The Irish standard., 1914-06-20

red: we would look up a directory,
and call upon Belfast gentleman,
long resident in Genoa, and we'll
known to both of us, from schoolboy
days at home. We found him in his
office in the Vico Cartai, plunged in
to business, yet not so busy that he
was unable to receive US. He gave
us a kindly welcome to Genoa and
placed himself at our disposal as
host and guide. I said at once: "Our
time is short, for we sail this even
ing at 6. We want you to take us
to see the tablet on the wall outside
the house where O'Connell died and,
if possible, obtain permission to see
the actual room"
"Shall we have far to walk?" I
asked. "Is the place far away?"
He laughed in answer: "Why tits
just round the corner. You passed
the door on your way to my office"
AS we turned our footsteps into
the Via al Ponte Reali, he babe us
look above, and there on the wall of
a huge five-story building, at a dist
ance Of about twenty-five feet from
the street level, our eyes rested upon
the object of our search. Yes, there
it was; no Irishman could mistake it,
so evident is the likeness of O'Con-
nell.
CHOW let us see the room," we
said. Passing into the courtyard of
the house-it is shown on the pic
ture-and climbing upa flight Of wide
white marble stairs, we were shown
into a chamber of fine proportions.
There is not as far as we could
ascertain, any inscription or tablet,
to mark this room in any special way
1t is now used as an office by Cen
oese coal merchant. The clerks en-
gagged at their desks listened politely
to the explanation by our genial
guide as to our intrusion on their
business for such sentimental purpo-
ses, and evidenced much interest in
our visit. Uncovering our heads, we
said a prayer in silence for the Lib
orators soul, and came down to the
street again, much gratified at the
great privilege which had SO gra-
ciously been accorded to us.
From the street we took another
look at the tablet on the wall. What
strange surroundings for an Irish
National monument! One is rather
painfully struck by the unsympathet-
ic character of the placards which
bedeck the windows and panels near
the tablet, those above it and on
either hand seeming to crush it I'M
kindly, and begrudge the space
which reverence demands.
To understand this state of things
one needs but explain that the noble
building before us has, years ago,
changed its functions of hotel for
those of a block of merchants Of
fees, the ground floor, as aglance at
the picture will show, being given up
to restaurants, and milk shops and
wine stores. This street. though
short and narrow, is one of the bust
est in Genoa, leading as it does to
the stock exchange from the sea
front, and its docks, where ships are
berthed from every nation in the
world. Forgetful of the noisy
throng which at this hour of the af-
ternoon was at its noisiest, we still
fingered near this historic spot. A
further demand on the services of
our kindly guide was taking shape
within my mind. Both of us had
cameras. SIS there a possibility"
! said, "of getting photograph of the
O'Connell tablet for the souvenir al
bum of our trip?"
"There is no postcard of the monu-
ment for sale in the shops of Genoa. /"
he said.
The light was quickly fading from