The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-04-11
At a Farmhouse.

When the cattle had been gathered
together I started with my escort for
the hospitable roof that had been
promised me. In a. little while we ar
rived at the farmhouse, and were well
coined by the whole family, eight in
number. Supper was soon prepared,
roast kid and bacon, with potatoes
and milk, a healthy and wholesome
meal after the long days tramp in
the heights. The father of the fam.
lily said the grace before and after the
meal, not the slipshod sort of thing
to which we are accustomed in Eng
land and Ireland, but a long ceremony
conducted with liturgicah reverence
reminiscent of the patriarchal times,
when the father of the household was
also its priest. They might have been
bred and trained in kings palace,
these simple mountain peasants, so
cultured, and gentle, and refined were
they. One might have thought that
life in the mountains would have tend
ed to make their voices coarse and
loud, and their manners somewhat
rough; but the easy current of their
conversation and the gentleness of all
their movements showed that there
was something within which had a
far stronger influence on their charac-
ter than any other circumstances
could have. People may explain it as
they will; 1 think that that something
within is the religion Of the Cross;
for the religion of the Cross teaches
self.denial, and self.denial is the basis
of all true culture.
Either and the Stars.
When supper was over, and We had
returned from the enjoyment Of a
walk and smoke under the stars, one
of the girls produced a either, the ma
tional musical instrument of Tirol,
and laid it on the table, and then our
evening concert commenced. She
played excellently, and sang more ex.
cellently still, songs Of God and ma
ture, and fatherland, and love and
freedom, not the noisy slang-songs OF
London and New York, but the lovely
melodies of Tirol, breathing the glory
of the eternal hills and the beauty and
peace of the valleys. recognized
many of the melodies, for they were
none other than the medieval folk
melodies which have lived and flour,
ished here among the hills though
the modern world knows nothing OF
them except what it hears of them In
our Church music. was taken by
surprise when l heard them sing "The
Last Rose of Summer" and eileen
Aroon," in German, of course. These
were the only Irish songs they knew;
and then we began to speak of Ire
land. They asked me If would not
sing them an Irish song. tried the
"Coulin" for them, and John O'Dwyer
Of the Glens" and the Death OF
O'Neill," using the melody popular
Used by Mr.. Ludwig. in singing this
song. Then they asked me to tell
them about Ireland. They were very
we'll acquainted with the story Of
O'Connells life and work, and they
had been reading Of the Home Rule
Bill in their papers. When I told them
that Ireland would soon be mistress Of
her own destinies they thanked God
and said that they had often prayed
that 1t might be so. They told me
that there was much Celtic blood in
Tirol, and that l found easy to be
Meve; for the Celtic features are verJ
frequent here. and the general char
acter of the! people Il not unlike thai
Of the people Of ireland, except thai