The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-07

entirely without principle. Possessed OF
daring, health, youth, skill and ambi-
fion, and indefatigable IN the pursuit Of
his ends. Barry Lyndon was, neverthe-
less, a man of unhappy life and of utter
and miserable failure finally because he
lacked entirely that which Esmond pos
sessed in an exalted degree. Esmond had
his disappointments and his trials in
life and failed to attain the worldly po-
sition. to which his talents entitled him
because he would not win where he
could not win nobly. Barry Lyndon would
win no matter how, so that he won.
Contrast the lives of these two men:
Esmond moving serene through vicissi-
tudes one of the grandest characters in
historic fiction, and Barry Lyndon, fe-
verish, unsatisf1ed, contemplate, the one
ending In the Virginia Castlewood in tho
calm OF an Indian summer the other
perishfng miserably In the squalfd con-
fines OF the Fleet prison.
NV HEN Roaring Harry Barry died
M after having beggared himself
w by drink play and all the other
vices which the town placed at his dis
posal for greasing the way to perditfon
his widow returned with her boy, Red
mond, and all the furniture and clothing
she could smuggle out Of the clutches OF
xhe bailiffs, to Castle Brady, the home
of her brother Mick in the Kingdom of
ireland, and Mick gave her house, rent
free, in the neighboring village. The only
resources of the widow was an annuity
of ESQ chargeable upon the estates of
Lord Bagwigg, which annuity Roaring
Harry had won at cards from that no.
oleman. as all the world knew, which
knowledge is a sufficient answer to the
base insinuations of the Widows sister
m-law, Mrs. Brady, who always did hate
Mrs. Barry, who was woman Of spirit
and quite able to hold her own in any
quarrel of the kind
There were many broken windows at
Castle Brady. The roof leaked and the
doors would not lock, but there were
horses in the ruinous stables, and not
bad ones, either; am abundance of beef,
mutton and vegetables on the hall table,
and If claret was scarce beer and poteen
were plenty. Michael Brady was a jolly.
good-natured soul without dollar, but
blessed with a family of eight blooming
daughters and two stalwart sons.
Redmond at the age of Il could ride,
drink and swear with men old enough 10
be his father and soundly thrashed his
cousin Michael, hulking youth of 10, In
an encounter in the stables where Red
mond greatly affected the society of the
grooms and horseboys. AT 15 there was
not a lad anywhere near his own age for
q couple of miles around Castle Brady
whom English Redmond, as they called
him, had not beaten for one cause or an
other, and at that age he fell desperately
In love with his cousin Nora, who was
declared by her sisters to be over her
majority The widow Barry was woman
who held her head high and was wont to
boast excessively of the ancient greatness
not only of her own, but of her late hus-
bands family. The fact was that Roar
ing Harrys father had been possessed of
an estate yielding Goo year which had
gone to the elder son, Cornelius. But
Harry, having no liking for the drudgery
of an attorneys clerk. to which calling
ne had been apprenticed, and having
fallen In love with the beautiful Bell
Brady, who possessed a small fortune,
achieved both the lady and the property
IN most pious manner.
Bell declared she would never marry
Papist and there was a law at that time
prevailing In Ireland which provided that
II any family property was held by
Catholic the next heir, being Protestant
could, by simply denouncing the holder,
come into possession himself.
With such sound theological arguments
at these presented to him is it any won
der that Roaring Harry was speedily con-
verted and took Bell and the Barry es-
tate7 But now Bells money had been
spent, the Barry property had been spent,
Roaring Harry was dead and Redmond,
turned 10, and was stin in love with his
cousin Nora
Redmond was large for his age. looking
An fact to be four to Ave years older
than he was, had temper fiery and vim
dictive. and overweening self-conhdence
and self-ssteem and no principles what
ever. Proud and boastful, his ideas were
mean and low. his manners coarse and
yet he abounded in physical courage, ro-
bust health and determination and am
bition to get on In the world. To further
his own fortune he would lie, steal and
cheat for it. or he would fight for 1t
estly he would not. The very image of
her dead saint, his mother used to call
him, and shaved and scraped and almost
starved for him. Redmond taking her de-
yotion as a matter of course. Not that
mother and son lived in perfect amity
with each other; they had frequent quar-
rels In which some pretty strong Ian
ruago was used on both sides, for Mrs.
barry had tongue of her own and was
not afraid to call a spade spade when
her temper was up any more than her
son.
The officers of a regiment stationed In
a neighboring town were welcome guests
At Castle Brady. and one of them, Captain
Ouin. must needs fall in love with Red
nond's Nora, a proceeding highly pleas
ing to the Brady family, as jolly Micks'
treasure chest was all cleaned out and
ouin was a man of wealth But Master
harry must needs interfere and challenge
the Captain to mortal combat. They tried
"a mass It or at first on tho ground that
17edmond was only q boy. but that youth
was SO evidently set upon having the Cap
taina blood that duel was arranged In
which Redmond shot his man In the neck
and the Captain fell to the ground, APP
oarently dead, while Redmond was hur-
ned away to Dublin under an assumed
name. But the Bradys wanted GUMS
money too badly to run any risks of hay
fug him come to his end before marriage,