⸺ A TASTE OF QUALITY. Pp. 319. (Long). 6s. 1904.
Family life among Protestant upper middle class folk in a country district—very pleasant and refined society. A kindly, human story, eminently true to life, without bias of any kind. One becomes quite familiar with the cleverly-drawn characters—the kindly, cultured Archdeacon and his sister; patient, crippled Larry, with his cheery slang; devoted Auntie Nell, bringing comfort and brightness where she goes; the Austrian countess; and the twins.
ROSSA, Jeremiah O’Donovan.
⸺ EDWARD O’DONNELL: a Story of Ireland of Our Day. Pp. 300. (N.Y.: Green). 1884.
Scene somewhere near Fethard, Co. Tipperary, during Land League agitation. The Author’s sympathies are against the L.L. and for the physical force party, often called dynamiters at the time. The book is full of the agrarian question, viewed with bitterly anti-landlord bias. Eviction scenes, boycotting, midnight conspiracy. Satirical portrait of the pious landlord—Catholic attorney who battens on the miseries of the poor; also of various landlord types. In the case of “Father Tim” the portraits shows all the weak spots, but without bitterness or disrespect. See ch. 18, Fr. Tim’s sermon against the dynamiters. Good picture of a dispensary doctor’s life and difficulties. Well written, but rather a pamphlet than a story. It is believed in many quarters that Rossa did not write a word of this story;[12] the edition I examined has on the title-page what purports to be a facsimile of Rossa’s signature. Rossa was b. in Rosscarbery, Co. Cork, 1831. Died in U.S.A., 1915, and was given a public funeral in Dublin. He was a well known Fenian leader, was condemned for treason-felony in 1865, and sentenced to perpetual imprisonment, but was subsequently released and went to New York, where he edited The United Irishman.
[12] In a contribution to I.B.L. for Sept., 1915, Mr. Edmund Downey unhesitatingly assigns the book to the late Edward Moran, brother of the present Ed. of The Leader.
RUFFIN, Mrs. M. E. HENRY-, [see HENRY-RUFFIN].
RUSSELL, Maud M.
⸺ SPRIGS OF SHAMROCK; or, Irish Sketches and Legends. Pp. 134. (Browne & Nolan). 6d. 1900.
“The little books show how full of charm and fascination the holiday resorts of Ireland really are.”—(Lady’s Pictorial).