The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1910-04-02
RamblesE
in Ireland
In Kickham's Country
BY SeEmas
Mac Monus

The lOyelieSt, most beloved Oh lflSD
writers-the one that best knew our
people, and felt for, and felt with, our
people, and who accordingly found
their hearts-was undoubtedly Charles
kickham: and his beautiful novel of
homely Irish life, "knocknagow, or
the Homes of Tipperary,' is the most
dearly-prized story in Ireland.
Finding myself in the south o. Ire
land | must needs make pilgrimage to
the Hickman country, And that was
why on a beautiful Sunday afternoon
OF May, l bowled along a road, pass
ing a half-acre field which is popu-
larry supposed to be in no county,
though three counties run up to its
three fences The sight of big, bare,
gaunt building, with roof broken and
windowless, grinning like a deaths
head at the passerby, soon afterwards
arrested my career.
What is it?" | asked of country
boy
It's a house, sir, that was built by
a chap from America tive-and twenty
years ago"
And did he desert it?"
Faith, he had to-
"Why?"
well, he built the house upon gen
tie Qairy) ground, and from the day
the roof went on it, it was crammed
full O. thin lads" He accompanied
the reference to "thim lads" with a
jerk of his thumb over shoulder. An
they neither give him PAIGE, night nor
day
And he went back to America
again."
no. then-he went to the divil"
MUllinahone, quiet, out-of-the world
village where Charles Hickman spent
almost all his life, was entered by n
street that presented the appearance
of having had all haunted houses, for
most of them were roofless, and ali
OF them windowless, presenting g.
most melancholy appearance.
All the house owners on this street
| found, later, had been evicted al
most a quarter Of century ago be-
cause, in the Land league days, max
ing bold stand for the sake of other
than themselves, they gave their adj
herenCe to the mo Rent manifesto
adopting the plan of campaign, they
were summarily bundled out by the
landlord and their houses wrecked.
spoke to one of them who, fortune fla
voring, had managed to acquire a
shop in another part of the village
and to prosper again. He told me that
almost all of the evicted tenants were
still living, or trying to live, in or
around Mullinahone, and were expect
ing soon to be reinstated in their
property, and to resume the happy
life they had known ere, for principles
sake, they were cast upon the world.
These bravo fellows, and many an
other band like them in other parts of
Ireland, are crippled heroes of the
land war. 1t was their readiness to
sacrifice themselves, and their actual
sacrifice, which, an object lesson to
the landlords of Ireland, showed them
what the Irish tenants were prepared
to do-brougt landlords to their
knees, and saved tens of thousands,
aye hundreds of thousands of their
rackrented fellows throughout the
land. 1t was their action, too, that
forced from the British government
fresh land acts and left their happier
fellows in easier and cheaper posses
sion Of the land. These evicted ten
ants-bands of whom are to be found
in various part of Ireland-nObly
stakcd their all in defense of the cause
and lost. Yet they suffered, and
suffered in silence Ike the brave men
they We're, and it was their triumph
&c see that though they lost, all Ire
Lara won
Is it do ] know Charlie KICK" said
u young man upon the street to whom
put a question Well" refectively,
with a loving shake of his head, II
think | did. 'Tis many's the time
Wren ! was a little bare.footed gOr-
soon meself an the other little lads,
when we were playing hide-and-seCk,
would go in and out under the table
he was writin' on in the garden His
eye kindled when he heard from mv
lips the name beloved. and | observed
the same when | mentioned Kick
hams name to any other of the vii
layers. Howsoever Indifferent they
might be in answering questions on
other subjects l had but to mention
Kickham and they opened their hearts
to me
When ! went to the chapel-yard to
visit the grave of the poet and novel
tst l was followed by a few of his old
Fenian comrades and disciples who
had got wind that a stranger. much
interested in Charlie Kick" had ar.
rived in the village They shook me
warmly by the hand, and one of them
whose head was frosted by 20 win.
tors md more, blt Who was still of
eres, carriage and bright eye, showed
plainly that his heart glowed since a
stranger had journeyed from afar to pay
homage to the memory of his hero
and leader. These men took of their
hats and knelt by the graveside with