THE LATE ARTHUR M'MORROUGH. KAVANAGH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 46, 7 March 1890, Page 31

THE LATE ARTHUR M'MORROUGH. KAVANAGH.

(Dublin Freeman's Journal, January 4.)

Tom Kavanagh, father of the deceased, was a renegade from the Catholic faith. After some years of a dissolute life he married a lady of the House of Ormonde, by whom he had a numerous family, who, with their mother, died, with one or two exceptions, at an early age. After some time he again married Lady Harriet Le Poer Trench, of the Clancarty family. This woman will be long remembered in Borriß on account of her proselytising efforts and her rabid hatred of the Catholic religion. Lady Harriet waa endowed with a high order of intelligence, and which was still further developed by a superior education. She devoted all her energies to the seduction of the poor of the surrounding district from the faith for which toeir fathers had sacrificed all the world holdß dear. She got the souping system into full swing. The hungry were bribed with beef, bread, and broth. The naked were bought with blankets, broatheen, and brogues. Some miserable creaturep, impelled by hunger and the promptings of deep distress, went over for a while, but they shortly returned. The illustrious "J. K. L." was then Bishop of Kild«re and Le ghlin. He was resolved to pay a visit to Borria and cuiion the poor people against the seductions of the Big House and to denounce the doings of the Kavanaghs. All the surrounding parishes got notice of the day of his visitation, and tens of tuousinds assembled lo hear the voice of the great bishop. The church of Borrip, though capacious, could contain but a fraction of the immense congregation. So his lordahip waa forced to address the assembled people in the open air. Our readers may easily imagine the powerful and scatiiing eloquence with which " J. K. L." annihilated the vile apostate anu his souping consort. There are some still alive who were present on that memorable day. He uttered a prophecy which was verified so soon by the startling event that ail who heard it were amazed and many terrified. "My good people," said the bishop, "something will happen at Borris House at no distant day that will make the ears of all who hear it tingle." In some months afterwards the lately deceased head of Borris House was born. He came into the world a strong, vigorous infant, but a mere trunk without legs or arms. The news spread like wildfire. Everyone asked everyone else, " Did you hear about Kavanagh'a child ?" '■ Don't you remember what the bishop said?' They all did remember it. They raised their hands ana eyes towords heaven aud said, (l Glory be to God," and the truncated body was for yeirs known as " Dr. Doyle's Child." There used to be various storits current about other progeny of Tom Kavanagh's marriage with Lady Harriet, which received little credit outside the nursery circle. However, Tom Kavanagh for years betore his death was an object of commiseiation to all who saw him. He bad, Btrange to say, lost the use of his legs and arms, and eventually was reduced to a state of complete imbecility. " Dr. Doyle's Child " had two brothers and a sibter older than himself One of the brothers died suddenly in France. The eldest son, the morning of his intended wedding-day, was found burnt almoßt to a cinder in his ovin bedroom.

There aye explanations of this phenomenon of the late Mr. Kavanagh'a birth. In Burns House, before the apostacy of the brothers, there was a beautiful Jittle chapel fitted up in the richest etyle. It was simply locked up and left uutouched during Tom's first marriage. Lady Harriet, however, could not tolerate the " abominaliou of Popery " under her roof, and she resolved to have it dismantled, Amongwt other ornaments in the capeUa was a flue crucifix in ivory— a clief daeuvre of Roman sculpture. In making euch crucifixes the arms and legs are carved separately and then attached to the body. Lady Harriet, in her burning hatred for everything Catholic, would superintend the desecration of the sanctuary. Ihe workmen, likely not adverting to the great weight of

the ivory, let the crucifix slip from their hands. It fell with guoh force on the floor, at Lady Harriet's feet, that the legs and arms tell off. Bhe was greatly startled at neeing the truncated figure. Some months after " Dr. Doyle's Child " was born.