English fiction -- 19th century; Ireland -- Fiction; Short stories, English
Red Mike Driscoll expiated on the gallows the murder of the Emergency
man Fergus, and nearly a score of others were sentenced to various terms
of imprisonment for assault and housebreaking.
The attacking party had lost three men killed, besides many wounded,
more or less severely, by the shot-guns. The judicial inquiry into the
casualties brought out details of the defence which struck terror to the
hearts of the country people. It was not likely that Lisnahoe would be
molested again.
Harold Hayes and Polly Connolly were married shortly after Easter. They
are living in New York now, in a pleasant flat overlooking Central Park.
They entertain a good deal, and Irish affairs are sometimes discussed at
Mr. Hayes’s table; but so far he has failed to convince any of his
American friends that there may be more than one side to the agrarian
question in Ireland.
“Nonsense,” remarked one gentleman, who professed to be deeply read in
the subject; “they are an oppressed and suffering people. Let them have
their land.”
“And what is to become of the landlords?” inquired Polly, with a wistful
remembrance of her girlhood’s beautiful home.
But to this question there has been no reply, and none has been offered
yet.
A LOST RECRUIT
BY JANE BARLOW
When Mick Doherty heard that there was to be route-marching next day in
the neighbourhood of Kilmacrone, he determined upon going off for a long
“stravade” coastward over the bog, where there were no roads worth
mentioning, and no risks of an encounter with the military. In this he
acted differently from all his neighbours, most of whom, upon learning
the news, began to speculate and plan how they might see and hear as
much as possible of their unwonted visitors. Opinions were chiefly
divided as to whether the Murghadeen cross-roads would be the best
station to take up, or the fork of the lane at Berrisbawn House. People
who, for one reason or another, could not go so far afield, consoled
themselves by reflecting that the band, at any rate, would be likely to
come through the village, and would no doubt strike up a tune while
passing, as it had done a couple of years ago, the last time the
redcoats had appeared in Kilmacrone. And, och, but that was the grand
playin’ intirely! It done your heart good just to be hearin’ the sound
of it, bedad it did so. Old Mrs. Geoghegan said it was liker the sort of
thunder-storms they might be apt to have in heaven above than aught else
she could think of, might goodness forgive her for sayin’ such a thing;
and Molly Joyce said she’d as lief as not have sat down and cried when’t
was passed beyond her listenin’, it went that delightful thumpety-thump,
wid the tune flyin’ up over it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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