AN GAOḊAL.
315
THE SENTIMENTS of our SUBSCRIBERS.
Moyarget, Ballintoy, Co Antrim.
Dec, 28th 1883.
Dear Mr. Logan,
Enclosed you will find post office order for 60
cts., being one year's subscription to "An Gaod¬
hal" from me. Many circumstances operated to
prevent me sending it sooner, not the least of
which was that I was appointed to the pastoral
care of this little parish of Ballintoy near the Gi¬
ant's Causeway, on the northern coast of the Co.
Antrim. I sent you four subscriptions through
Mr. Marcus Ward, Belfast, when I was at Ballina¬
feigh, in its vicinity. Some odd numbers of the
Gael do not come, but I find the subscribers well
pleased at your efforts.
A great share of credit is undoubtedly due you
for your noble and persevering efforts to keep up
the journal, and all those fine Irishmen who have
seconded your efforts. Everything in the Gael is
read here as if it were a letter from a daughter in
America to an anxious father in Ireland.
I read my friend "Padraic's” letter and sugges¬
tions with a good deal of satisfaction. He is like
yourself — not self-seeking — but anxious that the
language of old Erin should prosper. He is clev¬
er and talented. He sends me some of his compo¬
sitions. He did some goed work in Belfast before
he left for New York, You have now a good many
clever contributors, and an agreeable variety of
topics. Many great things have to take their rise
from small beginnings. We have been left only
small things here by the Anglo-Normans.
If some of your wellwishers at your side who have
not time or leisure for the reading of the Gael would
mail it to those in Ireland who would read it but
owing to many inconveniencies could not subscribe
for it, they could do a good work. I am starting
an Irish class even here for New Year.
Sonas agus seun air ḃur n-obair.
Yours,
D. B. Mulcahy P.P.
P.S. Send Gael to this addres in future. Be
particular and send every issue without fail.
Words not found in the dictionaries should be ex¬
plained if possible. Send last issue of Gael.
We believe there are not many in a position to
know the sentiments of the Irish so intimately as
Father Mulcahy. He asserts that the people pe¬
ruse the Gael as a fond father would a letter from
a dear daughter in America, but, feelingly and with
that reserve characteristic of our racial pride, he
insinuates the reason why the people do not more
generally read it in Ireland, and suggests to those
who have not the time nor the inclination to study
it here to send it to their friends at home. We
hope that his suggestion in that regard will be
acted upon, and, that we may not be found want¬
ing in discharging our duty in the premises, we
offer the following — To every Dollar subscriber of
the Gael we shall send a copy for twelve months,
and also a copy to any address in the old country
for the same period. That is sending two copies
to different addresses for one year for a Dollar.
Further, any non-subscriber who sends us fifty
cents we shall send the Gael to any address in the
old country for one year.
We hope the readers of the Gael will urge their
friends to avail themselves of this offer, and there¬
by carry out Father Mulcahy's suggestions. Let
the reader picture to himself the joy with which
he, when at home, perused any and everything
which he received from his friends in America.
Another matter worthy of consideration is the
large amount of knowledge which an Irish person
acquires from seemingly limited means. Any read¬
er of the Gael of mature years knows the limited
means for acquiring education which existed in
Ireland previously to a general adhesion to the
national school system. The "Universal Spelling
Book", "Gough" or "Voster" and the Catechism
constituted the text books. Yet what ripe schol¬
ars they turned out? The fact of the matter is that
there is as much solid information contained in
these few books as there is in our voluminous ar¬
ray of the present day, with the additional advan¬
tage that the student was compelled to exercise his
mental faculties in working out conclusions which
are explained at length by our modern writers,
thus depriving the student of an opportunity for
mental exercise. People now-a-days look back
sneeringly at the "Universal Spelling Book. But
where are there in our modern series more enob¬
ling lessons than
"The Principles of Politenes', and "The Economy
of Human Life. Gough, too, rendered his prob¬
lems in Arithmetic and Geometry so skillfully as
to exercise and to please the mind at the same
time. What student can forget such questions as
"Whereas a moidore and a crown just 15 yards
did buy,
How many ells of the self same cloth for £50 had
I?"
Again, showing the difference between the Direct
and the Inverse Rule of Three, —
"If more do more or less do less respect,
It is a question in the Rule Direct,
But less uireqring more and greater less,
A question in the Inverse Rule express."
This mode of putting questions was so pleasing
to the mind that it could not readily forget either
it or the operations necessary in their solution.
Again,
"In the midst of a meadow well stored with grass,
I take just two acres to tether my ass;
How long must the cord be, that feeding all round
