The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1916-08-05

~ the seldom visited Island OF
Achill Beg. There was only
one thing for us to do-that was to
shout and shout until someone on the
island heard US and launched boat
to ferry us across. writes traveller to
the Emerald Isle, in Ireland. We
talked while we waited about the ul-
tra-nationalism of the friend we were
going to visit. There had been a
project to build causeway from this
peninsula Of the mainland to the is
land Of his sojourn. Our friend OBJ
tected because he did not want the %
families he lived amongst to be cor
rupted by an alien culture. We shout
ed again.
Then we saw stir on the island
and knew that boat was being
launched. Another wayfarer had
come up and was waiting to cross over
with US. This was a young woman
who thought little of nursing her baby
while she waited. She had taken
the child to Some far-away dispensary
upon the peninsula and had received
a announcement upon its sickness.
Now she held 1t and talked to it as
II 1t was treasure-as If it was won
derful she had got the child back so
far. This young woman took our
phrases in Gaelic as good converse.
tional coin. Most native speakers talk
to learners either scornfully or
patronizingly. but she talked trusting
~. as IL we had the Gaelic like the
flowing sea-" as they say. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY that our friend on the island
had brought no hint of paucity in
Gaelic speech.
He lived with one of the island
families in the utmost discomfort.
Meat the people seldom saw. and they
burnt it when they undertook to cook
It. They boiled potatoes we'll enough.
But no amount of repetition could get
them to make drinkable tea. Our
friend had room that had no catch
on its door and he was waited upon by
a barefooted girl. His mental nour-
ishment seemed as zestless as his
physical fare. There we're books on
his shelf, but they were dictionaries.
grammars, textbooks. handbooks, ex-
ercfses In translation. volumes of
propaganda journals. There was
one thing in the room that promised
some delight-our friends fiddle. We
knew how well he could play the
music of fishers and shepherds OF Gaze
Tic Scotland and Ireland.
A Stronghold Of Gaelic.
He held this remote island as q
lonely post in a battle that seemed
long lost-a battle of languages and
civilization. Gaelic might be surren.
1ered or sold on the mainland or in
the big islands. but here rs families
would be drilled to hold and keep it.
Actually he had made this island the
one spot in the British islands where
English is q decaying language. He
had found 1t flourishing here and Gae-
lie weak and ready to give out. He
had restored Gaelic. The young men
and young women who would spend
six months Of the year in the fields
Of England and East Scotland spoke
40 English here. We saw him fling
the door open and dart out like
weasel when he heard an English
phrase used by someone in the main
room. But the harvester was speak
Ing Of The Midland Great Western
Railway" and how could a name like
that be put into Gaelic?
He was giving lecture that night.
and We followed him as he went. Ian
tern in hand. to the schoolhouse. We
passed closed houses before which
geese seemed to sleep standing. We
walked amongst ducks that gave one
the Impression that they were truants
6om school-they slipped into pools Of