New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-05

called u ldnerly, V. ~ pun
lished in the August number Of "Hearst's
Magazine" but he touches upon topics of
lively interest just now. In the first place,
the ardors of recruiting are rehearsed.
O'Flaherty, with a freshly won Victoria
Cross pinned on his coat, has returned TO
meet his mother and is chatting with
General Sir Pearce Madigan, described as
IAN elderly baronet in khaki, beaming
with enthusiasm" This is a portion Of
the initial dialogue:
OTlaherty (relaxing)-Tm thankful to
you, Sir Pearce; but wouldn't have any one
think that the baronet of my native place
would let a common soldier like me sit down
in his presence without leave.
Sir Pearce-well, you're not a common
soldier OFlaherty; you're very uncom-
mon one; and I'm proud to have you for my
guest here to-day.
OFlaherty-Sure know, sir. You have
to put up with lot from the like of me for
the sake of the recruiting, All the quality
shakes hands with me and says they're proud
to know me, just the way the King said when
he pinned the Cross on me. And it's as true
as I'm standing here, sir, the Queen said to
me: 81 hear you were born on the estate OF
General Madigan," she says, land the Cen
eral himself tells me you were always fine
young fellow" "Bedad, Man," says to her,
'if the General knew all the rabbits | shared
on him, and all the salmon | snatched on him,
and all the cows / MIXED on him, he'd think
me the finest ornament for the county Jail he
ever sent there for poaching."
Sir Pearce Oaughing)-You're welcome to
them all, my lad. Come Che makes him sit
down again on the garden seat, sit down and
enjoy your holiday. (He sits down on one of
the iron chairs; the one at the dooress side
Of the porch.
OFlaherty-H Holiday, Is It? I'd give FIVE
shillings to be back in the trenches for the
sake of a little rest and quiet. ! never knew
what hard work was till | took to recruiting.
What with the standing on my legs all day,
and the shaking hands, and the making
speeches, and--what's worse-the listening to
them, and the calling for cheers for King
and country, and the saluting the flag till
I'm stiff with it, and the listening to them
playing God Save the King" and clipper
ary," and the trying to make my eyes look
moist like man in picture-book, I'm that
het that hardly get wink of sleep. l give
you my word, Sir Pearce, that | never heard
the tune of "Tipperary" in my life till came
back from Flanders and already it's drove
me to that pitch of tiredness of it that when
poor little innocent slip of boy in the
street the other night drew himself up and
saluted and began whstling it at me
clouted his head for him, God forgive mel
Sir Pearce (soothingly)-Yes, yes; know,
l know. One does get fed up with it; I've
been dog-tired myself on parade many
time. But still, you know, there's graft
flying side to it, too After all, he is our
King; and it's our own country, isn't it?
OFlaherty-Well, sir, to you that have an
estate in it, it would feel like your country.
But the devil perch of it ever I owned.
And as to the King, God help him, my
mother would have taken the skin off my
back if I'd ever let on to have any other
king than Parnell.
Then the conversation takes on an en-
phatically Irish tone. The general begins:
Sir Pearce (rising, painfully shocked
Your mother! What are you dreaming about,
OFlaherty? A most loyal woman. Always
most loyal Whenever there has been an
illness in the royal family she has asked me
every time we met about the health of the
patient as anxiously as if it had been your
! self, her only son.
OFlaherty-Well, she's my mother; and
| won't utter a word agen her. But I'm not
I saying a word of lie when l tell you that
that old woman is the biggest ksnatt from
here to the cross of Monasterboice. Sure
she's the widest Fenian and rebel, and al
ways has been, that ever taught poor inno-
cent lad like myself to pray night and morn
ing to St. Patrick to clear the English out
of Ireland the same as he cleared the snakes.
You'll be surprised at my telling you that
now maybe, Sir Pearce?
Sir Pearce unable to keep still, walking
away from OFlaherty) Surprised I'm
more than surprised, OFlaherty. Pm over
whelmed Turning and facing him. Are
you-are you joking?
OFlaherty-If you'd been brought up by
my mother, sir, you'd know better than to