The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-02-19
The Living Irish Speech

IL A0AA 0PSSSAA
title-deed in the court of nations. 1t
is the voice of promise alluring us to
a higher and nobler national exist
ence. Its reviving tones salute our
ears at the opening of the new cen
fury as a trumpet-call reminding US
that we have been dwelling in Baby
lonian bondage, warning us not to eat
the unclean meats, not to quaff the
the sorcerer's cup proffered to us by
our captors, telling us that already
many of our people are drunk to swim
ish drunkenness with the alluring wine
of foreign civilization, that already
many of them are sunk hopelessly in
all that is vulgar and barbarous of
foreign customs and habits. That liv-
ing speech will train up the rising
generation in all the traditions of
their ancestors, 1t will keep alive the
characteristics that individualize our
race; it will keep alive our spirit Of
chivalry, of heroism. of generosity, Of
faith. 1t will nurse the simplicity of
character which distinguished our
forefathers; it will watt across the
centuries the breeze of romance and
enthusiasm from the days when kings
held high festival at Tara and at Cru
achan, when gay huntsmen from East
ern climes gambolled on the green
sward of Meath and of Kildare, when
men revealed with the new wine of
life, of beauty, and of strength.
Living Nurse Of irish National Ira.
ditions.
Woe to US If ever that living nurse
of our ancient traditions is lost to
| our. race! Woe to US IL we let the
national spirit of our children perish
from want of being duly nursed in
our history through the living accents
of Irish speech. Woe to US If we are
forced to nurture our national spirit
merely on the dry bones of dead
and neglected tongue. I remember
once hearing folk-tale. A mother
who was on her death-bed had two
| daughters, one of whom she loved
while she hated the other. Both were
present at her bedside. She gave sew.
! eral heads of advice to them, but
that advice was put in enigmatical Ian.
guage in order that the daughter
whom she disliked may attach the
wrong meaning to 1t. One point of
advice was this: always keep old
bones under your children" 1t hap.
pened contrary to her expectations
The daughter she loved failed to pene.
trate the mystery of this advice, and
took it in the literal sense; she had
her children constantly seated on a
heap Of old bones with the result that
they caught cold and dropped and
died. The other daughter was wiser!
She, too, procured old bones for her
children, but they were living bones,
for she provided them with q careful
old nurse who had them constantly in
her arms. If the Irish nation of today
discard the living Irish speech, con.
tenting themselves with it's remains
in books and manuscripts, we shall
be following the example Of this fool
ish daughter, and our children shall
lose their national spirit. If, on the
contrary, we secure living old nurse
the nurse Of living Irish for the ris.
ing generation, they will grow up
sound in mind and body, and perpet-
uate the historical traditions of their
race. She is truly an old nurse, but
though old. full of the vigor and
sprightliness of youth, full Of the glad
music of happier days, full of the
spirit of independence and self.reli-
ance.
Let none believe our lovely Eve out.
worn and old;
Fair is her form, her blood is warm,
her heart is bold;
Though tyrants long have wrought her
wrong she will not fawn,
Will not prove mean, our Caitlin Nj
Ualachain.