Rock Island Argus., 1916-09-25
Selected by Tavenner

leans" said Mrs. Pearse. Patrick
thought 1t the greatest country in the
world. He had a warm admiration for
George Washington. He modelled his
own course here on the American rev.
olution. But we hadn't Lafayette or
a Steuben to step in and help us,
Oh" she said suddenly, Il don't wish
to talk about my boys; want to keep
busy If you only had known them
my brave lads, whose only crime was
loving Ireland"
81 heard your son, Patrick, speak
once at a meeting IN New York" l
said gently. He was a brilliant
i orator.,
did you know my boys father WAS
an Englishman? asked Mrs. Pearse
Before l could answer she continued:
| my sons imbibed their love of Ire
| land from me. I heard that General
Maxwell said that the blame lies with
their mother when speaking of their
arrest and deaths. 1 was proud to
hear it." She rose from her seat and
her large blue eyes flashed while the
tears rolled down her cheeks, and said
| decisively: IF l had two more sons
1 would gladly give them for the same
! cause.-the freedom of ireland.
But it is hard to realize that shall
never see my boys again" continued
this Irish mother. Patrick used to sit
| there-that was his favorite seat"
| She pointed to a chair near the open
! fireplace. willie sat opposite to him.
! Willie was my baby''-again the tears
rolled down her face-'a mother clings
| to her baby" she added pathetically.
| Both my boys consulted me- in every
| thing they did. l was in all their
| secrets.
! Here is my boy Patrick's study"
| She led the way into a large, sunny,
| high-ceilinged room, looking out on the
grounds, with the shadow of trees
looming greenly through the windows
An open desk Uttered with papers was
| the first thing to catch the eye. 'The
soldiers were in here" said Mrs.
Pearse. ''The first time we expected
them, and had the place barricaded
and the guns ready. Then the word
came that the republican army had
surrendered, and we knew what to
expect We hid the guns. We have
them stilP'-her eyes f1ashed-"but
that is a secret. There is Patrick's
picture'-she looked Iongingly at the
picture hanging on the wall. "Oh, he
was so clever. I wish you could have
heard him leCturing on John Mitchell.
1t was his last. I was not there, but
l believe he surpassed himself.
Here is a group Of our college
boys; some of them were in the ris-
ing. You know my son founded this
college for the making of Irishmen. |
He wrote plays in Gaelic and the boys
took part in them. I am going to car
~ on the work" she said proudly. Il |
know that God will give me the |
strength and power. The school will |
shortly be opened" Then she said |
these remarkable words.
ireland is awake; she will never |
sleep again. A fire has been rekindled |
which will never be extinguished. Ire |
land will resume her place among the |
nations"
Had your son Patrick any other
love but IreIand?"
"Patrick's love was called Ireland"
she said, with a sad little smile at
was born in him He had no fear of
death. All he feared was dishonor
And they tried to dishonor him when
they shot him and destroyed his body
in quicklime and buried his bones with
criminals"
'Is 1t true that you were not per
mitted to see him before he was exc
cuted ?" 1 asked
Il did not see him. They threw him
into a cell without even a plank bed |
and no covering g-my boy who was
reared so tenderly. Many a night I
used to slip into his room to see that /
he was comfortable, just as I did when
he was a small boy"
Did you know, on that Easter Sun
day morning, that the time had arrived
for decisive action?" II
81 did" she answered What is
more, I had a premonition for fort
night before that something was going ,
to happen. My daughter had the same {
feeling. On Sunday evening. two
weeks before the rebellion started. my
boys and their sister were sitting here
with me. ! was trying to write a poem ]
in memory Of Aunt Kate, who died
short time before. Somehow l couldn't
write line; an overpowering feeling
of calamity weighed me down. Now {
and again I would glance at my boys Z
and my eyes would cloud with tears. {
My daughter left the room to dress {
for the Mitchell lecture which Patrick I
was to deliver !
What are you looking so worried /
about, mother" asked Patrick
Nothing, I made haste to answer
am trying to write poem and the \
won't come. VIII YOU write h
It for me? Write it as If it were writ I
ten by me- a
He looked at me strangely for a C
moment, but did not answer, and left C
he room without word. My daugh- t
-er came in, dressed for the lecture. u
Mother she whispered, L have a t
Dreadful foreboding that something is [
going to happen I didn't want the b
BOYS to notice how badly am feeling,
20 put on my prettiest dress When
patrick was leaving the room prior to V
so1ng to the meeting, he said: Mother. I
am going TO write you that poem s
fou know the tragic circumstances
lnder which that poem was written"
concluded Mrs. Pearse. a
h
The poem is called "a Mother III
speaks" Here are the words; it reads ei
Ike prophecy:
Dear Mary, thou didst see thy first
born Son h
10 forth to die amid the scorn of men lc