The Life Of Charles Stewart Parnell - Ii

AN APPRECIATION 355
1 5. I learned Mr. Parnell's views on the Bill from his own mouth when he spoke first on it in Parliament,
'6. I had a short conversation with him in the hearing of others on the floor of the House in 1881. I remember no other before the Home Rule Bill.
4 7. I had an opinion of my own upon this subject, but I thought it my duty not to state it, and I now think this silence was right and obligatory upon me. Until my last interview with him, which was at this place (I think late in 1890), I thought him one of the most satisfactory men to do business with I had ever known. But the sum total of any of my interviews on business with him must, I think, have been under two .hours. Ho was wonderfully laconic and direct. I could hardly conceive his over using an. unnecessary word. His place is only in Irish history, outside of which for him there was no British or parliamentary history. On the list of Irish patriots I place him with or next to Daniel O'Connell. He was a man, I think, of more masculine and stronger character than Grattan.
' To clear up No. 5, I set the Home Rule question on foot exclusively in obedience to the call of Ireland, that call being in my judgment constitutional and conclusive/
Learning early in 1897 that Mr. Gladstone was coming to London on his way to Cannes, I wrote again, asking him to give me a short interview. He replied saying that if I called upon him at 4 Whitehall Court at twelve o'clock on January 28 he would be glad to see me. 1 called at the appointed time. I had not seen him since 1890. Ho was much changed. He had aged greatly. His face had grown heavy and'
AA 2o his greatness., bearing no traces of severe illness or Buffering I answered the hitter immediately, but, 1 think, when it reached Brighton Parnell was dead.* Throughout Tiuwlay, October 0, '1 'arnell suffered much. The rheumatic pains flew to his heart, ho of the «ame kind. Mostntnl i "Sing it* it.*1 Of nmrxtt ! rtiltwett* but hit kept {Hiking tit** it$ ttw I'Uw mil this litn**, Nnying: '* Hing It/1 iittcl n nuntht>r c»f ffilltiw* rut ttin tihttforin, Iw t«»nlt»n it, jttimui him. lUit 1 hcltl