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Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as rf?T!iny frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs d des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque Ie document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, 11 est film6 d partir de I'angle sup6rleur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant Ie nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ■ r - ■ -I ^ ^ THE ORANGE POLE :..,,,■ . ,■ . A\-: AND PAPIST WHITE BOY : A WONDERFUL RETKI liUTlON. P -o- DEDICATED TO THE ORANGEMEN OE CANADA. -o- BY i: R I N E N S I S. -o- iPiexc-E 12K o:h!3^ts — o- T C) R O N T O : pRjNTKi/ liY COrr, CLARK & CO.j KiNr Street East. I 8 7 I. ■;Jf m I 4 ■H mmmmm > ■■(■^■■■■(r THE ORANGE POLE jLvm Papist IVhite Boy. A WONDERFUL RETRIBUTION. D£dicated io the Orangemen of Canada. BY ERINENSIS, :E»:EaiGE! 12Ji CESIirTS. TORONTO: PRINTED BY COPP, CLARK & CO., KING STREET EAST. 1871, f Applications for the following story being very numerous^ from different parts of the Province^ I have been induced to publish it, to gratify the desire of many who have expressed a wish to have a copy. The tale begitts in Ireland^ but the denouement took place in Canada. A UTHOR. t ^^. i 1^ CANADIAN REMINISCENCES. PART I.— THE ORANGE POLE. The following story, ccmraencing in Ireland, furnishes onother example of tlie adage, that " Truth is stranger than fiction ; " and if the hand of the Most High is not distinctly visible in the retribution meted out to one of the chief actors mentioned in the tale, it is, uniiuestionobly, one of the most extraordinary coincidences that haa ever come under the notice of the writer of this sketch. In my native town, at the period in which my story begins, there stood, in one of the principal streets, an " Orange Pole." It had been the fashion from early times, on the 12th of July, and on all other Orange festivals, to decorate this pole with flags, ribbons and flowers ; and the faithful keeping up of this time-honored custom led to many a fearful and bloody party fight. There was an old and unavenged sore rankliug in the hearts of tho Roman Catholics in that neighbourhood. This was constantly coming up, and annually tended to embitter the religious feuds that exist^id between them and the Orangemen. Everything was thought of by the authorities, without avail, in the endeavour to ailay or put an end, if possible, to the dreadful scenes that were continually occurring ; often terminating, T am sorry to record, ai fearful loss of life. The origin of the feeling alluded to was suppoaed principally to have arisen out of the following: The night succeeding the battle of Vinegar Hill— fought, it will be remembered, between the Royalists and the rebels, in which the latter were dofep ^d with considerable loss— during the rebellion of 1798, a large body of rebels seized upon a commanding position outside the town (Mountmelick) ; and hearing that every Loyalist that could carry arras had gone to the battle, they had assembled in great force, with the avowed intention of sacking and burning the place ; and no doubt they would not have stopped at any atrocity, when their fiendish passions were once thoroughly aroused. A fortunate plan, howfrer. 6 wa8 hit upon, which was, through the mercy of God, a means, in the hands of a few helpless women, of frustraiing, and in fact entirely preventing them from carrying their desijrns into execution on that occasion ; and on the following day it was placed beyond their power l»y the return of a po:"tion of the Queen's County Militia — husbands, brothers and sweethearts of the heroines who, by putting to a good use their presence of mind and undaunteu courage, had kept at bay those that had sought their li^es and honor, the destruction of their pro- perty, and th9 lives of those dear little ties of affection that make home, sweet home, so happy. It appeprs that by some means — probably through a faithful domestic — the ladies had been secretly informed that the rebels were congregating in considerable numbers, with the intention of destroying the place. They immediately, therefore, with a coolness worthy, even at ohis distant period, of the greatest admiration, collected all the women in the town, and in spirit-stirring addrosLas pointed out to them the desperate state of affairs. A scheme was proposed and agreed to, and with one accord they all resolved to carry it through, or die in the attempt. It was this : All were to proceed at once to their respective houses, and dress themselves in such elothes of their male relatives as could be had to suit the emergency, and bring with them besides to the general rendezvous all the weapons they could conveniently lay their hands upon. My mother, from whom I had this interesting narration, was at *hat time a mere child; but, so intense was the terror of the children, that nearly fifty years after- wards she said it was impressed upon her mind like an occurrence of only the year before. When all these amazons were fully equipped, they marched, with drums and fifes, borrowed from the Orange Lodges, up and down through the streets during the vhole nightj making such au unearthly din and uproar that the rebels foil back and abandoned the premedi- tated attack, bejng fully persuaded that the volunteers had returned, and that they were t jkbrating the glorious victory of Vinegar Hill. T as, no doubt, was deemed snfiicient provocation, when coupled with other circumstances, for producing the fierce pcrty fights that for a quarter of a century afterwards disgraced the town and county. On every public occasion, at fair or market, the Orangemen— often to their discredit, but still oftener to be attributed to too great a love for whiskey, fighting, and "the good cauoe"— taunted tha Roman Catholics with lack of courage on the occasion referred to : "to be frikened and bate aff be a lot o' women ! " Such taunts, of course, na a patural result, amongst such inflammable material as Icishmen on ii holiday, would lead to words, and, as the song has it — •' From words they fell to blows. Just like Donuey brook Fair." I distinctly remember, when a child, seeing the vromeu of tho " ribbon pa»'ty," and sometimes of both parties, for hours before a fight was expected to come off, gathering and pi'ing in heaps, in convenient situations, "where they would be handy like/' the broken stones of the turnpike roads; and I have seen, from a safe position, many a poor tellow smashed and mutilated with stones, cut down with a scythe, or beaten to death, for aught I !.»now to the contrary, with note kippeem. I saw at one fair, and although very young at the time I can never forget it ; the occasion was a faction, not a party fight ; there had been several trifling scrimmages (amongst Irishmen consi- dered of little account, although there had been a few severe knock- downs, and some heads broken), when my attention was attracted by loud cries on the opposite side of the fair-green. Suddenly the crowd opened, and a man bureheadeu, but armed with an unusually long stick, which he handled in a truly scientific manner, appeared, fightin;^ his way through a lot of demons. He seemed to be a powerful felK)w, as he knocked down, right and left, every one that opposed his passage. When he got out, he ran towards and nearly past my father's house, from the upper windows of which we had been watching in expecta- tion of seeing something of the usual annual fight ; but, poor fellow, just as we thought he had escaped, having left his howling pursuers far behind, a man darted from an alley, and with a stone skilfully thrown, and that sped true to the n irk, the running man was knocked down, t)ie blood streaming from a frightful gash on the side of hia head. In an instant the yelling devils, more like wild Indians on a war-path than Christians, were upon him, and in a few minutes more the poor fellow, stunned and senseless as he must have been from the effects of the blow from the stone was beaten into a shapeless masa. Soon, however, but too late to save his life, the faction to which the man belonged came trooping and whooping out of the tents and drinking-booths — whirling thei" kippeetis and shouting for " the face of a Blackfut;" some kicking their new Caroline hata before them — bought, perhaps, in the fair tluit day — and others dragging their nate buckeen freize coats after them through the muddy streets, aod daariti' any spafpeen of the other faction to " come and tread on 8 % it." I saw one able fellow accept, the challenge, and though backed by several of his party, In an instant, as quick as liyhtning, they were down and disabled. In an incredibly short space of time— in short the news seemed to have been conveyed by magic — every individual of that immense crowd appeared to know that one of their best men had been brutally set upon by numbers, chased caught, and murdered. When this was discovered, tho yells and shouls that rent the air were appalling, and fit to curdle the blood in the veins of the strongest and most courageous man. "Oh! the bloody nagers," they whooped, " to bate a man whin he was down an' kilt I "—never for a moment giving it a thought that they, but a few seconds before, had done the same thing. Others wildly shouted, " Show me the man that struck Diniiy, an' I'll spifflicate him ! " " I'll brake ivery bone in his dirty skin, bad luck to him ! " " Whew ! h— 1 to his sowl, let me ketch the blagard, an' I'll give him what Paddy giv the drum, an' that's the patthern af a good batin' ! " " Tare an' ages, let me at him ! " and so. forth. One chap, evidently an original, and rather inclined to be cosmopolite in his ideas, kept incessantly yelling, " I'm blue-mowlded for want ov a batin' I " " Who '11 sthrike me ?" cried another, of the 3ame s«^amp; "Will nobody give me a taste iv a blackthorn this blessed day ? " " Bad cess to the viliyan that daar say black's the white av me eye ! " shrieked a diminutive, bandy-legged tailor j ' Hurroo ! yer sowl, who daar say boo ? " With tremendous shouts, and such fierce threats and imprecations as I have given a sample of, they rushed upon the party that had pursued and killed the poor wretch whose fall and death has been already described. The latter had received large reinforcements, and nothing loth, they turned to meet them. At this particular juncture, in the two factions, including their adherents, I really think there could no<^ h"ve been much less than five hundred fighting at one time. Both sides were pretty equally divided; the scene waff awful, almost beyond conception. One minute the whole would be fighting in a compact mass, now surging to the right, now to the left. To a looker-oti it was a mystery how on earth, in their highly inflamed and excited state, they could discern, with any degree of certainty, friend from foe. The next minute the crowd broke and scattered in evar}' direction, pursuers and pursued; some taking rei'uge in the tents and bootiia, some in the stables and out-ofHccs attached to the inns and private dwellings; anon, the defeated party made a determined rally, and raised their factiori cry, and in an ^ % 9 instant the refugees, rusliin^ from their hiding places, joined th( m then the scene changed, the other faction became the victors, and drove all before them like a flock of sheep. Tents were pulled down and torn to pieces ; drinking booths upset, and their contents scattered to the winds; women flying for refuge to the nearest houses. Occa- sionally, even the wo^en would stand at bay and fight for their hard pressed party ; their mode of fighting was unique, and woe to the unlucky wight that received a blow. I have more than onco witnessed such scenes myself, and I can therefore testify to the fearful execution done on the heads and bones of the sterner sex by the stalwart arms of the fair wives and sisters of their foes. Their manner of fighting is as follows : Seizing a paving-stone of moderate dimensions, and convenient weight for swinging, they slip oflF their stocking — no mock modesty there — and dropping in the stone, they were immediately in possession of a dreadfully destructive weapon. Sometimes, when the stocking was defective, or — footless, they would substitute a praskeen, which was considered to be " mighty handy, intirely ; " then sallying into the thickest of the contest, they would lay about them with dreadful effect. Many a good man on these occasions has fallen never to rise again, unless perhaps as a cripple for life, or a drivelling idiot, and many others have given up the ghost on the spot. As is often the case, in these party and faction fights, the women for a brief space turned the fortune of the day ; again were the oppo- site party compelled to fly ; now they were joined by a batch of stout feminines, armed like the others, that met the first shock with a fiendish fierceness perfectly astounding, and several of the foremost of the Blackfeet received their quietus. Thiugs» were beginning to look very aerioos, euch a prolonged and desperate fight had not taken place for many years, and it was quite evident that if one side or the other were not soon the conquerors, there wonld be few left ^ith sound heads or limbs. The local constabulary were too few to interfere with any hope of success, so they confined their efforts to watcluog for stragglers a« they dropped out of the general mel^e to tie up their bloody heads, prepa- ratory to A fresh onset, or to hide themselves and a broken ami, nose, or collar-bone from their enemies, take a rest, and, if able, go in again : there were no military nearer than Roscrcd, and it was too fur at that time of the afternoon, and in those da.y» of slow travftUiog. t« .send and get them. 10 Bomf'times, as if it was by mutual consent, an armistice would occur, then both parties drew off for n short distance, for a few mo- ments' breathing time, glaring- on each other like tigers, and watching for a *' crooked look," or a defiant eye to renew the combat on the instant. In a little while, the true© being over, they were at it again as furiously as ever. At length several of the Whitefeet made their appearance from a neighboring haggard, armed with scythes and reap. ing hooks; others had got hold of some rusty bayonets, a couple of fiiut-lock guns, an old blunderbuss, a horse-pistol, and a hatchet; one valiant fellow had a spit, and the little tailor, still alive, a red-hot goose. Fifteen minutes after this fresh accessioE of strength and weapons, the annual faction fight was over, and the battle decided. There was first to be sure some terrible fighting, but the others were at length compelled to succumb. I saw one man's head split open by a blow from a scythe ; it was not far from where I stood ; dreadful sight ! it made my young blo(>d curdle with horror. Several fellows, friends op foes, I did not know which, manfyilly fought their way to where he fell, and picking him up threw him over e, quickset hedge close by. I never kn-w why this was done, if inquired and fonnd out at the time, I have lorgotten ; my impression is that it was to try and save his life — it would at least prevent him from being trampled to death— and that others of his faction probably the women, taking advantage of the ruse, quietly carried him away to safe quarters to tie up his wounds ; and I haven't the slightest doubt that this was done, and that at the next annual fair " a broth av a boy," with a scar covering the greater part oi his head and face, could be seen taking ample vengeance for his previous mishap. Things were getting worse and worse every year ; the country was becoming very much disturbed ; party fights seemed to be increasing rather than diminishing; ribbon-men were getting more numerous — the alleged cause, the Orange pole. And the Government, in the hope of putting an end to those scenes, and to try anJ conciliate the Roman Catholics, and give them no excuse for their constantly occur- ring and unlawful outbreaks, determined to have the Orange pole taken down, and in furtherance of that design, they earnestly requested tlie acquiescence of the Orangemen, that they (the Uovernment) might quietly be permitted to do so. The Government, no doubt, through their adviser, the I^ord Lieu- i u ^^ tenant, I believe, undertook and carried out what they thought would be for the best, hoping, as I said before, that such a course would have a beneficial effect in quieting the unruly spirits in the Queen's and adjoining counties. Vain hope. The clemency of the King, and the temporary triumph over the Orangemen only served to embolden them, and it was not until hundreds upon hundreds had been transported and hanged (I saw a scaffold erected in one town, where, I was told, that fourteen murderers had been hung in a single day), and very many thousands had emigrated to the colonies and the United States, that any degree of peace or safety for life and property could be relied upon. I do not purpose, indeed it does not come within the province of a story like the present, without endangering harmo^^ious or engender, ing bitter feeling — to point out, or even hint at, the causes that are said to have brought about and kept alive the dreadful state of affairs that at that time undermined the very foundations of law and order; superinduced treachery of the basest kind — in th. dhape of domestics sworn to carry out to the letter, when called upon by their leaders, the terrors of ribbonisn? — in almost every Protestant household in the land ; aye, and even in some of the temporizing and less bigoted Boman Catholics also ; and led to disasters and outrages almost enough to make the stones themselves cry out. There were faults innumerable, I dare venture to assert, on both sides, and emissaries ^a/orc to turn them to good (I) account. Eut, before I take leave of this political interlude, to turn again to my story, I must be permitted to remark (I cannot help doing so, for I see evidences around me that should not be overlooked) that it is wonderful, taking everything into consideration — antecedents and proclivities — how well, with a few trifling differences that amount to nothing, the Orange and the Green get on together in this colony, and I believe in all Her Majesty's dominions except — Ireland. Yet they are the same people that left the mother-country ; the same blood is running in their veins that always has percolated there ; the same evil passions are lying dormant; the same grievances and religious feuds to brood over ; everything, in fact, that existed before they came, but the evil counsellors — the foolish and wilful advisers — and the baneful influences of ecclesiastical tyranny ! As soon as the Orangemen received intelligence of the desire of the Government — ever ready to obey the constituted authority they are sworn to uphold — they agreed to comply Avith their wishes, and oc- 12 cordingly a day was fixed, with the concurrence of all parties, for carrying out the extraordina»*y and unusual ceremony. It was just as well they yielded a willing assent, or otherwise they would have lu'en compelled, perl>»ii3 at the point of the ba3'on t, to bow to a decree that had recently been issued. I may here remark (l beg to apologize for continuing this subject; I did not intend to do so, but I find it absolutely necessary to say .something: more), that notwithstanding all that has been said to the roiitriiry, the opijosite party have been, and are now, humoured. petted, and pampered, as much as the Orangemen ever were. Who ling benefitted the most by the Irish forty shilling freeholder voter's bill ?* the Catholic emancipation bill ? the poor law bill ?f the May- nooth bill? and the party processions bill? With reference to the last I would say, that since it has passed the Government have per- emptorily put down the Orange processions in Ireland, because, for- sooth, they displeased the priests, and were obnoxious to the Roman Catholics ; but on every occasion, they have either openly permitted * A writer of 1827, of considerable celebrity in his day, says: — "My British readers will hardly believe that two or three have often been knowr to register and vote out of one house and acre — one tilled it, another grazed it, and a third did both. It was in some sort true, for all lived iu the same house, all had one or more pigs for grazing, and all raised potatoes ; but the real value of the holding could not amount, after dues were paid, to more than five shUlings per man. These, you will say, were pretty electors, yet truth obliges me to say, that of the droves I have seen brought to the registry sessions by land and by water, there were multitudes with even less pretensions, fellows furnished with documents from those who had no freehold to give — fellows who had scarce a cabin to live in, and whose only title lay iu a tongue ready to swear, and a conscience wide enough to swallow any pill the master thought fit to prescribe." Surely the candidate who was honoured with such support, had ample reason to exclaim with Coriolanus, (Shakespeare furnishes matter for everything), "Most sweet voices." Again, the same writer says : " Yet have I seen the renowned Father O'Leary sit with the utmost composure where this game was played, and, if not abetting, certainly not discouraging the actors of the nefarious drama, every one of whom was of his own comniunion." » « * "No landlord, however lenient, however generous, and however beloved, can ie> Iron upon tlie support of his own tenantry, being lloman Catholics, even thou^jh he be himself the candidate, unless he is approved by the Holy Roman Cainolic Cliurch ; for into her hands the power of returning representatives tu Parliament is now committed." t In some parishes, I have lieard, the poor rate levied amounted to 14s. in the £ ; this is chiefly paid l)y the landlords ; and as about ninety-nine pei cent, of the poor are Roman Catholic, it is manifest they must benefit from that enactment more than any other denomination. 13 ^f ^ or secretly connived nt the green flag and green ribbon processions of tlie disloyal or disaffected Roman Catholics. What more can these jieople want? I will answer that question, they want "Justice to Ireland ! " * I mij^lib say a great deal ni >re, but I refrain : nevertheless while on the subject I will propound tiie true meaning of that senseless cry ! It means this: — The full restoration of all rights (mythical or other- wise) of the hierarchy, the abolition of what they dease to stigmatize by the name of heresy, and utter extermination of heretics, •)• the re-establishment of the Romish Church in its pristine wealth and magnificence, pomp and pageantry, intolerance and power, the re-edi- fication and endowments of monasteries, the resumption of titles, edifices and abbeylands, and finally, the reduction of Ireland within the pale of the Holy Catholic Church. When this is yielded by the Protestants of the United Kingdom — and not till then — will agitators and demagogues, lay and clerical be satisfied; "Give them all they ask," said a celebrated Irish state :raan (Right Hon. Mr. Plunkett) " and they will complain no more i " ' ank God, such preposterous aspirations never can be granted ; the :. arch of intellect, the spirit of the age, religious freedom and toleration forbid it. The long looked for and anxiously expected day at length arrived. From early dawn hundreds of country people might have been seen, dressed in holiday attire, hurrying from all directions, to assist in the day's proceeding, or join in the rejoicings ; and many a one, no * Roman? sts make a bugbear of the tythes payable to the Established Church ; but they are on precisely the same footing as Presbyterians, Methodists, Quakers, etc., etc., who do not make that a plea for overturning the Government. Like the poor rate, there is a very small proportion of those dues paid by the grumblers. t ImpropciJv applied to those that repudiate the doctrini„j of the Roman Catho- lic Church , for in reality the Papists, having departed from the faith " once delivered to the saints," are themselves the heretics. History declares the inno- vations, errors and superstitions to be : Transubstantiation and the elevation and procession of the Host, purgatory, sale of indulgences, invocation of sainLs, worship of the Virgin Mary, pictures, images and relics, seven sacraments instead of two, flagellations, scapularies, communion in one kind only, promised remission of past and future sins for money, celibacy of the clergy, etc. ; the usurpation of the Bishop of Rome and introduction of mandates, reserves, annata, appeals, sub- sidies, first fruits, tenths, pensions, annuities, Peter's pence, and payment for hulls, palls, dispensations, etc., etc. All these are the Inventions of Popes and Priests since the seventh century, and are contrary to Holy Scripture and the teaching of the "Fathers." To the foregoing catalogue may be added- -the creation of the present Pope — the dogma of theiiumaoulate conception, and infal' libilityof the Pontiff! u doubfc, to shed a tear over the removal of the cherished memorial — the old bone of contention — the much loved and venerated Orange pole. The crowd now gathering iii the streets, as group after group poured on through the vnriou;* roadn and avenues leading i.to tho place, gradually swelled into thousands. Every town, villnge and country side for miles around contributed its quota, — Maryborough, Shinrone, Portarlington, Monaatereven, Kildare, Mouiitrath, Castle- town, Abbey leix, Ac, to wander amongst stran- gers in a strange land, to get a living as best they could. The intense cruelty of the proposed proceeding could only be equalled by the serpent that would let loose^— backed by the thunders and anathemas of holy mother church-^the fiendish passions of an excited mob, to be wreaked, regardless of law or order, human or divine, on the devoted head of an innocent man and his helpless family. When the news — conveyed by some of the domestics that had attended the services at the chapel that day-breached my father, he knew but too well what it meant ; still he did not apprehend that any- thing very serious would spring from it. He placed implicit reliance on the antecedents of his family, that they would carry him success- fully through the difficulty ; not only for the fair fame they had always borne, even amongst Roman Catholics, but for their extreme modera- > y A tie di f)i fo tl ft ■g b t •0 V V 23 litten. leard rhole Ifrom lense by btion J « [their irdly f i tion (believing, perhaps, in the aphorism : " La moderatioB eat le tresor •du sage") in all public affairs, political oj: religious. Having emigrated from England in 1649, and being descended, {)reviouB to that period, from a lon^ line of ffiicestry, equally noted for their moderation In all things, tliey brought with them what was thought in those times an exceedingly good name, and the privilege which they inherited — of emblazoning on their escutcheon an honors- Able motto. Shortly after they arrived they became possessed, by purchase ar d !gift, of large estates in the Queen's and other counties ; and although anost of these, in the progress cf time, and owing te various causes «iot necessary here to enumerate, have passed out of the hands of some branches of the family, still there are yet sufficient left among others to entitle them to the rank and position of gentry of the land, and •occasionally to furnish representatives — as was recently the caae iix the County Clare — to the Imperial Parliament of Great Britain. None knew better than the prie^^ts how much the Ronaan, Catholic party were iade^'ad t© our fuoailv liaey fnlly eompreh«Bded the 'extent and ueefuludss of that moderation so peculiar to them. There at home ' and are s beneath cy;" for !y of the will ever ieodliness be let in w'tii your e " as ask 9 conveni- i" tween. »ect to be itrust him )ed up ia A 3 going on ■ ;e day you , illy green- r i; neglect ;! [ ray word good one, ould make a remain in 3. p. eheats and :r' 3, elbowing ing well on neater men 5 reader be ery rererse tly " matter 3 connected 27 with my story. Some would look upon this in the light of a defect, others would take quite a contrary view of the subject ; every oin) of course is entitled to his or her own opinion, and it is a matter of so little moment that I shall not stop to discuss the merits or demerits of either phase of the question but hasten to the denouement. If anything more is required, after what I have cursorily related, to explain to my readers the meaning I wish to convey, I might, mention that Father had the entree to our house on all occasions whenever he wished to avail himself of the privileges, accorded to but few, and those very near friends or relatives. That on high days and holy-days, and generally every Sunday, he was looked for as a regular guest at the 'amily dinner parties. Pretending to the birth and rank of a ^ntleman — which he may have been entitled to, but his subsequent conduct rendered that very questionable — he was ever treated as such, and was on the same footing in a social point of view, as any other visitor of the house, and on nearly as familiar terms in the family as the Protestant rector. The servants, too — of whom there were a great number, papists as well as protestants — were selected without the slightest regard to their religious creed, ability and character being the only requisite looked for ; indeed, taking everything into consideration, there never was manifested, in the town of Mountmelick, a baser piece of ingrati- tude, treachery and vindictiveness, than this cowardly priest was guilty of. Surely a church that would cherish such men in her bosom or would uphold, by precept and example so nnhalloTred a course of procedure, must have something rotten within its pale, containing the germ of its own destruction at some future day. Happily, for the people over whom it dominates, when transplanted to the colonies a very different line of government and policy is adopted. There the priests are comparatively pov^^erless, or — which is more likely — they deem it quite as conducive to their interests, and the interests of their church, to foster amongst their followers a liberal spirit of forbear- ance, or pity, or anything else my reader chooses to imagine, towards the benighted heretics ; still, though, jesuitieally biding their time, or waiting, like Micawber, for something to turn np. Out of Ireland we can hardly credit these revelations, yet they are ail, every word, only too true. On Monday morning following the public denunciation pronounced by the priest, and the outrageous appeal to the chapel congregation for aid and co-operation, the premises of my father presented a busy scene. % 28 Drays heavily loaded were constantly passing out under the massive archway, bound for distant towns and villages, and others preparing to follow, it was observa' le, that although the usual alacrity was displayed amongst the workmen, there was a something going on that boded no good to the expedition, and this created among many present a feeling that there were traitors in the yard. To what extent this was to be carried not one of the office clerks or upper workmen knew anything about. Many wena disposed to scout the threats of both the priests and his adherents, and they thought that should the worst come to the worst, it would only amount to a midnight warning from Captain Rock, therefore, there was not the slightest alarm felt for the consequences, and the men and horses, with all that was to be sent out that day, were allowed, after receiving their usual instr'rctions, to take their departure without delay. Nothing more transpired till towards evening ; as it was getting dark, a rumour reached the town that several of the draymen had been badly beaten, and two of them, at least, not expected to survive. iou may fancy the excitement that this report created. The priest was at once fixed upon as the unlucky cause, and some of his imme- diate satellites and trusty followers the means by which ho effected his diabolical purposes. Assistance was immediately dispatched to bring in the wounded men, and to recover, if possible, the lost property. Small bodies of police were detailed to scour the country, to secure the offenders, and bring them to justice. Towards morning more disastrous news was brought in. At first it was asserted that all the rest of the men and horses were killed, but, although it was bad enough, it did not amount to that. By and by, many stragglers returned home, bringing in different versions from various parts of the country to which they had been sent, and it eventually turned out that all the men had been shame- fully maltreated, that at least one was mortally wounded, that several of the horses were killed, the drays destroyed, and the heads of the barrels knocked in and their contents wa.^ed on the roads. Here was blow number one ; and there was no room for doubting, any longer, the priest's intentions. Soon some of the police returned, but they had been unsuccessful in taking prisoners. They stated there was a powerful and well organized gang at work, and they more than suspected that Cassidy,* This name is fictitious. 529 10 massive preparing icrity was Qg on that ly present ixtent this men knew ts of both the worst ning from i\t for the to be sent 'ctions, to as getting yraen had survive, rhe priest his irame- le effected ( wounded to secure At first jre killed, 1 different had been en shame- at several ids of tlie doubting, successful and well Cassidy,* the whito-boy leader, was at the head of it. This fellow, it was woli known, was a most desperate character, and that he could only bo held in check by his clergy, and not always by thera. When entrusted with such a mission as -(.hooting down an obnoxious landlord, tithe proctor, or process server; or ridding the country av a prodestan', lie j4 was in his element. " II — 11 skure to thira," he would exclaim, " they * daysarve all they get, the vagabones." The news that from time to time was brought in strongly went to corroborate the impression of the police, and before the week was out there was no longer any doubt in the matter — Cassidy was the ringleader. It is almf st needless further to describe this fellow ; he was well known as being one of the most cruel desperadoes in the county. Occasionally his depredations would subject him to the execrations of even the worst of his own persuasion, fellows ready to lift their hands and take life at the bidding of their leaders, or the hints of their spiritual advisers, but at other times, to a certain extent — through fear of the consequences, perhaps — to all appearances, law abiding citizens. The authorities for a long time had been on the watch for this daring whiteboy ; he had often, I believe, been tracked to his lair in the mountains, but his natural cunning, or the perfect nature of his watchfulness, had hitherto set at defiance all attempts to cap- ture him. For some time back, little or nothing had been heard of Cassidy ; it was supposed he had given up bis lawless life, and people were beginning to hope that his reign of terror was nearly over. For a long time nothing more daring than forcible entries into gentlemen's houses, in lonely places, in search of arms, had been attempted, and in all those the whiteboy, Cassidy, had not been recognized as belonging to the marauders. But now that he had again made his appearance in the arena of .his own peculiar profes- sion, a sense of fear seized the timid ones of the community, for they had reason to believe that he would not be satisfied with less than murder, and that the most fearful outrages might be looked for. When, therefore, the report we had heard was fully confirmed by several prisoners that had been taken of his gang, the magistrates and police authorities were on the were fearfally ill-waed, horses frightfully mutilated, and in every instance the contents of the casks were spilled on the highways. These frequent attacks soon began to be a very serious matter, livery day the losses amounted to large sums of money, and ruin indeed stared ns rn the faes'. A eoon'cil of petatrves and trusty clerk? was held, and it was unaniraonsly decided to try the road once more, and if the same outrages were continued, to abandon any longer the »ttem{>t to do business against such fearful odds, such overwhelming; opposition, such terrible reverses. Again and agam the men were sent ont, but with no better luck.. My father dare not make his appearance, or travel any distance from the town, without arms, and he always therefore carried a brace of loaded pistoTw on= his person. At length it was- feared that the Terry- alts, with Caraidy at their head, would make » deseent into the towny and consummate the vengeance they eagerly thirsted for. Accordingly, vigorous measures were adopted, towards making a change, and it was odtermined, while there was anything left, to sell oflf and leave the countrj'. I can easily imagine the satisfaction this annonncement would cause to the whiteboys, but more particularly to t>»o holy father, when the news reached them-. YeSj they had indeed trfiumpked agam;. they liad brought nearly to the verge of rain a man. who b«d never injured one of thera^ and not content witb that, they had been a means of destroj'iBg or breakifng up the families of r number of innocent per- sons, men whose only fault was, thai they lived with, and were emj^yed by my father, liow these acts of senai-barbarity, worthy of the dark i^es, eouBd be tkouglit of, much less coolly and deliberately practiced, by men calling themselves human beings, and instigated by others who arro- gated to themselves the dignity of apostolic successors, and, for their church, the title of infallible, I can hardly for a moment make out ; but I have the impertinence to think,, that it is to such scenes and to such people that Ireland owes all her misery. I know it is wrong to judge, but nevertheless one cannot help thinking there is a curse upon the land, and that the Almighty cannot look with &vor on atrocities like those that have been enacted there : yet there are many, in fact a large proportion of that infallible church that think otherwise,, and there are some who really believe that bj;' such acts of lawless vio- l' ,T lence, when committed un hon^ticn, they are p^ninin^ for ihcmsclvog tn eternal reward, and are dfjinj; Ood a service. As soon as all tlie arrnn<^enients were completed, the furniture sold off, the loose property converted into cash, and the premisoa leased, the family removed to Bristol, England. There your hum' tie servant, at that time a mere stripling, was placed at HewU^tt's Academy for young gentlemen, on the banks of the classic Avon, and at an Eton grammar school n the city ; at the latter place 1 was inducted into the mysteries of the celebrated system which bears the above euphonious title. In Bristol, the family remained some years; but becoming weary of living in, to them, a foreign country, far away from old friends and old associations, they again broke up housekeeping, and once more ventured back to Ireland. Having returned to the land of our nativity, visions of happiness and former competency soon opened up to us. " Alta Villa," a beau tiful country residence, with extensive grounds, lawn, gardens and farm, was taken ; large flouring mills were rented in the neighbour hood, and everything in the future was tinted with eoiUeur du rote. This state of affairs, however, did not last long: owing to the various removes and vicissitudes of the previous years, my father had become unsettled in his business habits. About this time the furore and excitement of emigration to America filled every mind : most people were inoculated with the idea, and the new world was looked upon as the land of promise, and to reach it was considered to be the acme of felicity — the sure road to wealth and fortune. We were not long making up our minds that Ireland was to be no longer a home for us ; and, acting on that conviction, we took up our temporary abode in the pretty village of Castletown, before taking our final departure for the land of the west. At Castletown we remained during the winter, and early in the spring of 183 — , bidding adieu to Ireland, we embarked in the fiist- aailLng ship " Dunc&n Gibb" from the ancient city of Dublin. During the last week of our stay, an incident, that might have resulted seriously, took place, which I will here relate. One night, shortly before we left for Dublin, en route to America, a group of men were seen lounging at the entrance gates of the neatly kept gravelled drive that led through the lawn of ray grandfather's premises. They all either had their faces blackened or wore crape. Ui coneai^ their features, and it was evident from their disguise that they a vf^'ro I'i'iif, oil iiiif^cliief, and from the number present llicy had come j»n'|»iir 1 1 lo coiUDiit somo diabolical outrage. " 1 5c (1.1! I, Cassidy, me boy," said one of the miscreants to the r*»))tiiiii of tilt! piirty, who had just arrived, " 3'ou're Imte this time nMVWfiy ; tlicre's ft bull at the ould shaver's, and lots nv quality to raysiivo ye." •* Hull I— bate !— what the dlvil do ye raano at all at all .'" **Mane, is it? Be gopra, me honey, ye '11 soon know. Perhaps ye'd be aftlier nuttin* an yer tall coat an' takin' a hand in at * cover the buckle' yoarself?'* " Bad luck to mo, captain, bud it 's the ladies 'ad be mighty glad intircly to see ye." " Eh, thin, 'tis little chance they'd have wtd the captain at 'spoil five.' Do ye mind the time, Oassidy, whin ye pinned the squireen wid the five fingers and tuk the pool, and put a buHot through his head ftftherwards ? " " Troth do 1 ? But don't spake av it. I didn't mane to do that job — at laste not thin. But I couldnt help it : he was saucy at losin' his money, and sed I chated ; an' I was crass." " Well, captain, an' fwhat are ye goin'' to be afther doin" the night?'* " How many av thim is there ? " "Sixty rain; divil a less. There's fust his three brothers; an* there's Egan, av Mounrath; an* Jimmy Pim, av Mounmelick; an* Tim Booth, the guager ; and young Baldwi.i, that has M.D. stuck on his dure — which manes surgeon 0' physic, nv ye plaze : arrah what fine names we have now-a-days — an' there's the new police captain ; an' that fightin' divil, from Razcray ; an' *' Whisht I Mind me. Half av ye crass an' watch the Derry cantorx gate; and you go wid *em, Jerry. Tlie rest will st.iy here; while Patsey an' meself 'ill watch the style, at the turnpike road. Mind my orthers ; don't wan av ye stif till I come back. I '11 take a sthroll round bo the haggard. Who knows bud I *d get a chance av a shot, an* pick lihn aff, like a crow in a corn-field. 11a J ha ! ha ! — wouldn't it bo a great joke ? " "Joke! It would; a mighty qnare joko, be me sowkins! — and have half of us tuk ? " " Tuk ? Ai'rah what a s/oft you are, Patsey ! Arti't they, this pre- sent mlnit, caperin' away at their dancin', or full up wid their spoil five, an' loo, an' shampane (faix maybe they'll get a touch o' the raal pain binebye — ha ! ha ! ha !} ; not to spake o' the j^mthcen^ the raal li 88 iDouiitain (lew itself? J\shal / I'll go bail they'll never folly yces," " Ell, then, ye'ro mighty free wid yer jokes. Au' I'll go bail they'll niver thry, for I'm off." " An' f where 'ud ye bo goin' to, I^atsey, ma louchaU" "Goin' ? Arn't we proniisod to Black Scaidan an' the hay reekn nt tin? An' havn't we to sarch Kinicstown while ould Fire-ator's away ? And afther that, there's the arms to be got to the mountaina, an' tli« last run from Dinny'e still, an' back agin bo daylight ! Arrah, Cassidy, do you take me for an omadhawn all out? Anyway, what's yer hurry the night ? " " Hurry, is id ? Be dad ye don't know fwhat ye do bo talkin' about. Isn't he aff til Ameriky tomorrow? I've sworn to do the job, an* I must do id, av I've to go til Ameriky afther hira," " 'Deed, captain, I didn't know it was as bad as that wid ye. Let him go in pace." " Go? I teU you, Patsey, I'll have his life, av I swing for it." *' An' fwhat harm did he do you, avic ? " "The niver a taste, bud I'm promised, an' its a saycrot." " Saycret? In me eye, it is! An' fwhat 'II Father do for ye, captain, av yer taken an' hung?" ♦ ' He'll thry an' get me aff, so he will. He's promised that, on the holy crass. An' he '11 forgive me my sins, and say masses for mo sowl, and get it out o' purgatory ; an' ho says I'll be sure to go to glory for uphouldin' the thrue religion, as I always done." " The Lord betune uz aa' harm I Cassidy, I pity ye, av that's all yer dcpindence. Bad cess to me av I feel like thryin' it at all at all. Thim chaps up at the big house is well armed, an' they'd be sure to ketch some av us as quick as you'd say 'Jack Robinson.' I didn't intend to go as far as this Avhin I gave ye me promise, 'idout a cause. Sure I taught you had a grudge agiu him to revinge. Time's up, captain, and I must be goln." " Well, I'll thry it. anyway. Wait tin minutes; an' av ye hear a shot, run for yer lives," " Hurry, then, captain, hurry." I may not have transcribed the exact words used on the foregoinj: occasion ; it is scarcely possible [ could do so, after so long a time had elapsed ; but I have given an outline of the substance, even to the jokes passed on the coni^xnny, just as it was told afterwards, or gathered from the casual remarks that subsequently dropped from different members of the gang, some of whom did not fall in with tho 34 murderous designs of their leader. Fortunately, on the night in ques- tion, there happened to be a large party at my grandfather's; and as there were a great number of gentlemen there, who, the villains knew, were not to bo trifled with, and who, owing to the disturbed state of the country, were always prepared for such emergencies, they were afraid to risk an attack on the house. Shortly after this eventful period, the family left by coach for Monasterevan, to take passage, via the Grand Canal, to the metropolis, as we learned that our ship was to sail on the following week. It is needless to weary my readers by describing the monotony of a sea voyage in & sailing vessel before the age of steamers, at least ocean steamers, yet before we reached Quebec we were destined to meet one of the first of those monsters, that in later yewrs have made the crossing of the broad Atlantic merely a pleasure trip of a few days. I allude to the " Boyal William," which steamship we met about five hi^ndred miles off the coast of Newfoundland She, I believe, had sailed a week previous to the time we me*^^ her, from Quebec, and was sent to test the feasibility of crossing the ocean by Dteara. The experiment, as is well known, succeeded admirably, and to those enterprising men who inaugurated the system, is due the thanks of the travelling world. When we left Dublin the cholera had broken out in its most viru- lent form ; hundreds died daily. Such a scourge had not been heard of in the British Isles since the time of the great plague. The dead cart was going incessantly, night and day, and every one looked at his neighbour in blank and mute amazement, or with that enquiring glance that says — whose turn will come next ? Glad indeed were we to turn our backs on the squalid misery and woeful faces that met one at every turn in the stately city of Dublin ; and although we were leaving our native land forever, we did so with leas I'egret in consequence of all we had undergone, and the terrible visitant we, as we supposed, were leaving behind us. As our good ship passed the " Pigeon House," and approached the open sea of the Irish Channel, we had more leisure to look around and examine who were to be our fellow passengers for the next few weeks. In the first cabin were no less then five doctors, and my father's fiuriily occupied all the remainder, so that with the captain of the eliip and the first officer, we made a very cozy little party. In the second cabin, which was rather smaller than the first, were .35 crowded thirty-two human beings, ladies and gentlemen, children and servants, amongst them a colonel and major of the line — who seemed to be very much put out with their accommodations — with their wives, and many other people of condition ; and viewing all the dis- comforts they nad to undergo, we had reason to be thankful we had secured for ourselves such comfortable quarters as we did. In the steerage, if I remember rightly, there were four or five hundred, of all classes, sexes and sizes ; a heterogeneous intermixture of affluence and poverty, comforts and squalour, for what with sea- sickness, typhus, cholera-morbus, ship fever, incipient Asiatic cholera, itch, drunkenness, filth, starvation, and suffering of every kind, com- bined with the close, sickening and unwholesome atmosphere of 'tween decks, the scene to a casual cabin visitor was almost too disgusting to look upon. Truly an emigrant ship, under the old regime, was a tit subject for the contemplation of philanthropists. Yet there were times when those people would lay aside their cares and troubles, and enjoy themselvec as thoroughly as the happiest in the ship. On those occasions, whenever a fine day intervened to vary the monotony of the boisterous weather we were visited wiiih, all hands would turn out on deck, and with music, dancing, singing, and pleasant games, they would endeavor, by the means within their reach, to " drive dull care away." Our voyage lasted six weeks. When we arrived on the banks of Newfoundland, we were becalmed and befogged for several days, but all hands, except the martyrs to sea-sickness, spent the time pleasantly enough in the exciting enjoyment of cod fishing. ' When we were pretty well tired of this amusement, a favorable breeze springing up, we set sail again, and were soon wafted close to and past Bird Rocks (so called from the innumerable quantity of aquatic birds that resort there to breed), in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the next day we renched the mouth of the mighty river of the same name. I will' not pretend to describe this magnificent estuary, language would fail me in the attempt. Imagine all the rivers of Great Britain and Ireland compressed into one, and it is as near as I can come to the true description, yet it conveys but a meagre idea of what is r'^ally the case. Truly the St. Lawrence is the father of rivers. Taking its rise near the sources of the great Mississippi, it flows through Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario, and many other sheets of water (Michigan also is I 4 nr, one of its afflu.^nts), traversing between two and tliree thousand milas, and draining near a million sqnnre miles of territory, by means of the infinite number of streams debouching from charming lakes and romantic woodlands, that pour into it from all sides. Unlike tho turbid river I have named, the waters of these inland seas, and also the St. Lawrence, above the influence of the tide from the ocean, are as p llucid as the clearest spring, and equally as palatable and whole- some for drinking and culinary purposes. The lakes abound with very many species of fish, especially salmon trout, herring, and the delicious whitefish, the latter unsurpassed in flavor by any fish that swims. As you approach the mouth of the river from the Gul*^, you are struck with its mightiness — only one side being visible — and you pro strongly impressed (at least I was) with the tremendous volume of water that rolls past from shore to shore, and the grandeur of the scenery that for miles and miles, aye, hundreds of miles, as you proceed up, constantly meets the eye, A view in Ireland was once pointed out to me, from Dublin to Bray, particularly the view of the coast and Bray Head, with the remark, that it was the finest in Ireland. 'Tis true it is fine, very fine ; but after all, what is it ! You see it for a moment as a coup d'aeil, then it is ^"one '"ou proceed on your journey and soon you forget it. Not so t w^wrence ; you may travel hour after hour, day after day, and still you witness the same wild and be-^utiful scenery. Mountains and hills that cannot be numbered, many thousand feet high, stretching away from the margin of the great river as far as the eye can reach. Hundreds of picturesque islands dot the water in every direction ; these, together with the main land, are clothed with forest trees in all their primitive luxuriance, and where perhaps the foot of man has never trod. The sportsman, should he visit those vast solitudes, may revel at pleasure in pursuit of his favorite pastime, amid innumerable streams and rivulets, plentifully stocked with salmon, shad, sturgeon, trout (often caught weighing five to ten p junds), perch, pike, bass, maskinonge, ' ' • ; the dense woods inhabitjid by bears, wolves, deer, moose, an ocvas^'onirk wild-cat, some- times the Canada lynx, and not unfrequen.ly > *. t rrible panther, besides all other kinds of wild animals peculiar u ne country ; and the raarbhes, creeks and bayous with myriads of wild fowl of every conot-'ivable variety. Here at times the stillness of the great American forest is felt to be so lonely, that instinctively you pause to li!st<»n for the sliijchtest sound to convey to yun the belief that yqu are within H hundred nijles of civilization. ,ii!»SfiB| 37 As yon proceed, smnll villaf^os, and groups of houses with high pointed roofs, begin to peep out from the many promontories and little bays that indent the coast. Anon, after passing iiundreds and hundreds of miles of this continuous scenery, we are abreast of what appear to be fine farms, each with its pretty white-washed cottage, a miracle of cleanliness, when contrasted with the poor, miserable mud-hovels we have left behind. They tell us that this is nothing when compared to what we shell see in the west ; that these are owned and occupied by only the poor habitants, that when we see the Upper Province we w'il be better pleased with Canads. I do not agree with those persons now ; of course I admit that Western Canada is in the most thriving condition on the whole, but for scenery in its natural state, as it has existed for ages — with the exception, perhaps, of the magnificent rapids, the lake of the Thousand Islands, and the Falls of Niagara — give me the lower St. Lawrence and its noble tributaries. Speaking of the view of Dublin Bay to Bray Head. I recently visited the " Green Isle," and made it my special business to look at that scene again, as well as some fine ones in Wales and En;^land ; but I mast say that, in my humble opinion, the view from the citadel and the walls overlooking the artillery parade ground. Quebec, as far as the eye will carry you, particularly east towards Montmorenci, is equal if not superior to anything I saw while in the mother country. Reader, I will not tire you with waiting for us at Grosse Isle througlx our tedious quarantine ; neither will I recount the particulars of the remainder of our voyage, — how the first news th»»t greeted us every- where was of the cholera, the dreadful cholera; how passengers that conversed with us at night, when asked for next morning, were found to be dead and buried; how our own servants took ill, and the difficulty experienced in saving tliem; and how the family, every one, escaped unbciHied. All this, and a thousand other incidents, I will paas over describing in detail, and in one sturdy leap transport my travellers, ex steamers " St. Patrick" to Montreal, and "William the Fourth" to C , on Lake Ontario. Our reception at was ver}^ flattering; wo were called upon by the cllft of the town and neighborhood ; and all the little atten- tions and kindnesses which " warm the heart while winning the sense," were freely accorded to us. If my father had not pre-determined to make C his permanent home, the cordial and exceedingly politw reception we met with on all sides, would have at once decided the •.natter in its favor. 33 I have said before that we had fixed upon C- m — as our new houe; we had done so previous to leaving the old country; we had been induced to do it from reading a little work addressed to intend- ing emigrants, published and circulated by one Martin Doyle, and also from the flattering encomiums bestowed on the place in letters written by the late Chief Justice Tlobinson. Shortly after our arrival, my father purchased some town lots, and built extensive premises ; and with ample means at his disposal, had re-coraraenced some branches of his old and favorite calling. The next year he added a dwelling house, gardens and pleasure grounds. Our property, which reached to low water mark on the shore of the lake (Ontario), occupied an area of from four to six acres, accord- ing to the encroachment or retreating of the waters ; but the frontage of the grounds opposite the dwelling, adjoining the beach, was little more than one hundred feet. I will now pass over an interval, from the time of our landing at C , of several years, when, one day in the summer of 183-, after the Royal Mail Steamer " William the Fourth " had called as usual, m_y father unexpectedly, and during business hours, came over to the house and hurrying into my mother's room in a great state of trepida- tion and excitement exclaimed, " J — , who do you think the brewery men saw at the steamboat to-day ? " " I don't know. I can't guess. Who ? " " Cassidy ! " " My God ! It can't be possible ! " "But it is. Costegan saw him and is positive." " Oh ! it cannot be true ; may he not be mistaken ? It must be some one else." " I tell you Costegan is certain about it ; he knew him well when he lived in M — , and the other men say the same, and they know him too, at l(?ast by sight." " The Lord's will be done ! " said my mother. " What will become of us ! What has brought him to America ! " " I don't know ; seeking his cursed revenge, I suppose ! " " And what are you going to do now ? Has he landed here ? ' " I am not sure. The men came- away as soon as they shipped the orders for Toronto and Hamilton, and before the boa* left. They say he did not see or recognize them." " Oh ! I hope it is so ; and that he has gone on, and has not found out that wo are residing here." 89 " I hope so, toa; but, do not be too sangmne. I dread the woret."' On the morning of the day of this unexp>icted and startling arrival the elements looked very threatening, and everything portended a terrific slDrm. By and by the wind gradually rose until it blew nearly a hurricane, and the waves of old Ontario lashed themselves into a perfect fury as they chased each other to the beach. During the time the steamer reached the wharf and the sailors had commenced discharging part of her cargo, the atorm raged to that degree that it was deemed prudent to put to sea at once, aa tlie pier — in those days a miserable affair — aid not afford any shelter. Just as the Captain gave his orders "to cast off" several tremendous seas eame thundering against the sides of the steamer, deluging her cabins and sweeping her decks from end to end. The terror and confusion was extreme ; passengers were knocked about like " whipping tops," and tuch as had presence of mind held on " like grim death." In the midst of the dismay that ensued the appalling cry of " a man overboard " was twice heard in quick succes" sion ; and the roar of the waves, the loud whistling of the wind, the rush of water over the decks, and the indescribable turmoil that pre- vailed, did not prevent its being indistinctly heard again and again, " two men overboard ! " It was too true, the sea had claimed and obtained its victims ; the unfortunate men were seen for a few moments struggling in the surg- ing waves, intense despair depicted on their countenances, then they disappeared to be seen no more alive. Every effort consistent with safety was made to save them, but as no boat could live for a minute in tl>e angry billows, they were abandoned to their fate, and the steamer, reversing her engines, '>acked off from the wharf and pro- ceeded on her voyage. The night that succeeded was frightful; the howling of the wind as the gale rose higher and higher, the furious blasts that tore up the trees in the gardens, the loud roar of the breakers on the beach, and the heavy pattering of the rain against the window panes, were fit accompaniments to the tragic events of the day; and a super- stitious mind could almost fancy the powers of the air chanting a requiem over iae spirits of the drowned men whose bodies now were being buffeteti by the angry waters of the lake. Those sounds, my reader may conjecture, did not tend to allay the alarm that was felt by myj mother, in consequence of the news she 40 ii li had iieard of the nrrival of the murderer Caasidy. What was his errand she did not for a moment doubt. Many a time during that awful night, as she lay awake listsning to the strife of the elements, she imagined him prowling about the house and grounds, watching eagerly for an opportunity to fulfil his oath. All the old trials and persecutions were thought of over again, and as the wind blew in fitful gusts, shaking the house to its foundations and rattling the windows in their frames, her fears magnified the noises into Cassidy making a forcible entry into the premises, assisted by some desperadoes of his famous gang, brought with him to America for the express purpose of consummating his diabolical designs. Many hours were passed in sleepless and feverish anxiety, at length the long and dreary night was at an end, and the dawn was welcomed with delight and thankfulness, not unmingled with the hope that our enemy and persecutor had indeed lost track of us and had gone further west, or that we would again escape, as we had hitherto done, from his machinations and his violence. When the day fairly broke it was perceived that the storm had considerably abated. The shingle of the beach was strewn with fragments of wrecks, and the debris that was washed ashore gave plentiful evidences of the late tempest. In the midst of my mother's cogitations and uncertainty as to the future, and pondering over the many changes that had taken place since the Orange Pole business and the fear and constant dread that we had been subjected to for years, her attention was attracted by a crowd of people gathering on the beach at the bottom of our garden in front of the house. In a little while the gardener came in and said " there was a dead man on the sands, supposed to have been drowned in the late storm. Nobody," he added, "knows him, and they are talking down there of a coroner's inquest." Presently, my father hurriedly came in and said, " J ■— , there's a man on the lake shore dead — drowned ; it is thought he was washed in (luring the night." " So I have heard ; and he's a stranger, I understand." " Stranger ! who do you think ? " My mother held her breath for a space before answering. A tumult of emotion agitated her trembling frame, and a thousand thonghtd rushed thronging through her brain. Was it ? Could it be ? No ! God is merciful, but oh ! that would be too great, too ber/^ticeut au 41 evidence of his protecting power. At length she said, " I thought, — 1 was wicked enough to hope, — it was — " "Cassidy?" my father interrupted. "It is. The villain's terrible career is at an end." What an awful retribution ! To be brought from the heart of Ireland to the centre of the continent of America, three thousand miles, to be drowned, and laid dead on the little property, at the very feet of the family he had persecuted, injured and nearly ruined, in his desperate undertaking of driving them from their native land. In view of this most extraordinary occurrence, how apropos is the threat, "vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." I have little more to add, and my story is finished." It transpired at the inquest that Cassidy was one of the men that had been swept from the steamer's deck the day before — the other one was not found for months — and that after having been knocked about by the waves for hours he had been driven on shore on my father's land some time during the night or early on the following morning. He was fully recognized and sworn to by Costegan and others who had known him by reputation and appearance in the old country. A verdict in accordance with those facts was found and the body decently buried ; but I cannot record a word in his favour, or one solitary blessing to go between him and the muttered curses of the bearers of his remains to their final resting place. My parents how- ever, true to their hereditary instincts, could not withhold the parting epitaph — " f d Ijim rtst m peace." GLOSSARY. 1^ Explanation of Irish words that may not be understood ; any others that occur are self-evident and require no explanation. Page 7. Kippeen— (A blackthorn stick). " 7. Buckeen — (A young country dandy). " 9. Praskeen — (A coarse apron). " 10. Haggard— (A kind of barn yard). " 14. Brine oges— (Wild, rollicking fellows) " 14. Colleens— (Young girls). 14. Gossoonc— (Young lads). " 14. Jackeen— (One who practises chicanery, railery ; asophister). " 14. Rockites— (Followers of the mythical Captain Rock). " 14. Peelers— (Policemen). 14. Thraneen— (Jackstone, farthing) " 14. Canats- (Cunning fellows, cute chaps). " 14. Bathershin- (Nonsense, humbug). " 14. Bad cess— (111 luck). " 14. Comedher— (Come hither ; to fascinate, to bewitch). " 16. Ma bouchal— (My boy). " 15. Kish— (A coarse willow basket large enough to fit a cart or low-backed car). " 15. Sthreel— (A slattern). 15. Hay reek— (A hay cock). « 15. Brogues— (Coarse shoes). 15. Doodeen— (Short, black pipe). " 15. Clamp— (Turf built up like a hay cock). « 15. Omadhawn-(A fool, an idiot). 15. Caubeen-(An old hat), « 16. Acushla machree— (Pulse of my heart). " 16. Avoumeen— (Darling). 32. Slob— (A soft fellow). ;i «