A KILLARNEY LEGEND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11148, 22 August 1899, Page 3

A KILLARNEY LEGEND.

THERE was, once upon a time, near -the * tern coast of Ireland, a romantic valley, inhabited by a few peasants, whose ruck jjjju wero surrounded by the most luxutrees, and sheltered by mountains ris- | L almost perpendicularly on every side. Ireland has still many beautiful green vales, Jut there is not one ec deeply, so securely jostled among themselves as the one of S I *P eak - Add the 'depth of the ? pe 4 of these lakes to the height of the loftiest mountain that towers above us, and ' u may then form somo idea of the deep Lclusion of this forgotten valley. Norah was the prettiest girl in the little village. She was the pride of her old father and mother, and the admiration of every y° ut who beheld her. The cottage 0 f her parents was the neatest in the neighbourhood. Norah knew how to make the homeliest chamber look cheerful, and the honeysuckle- round the casement was taught by her hand to twine more gracefully Jhan elsewhere. . ...... There was but one spring of water in tins valley- I' was a we " °f " ie brightest and clearest water ever seen, .fhich bubbled UP from the golden sand, and then lay calmly sleeping in a basin of the whitest marbie, From this basin there did not appear to be any outlet; the water ran into it incessantly, but no one could detect that any part of it escaped again. It was a fairy well. In those days there were fairies— says the legend and so says Orofton Croker, that inimitable historian of the little people cf Ireland in the olden time. Ours is not a story mvolving in its detail national habits and characteristics; on such grounds who OTuld dare to compote with him? Not T! To return to the well. It was, as I said bofore, a fairy well, and was held in great veneration by the inhabitants of the valley, There was a tradition concerning it which had time out of mind been handed down from parent to child. It was covered with a huge stone, which, though apparently very heavy, could be removed with ease by the hand of the most delicate female. And it was said td be the will of the fairy who presided over it that all the young girls of the village should go thither every evening after sunset, remove the stone, and take from the marble basin as muoh water as would be sufficient for the use of each family during the ensuing day. Above all, it was understood to he the fairy's strict injunction that each young maiden, when she had filled her pitcher, should carefully roplaco the stone. ]f at any time this were to be neglected, the oareless maiden would bring ruin on herself and all the inhabitants of the valley, for if the morning Bun ever shone upon tlie pater inevitable destruction woidd follow. Often did Norah trip lightly to the well, mth her pitcher in her hand, singing the wild melodies of her country, with her beautiful hair decorated with the bright red berries of the mountain ash, or the ripo fruit of the arbutus tree, and, leaning over the bubbling spring, fill the pitcher, carefully replace the stone, and return to her parents without one sad thought to drive away sleep from tier pillow. This could not last for ever. Norah was bound to be beloved: and soon a stranger youth came to the valley— soldier—one who had seen the world. He was clad in armour, and he talked of brighter scenes. Ah! could there be a brighter scene than that lone valley? Ho dazzled the poor girl's eye, and he won her heart, and when the went at sunset to fetch water from the fairy well, Coolin was always at her side. Her old parents could not approve of such on attachment. The young soldier's stories of camps and courts possessed no charms or them, and when they saw that Norah loved to listen to him, they reproved their child for the first time in their lives, and forbade her in future to moot the stranger. She wept, but she promised to obey them, and, that sho might avoid a meeting with her lover, she went that evening to the well by a different path to that which she had beep accustomed to take. She removed the stone, and, having filled the pitcher, sho sat down by the ride of the woll, and wept bitterly. She heeded not the hour; twilight was fast fading into the darkness of the night, and the bright stars which studded the heavens directly over her head wore reflected in the crystal fountain at her feet. Her lover stood before her. "Oh! come not here," she cried, " come hot here. I havo promised not to meet you; had I returned home when my task was done we should never havo met. I have been disobedient. Oh! why did I ever see you? You have taught me how to weep." "Say not so, clearest Norah," replied the yoimsf roldier; "como with mo." "Never, never!" she emphatically exclaimed, as she hastily arose and advanced from the well. I, who never broke my word, have broken it to-night. I said I would not meet you, and we have met." She uttered this in an agony of tears, walking wildly forwards, whilst Coolin, with her band clasped in both of his, walked by her tide endeavouring to pacify her. "Your fault, if it be one," said he, kindly, "was involuntary. Your parents will forgive yoj, trad when they know how tenderly I love you, they will no longer reject mo as their son. You say you cannot leave them. Well, well, I perhaps may stay here, Kay labour for them and for you. What :s thero I would not resign for my Norah? j lou are near your home, give me one smile, End now, dearest, good-night." Norah did smile upon him, and softly Opening the wicket, she stole to her own thamber, and soon fell asleep, full of fond thoughts of the possibility of hor parents' sanction to her lover's suit. She slept soundly for several hours. At last, awaking with a wild scream, she started from her bed. The well, the well!" she cried; "I neglected to replace the stone. It cannot yet j» morning. 110—110! The grey dawn >5 just appearing. I will run. I shall be in tune. ~ E ' le lew along the well-known path, tlie tops of the eastern hills were red with ™ near approach of sunrise. Is that the "Tot sunbeam that gilds yonder mountain? Si it cannot be! She will yet be in time, norah had now reached a spot from whence looking downwards, she could seo e , |' at 'he distance of a few hundred y s. She stood like a statue, her eyes wore tied, one hand grasped hor forehead, with 10 other she pointed forwards. So suddenly «Mamazement arrested her flight that her attitude retained the appoaraiice of motion; we might have passed for the statue of a gin running, but she was motionless. The mik morning sun was shining brightly the spot. The spring, once so gentle, was " sending forth a foaming torrent, which a rapidly inundating tho valley. Already e alarmed villagers were rushing from their ,'i, orah (li(1 not move - Her hand iinn still pointed towards the spot, but sho Wired unconscious of danger. Still the oammg torrent poured forth, and tho water approached the spot where she stood. oo in, who had been seeking her everyroiS i"° ™, lowarc her. Hi- footsteps themi" , r \ a ! Kl w - vin *- " if parents, save 'to"! , she fell at his feet. Wm 6 bore |, er in llis arms up a li'H which leliinrWi '™- Still the torrent raged anc deeper Vl flood became wiuor When they rear-lied the summit of tho fl'a'lßr ' ,care to be a wooded island, their rrol,ncl( 'd them everywhere, and md smallej? l)PCame gradually smaller la!' an Z 0t ! ler " lwn islands wero seen, some found . 7 ,Ve tha " that 011 which 'hey had iiiall„ tem far >' security, and these graotie hy°oiie Bma " f ' r an( ' smi, ' lcr > !,|u vanished " ®°Mtain''l?n wcre 0,1 the , summit of yon • Pile rJ.rw £ Cnri!i,,: an( l kissing Norah's My noli s', metl ' " Is «><■"> no hope? »f r B lr '' m 3' own dear love." riVorah" P-vt-iI'*'1 '*' my P a ™nts!" exclaimed 1 perished n, O '• ,- rR th F ? 0h! the have Obedience." ' 8 ° r ollly chiW ' s 'Waited tl' 1 " T' ot ' ler s arms the lovers ' higher mi r i m ,c wat still rose tinct-.;* u £ ,pr —"'he island became indisTim Was a f Peck—it was gone, : her ' c ( ? llamil J having expiated ' 1 peased Tkn ? ath of " ,e fair was a P" ■ dutiful ,ii I ? oso no more; but the 11 lmi «l under [he l"'" fairy wcll 10 "' lieS k of Killarney ,vatcrs 0 tho Lake ;