THE LIFE OF PARNELL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 24, 20 May 1914, Page 5

THE LIFE OF PARNELL.

AS TOLD BY MRS PARNELL. ~*** Eliot&io Telkgeaph—Uopteight] [United Peebb Abbooiation.3 London, May 19. Mrs Parnell’s book tells a remarkable love story. The Parnells held that the 7 marriage bond was not binding when love ceased. At the end of 1880, writing to Mrs O’Shea and addressing her as “my dearest Wife,” he said: “After the debate in the House of Commons I drove to Eltham, where my love was living. I talked with her until daylight and slept until four in the afternoon, , when I went to the House of Commons.” Mrs O’Shea’s husband in June, 1881, visited Eltham without the customary invitation, and challenged Parnell to a duel. The book provides extraordinary revelations of Parnell’s strategies and devices to prevent the discovery of the intrigue; He used false names, employed ciphers, and once lived for a fortnight in- Mrs O’Shea’s house Without the’-servants suspecting his presence. ' ■ j While in prison at Kilmaiulpim, be-; wrote letters 1 in : invisible Ink/,', and • learned that a ‘baby girl was about to’ be’ born. ' He ‘secured his release on parole fdr:VWe^ ;i “ts attend his nephew’s funeral.” He went to O’Shea’s immediately, and while Mrs O’Sliea was upstairs with her dying! child, Parnell .and’ O’Shea were below talking Irish politics far into the night. When Parnell stole in at daybreak to hid her good-bye before returning to prison, Mrs O’Shea put the dying child into hi s arms.

When Parnell heard of tho Phoenix Park murders he said he .would resign,, But Mrs. CpShe,^replied, “No, you are not a, coward.” , i Pax-nell read the Pigott letters in the'';Times without concern, and was with difficulty persuaded to deny theta. The hook reveals that there Was a close'' subterranean relationship, be-i tween Parnell and, Gladstone, while openly fighting .in the, House of Commons. Mrs o»’Shea states that she acted as a go-between, commencing in May, 1882, for ten years. Mr Gladstone knew her relations with Parnell, and took advantage of it to keep in touch with her, but changed his attitude after her divorce in deference to his Non-conformist conscience.