The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-02-13
lr1snr persisted Angela.
do I? More than the English gov.
eminent does. Don't I own land

DO I? More than the English gov
eminent does. Don't own land
thereY
Il mean do you know anything about
the people?" insisted Angela.
II know them to be lot of thiev.
ing, rascally scoundrels, too lazy to
work and too dishonest to pay their
way even when they have the money"
us that all you know?"
isn't 1t enough?" His voice rose
shrilly. 1t was the first time for years
any one had dared use those two hated
words ireland" and Irish" at his ia.
BILE. Angela must be checked and at
once.
1T wouldn't be enough for me If
had the responsibilities and duties of
landlord. To be the owner Of an
estate should be to act as the peoples
friend, their father, their adviser in
times Of plenty and their comrade in
times Of sorrow"
Indeed! And pray where did yoe
learn all that, miss?" asked the aston
tshed parent.
Without noticing the interruption OF
the question, Angela went on: "Why
deny country its own government
when England is practically governed
by its countrymen? Is there any no.
sition 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 lrishmen, 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 lrishman. 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 Discovering 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
q moment and then Hundreds:
"How dare you! How dare your
Angela smiled 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 nation living within
Il few hours journey from our doors,
yet millions Of English people are as
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 themw
"Angela!" cried her sister in hor-
ror.
Nathaniel laughed good naturally,
leaned across to Angela and said:
Il see our little sister has been
reading the sensational magazines.
Yes?"
1--WE done more than that" replied
Angela. I'm Nice month ago were
two English members of parliament
who had taken the trouble to visit the
country they were supposed to assist
in governing. They told me that a
condition Of misery existed throughout
the whole of Ireland that was incredi-
BILE under civilized government"
Radicals. eh?" snapped her father.
mo; 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 some way Of lessenipg
the poor peoples torment"
1.-THE more shame to him to talk like
that to girl. And. what's more, you
had no right to listen to him. A Con-
sentative indeed! A fine one he must
be!'
"He is. I don't see why the Liberal
party should have all the enlighten-
ment and the Conservative party all
the bigotry."
Don't anger your father" pleaded
Monica.
"Why, little Angela has come back
to us quite revolutionary" said Ma
thaniel.
leave the tablet! shouted her ia
Their.
Without word Angela got up quiet
~ and left the room. Her manner was
entirely unmoved. She had spoken
from her Utmost convictions. The fact
that they were opposed to her father
was immaterial. She loathed tyranny
and his method Of shutting the mouths
of those who disagreed with him was
particularly obnoxious to her. 1t was
also most ineffectual with her. From
childhood she had always spoken as
she felt. No discipline checked her
Freedom of speech as well as freedom
Of thought was as natural and essen
ual to her as breathing.
From that time she saw but little
Of her father. When he died he left
her to her brothers care. Kingsnorth
made no absolute provision for her.
She was to be dependent on Nathaniel
When the time came that she seemed
to wish to marry, If her brother ap-
proved Of the match, he should make
handsome settlement on her.
In response to her request Nathaniel
allowed her to 60 with him to Ireland
1 lit A.>%. -