COMPULSORY SERVICE IN BALLYGULLION.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 292, 13 July 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

COMPULSORY SERVICE IN BALLYGULLION.

By LYNN DOYLE. "S])o:ikin' of this conscript in' in Ireland," siiid my friend, Mr. Patrick Murphy, prosing a few burning strands o,f tobacico down into his pipe with a horny forefinger, and fetching half a dozen rapid puffs, ''it would be hard for any man to any how it would go. An Irishman is aisy enough to coax, but he's a thrown divil if ye go to push him. ThereV no rule, though. If you're thrying to guess what an Irishman 'll do, the only thing ye can be sure of is that the divil himself couldn't tell wha,t he'll do. If he's put up again conscription he may fight again it, or he'll maybe fight undher it; but, anyway, ye may take your oath he'll fight." "Even if he was conscripted, Pat?" I asked.

"No matter how ye get him. Look at the Sinn Feiners. The one-half of them went up to Dublin on Easter Mondliy thinkin' it was for a day's outin's, an' yet when the row started the same boys fought like Trojans. I'm tellin' ye this," slaid Mr. Murphy with emphasis; "if ye take fifty thousand Irish soldiers, conscripted or not conscripted, an' put them down foment double as many Germans, the lives of the same Germans won't be safe.

"But if they were conscripts would they not hive a grudge against the English, Pat?" t4iid I. "They might," admitted Mr. Murphy; "but even so, still they'd fight. An' I'll tell you a story about that. My brother Joe's son, Michael, is a reporter on a newspaper, and when*the rebellion broke out in Dublin the proprietor sent him off to collect news. Two days' expenses he give him, an' tould him if he couldn't pick up as much information in the time as would keep him writin' from that to the next rebellion he ought to go hoick to the farmin'.

"So there was poor Michael runnin"' about Dublin like a dog at a fair, thryin' to gather as many fies in the time as ho could nil in age, an' pet tin' as much ould snnsli from the sodgers on the ono side an' the Sinn Feiners on the other as nwxJe him wish he was <1 German an' could knock hell out of them l)oth. "About the middle of the first day, when he was near asthrciy in the mind between writin' in his nee notebook, and duekin' bullets, an' bein' turnel -hack out of any safe place there wa-', down near the U1 ter railway st tion he spots a. big, red-facoch t' irsty-IcoAin' corporal in charge of a handful of the Fusiliers. 'That's tne man for nie,' he says to himself, an' over he goes to him.

" 'I want to get the length r.f CI ntarf, sergeant," savs he, pullin' out a two-shillin' bit. 'I heir there's! bii fightin' o it that way.'

" 'Tiien je can't fo,' savs tj.e corporal, p .ttin' tVe twc-ihillin' lit in Jiis pocket.

" 'Could it not lie managed sergeant?' says Michael, wheed'in' him a bit. I'm a re. oiter,' says he. "If ye were the Ajvh-:ngel Michrd," says the corporal, 'it would be all the name. My ordners are too .'-thrift. But if you'll go round the corner the.e ye might get through.' " 'Who'.3 in charge there?' says Michael.

" 'They're a parcel of murdherin' English swine, come over to destiiro.v the dacent city of Dublin,' says the corporal, very bitter. 'Bad cess to the day I ever put their coat on my l>aick.'

"An' with that a Sinn Feincr in a green tunic runs across the .sthrect, an' the corporal up with his rifle and knocks him over like a rabbit.

"An' I'll tell you another story," went on Mr. Murphy. "Not long afther the war broke out, «n' there was talk of conscriptin' then too, I liiad big Barney Herrigan workin' lor me about the yard. A bitther pill of a Nationalist was 1 Barney, an' an Irish Volunteer, an' could tare ate Carson without salt. Of a night lie used to take a pride in walkin' by the police barracks whLstlin' 'Who feairs to speak of 'Ninety-eight P' an' if it hadn't been that the sergeant had no ear for music an' took it for 'Auld Lang Syne,' Harney'd been in gaol undher tlie Defence of the Realm before the war was well started.

"Then he promised to marry a wee slip of a girl that lives up the ro.ul a bit, a? soon a.s he'd save a bit of money an' had quit the dhrink. She was all the other way of th ink in', a.hot 0110 for Redmond,an' all for Barney enlistin' off his own bat, an' not waitin' to be conscripted, even. But Barney wouldn't hear of it, an' swore by this an' by that he'd rather light for the Germans than the English iany d;y. My own notion was that lie was no way keen 011 lightin' at all; but the otlier was what he give out ; an' in the end lie quarrelled with the girl over it. "But the more word of conscription there was the more Birney was disturbed in his mind, ti'l he got to be a common nuisance quittin' his work and runnin' into the kitchen when the post-boy name round with the paper, just to henr was there any more news of it.

"At the last he could th.jle 110 longer, an' one mornin' be threw down his shovel an' comes up the room to me in his dirty boot«. 'Gimme what m ney's comin' to me,' stys lie. Tin cfF.' " 'An' where ; re ye for in such a hurry?' savs I.

" 'l'm lor Ampri'-n,' *n\s ho. 'T'm goin' to gather together rnv two or three duds, pn' away inti! TCal'ygiillion for my ticket. Tlm-v"!! never put n khaki coat on my htvk.' savs 1,0 "T was that ii-nd at him leivin' no in tlio lurch. an' the potatoes not gathered, that I five him his wacos on t'"» snot and ton'd liiai ho could ro to blazes if lie liked: an awav t'o rroe** to Ballygullion. net wnitin' to 'o ik I ehind liim. •'That evenin' as T was goin' up the road who should T meet I id hi oM "irl an' tho eyes I>!indo-1 in hop l <».(] uith rryin'. " 'fTave ve hoard aho.it Harm v, Mis{'ior Afurnhv?' savs she " "No,' savs T. le'tin' in T know notliin'. 'Wil lf al-r.nf I-i;,) c ' "'] fo'-j ioi||<d the lll'irs" c:ly3 she. 'He "of dhrimk in T?aH.lt:i ! li«m thr (lav, n;' fork lli. shillin', an' i = away to At'dono.' "And he d'dn't 11< ■ :f. Pit I '' ! asked. " Desert. f" H ,id Mr Mi f.' y "TTe'< lieoll in flic (r.-11.-he- (hi- t■> crrmonfii. an' was no in fhis horse ( , n l "ivo not very Tollir am v tilt a 'II--:il'. << riri" : -r> his r■, n"- .'n' I ! e IF• n ■ in. -f ! I'a I foil r!. i-'l. ' v he'd I () : ,on '.'Oil Him ■m' I !'e of (' refill 'lli, t e'-r- heal I''') SOl U .7! n , M|i ] r.. i•• i'l: f !„ f..r ( , 1,,. I, '• r 1.,i lf , rri'.v'n:-" \ f siii'ii a-" I''" "!>•] J? M'Tiov ha l ' 1 5'H id T, " -"! e (1M ri' f. (hen " ' M- *' r nhy. "]*]••< I'll' !'i n turned a ': 1 i! "i ) Pi d n d. ; ■)' y .1' J n ' orf wifn a «:?.■!» F. 'n. r, ; i:d . i.■,T,ll'f Took at t e nf fh<> m. id n1"f" -as on. T {••'! vri: v ! ,; il' 1.. M" TW.de. Tr, land j. , Tf they lirinp in }]»•• - or' • i? Il'-n i'''l !