Part 42 (1/2)
_Written after reading Michael Davitt's ”Leaves from a Prison Diary”_
DUNROZEL, _September,_ 1887
Man's justice is not Thine, O G.o.d, his scales Uneven hang, while he with padlocked heart Some glittering shred of human tinsel sees Outweigh the pure bright gold of n.o.blest souls, Who from the mists of earth their eyes uplift And seek to read Thy message in the stars.
Thou hearest, Lord, beneath the felon's garb The lonely throbbing of no felon's heart, The cry of agony--the prayer of love By agony unconquered--love, heaven-born, That fills with holy light the joyless cell, As with the daybreak of his prayer fulfilled, The glorious dawn of brotherhood for man, And freedom to the sorrowing land that bore him, For whose dear sake he smiles upon his chains.
Thou gatherest, Lord, his bitter nightly tears For home, for face beloved and trusted hand, For the green earth, the freshly blowing breeze, The heaven of Liberty, all, all shut out.
His vanished dreams, his withered hopes Thou knowest, The baffled yearnings of his heart to s.n.a.t.c.h From paths unhallowed childhood's tottering feet, And lay a rosy smile on little lips With homeless hunger pale, to curses trained, Whereon no kiss hath left a memory sweet.
His chainless spirit, bruised by prison bars, Wounded by touch of fellow-men in whom Thy image lost he vainly sought, Thou seest Unsullied still, lord of its own domain, Soar in its own blue sky of faith and hope.
Such have there been and such there yet will be, From whom the world's hard eye is turned in scorn, But still for each a nation's tears will fall, A nation's heart will be his earthly haven, And when no earthly stay he needeth more, Will he not, Father, feel Thy love enfold him, And hear Thy voice, ”Servant of G.o.d, well done.”
_Lady Russell to Lady Charlotte Portal_
PEMBROKE LODGE, _November 26, 1890_
Alas! alas! the last fortnight has indeed been one of darkness and sorrow over the country; railway and ocean horrors breaking many hundreds of hearts, disgrace to England in Africa, disgrace to a trusted leader das.h.i.+ng down the hopes of Ireland and bringing back disunion between the two nations. We made ourselves miserable over last night's news of the determination of his parliamentary followers to stand by him, and his acceptance of their re-election.
Poor old Gladstone! I am sure you must admire his letter to Mr.
Morley. To-day we are told to have a little hope that it may have influence in the right direction, but we hardly feel any. We heartily agree with every word you say on this most painful matter.
The one consolation is to see such an increase of opinion that a leader must be a man of high private, as well as public, character.
How often I have deplored the absence of any such opinion!
_Lady Russell to Mr. Justin McCarthy_
PEMBROKE LODGE, _November 27, 1890_
DEAR MR. MCCARTHY,--Your most kind letter was a relief to me as regarded the spirit in which you had taken what I wrote, but also made us very, very sad, and nothing that we have heard or read in newspapers since has given more than a mere ray of hope. And why should this be? Surely the path of honour and duty is plain. It cannot be taken without pain; but such moments as this are the test of greatness in men and nations. Grat.i.tude untold is due to Mr.
Parnell. Those who have been his friends will not withdraw their friends.h.i.+p; but surely that very friends.h.i.+p ought to resolve that the vast good he has done in the past should not be undone for the future, to his own eternal discredit, by encouragement to him to retain the leaders.h.i.+p. Surely the claims of your country stand first; and is not the impending breach between English and Irish Home Rulers a misfortune to both countries, too terrible to be calmly faced? Already there is a tone in the Freeman's Journal which I could not have believed would be adopted towards men like Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Morley, who have identified themselves heart and soul with Ireland. Of course, they are far above being turned for a moment from their course by any such comments, but it must be a pain to them nevertheless. It almost seems aberration of mind in Mr. Parnell to be deaf to Mr. Gladstone's words of true patriotism, echoed as they are throughout England and Scotland, and I cannot but believe in thousands of Irish hearts besides. Surely this must have gone far to convince his friends that they would be more than justified in convincing him that retirement for awhile is his duty, or, if they cannot convince him, in acting upon their own convictions, if these are such as I hope. Indignation against the terrible revelations of his guilt has driven some English newspapers into language deeply to be deplored; but on the whole the feeling, as shown in speeches and in the Press, has been healthy and just. Sir Charles Russell's words struck us as among the very best. It is the deepest and highest love for Ireland that makes men speak and write as they do.
Dear Mr. McCarthy, I think you can do much, and I know how firm, as well as how gentle, it is your nature to be. Save us all, for G.o.d's sake, from the dreaded disunion and the ruin of the cause. Do not let England and Ireland be again looked upon as separated in their hopes, interests, aspirations. May Mr. Dillon and Mr. O'Brien help to the good work; but too much can hardly depend on men at a distance, excellent and patriotic as they are.
Good-bye, dear Mr. McCarthy. May G.o.d guide and unite our two countries on the road of justice and truth and happiness. Pray, pray forgive me once more for writing.
Ever most sincerely yours,
F. RUSSELL
In 1891 Mr. Rollo Russell married Miss Gertrude Joachim, niece of the great violinist, Dr. Joachim, and Lady Russell found new joy in his happiness.
_Queen Victoria to Lady Russell_