Of the church when it had an earthen floor - her sweet
face tinted with autumn red, bearing sweetly and graciously the burden
of consecrated years. What a spot of memories is the "God's Acre" on the
hill to me, surrounded by solemn firs, shaded by spreading sycamores.
Rose up in the morning and left Grace Hill behind me once more. Passed
into Derry and found that veteran maiden lady quite well, with a small
stir on her streets caused by the Land League meeting. Heard no one
speak of it at all, no more than if it had not been, while I waited some
hours for the Omagh train.
This train, like all third-class trains, which I have yet seen,
including one second-class train, by which I travelled a little way, was
extremely filthy. One would think a little paint or even soap and water
were contraband of war as far as these cars are concerned. After
steaming a short distance the solitary lamp went out for want of oil.
When the cars were stopped at the next station we were told to go into
another compartment that had a lamp - they never seemed to think for a
moment of replenishing with oil the lamp in the compartment where we
were. The compartment into which we were moved was pretty full already.
A good many were smoking strong tobacco, some were far gone in the tipsy
direction, one of whom was indulging very liberally in profanity. I was
the only woman in the compartment; but my countrymen, as always, were
polite, inconveniencing themselves for my accommodation. Even the
profane person made a violent effort to curb his profanity when he
noticed me.
A good many of these persons were going to the Land League meeting. One
respectable man spoke to me of the high rate of land and the miseries of
the poor, but acknowledged that there were wealthy farmers in Tyrone. He
recommended me to a nice quiet hotel near the railway, but it being late
and I feeling a little strange, went to the best hotel in the town, the
"White Hart," where I was received with uncommon kindness and attention,
and allotted a quiet, comfortable bedroom away from the noise of the
street.
In preparation for the Land League meeting the next day the following
lively placard was posted in Omagh:
"A general public meeting, with bands and banners, of the Tyrone Orange
Leaguers against the murderous, blood-stained, seditious Popish League,
commonly called the Irish National Land League, will be held in Omagh on
Thursday, April the 21st, 1881, to consider the terms of the Land Bill,
and transact other necessary business. A protest will be made at this
meeting against the introduction of the principle among the Protestant
people of Tyrone that it is good to murder Protestants under the guise
of a Land Reform cry.
