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Show IMPRESSIONS OLD AND NEW (Continued.) ''That's Dublin Castle sir, the home of the Lord Lieutenant," and the jarney with a shrug of his shoulders points me out a building mean looking look-ing in appearance. It seems the Dublin Jarvey does hoc like a stone in the building1, ns what real Irishman does. The Castle is the stronghold of. British rule in Ireland, and its name is associated with all the persecution and suffering which that laud has for past centuries endured. i4A Castle Hack" was tire common name amongst the people for any one adverse to the national policy. I must confess I never looked ipon the building, but 1 shuddered, for it always reminded me of that other building, the Bastilc. Trinity College and 'it have little place in the affections of Irishmen, one symbol of bigotry and the other of misrule and persecution. No one goes to Dublin without taking a drive through the Park. It is the most extensive public park in the Kingdom, containing I,S00 acres of green sward and trees. Seven miles in circumference, it possesses many lakes, shady walks and beautiful glens and other objects of interest in-terest which the jarney will not lack pointing out. To see Dublin at its best you must visit it during Horse Show week. I may safely say it is the greatest great-est show in the world, and the number of people who congregate there from all parts of Europe and America is really surprising. It is then you see the Irish people at their best, and their ease, simplicity, sim-plicity, gaiety and love of horseflesh strike you most particularly. Lawyer Ned and Doctor Jim, Father Tom and Parson Joe, Landlord Hal and Jockey Ted, Farmer Pat and Lady Flo, And full many more I ween Are all there to see the show. Oh, we dearly love the horse, And the Irish horse can go O'er a bank and fine barred gate And the brimming river's flow, tout of-lknb and swift of -pace, Hard to find his match, I throw. As you stand on the grounds of the Horse Show the most prejudiced must admit the Irish are a fine, stalwart, pure race, with not one atom of uppish-ness uppish-ness or snobbishness in their composition. Purity, refinement and simplicity are visibly impressed upon the features of the women, and courage, honesty hon-esty and manliness on the faces of the men. They are there from rebel Cork. Why 'they call it rebel I don't know; every place else in Ireland is just as rebel. From stalwart Tipperary, patriot Con-naught, Con-naught, the sturdy North, the smiling Midlands, and the one topic of conversation among lord and farmer, lady and graziers daughter is the horse. Politics and the horse are the two favorite themes of conversation with the Irish. Religion, no, he does not talk that, he just practices it, and you may bet your bottom dollar there is no milk and water about an Irishman's Catholicity. Every stranger loves the Horse Show and his heart cottons to all classes of the people whom he sees there. "Surely these cannot be the people I heard so many strange things about," he mutters. "Uneducated? "Un-educated? Not a bit of it. Dublin is the Only place in the world they speak pure English. Rude? No; they equal the French in politeness and etiquette. eti-quette. Cowardly ? By George, I would not like to be the one even to whisper that, and yonder five 'feet of a stone wall and that ugly double ditch don't look inviting to a timorous heart. Unhospitable ? Stop! I'm a stranger from Greece, and, by Jove! I feel more at home amongst them than in my own loved Athens. Why, the Irish would givd you their heart's blood. Yes, Dublin is a fine old city, and the Irish are a grand old people." The gaiety and simplicity which the stranger finds on the' grounds at Ball's Bridge, he finds everywhere else be it in the wilds .of Connemara, the glens of Wick low, the beauties of Killarney, the rugged grandeur grand-eur of Donnegal. The glad smile of welcome, the cordial handshake meets him in the peasant's cot, and the lordly hall, and the words, "You are welcome wel-come to what Ave have got," meets him everywhere he goes. The city -that ranks next in importance to Dublin is Belfast, famous as an industrial center, cen-ter, especially in the matter of shipyards. A great number of its population are of Scotch origin, and I suppose this fact accounts for the bigotry that prevails there. It has a name throughout the world for its riots, especially for those disgraceful Orange, riots that up to late years signalized the 12th of July. True followers, many of them, of the glorious glori-ous King William, they threaten "to line the ditches" if any movement is set on foot to liberate Ireland from the trammels of England, and, of course, the name of the Pope has the same effect upon them as a red rag on a bull. Feaeeable and industridus for the rest of the year, they emerge from their shell on the 12th of July, and with paving pav-ing stones in their hands and orange banners waving wav-ing they march through the principal thoroughfares thorough-fares to the air, "Croppies lie down." However, a regimet of soldiers, particularly the Dublin Fu-silliers, Fu-silliers, has a very good effect upon the "lambs," and after many displays of airy nothings they disperse dis-perse to their homes again, having, as the Irishman Irish-man puts it, "done the devil and broke things." However, despite bigotry and Orangeism, which are. thank goodness, becoming a thing of the past, Belfast is a flourishing and throving city. Cork-ranks Cork-ranks next to Belfast, and it is a fairly wealthy city on account of the numerous mills and owing to the fact that the county is mostly an agricultural agricul-tural one. It has many fine buildings and promenades, prome-nades, and its citizens have the greatest idea of its importance; in fact, they consider it the premier city, that Dublin is nowhere in comparison with it. The harbor is one of the most important and beau- 4 t if ul in the kingdom, and is large enough to hold the whole navy of Great Britain. The city is built on the side of a steep hill, and consequently is famed for the salubrity of its air. Of course, every one has read Father Prout's poem on the Shandon Bells : With dee) affection and recollection I often think of the Shandon bells. Whose sounds so wild would, in days of childhood. Fling round my cradle their magic spells. On this I ponder, where'er I wander. And thus grow fonder, sweet Cork, of thee, With thy bells of Shandon That sound'so grand on The pleasant waters of the river Lee. I like Cork; it is a fine city, with a fine people. I imagine I hear some one say. "Oh! you have kissed the Blarney Stone." Well, I have not, though sometimes I wish I had, for a gift of the Blarney is very useful sometimes in this, our modern mod-ern world. If you, dear reader, wish to do so, take a journey to Cork, and five miles from the rebel city you will find the Blarney Stone. Kiss it by all means if you wish to become as the poet puts it: A clever spouter he'll turn out, or An out-and-outer to be let alne. Don't hope to hinder him or to bewilder him Sure he's a pilgrim from the Blarney stone." In the kissing of it, however, take care you don't break your neck. "Better break one's neck than turn out an out-and-outer," I hear some one say. Well, my dear fellow, there's something in what you say. Every one has a right to his own opinion, all I can say is, that I was often inclined to break the neck of those who kissed it; soft soap is not to my liking, especially when you know some one is literally lathering you with it. Galway, the city of the Tribes, is unlike any other city in Ireland. With its narrow streets and high houses, it reminds you of an old Spanish town. It is beautifully situated, and I know of no 'jdacc else where you get such a whiff of the broad Atlantic. It is withal a very poor city, as the many mills which were its life and stay have ceased their throbbings, and the people as a consequence are in a very destitute condition. BY CABIN. (To be continued.) |