Distinct and clear, as though it were A scene of yesterday, Seemed the cowslip-dotted English fields Though he left them when his locks were brown, Around the cottage ingle-side Gloweth the Christmas brand, Rings the laughter and the shouting of His brothers' joyous band; He feels the old familiar touch Of his loved mother's hand. Hark! the clear cry of the whip-poor-will; And with it breaks the spell that brought And now he sees the calm bright stars [From Chambers's Journal. BARNEY GEOGHEGAN, THE IRISH MEMBER. ST. STAPHEN'S, April 1st, 18—. It was Father O'Swill, at the instigashun of the Divil himself, an' no other-for it's an infernal schrape I'm in threw his interfairence-got me to this place, an' I only wish I was well out ov it, with me head on me shoulders an' me money in me pockets, an' no conshtituents to the fore whin I go back to me native land. Sorra a day is it but I get a letther askin for assisthance, or a free order on Molly Geoghegan-which, by the powers, I'd like to see the "bearer" presint till her at the bar in Rashkillen ! I say it was Father O'Swill, may the d—,—I mane may the saints-axin their pardon for me shlip ov the tongue-confound him, that took hould ov me an' compelled me to stand for Parliment for the anshunt borra ov Rashkillen, in the County Slayo; by the same token the place where, whin Sir David McSwaney was standhin agen Captain Tranter, the English agent ov the Molloy esthates, the bhoys, havin adjourned the elecshun by carryin away the hustins an' drownin the offishuls in the black pool o' Slomore, there was what they called a parlimintary inquiry. I remimber the thing well, for though I was only sixteen years ov age, I followed the crowd that did it, and saw the whole ov the prosadings at a disthance, though I regret to say I wasn't able to identify any of the perpethraitors. Iver since that time till the last elecshun, by the blessin ov God an' the faithful oversight ov Father O'Swill, we've had quiet elecshuns, seein nobody venthured to stan but his nominee. As bad luck would have it, immejitly afther Parliment met, our mimber, The O'Swagger-pace be to his sowl-died from natheral causes; his horse havin taken a ditch, an' a hedge, an' a nice bit ov stone wall, but finding a hape of stones beyant that agen, was unable to surmount all the obstacles, an' knocked O'Swagger's head with the little brains he had in it, poor fellow, into worse than smithereens. O'Swagger was a Home Ruler, an' regularly voted with siven other pathroits for the Repale ov the Union, an' a Parlimint at College Green. He also took an active part in the Pope's brigade, which, Father O'Swill says, is the only Christhian body in the Houses of Parliment-but I doubt if iver he has seen them on the spot. No sooner was poor O'Swagger undher the sod than the Rashkillenites began to quarrel over his grave-worse luck to me. Mr. Rufus Delancy, who owned half the borra, an' the whole ov the adjacent mountain ov Drumcarn, with the esthate of that name, immejitly isshued an address in the Protesthant interest, declaring himself in favor ov the National system of eddicashun, an' agenst Home Rule. There 1872.1 wasn't a sowl in the naborhood, the "Barney," says he, "this is a bad business. Here's this thraitorous; (he employed another word before that, but is it for me to be informing the Supreme powers ov the little wakenesses ov one ov their own sarvints?) here's this thraitorous landscourge," says he, "puttin up for Parliment against me will, an' to be returned to-morra forenoon, an' me for thirty years," says he, "the only man that iver venthured to nominate a candidhate for the borra of Rashkillen! Faix," says he, "I'd loike to see the bhoy of yes will nominate him," says he, "that's all. But," says he, "look here, Barney, since there's no one else, we must nominate you, and you must go to St. Stavens and advicate Home Rule and Catholic eddicashun. "Faith," says I, "it's little I know ov had enuff ov that same in the usual way "Nonsense," says he; "I don't mane So in he went, an' called Molly to the small parlor, an' I mixed him a comforthable jhorum an' just stuck it in at the doore, for I heard Molly a screechin an' goin on like a wild tiger, an' his riverence to the fore! but I saw his hand take in the toddy, an' heard no more till, about an hour afther, Father O'Swill shouted to me from the parlor doore. "Barney," says he," ye may mix me another glass," says he, "an' don't be so ye have squamish with the crather, an' if iver a lemon in the house," says he, “just put a shlip ov it in, for I'm thinkin I've a touch of the bile. An' thin come in here," says he, "an' be introjuced to Misthress Molly Geoghegan, that to-morra night will be Lady Geoghegan, wife of the Mimber for Rashkillen." Faith, sure enough, whin I enthered with the thumbler, Molly threw herself on me neck, an' cried, an' whined, an' bid me God speed, an' afther wipin her eyes in her petticoat, she runs away to make preparashuns for the business of the evenin. Didn't the bhoys turn up in the evenin, mighty thrue to time, that's all! Sure they were to the fore to the tune ov siveral huntherds, let alone frens an' acquaantances, who happened to be voisitin them from the surroundhin districts. Faith, if they'd only been dhrinkin at their own expinse, it's meself would be glad to see them ivery day ov the wake in the same numbers, an' conshuming the same quantities. Father O'Swill came down, an' first ov all he took some ov the lading inhabithants into the kitchen, an' held a consultashun with them. 'Twas about six thumblers ov me best undiluthed he had before he could complate his negoshiashuns, an' they were all aiquilly liberal. The bhoys was all over the place, an' by the time his riverence was ready to addhress them, they was ready for anythin. He called me till him, an' says he: "Barney," says he, in a loud whisper, "owin to the grate fatigue an' excitement, I'm as wake as a cat, an' me knees knockin together. Get Teddy Rouke," says he, "an' yerself, an' give me yer shupport while I address the electurs on their dewty to Mother Church and Ould Ireland." Wid that, Teddy an' I seized him by the arms, an' got him up on his fate, an' 'twas wondherful how anxiety had taken his strength, an' we was about to lift him up on a table, arranged for the purpose, but, with a twinkle in his eyes, says he, "No, Barney, none ov yer elevashuns ov the host for me in my prisent enfabled state," says he. "I'm more for mother earth than skyward at this moment." So he held up his han an instant, an' the bhoys crowded roun, an' gave him three Irish hurrahs, that was loud enough to shake Misther Delancy in his bed. "Bhoys," says he, "an' fellow-electhurs. I'm too excited and indignant to say much till ye to-night, but what I do say shall be to the point. Yer aware that in consequence of the death ov me good frind, The O'Swagger-pace to his ashes, that lie in the graveyard of Rashkillen, an' to his sowl, too, wheriver it is," says he, "an' that's an exthremely doubtful an' delicate pointthere's a vacancy in the representashun of this borra, an' ye'll be called upon to elect his successor to-morra! (Sensation.) Now," says he, "ye're all cognizant ov the intherest I've always taken in securing ye a fit and propher person to reprisent so respecthable, an' intelligent, an' God-fearing a community, (cheers,) an' seein' I'm responsible for the sowls ov ivery wan ov ye—an' there's some ov ye, like Arthur Sullivan there, little disposed to pay the praste his lawful dues, an' aise the weight ov the burthen yer sinful sowls impose upon meBhoys, there's niver a wan ov ye can say I always selected a man afther yer own heart. (Thrue for ye.) Now," says he, "will ye believe it, bhoys, there's the elecshun comin' on to-morra, an' a candhidate before the consthituency, an' niver a word asked ov me whether I approbated him or not? Moreover, bhoys, ye know who he is, the land-scourge and tyrant ov the whole disthrict, a Sassenach an' a Protesthant"—the bhoys was feroshus in their ejackilashuns-" the man," says he, "who places his iron heel on the neck of Ireland's sons, the heretic, the blasphamer of Holy Church, for he would deny her the right of eddicating her own children-a right I've maintained for ye this thirty years, and mane to vindicate, plaze God, to me dyin hour." The roars was terrible, an' I thought if any ov Delancy's frinds was prisent, 'twould be wise they'd be to advhise him to be absent from the CourtHouse to-morra. "Now, bhoys," continues his riverence, who at the same time was laning very heavily on Teddy and me, "I'm in favor ov civil an' religious liberty, which is the watchword ov the hierarchy, an' the suppreshun, by ivary manes in our power, ov Protesthantism an' infidelity. Therefore," says he, "I'm determined this beggarly spalpeen shall never be mimber for Rashkillen, if he is returned to the House ov Commons in his grave. (Cheers.) An', in this emergincy, who'se the man, the only man, we can lay our hands on, to do justice to our principles an' represent us in the Parliment of the United Kingdom before long, plaze God, it will be at College Green. (Here there was great cheering.) Who will advicate the cause ov Mother Church, an' Mother counthry, an' uphold, in the teeth of Sassenach oppressors, the cause ov civil an' religious liberthy? WHO, but my friend, BARNEY GEOGHEGAN!"-he let go ov me arm to slap me on the back, an' 'twas well at the same moment Teddy held fast till him to kape himself steady, for he swung round like the arm of a crane. The bhoys hurrahed an' roared out for me, an' was too excited to notis his wakeness, so we deposited him on a chair, while Molly prepared him a dhrop to recover him, and I stood upon the table among great cheerin an' some amicable fightin in the background. Says I : 66 Bhoys an' fellow electhurs. I'm glad to see ye all, an' hope ye've been hospithally resaved," says I. "I'm a man ov few words. I stan by all his riverence has said, an' more too. I'm prephared to reprisent ye, if required, to the best ov my ability, an' if ye return me to Parliment, I'll hope to see ye all here to-morra night undher the same circumstances." Wid that they lifted me clane aff the table, an' carried me all roun the town at the imminent risk ov me life, for the excitement had made them all as wake as Father O'Swill himself, an' they was not particular which end ov me was upper most. They remained with me all night, to be ready for the rush into the court-house in the mornin. There niver was such a nominashun known in that part ov the counthry. Delancy an' his friends was condhucthed into the place by the conshtabulary, but no one knows how they was condhucthed out agen, for the whole ov the inside of the court was gutted ov its contents and him among them, an' it was impossible to report the prosadings from the absence of power in any wan to see or know what they were. But 'twas generally undherstood that Delancy an' me was nominated. There was telegrams sent all over the disthrict for troops an' police, but there was sorra a want for wanov them. Da man appeared to vote for Delancy through the whole day, an' I was unanimously returned by acclimashun. Fath The last thing I remimber was me thankin' the crowd out ov winda, wid Molly houldin me round the neck an' shriekin at me like a mad woman. er O'Swill had been put to bed a couple ov hours before. The borra was full ov broken heads an' black eyes for several weeks, but as they were all given an' taken in pure frindliness, the consequences was not as bad as they might have been had Delancy's frinds come to the fore. Though the consumpshun ov whisky was ruinous, Molly was so proud ov the honor she'd resaved she said nothin about it, an' tied up my shirts an' breeches an' hose, an' the suit ov black his riverence recommended me to wear in the House ov Commons, and packed them all in a bran new portmantle, procured for the purpose. Father O'Swill came over the day before I left for London to advhise me about me behaviour. "Barney, me bhoy," says he, "ye've been returned by a confidin country till do yer dewty as a pathriot an' a frind of liberty. The watchword ov the prastehood, as I towld the bhoys the other night, is CIVIL AN' RELIGIOUS LIBERTHY, 'which manes,' says you when yer asked to explane it, 'the rights ov the church, the indipindence of the clargy, an' Home Rule for ould Ireland.' Now, Barney," says he, winkin at me over the thumbler he held in his hand, which by the same token was not empthy at the time, "it's the sacret ov political succhess to concale yer rale objec' undther another, for dacency's sake, just as ye concale the outlines of yer limbs in yer breeches; an' ye undherstan, ye'll require, in daling with thim Sassenach scoundhrels in the House, to avoid yer ushual candhour of spache, which is remarkable, espeshully afther ye've had yer evenin potashuns; for I give ye fair warnin ye'll nade to be sittin up till all hours in St. Staven's, an' 'twill be many a glass ov yer favorite beverage ye'll require betwixt the hours ov ten an' three in the mornin to kape ye alive an' awake to yer duty. Now, undherstan me," says he, "ye'll stick to that wan tex an' no more, Civil an' Religious Liberty,' which says you is all that we ask for the prastehood an' people ov Ireland, an' it can only be secured to them by grantin denominashunal education in Irish schules, as you have already given it in English schules, a Roman Catholic university for the Irish Roman Catholic youth, an' Home Rule from College Green. If they ask ye for dethails, Barney, ye'll be betther just to say, that ye refer them for those to Cardinal Cullen an' Mister Martin, who has studied the subjecs more intimately than you could do. Moreover, Barney," says he, "it won't do to let the borra ov Raskillen and me own existence be overlooked, so you must give notis to the Spaker that 'at an airly day it is yer entenshun to call the attenshun ov the House to the subjec ov the relashuns ov Ireland to Great Britain, an' to move resolushuns thereon,' an' I'll send ye the resolushuns. Will ye repate thim words now till ye know them aff by heart ?" Whin I'd larned aff the words by rote to his satisfacshun, he says Own. "I'll also send ye the spache when the time comes, an' ye'll deliver it to the House with appropriate gestures ov yer An' here's success to ye, me bhoy, an' success to yer eloquence. Faith, it's mighty shallow this thumbler gets with drinkin' out ov it. I'll nade another dhrop by way ov doin justice till that toast." It's not necessary to mintion how I thraveled to London third-class, an' was obliged to knock down a porther at Dublin for insulting me dignity, an' refusin to carry me portmantle, an' me a mimber ov Parliment. I came acrass wid a counthryman, who towld me the best Irish hotel was the Green Harp in Shoreditch, an' I engaged me room there at three shillins a week, never lettin on I was a legislator for fear they'd overcharge me. Father O'Swill promised me he would write to some frinds in the House till look afther me, an' recommended me to dhrive down there at three in the afthernoon. So I dhressed in my best linen shirt, an' me black suit an' hat, an' not knowin' the characther ov the company I was goin' into, I carried me shillelagh undher me arm. I'd niver seen a "handsome" before, an' it seemed a delooshun ov spache, but as I was towld 'twas the quickest way of travelin' I got into wan an' towld the dhriver to go till the House ov Commons. It seemed as far to that place as from Rashkillen to Dublin, an' houses an' people an' vehicles all the way, but at last we came undher a great tower wid a clock in it ye might have seen twenty miles off, an' the jerry turned into a court-yard an' dhrew rein opposite two grate doores. At the same time he startled me by shoutin down threw a hole in the roof "'Ere's Westminster 'All, sir. Through them doors to the 'Ouse of Commons," an' he began to laugh. Whin I'd got out ov the trap, says I— "There's a sixpence for ye, me lad, an' ye're a purty dhriver considherin where ye sit in the vehicle." He tossed it up in the air, an' says he"Look 'ee 'ere, guvnor, none o' your jokes-my fare's two shillin' an' sixpence." I knew he was trying to decave me. "Two shillins an' sixpence, ye blaguard,” says I, "an' you only dhriven me wan Irish mile. Is it takin advanthage of a sthranger ye're tryin on wid me? Sorra a fardin more ye'll get from me," an' I turned to go in at the big doores, where two polishmen were standing at ease. At that, the jerry came down from his cage behind the masheen, an' sazed me by the collar-it's what no man widin twenty miles ov Rashkillen would venthur to do, an' me blood was up. So I twisted meself out ov his hand, an' with a whop an' a whirl ov me shillelagh give him a crack on the head that sounded all over the place. He wint down like a rabbit, an' in a moment there was a grate commoshun. There was a bigger crowd in wan minute than ye could gather in county Slayo wid a week ov notis. The constabulary came forward, but I swore if any wan ov them touched me I'd be the death of him. Says I "I'm the mimber for Rashkillen, an' a shtranger to the counthry, an' the thavin spalpeen was for taking advantage ov me novel an' unprothecthed condishun to charge me half-a-crown for a dhrive in that crazy masheen. If yer a peeler," says I to wan ov the polishmen, "take him up for assaultin a mimber of parliment." The crowd laughed; an' indade the man wanted takin' up badly, for his head was bleedin. "There's some mistake," says the peeler. "Get up, Charlie, if you're not too much hurt, and tell us what's it all about." When he'd got it explained, he says to me respectfully "I'm afraid you're in the wrong, sir, but no doubt it's from your disacquaintance with London. If you'll take my advice, you'll settle with the man, for he can have you up for the assault and give you a great deal of trouble, and it won't be pleasant for you, coming to the House for the first time." • After considerin the matter I took his advice, an' gave the man two pounds— an' me that has broken many an Irishman's head free of charge and been thanked for the honor!* thry I'd come to. the peeler says— 'Twas a quare counWhen it was arranged, * Mr. Barney shares a common surprise with Dodd père in the matter of responsibility for broken heads. |