Lady Zetland and Miss Balfour have been making a tour
in the distressed districts of the West of Ireland, and have teen received with much more genuine enthusiasm than the Nationaliet leaders have ever met with in these parts. The whole Auntry in some parts of their journey has been ablaze with bonfires, while in the road in which they were travelling the people lighted bundles of straw, and carried them about on the top of long poles. Itt Achill Island, their reception was extremely joyous. A whole fleet of coracles came off to meet them, and the Achill islanders were very anxious to land Lady Zetland in one of their rude coracles, in which there is no seat. But Mr. Bourke, who was responsible for the safety of the ladies, would not at first permit this, so the people had to be contented with paddling some of the gentlemen ashore in these primitive boats. On their return, however, Lady Zet- land persuaded Mr. Bourke to withdraw his objection, and. she was paddled in triumph back to the steamer. It would not take a very much prolonged administration of Mr. Balfour to make him a more popular man in Ireland than either Mr. Parnell or Mr. Healy. Perhaps, indeed, he may be in reality as popular even now, if the local leaders would but let the people alone.
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