;ET. 1] AVONDALR 33
()a entering the hall, which has quite a baronial appearance in miniature, there was a warm, pleasant feeling. There was no lire to he seen, but a genial, comfortable atmosphere which, made me at once think of what Parnellused often to say, ' [ like a warm house.' In this respect Avoiulale is perfect. Above the hall is a little gallery, anil hung all around are mementoes of the dead Chief. Mn ihe old days/ said Mr. Paniell, * we used to have dances in this hall, and the band used to be placed in that gallery/ We lingered for a while in the hall. It is the distinguishing characteristic of the Parnells that they seem to be like no other people. They are absolutely unconventional. They all give you the idea of having pre-oertipalmns quite outside their immediate KurnmndingK. I low often did one feel in walking with Parnell that he really was unconscious of your presence, that his thoughts wore far, far away from you, and from anything of which you were thinking or talking ! lie. did not strike you ad these moments as a practical statesman. He looked a visionary, a poet, a dreamer of dreams anything but the Charles Stewart Parnell that the world knew him to be. You felt that those eyes, with their inward look, took little notice of anything that wan going on around. Hut, suddenly you said something that specially fixed the. attention of the Chief. He at once woke up; the eyes were turned full upon you, tin*, whole body was swung round, and you soon found that not only bad the immediate remarkwhich produced this eft ret been fully taken in, but that all you bad been saying for the past half-hour had hern fully grasped and most thoroughly ronsidrivd. Well, all the Parnell;; ha\v that pre«oceti-pied look that disiinguishrd Charles, but they lack Hit* practical skill and the genius which made him famous.
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