A WASTED LIFE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2800, 19 June 1916, Page 2

A WASTED LIFE

, TEE COUNTESS MARKIEWICZ. (By one Who Knows Her.) Than the Countess Markiewicz, now a prisoner in tho hands of the military, mere is not in.tho Dublin revolution a more tragic figure, if tragedy lies in .ciroumstance and the limitation of character. Her life has now reached such a pass as when she was a girl of eighteen would have seemed utterly incredible, and those who knew her then can only wonder at tho waste and sorrow that has resulted from her wild egotism and the humorless intensity with which she flung herself into one cra?;e after another; striving always to be the most outstanding figure among all her companions. It is significant of her that in this cruel business Here'is the .only woman's name to be conspicuous. In. that ivay at least she has attained the goal and the only goal at which" she ever consistenjy aimed. For once, and tragically, she has succeeded, ■ As a girl (Constance Gore-Booth) of eighteen she was remarkably beautiful, and as a debutante and for' a number of seasons she was exceedingly popular. Something in her intensity and egotism was attractive, and neither lier utter lack of humour nor her want of real abilitywas noticeable in a girl who was not expected to have either character or a point of view on life.' Then 'tiring of debutante circles, she became one of a rather famons "set," whioh was' conspic-uous-in the last reign. As one'of tho youngest and-most beautiful, she led for a time. That was her ambition. ' But soon she was only "one of them," pnd her mood changed. She turned to art, and- the first real indication that her friends had of tho extremities to which she wrs lapable of going was when she donned a wedding ring and announced that she was "wedded to art. A period of Bohemian Paris— the untidy, consciously, slovenly Bohemian Paris—followed, 'and there she met her husband, Count de, Markiewicz—a Polish artist of good oountry family origin, a big, easy-going, pleasant fellow, now fighting for his country with the Russian Army. Truo to her record, she piade her wedding a conspicuous alf#iT— picked out her bridesmaids from the visitors in church and Tefused to wear a wedding Ting; but afterwards she settled down for a time in Dublin, and lived an ordinary life, attending Dublin Castle functions, and though regarded then by her friends as rather foolish, still loved for her goodness of heart and her mapy charming qualities. The SuSragetU) period <;ame next—her first venture into politics—and in her behaviour in that case there is strong evidence of her complete instability .or rather,, lack of faith of any kind, and of her passion for notoriety. She drove a coach, and did a dozen or more (ridiculous things of the kind then in fashion, but quickly the fashion bccame too prevalent. In such a garden as that she could only be one of tho flowers, and too many of hor competitors had the vital force' she had not of a firm belief in the cause they championed, The moment that her deeds were outshone she left tho movement.

Then followed the Dublin strike. The real misery of the strikers touched her, and among people of that sort, with soup kitchens and a title, she could he indeed ft personage. At that time, however, a little word she dropped gave to her frionds a sign that the girl beauty who had led one of the smartest seta was beginning to feel that her power was gone. "Do something for them," she wrote to one of her relatives about the strikers. "Get ■ someone to move in the matter. For myself I fear I am too declasse.'''

Once, recognised by the strikers' 1 leaders and' in the current of the civil war movement, it was impossible for her nature to stop. Nothing is more certain than that she cored' for and knew nothing of politics or movements, but just as the Suffragette rioting gave her excitement so did tli6 conspiring of the Sinn ]?einers. Her sharo in it was the share of a child's brain and a woman's enthusiasm, and tho recklessness of her actions was much on a levol with a thing she did when a girl. She was arrested with a friend for furious riding in the Row, and thoughtlessly, wrongly gave instead of her own name that of a relative. Only her youth excused her, but neither the experience nor any other of her foolish doings has ever been able to' teach her common-sense.—"Daily News.". Over half the newspapers published in the world-are printed in the English language.

FOR THE NAVY'S WIDOWS. AND ORPHANS NAVY LEAGUE FUND. ' ® 8 ' .Worship tho Mayor (Mr. p • : l/ake) acknowledges tho following*— ' Previously acknowledged 10®, *6 J-B. -V-i n Edward Collie, Lid. ........ 5 0 0 Mrs. Edv-ard Collie 3 3 q . QuoresiVros.- • 5 o'.O : Wellii V: a College 50 n n - ■H. Cop:. ° 550 S. Oppenhoimer and Co. 26 5 0 Max Eichelbaum 20' 0 0 ; Mr. and Mrs. F. fl.'Ellison ... 4 4 0 .Tas. M'Ksrrow ]0 0 0 J. Woolf 3 3 0 ilrs. John Odlin 10 ,0.. 0 ,Tohn Odlin .i 15 0 0 M.B. - 3 0 0 . Mrs. K. C. Hauiei toii 5 5 0 \W. B. Lees ; 5 0 0 : £1207 17 fi p NAVY LEAGUE'S LIST. . .. !' Mr. C. W. -iPalmerdesires to acknow- / lodge further'donations as follow;— ; £ s. d. I • Already acknowledged 1889 .7 2 , 'Mrs. Arthur-Mabin 25 0 0; Miss E.M.P.-. • lO'Of Mr. W.E. 5 0 li,J P. Palmer 10 0) : Per Mrs. . Hamilton—Mr. New- .. ' ,'C 1: combe, .£5; Mrs. Hamiltoni . JBI 6.0 0)I 'Collector,-by Mrs.' England ' and jiSSed in bos 3 2 -G. Crawford 1 1 iliJ B. ~G. Burn Mr. Tarr 0 10«40(, Per A. F. Wiren, 2nd : iristaliv;." ment—Ballinger Bros., i! 5 ■ ss.Penty und Lawrence, 25.;, M'Grath and. Wil- . lis, £1 Is.; A. E. Meek, £& - 25.; Andrew Wylie, .<Bl Is. 11 111 0 Per Mrs. Bnce—S. Bnce, d£l J Is.; M.D., ss. . ' 1 er ■ 0 Per Mrs. F. M. .Leckie, 55.; <■ . "•> Mrs. Taplin, 55.; Leckie's , children's money-box, 12s. ... .1 Mi 0 Sharked and Co., Ltd., Wei- « ,V; , lington 20 ftl.V l o '■V : '" Per Mr. John Ayns, . Mata. .v. ... . . Mata—Mrs. . Joe Price, £5; ; Mr. Kelso, >61; Mr. Dawson, ' M; "Inkerman," £1; Mr. •' ' V Sid Harding, £1 910 0 T. Castle,' Roseneath ,• 3?!'3 0 ■ratal 1979'; 3 "8 • It is intended to cable to the .?Cavy Leaguo, -London Emergency Comr nitteei tho total in hand, with a suggestion* . v' '.that, the amount should bo prompfl jy dis- , , ;;.'bursed at naval ports'. where rd Hef. is most' needed.