New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-12

To dc not with politics, but with social
tendencies and customs.
Like many other Irish writers-and
English ones, too-he dwells on the evils
or the absentee system. which fiourished
I'm his boyhood: and. apropos or the nne
estates from which their owners care
fully kept away, he tells the story OF
one near Cork. his birthplace. It's beau
tiful park was his resort on every holt
dav, n younger schoolfellow being his
faithful companion. Much as little Nc
Carthy loved the place. his playmate
loved II more and conceived wild am
bition TO become, some day, its owner.
The boys grew up; the younger went
into politics and I'm due time was chosen
as a representative Of an Irish Par
liamentary borough in the Conservative
interest. He was clever and useful, and
Dlsraeli gave him colonial governor
ship. That led to other important Of
fees and much prosperity. Then. in
middle age, there came TO him what so
few men ever see-the fulfilment OF his
boyhood's dream. The absentee land
lord OF that beloved place near Cork at
last grew tired of holding property
no never visited and offered It for sale,
and thus Sir John Pope Hennessy set up
the home for which he had yearned In
his schooldays. This Renaissance Of
fers the only CLEAN of romance in the
chapter on The Absentee" The wretch
ed condition Of the tenants on q great
estate, left wholly to the care Of a grind
Ing agent, is portrayed with energy.
Saualor. cold, starvation were all their
lot. The organization Of the secret So
cieties, the author holds, was the direct
result OF the apparently hopeless situa-
ton created by absenteeism.
one OF the pleasantest memories OF Mr..
McCarthy,s youth Is of Irish delight in
poetry and romance He tells us that
even the poorer classes in Cork felt al
most a passionate love for music OF any
kind and for ballad poetry. All the
young people of his acquaintance, boys
and girls alike, were given to the writ
ing OF verses-pretty poor ones some
times, II we may judge by the specimens
no offers. He has seen many countries.
he says, I'm the course of his long life.
but never any community where the
love of literature was more warm, sin
cere and general than in Cork IN those
days. The very poorest Of those. he de-
clares. who had obtained anything llks
fair education were as much devoted
to the study and enjoyment Of English
literature as any Englishman could be.
Charles Lever was then the most popu-
lar Irish novelist. his humorous delinea-
ton of Irish character amusing his coun-
trymen while they told one another
that they had never seen such types.
We are called upon to remember that
the Irishmen OF Levers earlier novels
are not TO be taken rs actual repre-
sensations Of typical Irishmen. Mr.. Nc
Carthy's pages, wa believe, are excel
lent antidotes to cut-and-dried inJustices
to Irish life and character.
There Is an agreeable flavor of senti-
ment In many of this Cctogenarian' rec
elections and a kindness which well
BELTS one removed from the buster ways
OF men. He retells with genuine enjoy
ment the romantic stories discussed In
his youth and fingers over the careers
of friends long departed with touching
regret. His book must appeal with Pc
culiar grace to readers of his race.