A BODYKE HEROINF.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 245, 10 March 1888, Page 3

A BODYKE HEROINF.

In walking over the battle-field of Bodyke the other day, and seeing its results everywhere in the form of breaches newly-built, roofs propped up, and fragments of broken furniture, I entered one house which was known as " the castle," from the de&porate defence it had made against the invading enemy. To my surprise I found among it? inmates a stout young woman, with a comely, good-humoured face, who was -dressed in a new gown of plain blue cloth. 1 enquiied how she got it, and was told that she was the girl who had animated the garrison in the defence of her father's house, and when it was breached and taken by assault had only succumbed after a hand-to-hand struggle with three crowbar men. "She had undergone a month's imprisonment in jail, and on her liberation had received a -donation of £5 and a silver medal, which she produced with as much pride as if it had beefi the Victoria cross. For, strange to say, these hardened offenders are not in the least penitent, and any allusion to hob water invariably produces a broad grin. I asked this girl if it was true that she had thrown hot water o\ or the bailiffs. She replied: •*'Shure, sir, I never threw a dhrop of ■water at all ; it was the boiling meal." The priest suggested that, as she was bound over to keep the peace for twclv* months, it was a tine chance for some young fellow to marry her, as he would be sure of a quiet life for the first nine months. She blushed up to the root* of her hair and disclaimed any matrimonial thoughts. But the blush •changed into n. smile that lighted up Tier whole face when I suggested that, as she was such a redoubtable warrior, it would only be a prudent precaution for any young man to take. There were, perhaps, half-a-dozen other girls with their new gowns and medals, and what impressed me was the utter imbecility of supposing that the population of two-thirds of Ireland could be converted by such proceedings. Why, there is hardly a girl in Ireland who is nofc envious of the fame of those heroines of Bodyke, and who would not be only too glad to imitate their example. Only last month I read the report of a case in which two little boys and a respectable young girl of 14 years of age were tried before a resident ■magisttate for the crime of intimidrating a man who swore that he was nob a bit intimidated. The magistrate, who was evidently a kindly man, suggested that she should be discharged on giving security not to repeat the otlense, so as to avoid what he called the stigma of having been sent to gaol. But the little girl flared up and said ahe would give no promise not to "boo" at an emergency man, and would go to gaol rather, and to gaol she accordingly went as a common criminal for a fortnight. This illustrates not only the strength of the popular feeling, bub also another thing which has greatly impressed me— the utter want of touch and sympathy of the justices and magistrates, which makes them blind to the most obvious facts going on before their eyes. Here was evidently a kindly man in the seat of justice, and yet he actually believed that being sent to prison in such a cause would affix a 3tigma on the little girl for life, whereas it was perfectly obvious to any outsider that the danger was all the other way— that the girl's head might be burned by being placed on a pedestal of fame by her admirintr neighbours. I may recall an anecdote which made a great impression on me as illustrating the want of sympathy between the governing classes and the people, which is one of the worst evils in the administration of the law in Ireland. I was talking to a resident magistrate, who had been an officer in the army and was a perfect gentleman, and rabher popular bhan •otherwise in his district, and I happened bo let. fall some expression which implied (hat I took him for an Irishman. He fired up ab once and said : *' Surely you don't take me for Irish." I replied : " Why, I thought you w.ere one of an old Irish family.. " No, sir," he said ; lam English. My ancestors came over with Cromwell." I could not help thinking how Scotchmen would feel if their resident sheriffs were taken from a class who, after their ancestors had lived in Scotland for more than two centuries, thought it an insult to be taken for Scotch. To return to the Homeric combat at Bodyke, ib would nob be complete without adding that our "heroine was defending her father's house, built with his own money, and for which Tie had paid more than its value to the landlord in the form of excessive rent beyond any fair valuation of twenty years. The only difference I see between her and the " Maid of Sara^opsa" is that the one was fighting against a wrifctof eviction served on, her native cit^by the Kin* ef Sppin'; Joseph Bonaparte, backed by a French army, and the other in- defense of her father's house •gainst a writ backed by British soldiers and policetfieti. If the poor girl' acted wrongly, I suppose 'it' was because she. Had beew a taught tho commandment, , " Thou ahalt not steal," as it reads in the Bible,, and not with the addition— 0 except in th.o, ■case of an Ir,i,*h tenant vr,fiose improvements a landlord may confiscate^ and; ,ib, is* «in, ►to resist thena.'*— " London Society."