The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-05-21
AN OFT.TOLD TALE
Robert Emmet, the Irish Martyr, and
Miss Sarah Curran.

all ages, has been enriched by tales
of the romantic passion. The suscep-
tibility of human affection for the OBJ
ject of it's choice is common to man.
kind, but in all the annals of story
there is, perhaps, no more pathetic
and tragic episode than the attach
ment of Sarah Curran and Robert
Emmett. Sarah Curran was the daugh-
ter of John Philpot Curran, an emf
nent Irish barrister, orator and wit;
Robert Emmett, the young Irish pa
triot, who made gallant but futile
attempt to free his country from the
tyranny of oppressors. Emmett, after
his futile instruction of 1903, might
easily have escaped to America or
France, but an irresistible longing for
one word more with his love brought
him out of the security of his hiding
place into the. city of Dublin. Indeed,
he endeavored to persuade Sarah to
go away with him to America, but
she, dutiful maiden, refused disobedi-
ence to parent by whose side she
considered it her duty for some fur
Their time to remain. Unable to leave
her, Emmett fingered in Ireland and
| fell easily into the hands of his cap
tors. Robert Emmett had won the
heart of Sarah Curran. The gallant,
rash chieftain had breathed out his
soul to his love and many of his let
tiers were found in her fathers house.
Curran was, therefore, suspected of
completely with Emmett and was
/ brought before the Privy Council for
examination. and to explain matters;
and was thus prevented from under
sequent trial of the young patriot for
high treason.
The story of the attachment of
Robert Emmett and Sarah Curran is
a tragic and pathetic one. Greater
men, perhaps, died in the struggle in
! which Robert Emmett engaged, but
none was so warmly loved, nor were
their deaths so passionately lamented.
He had youth, talent, social position,
prospects for the future when he en-
! barked in the cause of Ireland's free
dom; and such a combination of adj
mirable. qualities were united in him
as are seldom found in one man. A
poet and an orator, a true patriot,
brave soldier, true lover, man thor
oughly free from guile. He was so
brave, SO intelligent, so handsome, so
generous so lovable, so ingenious; his
conduct under trial was so lofty and
intrepid, his indignation in repelling
the charges of treason against his
country was so noble, his vindication
of his name so eloquent, his defiance
, of the terrors which surrounded him
so splendid, that humanity shrieked
| when he fell from the scaffold, and
his head severed from his lifeless
| body, was held up to the public gaze
as the image of traitor" All the
splendid traits of his noble character
! fired the minds of the people with en-
thusiasm and filled their hearts with
a deep sorrow of his untimely death;
even his enemies lamented his tragic
death. But amidst all the sorrow and
/, the weeping there was one heart
whose anguish it was impossible to
fortune Robert Emmett had wooed and
won the affections of John Curran's
! beautiful and interesting daughter.
, She loved him with all the disinter-
ested fervor of woman's first and
early love-a love that survived the
tomb, When all the strength of pow
er and every worldly force was ar
rayed against him; when blasted in
fortune, disgraced in name, and dan
him still more passionately for his
very sufferings. Dead at the foot of
the scaffold, he was her glorifed hero;
When the laws cruel axe fell upon his
broken and devoted neck and his
beautiful head was held aloft by the
bloody hands of the executioner, she
beheld a vision of glory-the spirit of
her martyred hero-and it entered into
and took possession of her soul. If
his fate had saddened all other hearts,
and filled every generous mind with
anguish, awakened the sympathy even
! of his foes, what must have been her
agony? Then the horrors of such a
! grave. No lingering, parting sweet
. ness, no mute but tender glance-no
/ loving caress. no note of affectionate
sorrowful farewell-nothing to sweet
en- the thoughts of saddest memory.
The bereaved girl was tenderly and
delicately cared for, and cherishing at
tentions were paid her by people with
kind hearts and generous SenSibilities