Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-12-22

small town, his appeal was to the
mountain folk.
AS we listened a fiery lad leaped
through the crowd and, tearing off his
rough jacket, twisted himself at the
orators feet like some old bible char
acter possessed. of the demon of war.
Tie OLeary I'm comin!' If lie nades
me. I'm comm! 'Tisn't him that
should be without help!'' 1t was there
SO wildly in the boy. that Irish heart
that cannot refuse an appeal for help.
swe Mother Mary" the crowd
SO readily to Irish lips: Jesus protect
h lad"
Tho Lad Who Helned o'Leary.
Strange irony of history, / thought,
as I saw the castle Of Macroom. ivy
hung and legend messed. whose high
window. shining like an old. wicked
eye. lit the hanging chamber of the
former insurrectionists: They told me
the castle was haunted by these mar
tyrs. who dragged their chains and
hoWled nightly. Queer ghosts not to
walk. I thought, to the tune of God
Save the King" played opposite their
nanSlhs on a recruiting
stand. Yet because they were Irish
ghosts knew they smiled as they
realized that II they were in the flesh
today 1t would voluntarily be in Eng
Back at the inn they told me of that
other boy who went out ito help Mi
chael." They had Deer school chums
and Dan had o out to battle for
MS friend. But where the fate Of war
had made Michael a hero. Daniel had
come back blind. They asked me il I
Wouldn't go down to see his mother.
Shes just off the lane a bit. and If
you're from the States. miss, it would
ase her to talk wild We. for she was
once q cook in a boardin' house in New
York"
I couldn't imagine why anyone who
had been a cook in a boarding house
IN New York would want to reminesce.
and 1 dreaded seeing the blind boy. /
had seen so many blind in the countries
at war.
His little room was so dark I co,,ld
just distinguish his outline from the
door. He talked cheerfully enough and
even laughed when I told him of INV
struggles to find Tipperary: but, as I
knew there was no hope for his recov-
cry; afterward asked his mother:
why is the room kept so dark?" She
took me out by the side Of the cottage
where the caves pipe ran down into a
green rain barrel. HE has asked for
It." she saif slowly. 1T is the sun
light he misses most. He fancies. miss.
II the room is kept dark. even il he'd
his eyes. there would be no sunlight to
see. 1t kapes him more asy in his
mind"
It was ten time when I swung on to
\ Jaunttng carl was swinging off and
on now. I had taken my highly rec
commended Paddy's wore that Mrs.
OLeary's wal Just about q mile away.
at the turn of the mountain" but then
l hadn't measured IN Irish mile. Now,
an Irish mile IL made OF elastic. It be-
gins with q minus and ends with a
plus. 1t is grounded on good inten-
lions and leads anywhere.
After U q had logged through
about 10 American miles Of glistening
green fields fenced with pink. hawthorn
hedges. the dew distilled perfumes
changed for the pungence OF the peat
fields that lay before us cut. to the
shiny black ooze. From the men and
women walking homeward with their
digging spades across their shoulders I
turned. In alarm. to Paddy. Paddy"
"Oh. about q miae, miss. +" he answered.
On we into the mountains! The
fell and the corr crakes sent up
their weird. melancholy cries. Prim-
Tive mountain folk passed us In ruts
let an old man climb up on our jaynt-
inS car n then get down ON the other
side. Paddy" ! cried. with the despair
Of Sister Ann. Sister Ann how much
farther u Mrs. O'Leary's?"
.Oh. about q mile.'' he answered. In
can't be asy. be az asy AZ ye cam"
But look down there at that dread.
full chasm. Supporting we fall over in
the dark" I ventured.
sThereM sure be someone handy to
pick up" answered Paddy: they're
All was lost save humor. On and ON
we fOeged. under the overhangine