AN GAODHAL.
23
THE BELLY AND THE MEMBERS.
In former days, when all man’s limbs did
not work together as amicably as they do now
but each had a will and way of its own, the
Members generally began to find fault with the
Belly for spending an idle, luxurious life, while
they were wholly occupied in laboring for its
support, and ministering to its wants and plea-
sures; so they entered into a conspiracy to cut
off its supplies for the future. The Hands
were no longer to carry food to the Mouth,
nor the Mouth to receive the food, nor the
Teeth to chew it. They had not long persisted
in this course of starving the Belly into sub-
jection, ere they all began, one by one, to fall
and flag, and the whole body to pine away.
When the Members were convinced that the
Belly also, cumbersome and useless as is
seemed, had an important function of its own;
that they could no more do without it than
it could do without them ; and that if
they would have the constitution of the body
in a healthy state, they must work together,
each in his proper sphere, for the common
good of all.
THE FALCONER AND THE PARTRIDGE.
A Falconer having taken a Partridge in his
net, the bird cried out sorrowfully, “Let me
go, good Master Falconer, and I promise you
I will decoy other Partridges into your net."
"No,” said the man, “whatever I might have
done, I am determined now not to spare you;
for there is no death too bad for him who is
ready to betray his friends.
THE EAGLE AND THE FOX.
The Eagle and a Fox had long lived together
as good neighbors; the Eagle at the summit
of a high tree, the Fox in a hole at the foot of
it. One day, however, while the Fox was
abroad, the Eagle made a swoop at the Fox's
cub, and carried it off to her nest, thinking
that her lofty dwelling would secure her from
the Fox's revenge. The Fox, on her return
home, upbraided the Eagle for this breach of
friendship, and begged earnestly to have her
young one again ; but finding that her en-
treaties were of no avail, she snatched a torch
from an altar-fire that had been lighted hard
by, and involving the whole tree in flame and
smoke, soon made the Eagle restore, through
ear for herself and her young, the cub
which she had just now denied to her most
earnest prayers.
The tyrant, though he may despise the tears
of the oppressed, is never safe from their ven¬
geance.
Mr. P. C. Gray ex-Vice-President of the
Philo Celtic Society, has moved his business
from 786 Fulton St. to 26 Flatbush Ave.
PERSONAL.
The preservation and cultivation of the
Irish Languoge indispensable to the social
status of the Irish people and their descend-
ants, and therefore, of vital importance to
Americans of Irish descent.
Why is the cultivation of the Irish Langu-
age of vital importance to the descendants of
Irishmen ?
Because the Language and Literature of
any country are the standards by: which the
Social status of a country is measured.
Can the people of any country be civilized
and enlightened without a cultured literature?
No.
What is the reason that some Irish people
and their children would fain pass themselves
off as being English?
Because such people are ignorant of the
language and literature of their country.
What is the reason that the Irish people;
are ignorant of their language? Because of
the tyranny of England.
Why so?
Because the English government, by an
edict passed in the city of Kilkenny, made the
speaking of the Irish language a felony.
What was England’s object in doing so?
The better to subjugate the Irish people
for no people are wholly conquered whilst a
remnant of their language remains.
Is there a historical parallel to England’s
cruel conduet towards Ireland in this respect?
Yes, but in a milder form.
THE NEW YORK PHILO CELTIC
SOCIETY.
It has been incidentally conveyed to us that
some of the members of of the above-mentioned
society are displeased with THE GAEL on ac-
count of the article in its last issue over the
signature, A. Morgan Deely. We think that
THE GAEL should not displease any one by that
article. The sentiments expressed in it are
Mr. Deely’s. THE GAEL has reason to believe
that it has warm earnest friends in the N. Y.
P. C. S., and we avail ourselves of this oppor-
tunity to declare that these amicable senti-
ments are reciprocated to the fullest extent.
THE GAEL published the article in question as
it received it. Mr. Deely is the oldest active
member of the Brooklyn Philo Celtic Society;
he is responsible for the article, and not we.
Since certain elements which we concieved
entertained sentiments inimical to cherished
Irish ideas, have been eliminated from the
New York Philo Celtic Society, we accord to
its officers and members the highest praise for
their laudable exertions in extending a know-
ledge of our mother tongue.
Our success is assured.
