The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-29

10 r6InlnQeQ me, says Ph1lllDS, 'OI Mt. Everest, among the Himalayas, of St. Paul before Agrippa in that most masterly of defenses. Again I go to Ireland, for an example of character, l-eloquent, touching and sublime. We must cherish the memories of these men. They must not be allowed to die or to disappear I was in Ireland once. had gone up to GIengariff from Cork. A fierce mountain storm was impend- Ing. An Ep1ScOpalian minister bade me, even begged me to stay, pointing Warniugly at the oncoming storm. A sailor said it would hold off 3o or 10 hours. l went. on, was caught. as l might have known l would be '- the fercest storm I have ever seen. The clergyman based his belief on a baro- meter, the sailor on the rule of thumb. Thrice on my way up to the summit of the Kerry Hills, I was tempted to turn back. It was an awful day, it was a day, however. I would not tear out of my life. It symbolized or epi- tomlzed Irish history, its seven cen. turies of suffering. At times a rift would come in the black clouds the sunlight bursting through in long, golden glorious rays. From the sum init I looked upon the sea. when the sun was shining. It was a deep vel low I could hear the rush. roar and crash of the waves as they broke upon and rolled back from the coast. saw the rude, crude. huts or cabins Of the fisherman. As I was descending to- wards Kemmare, I saw a woman com ing towards the road as l was turn ing into the priests house. Would the priest give me shelter? I asked. ''He will indeed Sir was the answer. "but he is in a bad way, just now, poor man, he lost his sister, lately. who used to be his housekeeoer. and has hardly the way of helping a stranger. Still you will be welcome to the best he has, Perhaps a better way than to bother the priest. would be to go to Murtagh Morgan's ca bin just be- 1rxxr m h rnr1f found the Morgans talking Irish, went in and was welcomed given a three legged stool by a big turf fire near which I sat trying to dry myself. for was wet to the skin and chilled to the bone. The inmates consisted of a grandfather and a grandmother about 80 and 75 respectively, a younger couple, husband and wife, 50 and 45, and three or four little ones. While I sat by the fire. the woman of 45 years of age, brought three or four little Kerry COWS into the shed, that was built into the side of the cabin. These she milked, and drove out into the fields. Later she fed 40 or 50 hens and chickens. giving them mashed potatoes and corn. These she whished out into the fields also. Return ng to the kitchen, she filled a wooden basin with water and washed her hands; she then took another wooden basin filled with flour. butter milk and baking flour. This she mixed up into pan,
 
 large iron pan, which she hung over a glowing turf fire, she gave hint that l might put on a brick of turf from time to time. T did so. A little later she came and turned the cake in order to have it cook on the other side. And still later. without jabbing a alarming needle, or a broom straw into it she took the cake away. She then hung couple of small iron kettles over the fire.
 Coming to me the younger woman said, "NOw sir, your supper is ready" In a large room off one side was "a bed and big table. On the latter, was spread a rude coarse Irish linen cloth, and on this were spread plates, a cup and a saucer. I have eaten at tables where kings were entertained, at the tables of the worlds leading hotels, in some of the worlds richest homes. but never has food tasted so sweet. as it tasted that night in that humble Kerry hillsitie cabin. Why? Because of pitality: for when I came to pay for it. the only answer to .'How much shall give you?' was 'Ye'd take the good out of it by paying for it' Poor coat and hat. But his heart and hos pitality have much to do with that. Let slanderers say what they will they may not call him mean. For the stranger is always welcome where the grass grows green. And it grows green in Ireland, so green that if you tried to cross an acre meadow-lot, with big boots on, they would be covered with butter long, long before you would get across. English, American. and a few Irish friends tell me, have told me. that that is the races curse. its hos pitality and generosity. They should be more frugal, thrifty, wise, prudent, less addicted to the old time faith and it's traditions. I know what they mean. I would wound no one. nor would I wish any other people ill; but of this I am surei If all the wealth in the world, all of its gold. silver, diamonds treasures of all kinds were piled high, high as Everest among the Himalayas. and were told. it would be Irelands s, provided she give up the Ancient faith, the great hope, and the hospitality Ireland's name for love. for charity, would refuse; aye. would go with her into the valley of suffering again, and drag the chains seventy-seven times seven centuries, for I would rather have the race we love, with al that it is and was and hope always will be, than any race on earth with all that the world had to offer, of material wealth. Foolish? Yesi Perhaps. But the measure of manhood is character, mind. That it is that makes us say to mo kher Erin, dear Old Ireland:
 Let them give you gold and treasures,
 Wealth in mountains or in streams. But let old Erin keep the measures,
 That I've marked her in my dreams, For that Erin, dear Old Erin,
 That our fathers knew of old,
 Was better far than fifty Erins,
 Measured by the Briton's gold.
 And so I'll sing, but not in sorrow,
 For I'm sure what we shall see,
 Will be Erin, dear Old Erin,
 Just what Erin used to be.
 Just a word more ladies and gentle men. Have I come you ask, and you have a right to ask. all the way from !, Eoc int bn no more than this? No. I have a word, another word. It is this. go on and on and on. Do what the Emmets would do: what Mitchell, Martin Meagher, and O'Brien would do. We must hold the hands of those at home both the men who work in the dark ness and those working in the day. England has never been moved but by fear. We must ask America for help We must ask England for justice the kind of Englishmen. and there are many, who admire character. We must ask France, Germany and all contin- fn hp1r