New Britain herald., 1920-03-18

I AAC LII ' ol ft VI OE', oi t' |lOWll, Il SNOIh
 a sceptre or star. Tine Irish is the
 only flag that enthrones a musica 1 instrument.
 Dante is quoted (by Galileo) as
 saying that Ireland gave Italy the l harp; and the harp. Of course, is the 1 mother of the pianofortc.
 1 Italy and GcrmanE, the leaders in
 modern music, may have sat at the
 feet of the old Irish Bards. It is not uniting: The Brehons and the 1 Bards. the law givers and the ballad ] makers were the virtual rulers of ! ancient Ireland.
 ] Just as many of the. marble pal l aces of renaissance Home were built ] out Of stone taken from the ruins 1 of the Coliseum, so many of the bal lads of the modern world were gath cred from the rich and generous 1 store of Irish folk songs. Robin 1 -Adair,' has been traced to the older 1 Irish 'Ailccn Aroon'' of the 18th cen = ! tulH. Burns inimitablc words are 1 often ser 10 Irish bardic airs Cur "fankec Doodle adopts the tune of "AIl the Way to Galway" and ever ana anon popular songs of the day the cast. Of = Sx* cet AIa-ie-' and Baby HIine'' which sing again with little alteration the ballad Of the shan Van }oght.
 No wonder stephen Poster. our most famous song writer, who i'm lnortalized himself in My Old Ken lucky Home Nelly Bly, ''Masss,'s in the Cold Cold Cround.'' etc.. was of Irish parentage.
 A whole literature Of music has grown up around Moorc's "I>ast Rose of Summer" Mendelssol1n put it in his Fantasia. Elotow introduces it in his "Marta," and even Beethoven has a setting Of it. IIoyv often Patti won an ovation with this. her fla vorite ballad.
 All the armies of thc world havc swung forwCrd 10 the rhythm of Carry OWon,' the finest marchiug tune in the world, according to Col I:ooseVet "A Long Long Way TipperarH-.'
 tana' and other popular operas are Try Irish composers, although Balfe the author of The Bohemian Girl" and Sir Arthur Sullivan. of comic opera fame. better identified.
 IriSf. Wit and IIun.or-
 How often is Irish wit and f1u1nor misunderstood, misreprescnted and misinterpretcd? That these qualities are traits of the Irish character is universally admitted
 And justly so for the Irish have a soul which is naturally jocose, it is natural in heritancc-
 Wit and humor is inherent in the race as iL Whole, independent of edu- cation, or culture comfort. The best Irish sayings are the sayings of the people; the greatest humorists are tho nameless multitude who have in national dictionaries of bioSra pIly- None but an lriShnlan could have coined that supreme expression of contempt, q wouldn't he seen dead with him al ;l rig fair" or when the same Irishman rehul<ed a young bar 1ster because he did not ''sqliandIaer his carcas' tthat is gesticulate) enough.
 The Irish have learned to be cheer ful through tribulation Their op- 1imiSm is born of their sorrows. Otherwise ther wit would be "dour' like that of the Scotch It is best eS- hibited in the satire of Swift the comedy of sheriden, the repartec of Curran, the epigram of George Der hard Shaw. and the drollery of MT. Doolcy" (t'. F. Dunne).
 Blarney is one of the best native products of the Emerald Isle, and there is no tariff on it. Irish in1ni- grafton has brought it over duty free, to add to the gayety of the nation.
 A Sallant Irish colonel sat next to q charming sl1ffrarett at a dinner party. She overwhelmed him with her converse tion, but at last checking herself she said: Il have talked so much YOU must think I am in love with the sound of my own voice." ''Wcll, now ma'lm.'' said the gallant colonel. II knew you liked music"
 Despite Irelands natural plight, and her long cheerless outlook to others eyes, Gods prcvidential guid- Ince of the race was shown when he imbedded in the Irish nature. courage, devotion to ideals, and a love of learning that was never crushed out and failed. not even when access to the founts of knowledge was denied them for a couple of hundred years. Here there was a sOul-Stored energy, latent briliancy of intellect, both awaiting pGovidential lifting of the weight of oppression. It came as it had to come.
 America is proud of her sons in whose veins course the blood of saints and scholars She glories with true democratic spirit in the rising fortune of the Gael, and his pervasive and cheery presence in posts of honor and emolument all around the globe posts won by brain-power and sus- tained by physical power, that is and has been his trademark.
 Illustrated Lectures