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AN GAODHAL.
AN CHRAOIBHIN AOIBHINN do CHAN.
Do bhí mé, trá
Gan phian gan leun,
'S mo chroidhe gan chrádh
No srian 're féin
A's ní gan fáth
Gach bliadhain go treun;
Gach oidhche 's lá
Do bhíos gan phéin.
Mo leun! anois
Cá m' chiall air fán;
Gan réim gan fhios
A's bím-se lán
De phéin 's de sgrios
'S de smaointibh gráin
A g-céin ó bhris
Me, an righ-bhean bán.
Is í amháin
Mo bhrón gach ló
Mo righ-bhean bhán
Óch h-ón, och ó
Do chlaoidh go bráth
'S do leon go deo
Mo chroidhe am' lár
Tá fós gan só.
Mar reult anns an oidhche a fhoillsigh¬
eas long,
Air éirighe na gaoithe 's na taoide go
trom,
Taisbeánann sí a slíghe di tré ciap¬
ál na d-tonn,
Agus teidheann sí go díreach tré ,n
dílinn anonn.
Mar sholas anns an oidhche air shliabh
sgallta fuar.
Do 'n choisidhe tá ag síor-shiúbhal is
aoibhinn d'a shúil,
Meudaigheann sé 's láidrigheann sé a
mhisneach 's a shiúbhal,
Éirigheann sé 's beannuigheann sé Righ
glómhar na n-dúl.
Mo reult ins an oidhche — is túsa atá;
Mo sholas air an sliabh fuar — is tú
é a ghrádh
Éirighim a's impidhim an tighearna ghach
lá
Dom' reailtín 's dom' sholas do tabh¬
airt dídion go bráth.
IRISH INFORMERS.
The reason that a crop of informers spring up at
every recurring trial for political offenses is that
the continuous state of slavery of the Irish people
has eliminated all traces of manhood. The fact is
— a lamentable fact — that the Irish are ashamed to
acknowledge themselves. A few doors from this
office may be seen the words — “A Swedish Tailor."
The Swedes do not number 5 per cent of the Irish
population of Brooklyn or New York, yet we never
saw a signboard announcing the business of Irish¬
men, as such. Are they ashamed of themselves ?
Yes. And they will remain as they are — despised
and despicable — until they have the courage to
announce their convictions. To do this, Irishmen
need not be aggressive nor force themselves on the
public as Irishmen, but they should not apologize
for being Irish as some seem to do. For instance,
if you ask some Irishmen aught about Ireland they
will answer, “I don’t remember, I was very small
when I left there.” Others will say, “I was born
in England,” thus clearly indicating their unman¬
liness, though they think they elevate themselves
in the hearer's estimation.
It is gratifying that the Irish Language Move¬
ment is effectually changing this state of affairs,
and in a few years when no Irishman or woman
will be looked upon as possessing ordinary educa¬
tion unless they know something of their country's
language, the whole face of matters will be chang¬
ed and the crop of Irish renegades will be dimin¬
ished.
ENGLISH LITERATURE.
Those who do not know much concerning gen¬
eral literature believe that English is the most
complete of any in Europe. So wide-spread has
this sentiment become that persons who deem
themselves highly educated are involved in it.
Some time ago a lady who considered herself as be¬
ing well informed felt very indignant because we
attempted to convince her that there was no Eng¬
lish spoken in Ireland in the time of St. Bridget.
For her benefit as well as for many others, who may
think as she does — for she would not be convinced
— we will give a specimen of the English written
in England six hundred years after St. Bridget's
time by those who were considered the best wri¬
ters of the day. The specimen is from Ormin; —
Thiss boc iss nemmned Orrmulum
Forrthi that Orrm itt wrohhte.
The reader will bear in mind that this was in the
twelfth century and is taken from “Shaw's Eng¬
lish Literature" — an author decidedly English in
every regard.
Late in the 14th century Chaucer the "Father'
of English poetry wrote, —
And eke this hous hath of entrees
As fell of leves as ben on trees,
In somer whan they grene ben.
So much for the antiquity and respectability of
English Literature.
