PARNELL'S LOVE STORY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 48, 17 July 1914, Page 6

PARNELL'S LOVE STORY.

A CHAPTER. IX IRISH iIiSTORY. MRS. O'SIIEA'S .BOOK. The love .story of Charles Stewn.it. Parnell, as told by Katherine O'Shea in her recently published book, is full of interests. Mrs O'Shea describes her pique at .Parnell ignoring her invitations to political dinners. With more satisfacton she describes, as follows, I'arnell's ultimate surrender, which was to have consequences so tragic for the lovers, and so fateful in the history of Ireland: "On the platform for Eltham, at Char-ing-Cross, stood Mr I'arnell. . . . As our eyes met, hi' turned and walked by iny side, lie did not speak. . . lie helped me into the train and sat do.ni opposite nie. ... 1 lent back and closed my eves, and could have slept lmt -that the little Haines deep down in Parnell's eyes kept dickering before mine, though they Were closed. . lie took oil' his coat and tucked it round me, but 1 would not open lny eyes to look at him. He crossed over. . . . and, leaning over me to fold the coat more closely round my knees, he whispered. '1 love you. I iove you. Oh n;y dear, how I love you.' And I slipped my hand into bis, and I knew I was not afraid." I'arnell bid 'his own theory of mora!.-, lie hcid. we are told, that (lie marriage bond does no!, oind where hive cease;., C exist. And lie acted up to his theory. Before the year was out Mrs. O'Shea kept him in hiding in a room oIV her own for a fortnight. The servant were .surprised at how inurh move tin ir mistress at when she dined in !e r sitting-room than when she diii"d dov, ■, stair ~ The "chef" decided himself 1; the voinpe'dtioii of political speech ■ and tr, the perusal of "Alice Womb rlaiul." It is thoroughly (h:\racteri-ti-.-of'.'.iim that he u--d to re i 1 it :j-: i! ■ si riou-/v :>nd wiihi.ui -iniliiuj. In lie'' lis widow bilieves l!m(. b' i>mr s:r.anything air.using in ; t. He.'.r.or v;»-» not amoligd his gifts. The cou!ideu"i between the. lovers was not so absolute that Parnell put two of hi', secret papers into a bracelet and shewed i oil her arm. He dc.-troyid them ii ISSII. After this Mrs. ()'S:.«a beeam 'My dearest wife." and "\ly deares wifie,'' and early in 188! he protc.»' ««ftinst a little quasi-wifely jealousy UiHin her part, She was not the on 1 ; \i • Lilii of that 'paf-sioii. h- .Hii'iar I SSI. Cijitiln O'Shea w.s ill-advice • eo:lgl| to vi it his \V : fc's hou-'e eu.' ■lcnly, and without the invention the

:ad becii ; me customary for some yeir. !!■>■ found ?>lr. Parnell's jortin;'.!'.!'.!" !he"e. and scut it away. "My ,!ea! >f r.->. (I'Shen,'' write- th" a.2,sricvc.' "••rit.lt man. "Will you kind!;.- <i=k Cir i:;:b ON-ra win.re he Icil r:iIN* K I I.M .A IXII AM'. <•},].]. i'Ol! LOVK" On October 13, 1881, Paruell was arrcsLcd and imprt-oued under il;e. Coer eion Act. On liis way to ",aol tin "suspect'' was allowed to j, " letter ile ilil'oi'ins .Mr.!. O'Shci! : ''i arres'. ••n.l !siy-,: -"The only tiling at makc.11.0 v.'i.rried and unhappy i", thai it in.iy h.i'i't you and oui" chi'd." lie assured hi v luUt thai his health was excellent hi!!- til" Nat iomilists were harrowed b' ibs riplioii- of tire which h:' [ ' l;; ! ii"e,i 1 j'oii• pi'ison hire. These itccri'.int., he were published in or.lor to stimuli!lc the Irish 'Siibscrip. turns and 11 • n:- to 'V«!\-e the. A.in,eri:.ii-,: •r rai'v for (( (her |nn-posos.'' In the same letter comes one of the pas'sagrs whirl' slanvs (.'sat he was l'caby ready to sacrifice "ail for love." "leither 1 hen that me 1-,,-nutifill wilie •-h'/ul-l run any ritk (it runs) T will If-i'<ii my 'Cel. haw politii,-.. and «•' a way somewhere wiih mv own Oueeiiie as sof.n as she wishes; will she come;"

r l lie intense passion of td• letters is beiwhtei'eil liy the cool cynicism of I-'a nidi's comments upon politics. He : ■ deliifhted. lie writrs (Kebniarv M. 7SSJ). that there is an end of platform ie 11 fry. "I cumuli describe Lo V n," he s iys, "the disgust I always felt with (ho-e meetings, knowing, a.s i did, how b'ollow and wanting in soliditv evervthhiL;' connected with ('lie movement v. is. At Ihe time of hisi arn hi' c.: l ; T'teil to ser it in a lncntb M is only the half-measures of the "wi-i'lj-hed (lovernincnt" which ) tve i.iept it alive. .M !■>.. O'S'uea des-'rib.-s 'he ilraltine. of (.he Kilmainliam treatv. :m! rcf'Trinr In Captain O'ShcaV e.-imli-•liliire for Calway sho s,avs:~--o'Slie'i d.siiiuided flahvav. Parnel,! (dearlv saw •lail'.W of sa i isfyiii"' him. "I!ul lirwas "tip coward." ' 'T'll force }%:.r. down I heir throat." he .said. "It w!!! cod. me the coillideuce of the pai'tv, '»»«• • • ■ T shall he ihnie with Ids ie ! k of pledges." lie carried his man. Till? LAST PIIAITI'd:. " Pi! i'lle.'i would lloj !he case," i\, ill's Mrs. I'ai ni 11, "and I could not Mi! ii without !;ini." Tin",- wanteil iii. ilivoiV", he :trj;iii'd, ;ind Ihei'e was !i" 'i - e in opposing it. -■'Phi'y must hi' ■Si I""'11L? th.elli.-elves ill .t'oiirl 1(V IKOV." Ii iciuiuki' l .i n the illuming the ca i' ci ;: ii.:' on, ;; nd he deehired "that, hj"

v sdd I ■!v ;in' ibs-iee frarartl." "There "'ii •> •_ a Imwl," he s:iid, "hut it wil!! be •' of hypocrites." Then, with ih cool "il-:-!ai-hiiient" which was hi's "«u. I'-' went on: "Not, altogether; for "' "''' ol l!ie--.i I!'i- h loo.'s ai'e genuine iu ihei! be!;.. 1 ! tluit toinis and can '4'i\ ern life and men. I'erhaps tliov are !"-ht. so !;!'• n; i hey can experii-iu' • life. ■■l'- I am not as I hey., for t-liev ai'e i'.iioiijr-t. the worlilU children. Tain a mail,"

'.i hi'ii I'avnell llini-; hinisidf with daiint--c - - coiir:!-.: ' ml (i ilii* treineudii'iis con I:. 1 which la-ted until 'his death. Tie--1 .'"'>1:11! I'l'l,olic hiei'arc'iy and pi'ii'slhiiMl, Ihe Nom-onfoi-inist eolis'ieiiec. hi- ■ ... ii niiiliiK'H. party, the whole power ol llritMi l.iberalisi!). anil the t'i'eal ] . I'soiiitlily of Mr. liholstone w, iv ai' layed ;;;/iii!(t liiiii. tie defied and f<"i!_■!'I. (hem all. And nijjh 1 a.Md mornI iil't>n r j:un't lhe-e nionih—. of W":ireiL'. hour!ess labor fouihi) till!" to -;irl a hni'''ied to the woman i vcd. Wteh-and after wi «.-iU-* nd, as hi.- ; joaency iw,m |r,,!and to hi i-'hton and h:i.ek that he mi-ill', si'c.nd m few lion's -wilili her. In .1 mi" they Vvere nmrried. I»y September his hcilih was so vi-ii'hly shattered that she him to ,uive up the f-\ni'/uiv-. lie answered that he would valhcr die lhan "eivc jp {.o [*w howling of tlie l'.n;.di.-]i ni((h. Ihii." he Went 011. "if ;>ou ,>ay it T will do it and you will uovei- hear of ii from me. my rove, 111 v own wife." Ii was too lit:'. On October (i he died. "Kiss me, sw'i'et wilie. and I will try lo sleep a Jitilv," were his last; words, and with that kiss he sillied and passed away.

The audiovi'ss dwells apaiu ami nhis action as intermediary with Mr tiladstone, ami insists that, before till' end of « conversation which she had with the I'rime Minister on .fun;' H,Sli2, "111' knew, ami allowed me to know that lie know, what 1 desired lie should know—that my personal interest in Parnell was my only interest in Irish polities. Ilis wonderful "eagle's eyes," she remarks, ''showed just .sufficient admiration in them to savour of homaje without, oll'enee." He conversed with lier arm in arm walking up and down his room in Do\vni%' street, lie cor-

I responded with' Parnell under cover to her. lie bargained through her for the Irish vote. He got letters from Parnell dated from her house. It was she, apparently, who submitted to his Government early in 1881 the "Proposed Constitution for Ireland," drafted by Parnell—a vague, but relatively mod■erate scheme which seems to have been the subject of ?. {food deal of intrigue. It was she who, a few hours before Mr Gladstone rose to introduce the first Home Rule Bill, gave the Prime 'Minister's private secret.try, whom he lia-l sent there for it, Parnell's assent to that step. When the exposure came, the "Grand Old Spider" and his friends were duly shocked. The woman, in her unreasoning, feminine way, could not understand. I'arnell did. He was not angry with -Mr Gladstone, lie had never trusted him. When he paid Ms famous visit to liawardeii 11 montiis before, Miss Gladstone asked him at dinner who was the greatest actor be had ever seen. "Your lather, undoubtedly," was his reply. Now he merely said, "That old Spider has nearly all my lies in his web." THE "CHIEF" AND IllS TOOUS. , When Mrs O'Shea protested to i'arnell auainst his cool dissection of tii" qualities of his followers his answer was: "In politics, as in war. there are no men, only weapons," and again, "While I am leader, they arc my tools, or they jro." Towards the Irish masses he acted with a like, contempt. He failed to appear at public meetings, if the wnim seized him to amuse himself with his crucibles or his mistress. When he suggested that he should send an apology, he told her he did not understand "kingship." I could never keep my rabble together if I were not above the human weakne-s of apology." lie had discovered. he said, that he was much more wonderful to them when he was idle tliHo v, ie n he was working hard. After the "treaty" his life was in danger, lie went about armed, but the only things that fiigbti ned him were the "omens." He na.r intensely superstitious. The night after hd heard of the Phoenix Park murders, a picture of the House of Commons fell crashing from the wall of Mrs O'Shea's dining-room. lie was sure this boded evil. His only doubt was wdiether the evil was for him or O'Shea.