Parnell's Life

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 1, 20 May 1914, Page 5

Parnell's Life

TOLD BY MRS. PARNELL. " THE MARRIAGE TIE NOT BINDING." ANCIENT HISTORY REVIVED. Ssy Cable—Press Association—Copyright Received 19, 11.35 p.m. London, May 19, Mre. Parnell's book tells a remarkab'e love story. The ParnelU held that the marriage bond wa* not binding when love ceased. At the end of 1880, writing to Mrs. o*She and addressing her as "my dearest wife," he said: "After the debate in the House of Commons I drove to Eltham, where my love was living. I talked with her until daylight and slept until four in the afternoon, when I went to the House of Com-, mone." Mrs. O'Shea'* husband in June, 1881, visited Eltham without the customnry invitation, and challenged Parnell to a duel. The book provides extraordinary revelations of Pamell'i strategies and devices to prevent tine discovery ot' the intrigue. He used false names, employed ciphers, and once lived for a fortnight in Mrs. O'Shea's house without the servants suspecting has presence. While in prison at Kilmainham, lie wrote letters in invisible ink, and learned that a baby girl was about to be born. He secured his release on parole for a week "to attend his nephew's funeral." He went to O'Shea's immedi■ately, and whilo Mrs. O'Shea was upstairs with her dying child, Parnell and O'Shea were below talking Irish politics far into the night. When Parnell stole in at daybreak to bid her good-bye before returning to prison, Mrs. O'Shea put the dying child into 'his arms. When Parnell heard of the Phoenix Park murders he said he would resign. I But Mrs>. O'Shea replied, "No, you »re not a coward." Parnell read the Pigott letters in the Times without concern, and was with difficulty persuaded to deny them. The book reveal* that there was a close subterranean relationship betweem : Parnell and Gladstone, while openly fighting in the House of Commons. Mrs. O'Shea states that she acted as a gobetween, commencing in May, 1882, for ten years-. Mr. Gladstone knew her relations with Parnell, and took sdvuntage of it to keep in touch witli her, but changed his attitude after her divorce in deference to his Nonconformist conscience.