A ROMANCE OF WEST POINT.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1577, 12 August 1882, Page 5

A ROMANCE OF WEST POINT.

he looked vf-N^^^^^^^V^good advantage, Bitting|]yffi^n^ animal ; as if, like a cent^uf,ytbwH^|plFnt;; o£ it. O'Rourke w ,as : a gre|BJ^Bfcrite,''M ' , with all his many atlira^B^KoT ■; mind aad persons he was ■ d^y<flflMHfetension,,and modest and una^suHflufferfaMinanly fashion. >Somel'of r^^HwT^£eachers of the Academy,- likaj^^Bfeaor Kedrick, remember him speak 'with admiration of" hillEsji|eral * brilliant The. commeucemaijSßTfciaea at 'West Point usually begiiffljreHfcaflie opening of the leafy montlJwSßßin'ef' ,when the scenery of the postsWßl&'jbp -advantage by the bright greeifflH{§By'pf *th 6" trees — elm, sycamore; jtlep§l>' ' cotton- Wood and hickory; It ia affiMßpjlune the female friends, relatives, ||jS|MKwiVaintances of the cadets visit ■the <a plfnf^and 'gladden the hearts of the embryo, warriors* , And it was about thisftgjaigej in > 1862 that 0' Rourke was pr^^ra^ to .graduate in a class of sixty|plffl||niemberB. The exercises are ' earnJJgE^in the library, where the staff of j^^fflfe"*/ attend and the cadets entetfb|||jfloj|2lisof from , six to nine, and are^ffi^SlLt in rotation in chemistiy, miis|§3®|r £nfirineering, law, philosophy, ,ffif§Wffiffp a "i su » tocties, siege works, &c. Ifj^raj^OTilao, in attend-, auce a board °fe|^^^K' compSsed of some of the ™O3t|]a9Ka||Bgnt' men in the country. To a«(ffl^®l e^ .creditably before this assenu|| fflßjl &det" Meeds to have his wits abou| S^Sf! *ot to.be as a cucumber. A nuif|||||i^es ar .e always on hand, and take^^^^i|ad miring the dapper figiu'^^^;^^^^!^' .^hen O'Rourke's turnjs|jj« |||&Mination he made, I am info^^oK impression ilia'traiiy«^OT > mHhe graduating class, his answ^wffiwe so'dlear and unembarrassed, whifflp SSule is confusion and hesitation. , ||| «* Stopping at tne^^^ >omt H° te l «?uring examination w||| mt a lady, of great beauty, Miss ClarlPfflSN'ew York' city, accompanied by atiWi Klady^ahd gentlemau. They had frijiffi the officers of the garrison, ano§ themselves ot examiriaVkrt! Wc«?k- recall on a visit. A hop 'Vj^ta ,cla33 cadets in tlie hofet^^^ppiiW^'Rourke attended. AsusMl |'e|l|i|Mmonop(Jlisedall the beautUtf JF a fitl«C : the officeia being to a great.eiklw Atiss Clark fell to O'Rogf|||ls h\% partner in the dance, and, &sjj |||edless to say, a case of love at firs|"si| ||^at once ocuured. From that night 'pn^ raome days they met constantly, ■i%J^||ng a season 1 of leisure and relaxa't|o|®pthe members of the graduating cla§£slp.ttle did he dream that the lady wCttf.^l 111 liewas now madly in love was.ftJj^lfttle child of j;wo yeara whom he re^ouetf from a watery grave years beforSi^i for her.it was impossible that &hV|^l(l remember the occurence, and evqij,*^»h^ did, pains were taken that she shoulj|| Jiever know who her rescuer was, for^yfeiin obvious reasons, -r " i ~ i "- A great ball at Cws|en's hotel wound up the exercises oUth&jjGepn, but before it came off there was^aiifiililuence at work that boded ill. fijC^O'Eourke. The gentleman who acc'o'ijjijiam'ed Miss Clark from X»w York was^MuCorlies, son of a wciltlivnud anstoctwefither. He wus in love with M iss Clarkj »1i(l Jove and jealousy combiiie'l ,ne potent/actors in sngpresting a in <aus foi\3h,eir gratification. Coilics tut himself ;to woi-k to secure a history of O'Rourke's antecedents, of which lie had some hints, and these he fully digested and to Miss Claikmthe mo-it ol^ioxious light. His representations caused jher to pause and reflect, and, when hesitation and inflection come in at the^ctoor, the passion of love is apt to go .out, at the window. "Now, ' said O'Ro\i'fkje ; 9 rival to the lady, "how would you lifeeu when you marry .i man of that; sork'. to have his old mother, who is a cafomon liish washerwoman, coming Up tj^ftur house on Fifth aveime of a Simdaj^&vjth a dirty dim. ilcen in her mouy^Jgfl^y old cap on her head, brogans on K'eW^. and red shawl around her waist.K*||ow^ would you like that ? ' he repeatejrtWu a bitter, sneering tone, and went on^tolfl^jw over and over again the picture pf J^lfourke's mother in the \\orst light poyMejj O'Rourke knew nothing of this, a^agCTg made an appointment to meet Misg^||ij|k at the ball m ("o/zen's hotel. ShMy^tii not there. He looked with eagbi^u^f, searching eyes thiough all the groJpSaOjf dancers, but no ti.ico of her could bj^ftmnd. He started for the West Poiii^^tel, and was told that she had left ( J^p|iVcity, leaving hehind a note for .hjaL.fjEt contained but two lin's : " Mis^pOTk-desires that Mr O'Rourke will cdn^dl' Jims>elf a sfcr.uig -v to her in future^" I^^ =j Tho blow wmjia^sfctiniuns: one. H^hid lived a themsan^gjayjf bliss in tho p i-t week, and now ta~,faiis\'it all a wild and hollow dream ">i3(i!^oiJ"'ich. Up w n". straight way t°^?^^^%i^» a '"' t|4l " tbeiv to H-irrisbiy'^ p«}«n^vheip Uovi - nor Curttn, travej|i|l e^l ,oommw»iou in i regiment of the fqs He sousrht the fiontiank of batjEle^clj'j' where, and was finally killed at..||hfmber.>«bur<jT, dyioj? with the rank ;,af-^ Brevet Bri» irlierGeneral, at the af^o?{l>Yeuty-threo ye irs. —New York Con, Boston Traveller.

Undkr the willows in the picturesque little cemetery at West Point, nestling in the shadow of Stormy King Mountain ami overlooking the Ffudsou River is a monument crccteil by the comiados of his class in '62 to I'atuok Sar&fioltl O'Rouike. He had a strange, romantic hibtory, and his name h one of the hallowed niomoiios am^ng the old Piofessoisat the Point. JJo was bom in this city, of Irish parents, and while little inoic than tlnee ycaio old lost his father. IJis mother was iv poor circumstances, though she belonged to a formerly -well-to-do and respectable family in the old country. When about.six or seven yeats old, little O'llouike took up the occupation of a newsboy, and. being spry and active, did pretty well at the business. He m.is exceedingly attentive to his mof.hei, brought hor home all his small earning*, while at the Mime lime ho entered into all the spoitb and pistimos of his fellownewsboys, and was noted for hU skill as a swimmer. One day, when at the foot of Pier No. 30, North River, in the siimmei of tho year, a little gH, two years old, the daughter of Horace F. Claik, son iulaw of Commodore V underbill, was allowed by a cireless nuiMe to stray along the string piece of the pier, and sho suddenly fell into tho watpr. Young O'Rourke, who had been hathing in the vicinity, plunged in after hei, and, making a gallant struggle, brought hoisafely ashore. When the father of the child learned the facts of the lescue, he took iintncdiete steps + o seek out the boy and reward him. He fonud him bright and intelligent, and hu determined to send him to school. After an experience of the convnou schools he was sent to the Free Academy, and made a good showiug for himself. When Mr Clark became a membtr of the Congress he had an appointment in his gift to West Point, and there he sent O'Rourke, who was now giown to foe about nineteen yea-s old, and quite handsome and promising. In point of morals and deportment lie was the model boy of the post, though in his first year he was subject to many taunts and humiliations on account of his birth, circumstances, and religion, aud especially on account of saying his prayers faithfully morning and night. He was befriended by a roommate named M'Connell, one of the family of the M'Connells, the large ironmasters of M'Counellsville, Perm. It was then — as it is, I believe, now— the boy reputed to' be of poor parents who was unceremoniously treated by the plutocratic cadets;, but M'Connell had a manly, generous spirit; and resented and slights or insults' offered to O'Rourke. Whenever abused, M'Connell was ready to take- his part and avenge him if he suffered:, > Years afterward, when he had anacle a 'gallant record in the war aucl was leclitoiv of a -Republican paper in the Little' 'Rode/Ark;, I 'heard fi'oni Colonel M'Con- ;'; ' nell "the particulars J of ,'o'Rpurke's his- . *tory.s iTowj&dftheeml, of t)bis, second -year* }$£W£k6stfjss -OJESafk^began to foi'ge-