Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-12-22
Proud Indade Are Himself and
Mrs. O'Leary of By Michael
BY CATHERINE VAN DYKE. IN
LADIES' HOME JOURNAL.

In war time, when life is re-
duced to the essentials, you see so
clearly just what is necessary to
a country. In Ireland ] found
romance as indispensable as po-
tatoes. 1t was romance that made
the wonderful Celtic imagination
clothe even the skeleton of wan
with some Of it's medieval CLAM
our; romance that decked the
country with quaint posters; that
made the orators on the recruiting
stands burst into long poems of
tripping melody, and the people
declaim Ireland's new hero in
pe~rorations that would have
Frustrated Burke. But, then, Ed
mund Burke never knew Michael
OLeary.
Now I had heard of Michael
O'Leary all over Europe. The
Germans called him "The Irish
Giant" and the French said
"OIleary of the singing sword"
but it remained for Ireland to
give him the grandest wake it
has ever held for the living.
Everywhere l saw the posters
with Michael's boyish face Wig
ncttcd On his Victoria Cross, and
underneath-generally in verse
an account of his fight that has
made Ireland a blaze of patrio-
tism, and has done as much for
internal peace as it has for re-
cruiting. From all who sang or
told INC the story l gathered that
he was none less than old Brian
Boru himself, reincarnated under
the name of Michael O'Leary.
But in that wonderful attack at
Cuinchy, when, at the turn of q
losing fight, Michael leaped out
from the Irish Guards, and, with
a cry of Good Save Ireland -
dashed through 40 yards of hail
ing mitrailleuse, down into the
enemy's trench, there to pick off
five men single-handed and cap
ture two while he gained the first
machine gun and the guards dart
ed in after him, the stripping be-
came a giant. and the cheers
for "O'Leary, O'Leary," rang
around the world.
But it was Michael's descrip-
ton of his method that proclaimed
him a true son of Erin:
And now will you give us
your own account for the official
record?" the colonel asked. "How
did you fight five men, capture
two and take a machine gun
single handed?"
Faith, sir,'' said Michael. 81
surrounded Them"
Like a bomb of glory the news
burst on Ireland, and then, being
on Irish soil, the bomb got bu-
collie and, instead of scattering
forces, united them. An Irish
man had won the first Victoria
Cross of this war, and he had
given his method as only an Irish
man could. The country went
wild with JOY. Everywhere the
new posters went up, and now
they said "Help O'Leary," or
"O'Lcary wants more men,"
And what they asked for they
got. There were cheers and
publications and a grand burst Of
Hibernian harmony. For the first
time I'M history the unionists and
nationalist, the home rulers, the
laboritess the Orangemen, the Sein
Feins, the North listers and the
South listers, the McC arthys, the
q 'Neills, the McDonnells and the
tj'Qradys shook hands instead Of
fists, and the editors Of the Irish
Times and the "Freeman's Jour
NAL found that by i'll good luck
they had both written editorials
a praise Of the same person.
Macroorn, ireland.
Everywhere activity and purpose re-
placed the .dreamy eyes and hands
4 without purpose" ono poetixed by
Xent4. Cheerful. happy faces looked
mp frum9thetr work. and Ireland, who