The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1910-04-09
CARRICkSHOCk
BY Seurds
Mac Mdrus

~ by cycle, found myself at Piltown,
near the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. border
line; and remembering that this was
not far from Carrickshock, made en-
luiries and learned that | had but
seven miles Of hill to ride when the
town Of the Battle of the Tithes would
greet me. 1t was a sultry afternoon
and the road for the first few miles
had surface which, among all the
Irish road surfaces in Ireland, was
distinguished for its yileEoss. They
call it The Main Road, said to me
a poor, ragged fellow who was alter.
nately coaNing and cocrcing a heavily
laden mule. They call it The Main
Road an begona. It's the maiuest
road I've ever met with in all me born
days And he spoke truly, am sure.
But when, after a few miles, | left
this Main Road and got upon a by,
road which WAS to take me over the
hills, felt translated to Heaven. Even
if this byrOad shot up hill and down
dale with frequent and sudden i'm.
pulse, the surface was smooth, and it
was for the first few miles. at least,
heavily shaded by wood and hedge
which made il fresh and grateful. \
wide, cool, green margc extended
along either side. and a wild and lux.
uriant natural growth of form, and
briar, and holly, and thorn, and birch
lined the way on both sides. The Win,
too, goldon-fowcred, asserted itself,
and pleased the eye at frequent inter.
walls; and occasionally got gIimpscs
of whole hillside whose fences Of
Powered fUI2e We're like great, long,
torch-like professions. At one part Of
my journey, almost for TWO miles,
had to walk, so steep was the Hill; but
this walk was far from wearisoue, so
that accompanied me by the road.
sides, and so yariegatcd, and so grand
and extensive the view OF country
that lay around me in every direction
After | topped a great plateau, !
found by the Wayside a lonely forge
where a blacksmith was making mar-
ry music on his anvil Whom Ea came
to his forge door he gave me o. &C.
tions how to reach Carried 2Ora. /
looked arar with him, and saw that
from his picturesque situation la Il
q view Of half Kilkenny. WITHOUT
doubt. in this forge W.. FORGED long
ago many a good, trusty vikc-aead.
and to this forge from the cottages
that dotted the great miles and miles
OF country now visible. MANY an ar
dent eve, | felt sure, had, in certain
DAYS Of vore. Cremucntlv and I0nging-
Iy turned The blacksmith. unlike the
ideal that one has in ones eve. was
neither tail nor stout He was small
and thin, but 1.-the and wirv. and hard.
| knew. as nails. Potential fires slum-
bered in this quiet little mans eve,
and | felt that if Opportunitv came
and his country called he would. with
a heart and a half do his c0uutry's
work as stoUtly and brayelv and well
as the BIGGEST, stOutest blacksmith
that ever ireland has good reason to
he proud of When | asked for Car
rickshock he gave me a sidelong
glance which showed that he knew the
wherefore of NV seeking that place
yes | said in reply to no verbal
ouestfon asked Nv HMM reply mere
" to his gIance-"Yes that's why |
want to see Carrickshock." He mere
M nodded his head in approval. and
then. with much care and kindness.
gave minute directions.
Everyone who knows Irish history
knows that the 1.-THE war which shook
ireland about and after Emancipation
vnar was decisiyely settled and ended
nm the dav of Carrlcksbock. TO the
ministers of the Established church
All Ireland of every creed had to give
yearly a 1.-THE of their lands Weld. AS
the posts Of many thousands of these
c,orgvnan we're mere sinecures their
churches unattended by anv save
themselves their families and the sex.
tom and since fye.sixtbs of the peo.
III of ireland belonged 70 another
church the Irish nation in the end Of
tho "twentiaso and beginning of the
otbirtiaso of the last century came 70
Tho tardv conclusion that If was mon.