Peg O' My Heart

se ownership shaped the destinies of many of the agitators of St. Kernan's Hill, w

ern herself, Mr. Nathaniel Kingsnorth was endeavouring to und

his life of the depreciation of values; the growing reluctance to pay rents; and the general dying-out of the worth of an estate that had passed into the ha

had never seen the village, and it was one of his

easant to his ears. He never heard it without a shudder, and his intimates, at his request, refrained from

ck in the "Irish Nation." Both incidents pleased the old gentleman beyond measure. It was an unfailing source of gratification to him that he had coined the historical

ondition of desperate distress, it was found impossible to collect more than a tithe of Mr. Kingsnorth's just dues. No persuasion could make the obstinate tenants pay their

hatred, the disloyal and cheating tenantry, he rose at a

rce been scratched, peopled by patriotic, zealous and toiling millions, honestly paying their way through life by the sweat of their God-and-Queen-fearing brows. What a

or insult and vituperation-yes, and indeed for BULLETS from the hidden assassin whenever they were indiscreet enough to visit a country where law

n exist when three hundred and sixty-five men sat in the House of Commons, sent ther

r the reply that was not forthcoming, the u

ntent beneath the waters of the Atlantic and destroy a people who seemed bent on destroyin

ive and significant was-to him-its full meaning. Some speeches are cheered vulgarly. It was the outward sign of coarse approval. Others are enjoyed and s

of men such as he confronted and who met his gaze by dropping their eyes modestly to their glasses, been

, that it was indeed a red-lett

peeches the following morning

of entreaty, to a hitherto indifferent P

ed by so lawless a race, he determined to see for himself what the conditions really were,

eks before and addressed himself at once to the task of under

with his agent, going systematically throug

he entire village was in debt. They owed the landlords, the tradesmen, they even owed each other money and goods. It seemed to be a community cut off from the rest of the world, in which nothing from the outside ever entered. No money was ever

eir attitude was not one of merely fighting for the sake of the fight. Yet a lingering suspicion, borne of his early training, and his father's doctrines about Irelan

ed dishonesty. Was the condition he saw due to English injustice or Ir

he whole place," he remarked to the agent when that gentle

e puts money into the village instead o

to the la

the time I wrote your f

to be paid for the use of houses and land, is it?

ually lives on his estate a

: "And as for living on it-," and he shrugged his shoulders in disgust. "Before the Kingsnorths came in

continued to," said

e sea from washing away the poor fishermen's homes. And when famine came not a penny rent asked-and their women-kind feedin' and nursin' the starvin' and the sick.

ed out across the well-trimme

orth, with ill-concealed impatience. He did not like this man's tone. It suggested a glorifi

sh think," Bu

on this village is in now. No landlord has the right to pauperise his tenantry by giving them money and their homes rent-free. It is a man's

to boil, sir, and by the same token independence is a

ith the people," said Kingsnorth, lookin

an and boy and not give i

frank,

re not more l

on probation. It seems hopeless. I'll start works for the really needy. If they show a desire to take advantage of m

im and smiled a d

yes that twinkled with humour, or sparkled with ferocity, or melted with

le 'ull be when they hear the good ne

n Ireland. 'If an Irishman is being roasted you will always find another Irishma

them in prison for standin' by each other,

y into a country that is ridden by these scoundrels? Rid Ireland of agitators and you advance her prosperity a hundred years. They are

ave agitator

ave,

hem. Tell them distinctly that from the moment they begin to work for me I'll have no 'meetings' on my

ell the

ind of lawlessness do

be the first,

to-day," glancing

e is,

his man O

of the vil

he-a paid

ittle pay he get

the police

they wi

e that t

e sm

u find so amusi

as they DO others take their place. It's the persecution brings fresh converts to th

t where the law will be enforced. These meetings and thei

that, yer honou

isgraceful methods of trying to enlist sympathy. I'll begin with this man O'Connell. Have him brought to me

the temptatio

e tomorrow at ten. Bring that fellow O'Connell with you. Also give me a list of some of the more intelligent and trustworthy of the people and I'll sound

morning at ten," and Bur

more discreet with my tenant

ay, Mr. Ki

thy with them to your FEELINGS and n

that I do, Mr

iser to in fut

I'm a MAN first and

dee

r, and if a kind word of mine hadn't gone with it, it's precious li

why

's Scotch steward evicted t

do

t. It's very

happ

eople burnt down every dwelli

how to handle

w to handle them. He woke up with a jump one mornin' when he found a letter from the under-steward tellin' him his Scotch ma

there is a note of agreement w

tin' or the burn

n," and Kingsnorth's

," answered B

ted to my interests and to w

The men devoted to landlords and against the peop

that I should

a price, but ye won't have my INDEPE

resignation, to take effe

m, Mr. Kingsnorth,

sound of the tramping of many feet

g slowly down the drive, in the centre of which the soldiers were carrying a b

thought, as he hurried down th