KITCHENER AS A BOY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 July 1916, Page 8

KITCHENER AS A BOY.

SNTEEESTIXf! INCIDENTS RECALLED. DREAD OF DEEP WATER. j Svdnev. I Mr. Michael Byrnes, 0 f Henty, who is now on a visit to Manly, was a schoolmate of Lord Kitchener. "It is more than fifty-five years ago," says Mr. Byrnes, "since Lord Kitchener went to the old National School at Kilglen, Sweet County Kerry, which I attended. It was half-way between T.istowel and Tralec, and his father, Colonel Kitchener, had a farm called Crotty Domain My recollections of the boy Kitchener are very distinct, although it is so many years ago. We were neighbors and playmates together, and always the best of chums. We were just about the same age, both under ten years, and we were both nature lovers, and rambled about the beautiful countryside in each other's company. "STRANGE IN MAXY WAYS." "Although there was nothing very remarkable about the boy in the way of cleverness at school, yet I have always v ivid!y remembered him through the long years. »s T o doubt he bad a personality. He was a very strange boy in many ways, very reserved, and studious. He did not mix with the crowd of schoolboys in their pastimes. He preferred being by himself very often, not that he was stuck up in any shape or form, and although not many of his schoolmates shared his confidences, he was liked and respected by the whole of them, and enjoyed a popularity which was strange, eonsidcring his studious moods and attitude of aloofness. He never cared for football or hurley, but was passionately fond of horses. He was always happy | on horseback, and loved to follow the I hounds. 'Die sight of the huntsmen and the dogs, and the sound of the horn, always woke him out of bis usual seriousness, and he used to get very excited and enthusiastic when the meets were on. . NO SIGN OF CLEVERNESS. "At school he was not by any means a dull boy, but, as I said before 1 , be did ret. to our minds at least, show n ly sign of cleverness, The masters, ) owevcr, thought a lot of him, and he always managed to get through his lessons without difficulty. "The boy Herbert was always terribly frightened of his father. Colonel Kitchener, who was a dour and silent man and a regular martinet. We were all afraid of the old man, who used to chase us out of the woods, but as long as Herbert was with him we fell: all right. "Every summer we boys used to spend a month at Bannagh Strand, a little I watering place on the sea. Young Kitchener always came with us, and wo all ! stayed with uncles and aunts of mine, j who lived there. With all my family be I was a great favorite, and the womenfolk | particularly were fond of the gentlemanI ly, quiet lad. Strange to say, he had a ■ dread of deep water; a big wave would always drive him back to shore, and he j would never go in any depth. The rej inarkable thing was that be was utterly j fearless in every other direction. Look- ! ing back on his extraordinary boyish | fear of the deep sea, it appears uncannily pathetic now that he has found a lonely grave in the depths of the ocean. Bin the boy loved to wander by the sea, and our holidays were always happy outings. When young Kitchener left the school and the neighbourhood there was general regret.