The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-09-19


future. His estate contains. over 5000
acres, and commands a most glorious
view of the splendid hills and groves
of the county of Wicklow. The farm
extends two miles in one direction
and is but little way from Bray, ad-
mittedly one Of the best situated wa
tering places in the kingdom, and is
called by a good many people The
Garden Of Ireland Looking from
Mr.. Croker's chamber one can see the
Wicklow mountains standing out in
bold relief toward the East. The Vale
Of Avoca is but a short distance away.
Here the Avonberg joins the, Avon
more. The words the poet sung came
to mind as gazed upon this glorious
scene:
"'There is not in the wide world a
valley so sweet
AS the vale in whose bosom the bright
waters meet.
oh, the last rays Of feeling and life
must depart
Ere the bloom of that valley shall
fade from my heart
"a short distance away is Avon
dale, the former home of Charles
Stewart Parnell, and some distance to
the North is seen Vinegar Hill. where
the men of 'ss fought so gloriously.
"Mr. Croker, though not of talka-
tive nature, bubbled over with enthu-
siasm about the scenery and the peo
pie Of Ireland. but did not pretend to
know much about affairs in America
though he expressed the hope that
Bryan would win the presidency.
Bryan is good man,, said Mr.. Gro
ker, and the people of America will
do a wise thing if they put him into
the Presidents CHAIR
"Mr. Croker gave a splendid picture
of the Derby winner, Orby, to every
member of the party with his auto
graph attached. Tea was served at 5
o'clock, presided over by his niece and
his daughter, and a most enjoyable
affair 1t was. Tea over, we started
back to Dublin, after most pleasant
aftsrnoon.~-. In addition to Mrs. Fitz-
gerald and my daughters, 1 was ac-
companled BY Mr.. Hannah and his son
of Lynn, whom I met on. the Cymric.
"That night we visited the Jesuit
church on upper Gardiner street, and
it was my pleasure to listen to. the
finest congregational singing by the
members Of the male sodalities that
had ever heard. I carried a letter Of
introduction to Father Matthew Rus
sell, a brother of Lord Russell, chief
justice of Great Britain for great
many years. Father Russell edits the
Irish Monthly. He comes of the best
stock in Ireland, is kindly and whole
souled and extremely modest. 1t is
remarkable coincidence that Sir
Charles Russell and his predecessor as
chief justice of England, Lord Cole
ridge, should each have had brother
in the Society of Jesus.
1--WE enjoyed a very pleasant half
hours conversation with Father Rus
sell, who is author and priest alike,
and we returned to our hotel much
pleased with our first day in the lead
ing city of Ireland.
"The next day, Monday, was the
bank holiday, and Dublin was in holi-
day garb. The custom of having holi-
days on Monday strikes me as very
good one. It gives the people of all
classes a chance to get a three days.
holiday. a custom which think could
be wisely copied in all civilized coun-
tries, consistent, Of course, with the
conditions obtaining in various lands.
"Mr Joseph Devlin, member Of Par
lament from Belfast, sent word to me
that. morning that he would like to
take us on an automobile trip, an in
vitation which we gladly accepted.
Knowing that Douth Castle, where
John Boyle O'Reilly was born, was
within reasonable distance, we select
ed this place as the point of our jour-
ney. We were delighted TO learn that
on our trip to Douth we should pass
through Drogheda, the. scene Of the
Cromwell massacres We left our ho-
tel at 12 o'clock and in a few mo-
ments we were on the outskirts Of
Dublin, our machine going along over
splendid roads. Hardly an indenture
did see in any portion of the dis
tance that we Travelled. L found am
pie reason for this perfection in the
fact that at every hundred feet broken
stone, ready to be fitted into any de-
preston. was piled. All over Ireland
J found this to be the case. with the
result that the roads in Ireland aver
h. @o iv,