told him I was an American, assured me
that "if it was not for the soldiers, the people of Ennis would clear
the police out of the place." He told me, too, that not long ago the
soldiers of an Irish regiment here cheered for Home Rule in the
Court-house, "but they were soon sent away for that same." On the other
hand, a Protestant man of business, of whom I made some inquiries about
the transmission of an important paper to the United States in time to
catch to-morrow's steamer from Queenstown, spoke of the Home Rulers
almost with ferocity, and thought the "Coercion" Government at Dublin
ought to be called the "Concession" Government. He was quite indignant
that the Morley and Ripon procession through the streets of Dublin
should not have been "forbidden."

There are some considerable shops in Ennis, but the proprietor of one of
the best of them says all this agitation has "killed the trade of the
place." I am not surprised to learn that the farmers and their families
are beginning seriously to demand that the "reduction screw" shall be
applied to other things besides rent. "A very decent farmer," he says,
"only last week stood up in the shop and said it was 'a shame the
shopkeepers were not made to reduce the tenpence muslin goods to
sixpence!'"

This shopkeeper finds some dreary consolation for the present state of
things in standing at his deserted shop-door and watching the doors of
his brethren. He finds them equally deserted. In his own he has had to
dismiss a number of his attendants. "When a man finds he is taking in
ten shillings a day, and laying out three pounds ten, what can he do but
pull up pretty short?" As with the shopkeepers, so it is with the
mechanics. "They are losing custom all the time. You see the tenants are
expecting to come into the properties, so they spend nothing now on
painting or improvements. The money goes into the bank. It don't go to
the landlords, or to the shopkeepers, or the mechanics; and then we that
have been selling on credit, and long credit too, where are we?
Formerly, from one place, Dromoland, Lord Inchiquin's house, we used
regularly to make a bill of a hundred pounds at Christmas, for blankets
and other things given away. Now the house is shut up and we make
nothing!"

It is a short but very pleasant drive from Ennis to Edenvale--and
Edenvale itself is not ill-named. The park is a true park, with fine
wide spaces and views, and beautiful clumps of trees. A swift river