The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-03

After vespers came tea, which ! had
supposed would DO literally nothing else.
but there was the most delicious graham
bread I have had sinoe 1 came TO Ireland
and unlimited milk. There was no butter.
as il was a fast day.
Talk went on among us all until a bearded
monk in white came in and began 10 read
passages from Thomas a kempis. His
e~nunciation was peculiarly pure. and l
doubt not that he was a gentleman born.
IL was a pleasure to hear such English.
While he read we were all silent.
After supper we vent out TO the garden.
and in a sheltered place although we did
not need a shelter, as the tickle rain had
stopped, those who wished played a
spirited game that consisted OF tossing
stones into a little pocket Of earth. One
Of the priests was an adept. and he carried
all before him.
In such simple pleasures, Of In walking.
tho evening was spent until IL came time
10 go to chapel again.
One Of my companions land they were
there from all parts OF Ireland. and you
might hear the Scotch accent Of the North.
the pure Dublin and Wicklow Elizabethan
English. the slightly thickenod Waterford
variety. and the hurried talk Of the Cork
oman. as well as other styles l could not
place-probably west coast dialects. mourn
full and slow asked me what l thought
Of Ireland. and I told him my impressions
had been tremendously favorable.
He said that n man who had returned not
long since told him that Ireland was hope
lessly behind the times. and l told him.
for his comfort, that to take instance
in which Ireland was up to date the tram
service in Dublin was far ahead OF hat OF
New York both in the elegance Of its rolling
stock, its cheapness and the courtesy and
civility Of its employees.
He was much amused at thei idea OF horse
cars in New York. Electric cars play an
important part in all the large Irish cities.
and a ride on the top OF one to Howth,
a lovely suburb OF Dublin, is worth every
bit Of the eight cents it costs.
They have yet to introduce the transfer
system. but in other particulars. like Mr..
O'Reilly, they're doin' lam WE'LL All
thisI told him.
At 8 I sought my room, where there was
reading matter suitable to the place. but
the candle was not conducive to extended
reading unless 1 held il close to n book.
and then il dazzled me; so at . o'clock
l was in my bed and until 2 in the morning
the house was quiet. save for a snore here
and there.
But at Q the bells began TO ring. and
kept il up at intervals all through the night.
1 was told this, but tired natures sweet
restorer. balmy Sleep came TO my aid
and | d dreamed il was a feast day and that
all the monks we're sitting at the breakfast
table singing at each other joyfully.
Next day was a feast day Ito my relief.
7 was up at 8. but It was some time after
that that l heard steps in the hall. l had
looked out Of the window from time to time,
hoping to see some one in the garden. The
table of the duties Of the day hung in my
room. and / noticed hat breakfast was
at 0. Luckily l had some chocolate. or
I might have felt I was likely to faint by
the wayside.
I did not go to early devotion and when
I heard the footsteps in h hall l opened
nv door andfound that it was Father David.
the keeper Of the gate. going o to see
il any were still in bed.
When he saw me he said 20 the brother
who accompanied him: -Oh. IL doesn't
make any difference with him." Then to
me: Would you like to walk in the gar
den?'
1 said that I would and walked round
and round its lonely paths for more than an
hour. now and then eating a square OF
chocolate to keep OF death.
But before 3 the good father came and
asked me if I'd like to see the interior OF
the monastery. and he showed me the bake
shop with it's most up to date ovens. and
oh, how hungry the smell Of baking made
me and the steam saw and h creamery
and the library with it's old newspaper
telling to Irishmen that Cromwell had de-
parted to his rest the day before. Not
very sorrowful news that. I imagine. to
| the Irishman OF that day.
And Father David showed me and the
other Americans an incubator and explained
the process, with an innocent ciroumstan-
tiality that we respected. Why tell him
that the woods were full OF incubators in
America? The thing that appealed most
TO him, however. was the big circular saw
that would saw up a good big log Of
wood in -minyit.'
With his permission l took a photograph
Of e beautiful Irish cross in the grave
ward. bur when l suggested my taking him
he averted his palms at me. Such vanities
were rot for him.
At breakfast there were eggs and milk
and tea and delicious butter in abundance
and the reading Of some holy book by
Father David. which did not stop all con-
versation. Being a feast day there was one
priest who felt his tongue could be loosened,
and he kept up an undercurrent OF con-
vsrsation TO Father David's annoyance.
but IL was a human touch that was not
out of place.
The monks are themselves vegetarians.
but a school is run in connection with the
monastery. and the students are allowed
10 eat meats.
At 0 O'Clock my jarvey called for me
and took me 10 the boat for Youghal. and
l made my Offering and shook hands with
Father David and felt hat l had been
benefited by my stay in the retreat.
oven felt that had l more time at my dis
posal 1 would stay on for several days,
talking with the guests. pitching stones
into the hole and looking at the rolling
landscape and the 1--WE inspiring hills be-
hind the chapel spire.
One thing in America had interested
Father D~aVid-the Thaw tral-and he
wanted to know IL Thaw would be hanged.
One day the only American new in the
Derry papers was to the effect that Evelyn
Thaw thought Of going on the stage.
Not our art or our literature or ouE
suppression OF the boss. but the Thaw
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