to
the Gaelic social gatherings, which are
held annually in Oireachteas week at
the Mansion House. He always want
ed to see and to know the men who
were working for Ireland, in any
sphere Of labor. and he would look
in their faces and speak a few words.
He was always on the look l-out for a
man or a boy. or perhaps even a wom-
an, who would be. worth something
to Ireland, and when he had found
such a one he looked him or her in
the face with those keen. searching
eyes of his. before passing Judgment
of some sort. He was above all q
critic. sometimes a perverse critic. His
book of "reminiscences is full of judy
nents and opinions about all sorts ct
obscure and apparently unimpo:tant
persons. They were important in his
eyes If they were recruits. however
humble. to the army of Ireland.
To go on from the day Of the lee
ture, He seems to have coma to some