Ulysses
ceasingly while all around the gloomy precincts rolled the
ominous warning of a hundred muffled drums punctuated
by the hollow booming of pieces of ordnance. The deafen-
ing claps of thunder and the dazzling flashes of lightning
which lit up the ghastly scene testified that the artillery of
heaven had lent its supernatural pomp to the already grue-
some spectacle. A torrential rain poured down from the
floodgates of the angry heavens upon the bared heads of the
assembled multitude which numbered at the lowest com-
putation five hundred thousand persons. A posse of Dublin
Metropolitan police superintended by the Chief Commis-
sioner in person maintained order in the vast throng for
whom the York street brass and reed band whiled away the
intervening time by admirably rendering on their black-
draped instruments the matchless melody endeared to us
from the cradle by Speranza’s plaintive muse. Special quick
excursion trains and upholstered charabancs had been
provided for the comfort of our country cousins of whom
there were large contingents. Considerable amusement was
caused by the favourite Dublin streetsingers L-n-h-n and
M-ll-g-n who sang The Night before Larry was stretched in
their usual mirth-provoking fashion. Our two inimitable
drolls did a roaring trade with their broadsheets among
lovers of the comedy element and nobody who has a corner
in his heart for real Irish fun without vulgarity will grudge
them their hardearned pennies. The children of the Male
and Female Foundling Hospital who thronged the windows
overlooking the scene were delighted with this unexpected
addition to the day’s entertainment and a word of praise is