mmercial who,
having travelled in Ireland, remained a Home Ruler. Such a person,
they thought, did not exist. Admitted that for business purposes the
apparent _rara avis_ might possibly, though not probably, be found,
all agreed that no Englishman in his senses, with personal knowledge
of the subject, could over support Home Rule. Two Gladstonians went
from Chester to Tipperary to investigate the troubles: both returned
converted. Six men from a shop-fitting establishment in Birmingham
worked some weeks in Dublin: all returned Unionist to the core. This
from Mr. Sibley, of Grafton street, Dublin, in whose splendid shop I
met the Duchess of Leinster, handsomest woman in Ireland, and
therefore (say Irishmen) handsomest in the world. She was buying books
for Mr. Balfour, who, she said, was a great reader of everything
connected with Ireland or Irish affairs. Mr. Sibley is a partner of
Mr. Combridge, of New street, Birmingham, and is a leading Irish
Unionist. Returning to the cancelling of orders, I will add that Mr.
Richard Patterson, J.P., of Belfast, the largest buyer of hardware in
Ireland, has cancelled very largely, together with two other large
firms, whose names he gave me. You will remember Mr. John Cook, the
Protestant Home Ruler, of Derry. His manager, Mr. Smith, has written
the Birmingham factor of the house, to omit his usual visit, as the
firm will have no orders for him. A strange comment on Mr. Cook's
theories of confidence. Mr. Cook is an excellent, a high-minded man.
He asked me how I would class him among his party. I called him a
Visionary in Excelsis.

Every self-respecting Saxon visitor to Cork visits the famous castle
of Blarney, seven miles away, to see the scenery and kiss the Blarney
Stone, the apparent source of Home Rule inspiration.

There is a stone there
That whoever kisses
Och! he never misses
To grow eloquent.
'Tis he may clamber
To a lady's chamber,
Or become a member
Of Parliament.

A clever spouter
He'll sure turn out, or
An out-an'-outer
To be let alone!
Don't hope to hindher him
Or to bewildher him--
Sure, he's a pilgrim
From the Blarney stone!

The walk is delightful, not unlike that from Colwyn Bay to Conway, but
more beautiful still, as instead of the London and North Western
Railway a lovely river runs along the valley on your right. The Cork
and Muskerry Light Railway occupies the roadside