The Irish standard., 1907-02-09
"REMINISCENCES
"Sonae Gray Haired Boys"
Brought to View by
. Justin Mccarthy in the Pail
Mall Magazine.

In the course Of an interesting article
+ in the Pail Mall Magazine entitled,
Some Gray-Haired Boys" Mr.. justin,
Mccarthy says:
When I was still living in my native
city, Cork. was. beginning to be pos
sessed by the youneful longing to SEQ
tie world aud to meet with men Who
had lived lives of adventure. Then
and there T oecame acquainted with
ttle: first of the "grs. -iaired boys
whom J ann going 10 describe. This
was a MAGISTRATE named Jadiles Roche,
who was a managing partner i'll "A
l1anking house established by him and
;. lis brother in the city of Cork. When
eighty wears Of age. He had studied
i'm France and had passed many years
there. He had settled in Paris long
before the outbreak OF the French
i Revolution. and had ruadc the ac-
/ euaintance of the famous or infamous
7 Countess lOu Barry, who had been, and
}" then. was, a. leading influence in the
!, Court of Louis Nv After the rcrolu-
: 1ion Madame Du Barry WAS sent 10 the
,, xuillotine. James Roche had heen on
ii terms of friendship with most of the
), leading Giron,liSts. and he came under
y the suspicion of Robespierre.
Roche was then engaged in the con-
Y duct Of A French banking house. and
when the impression got abroad in
,, France that Pitt. tha great English
t Ateteslran, Was carrying on plot ,n
DESTROY the finance of the new rep1lb-
y Nc, Roche was cast into prison, and
sNaa every hour expecting his sentence
OF death. Only the sudden over
throw Of Robespierre himself did he
( obtain his freedom once again. III the
u early part of tho nineteenth century he
9 freturned to Ireland My chief delight
B In his snciaty was i'm listening TO the
I wonderful stories he could tell of his
B experiences in the French revolution.
J. He had knoW1 almost all the leading
Z figures in that great struggle. and he
j loved to pour out his rrroIortions and
4 to illuminc them by personal Hnrrdo,".
He used tn rattle along with quit"
Z a. youthful vivacty. aud there Mas IL"
!. indeed tue slightest suggestion Of old
;, axe about it. IT," did not even look
j . like an old mau: lc might have been
4 &C ANY age yuu thought fit to- select Tor
j; him. and while YOU only listened and
{ did not study Ills features you might
have Thought YOU W"ie listening tn the
= nutpouring OF su,.lc Young fellows visit
!: to Paris Just some few months before.
< He remained full nf energy. of hope,
1 and nf confidence. and il seemed to me
a that the mere fact "f living WAS a joy
4 to him rrnl"ml,cr ucl1 that ON ono
OCCASION. when | consulted him as to
y the possibility Of my obtaining Al, ar-
=. pointn,ent in my native city which
], some of my friends urged mo tn seek
II for he jumped mp from his chair in ~,
III sudden burst of energy. and strongly
Ia down to- spend my Iifr in 4 provincial
NJ city. lie walked rapidly up and down
~ the room rNpatiatrS ON the .leIights :
~ OF seeing other places and enjoying Al.
active career. ! to not remember that
ri I ever him after that interview
but the recollection of ii is enough, to
tr suggest to me that ought to give him
the opening place in my recolertions
OF gray -heireo boys"
pa Another of the order whom had the
- good fortune to- know was 4 man who
In must still he remembered by many WHO
We're acquainted with the British HOUSE,
~ Of Commons during the last quarter or
!. the nineteenth century. This was The
~ O'Gormar Mahor. an Irish,nau who
81 Rad led Il life of wonderful experience.
When first came to know him lie had
IA returned, after a. long absence 10 hold
a, seat in the House Of Commons The
81 O'Gorinan Mahon was a. splendid figure
Of a man. He was, ] should Think one
IL Of the tallest men n the house, with
I'd III 3. handsome face. a fine stalwart form
bl and "a. commanding presence, and his
an movements had ALL the energy of life's
De Very prime. ] d" not know what his
= HI exact age waS. and his friends did no,
u; seem to think that lie w;s particularly
~ anxious to have. it, made lily
n,;ss known. What VIC did know for ccrtai,
vi was that lie had taken an cffectua
4 part in bringing out Daniel O'Conpel
w as Il candidate for the Irish county in
9 which The O'Gorn1an Mahon had then
,1s much territorial influence, and tina
2. p UConnell's entrance into parliament
MI vas the pfelud" Z" the passing OF
%, atholtc el1laneil'a tion. In 1875 O'Co,,-
d M nell presented himself as a candida t.
1T for election III Clare county. With The