Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-02-18

it was during that dinner that Angela
Tor the first time really angered her
father and raised a barrier between
them that lasted until the day Of his
death.
The old man had laughed coarsely
at the remembrance of his speech on
the previous night and licked his lips
at the thought of it.
Monica, who was visiting her father
for a few days, smiled in agreeable
sympathy. Nathaniel nodded cheer
fully.
From her fathers side Angela asked
quietly:
Have you ever been in Ireland. ia
ther?"
mo, l have not answered the old
man sharply. "And, what is more, 1
never intend to so there"
"Do you know anything about the
1rish?" persisted Angela.
do I? More than the English GOV
eminent does. Don't I own land
there?"
Il mean do you know anything about
WV PNoPAS. ~ tAlSclu
Il know them to be a lot Of thiev-
ing, rascally scoundrels, too lazy to
work and too dishonest to pay their
way even when they have the money"
"1s that all you know?"
isn't it enough?" His voice rose
shrilly. 1t was the first time for years
any n had dared use those two hated
words ireland and Irish at his ia
bic. Angela must be checked and at
once.
1T wouldn't be enough for me if I
had the responsibilities and duties Of
Il landlord. To be the owner of an
estate should be to act as the peoples
friend, their father, their adviser in
times Of plenty ind their comrade in
times of SORROW"
Indeed. And pray where did you
learn all that, MISS" asked the aston
ished parent.
Without noticing the interruption or
the question, Angela went on: "NVhy
deny a country its own government
when England is practically governed
by its c~ountrymen? Is there my po-
sltion of prominence today in England
that isn't filled by Irishmen? Think.
Our commander in chief is Irish; our
lord high admiral is Irish; there are
the defenses Of the English in the
hands of two Irishmen. and yet you
call them thieving and rascally scoun-
drels.!'
Kingsnorth tried to speak; Angela
raised her voice:
Turn to your judges-the lord chief
is an Irishman. Look at the house of
commons. Our laws are passed or de-
feated by the Irish vote, and yet so
blindly ignorant and obstinate is our
insular prejudice that we refuse them
the favors they do us~-governing them
selves as we'll as England
Kingsnorth looked at his daughter
aghast. Treason in his own house!
His child speaking the two most hated
of all words at his own dinner table
and in laudatory terms. He could
scarcely believe it. He looked at her
a moment and then Numbered:
How dare you! How dare you'll"
Angela smiled Il little amusedly toll
Grant smile as she looked frankly at
her father and answered.:
"This is exactly the old fashioned
tone we English take to anything we
don't understand. And that is why
other countries are leaving US in the
race. There is Il nation living within
Il few hours journey from our doors,
Vnf ri11inn~ 90 TN,,ol;cl ,,oor1o W. or
ignorant Of them as if they lived in
Senegambia." She paused, looked once
more straight into her fathers eyes
and said, And you, father, seem to
be as ignorant as the worst of them.'
"Angela!." cried her sister in hor
rOr.
Nathaniel laughed good naturally
.eaned across to Angela and said:
Il see our little sister has been
reading the sensational magazines
Yes?"
give done more than that" replied
Angela. "In Nice Il month ago were
two English members of parliament
who had taken the trouble to visit the
country they We're supposed to assist
in governing. They told me that a
condition of misery existed throughout
the whole of Ireland that was incredi-
bic under a civilized government"
"Radicals, eh?' snapped her father.
"No; Conservatives. One of them
had once held the office of chief secre.
tary for Ireland and was Ireland's
most bitter prosecutor until he visited
the country. When he saw the
wretchedness of her people he stopped
his stringent methods and began cast
ing about for som way of lessening
the poor peoples torment"
1.-The more shame to him to talk like
that to a girl. And. what's more, you
had no right to listen to him. A Con
sentative indeed. A fine one he must
be-"
Gle is. l don't see why the Liberal
party should have all the enlighten-
ment and the Conservative party all
the bigotry."