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AN GAOḊAL.
would have it, I had THE GAEL in my pocket, a¬
long with some Irish written letters which I had
received from Gaelic students. "Here now, said
I, is the Celtic in print in this Irish paper, pub¬
lished close by your home for many years, and
by which you can learn the language; also, you
can get free instruction at the Philo-Celtic School
in your own city of N York. And taking the let¬
ters, "here said I, is your father and mother's
language in handwriting — reading a passage in
both. "Now, said I, does not this look as grace¬
ful and sound just as sweet as any of the other
languages you are boasting about?" There was
a great silence, and all were interested and atten¬
tive. "I shall as a few public questions now
said I, and then I will go home. To the ladies I
said; Suppose your fathers' and mothers' broth¬
ers and sisters were to come from Ireland on a vi¬
sit to you in New York and you were to meet
them at the landing, in what language should
you appropriately salute them?" "In the Ame¬
rican language," said the talkative one. "That
you could not do said I, as the Americans have no
language of their own; only a borrowed language
from England, or, rather an adopted one." A
back-woodsman stared, and a Frenchman began
to laugh. Then I asked a young German lady in
what language would she salute her cousins. "In
German," she promptly replied. I also asked a
French lady and she replied, "In French."
"Now, said I, where does your Irish pride come
in?" Then the mail stage drove up to the door
and as I stept out to send a message with the dri¬
ver, I could hear a Frenchman say, "That man
has been talking sense," and said he, until the I¬
rish people make more use of their native lang¬
uage they will never accomplish anything in
greatness," What further remarks were made I
did not hear. — Until I met my Irish friends on
the street the next day when they shook my hand
very affectionately, and wished I would excuse
them for their ignorance, saying when they came
to think the matter over my remarks were more
instructive to them than all they had ever heard
and read about Ireland. And that next week
when they went home they would subscribe for
the Gael, and go to the Irish School for instruct¬
ions; and have the old people repeat to them, and
that they would never again be without a know¬
ledge of their mother tongue. So now, Mr Logan,
if you see two or three new subscribers coming in
for the paper next week, you will know how it
happened.
Yours truly,
P. A. Dougher.
Since the passage of the Senate Tariff bill ex¬
ports to the United States from Germany have in¬
creased 100 per cent. — Cable. Yes, and leave the
same ratio of American operatves idle.
We shall watch with interest to see how many
of our West-British journals will copy Captain
Norris's article in this issue of the Gael poniting
out the lamentable result of the neglect to keep
the language and literature of Ireland intact, and
we challenge an exception to what he asserts in
that regard.
TEAĊT an "HAPPY."
Got from John J. O'Donnell, Ranafast, by
Anthony J. Doherty,
Cruit Island National School, Co. Donegal.
Editor Gael: —
I send you still another of the Irish Songs com¬
posed by Peter O'Donnell of Ranafast. Towards
the end of his life he went to live on Arranmore
Island, and it was while residing there that he
composed the following verses. At that time, a
great trade used to be carried on between the Ross¬
es and the sea-board counties of Sligo and Mayo
in potatoes and oatmeal. The produce of the bar¬
ren soil of the Rosses, never sufficient to support
the inhaitants, had then, as now, to be supplemen¬
ted by the importation of food stuff from more
fruitful shores; and it was to supply this deficiency
in the local stores that the trade which then exist¬
ed between the Rosses and Connaught was main¬
tained. Smacks and small coasting craft, owned
principally by Arranmore and Rutland Islanders,
were regularly engaged in this business during the
Summer months. On the occasion to which the
song refers, two brothers, Arran-men, had gone for
provisions to go in a small smack of theirs na¬
med "The Happy"; and, having been long detain¬
ed in Sligo Harbour by adverse winds, there was
great distress in Arran, waiting their arrival home.
When seen returning at last, all the islanders able
to go crowded to the shore to welcome them back,
as well as to replenish their meal-bags. Peter O'
Donnell, however, was obliged to remain at home
with a sick child of his, but sent an apology for
his absence, and an assurance of his good-will, in
the words of following song, which might not in¬
aptly be called O'Donnell's version of "Oh, Blame
not the Bard."
After the famine times, the fertile fields of Conn¬
aught, from whose abundance the deficiency of the
Rosses soil used to be supplied, became tenantless,
and were converted into grazing-farms and sheep-
runs: Indian meal, then first introduced into this
part of Ireland, entirely suppressed the use of the
Connaught potatoes and oatmeal; and the trade
between the Rosses and Connaught ceased, and
was numbered with the things of the past; but it is
still vividly remembered and often spoken of by
old Rossonians. *
