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Paddy Hearn's Third Christmas
Editor's note:
Growing up in Ireland, "Paddy" was the nickname of Patricio Lefcadio Tessima Carlos Hearn born in the Summer of 1850 on the Ionian Island of Lefcada, thus the name, "Lefcadio." In the Spring, fourteen years later, the 7 Ionian Islands in the emeraldgreen waters of the Ionian Sea were united with Greece.
Paddy's greataunt Sarah "Sally" Holmes Brenane writes in her diary in her opulent suburban home on Arthur Terrace, Rathmines, two miles North of Dublin, Ireland.
Dear Diary,
At Home, 3 Arthur Terrace
Monday, December 25, 1853
I had an intimate, family Christmas dinner prepared by my chef, Aileen, and served by her assistant, Celeste.
My family guests were my sister, Paddy's paternal Grandmother, Elizabeth, her daughter, Paddy's Aunt Jane, Jane's attorney husband Henry Stephens and my favorite nephew, Charles, Paddy's Father.
Paddy's paternal grandmother Elizabeth Holmes Hearn, elder sister of Sarah "Sally" Holmes Brenane, writes in her diary.
Dear Diary,
Christmas, 1853
48 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin
It's been nine years since my sister Sally, newly widowed after 21 years of marriage, came to live four years with me and my bearded bachelor artist son Richard in my home on Fairview Avenue, Dublin.
Son Richard is now living near Barbizon, France, in the Fontainbleau Forest doing landscape paintings with his intimate artist friend Jean Francois Millay, a dominant figure in the Barbizon School of Painters. Richard is still a bachelor.
Richard sent Paddy a Christmas present. Paddy was playing with it a when I arrived at Sally's. It was a boxwood top, a hardwood spinning toy.
Paddy's Father, the 35yearold handsome lady killer, Imperial Army Surgeon Charles Bush Hearn, a product of generations of social position and education, is home on military leave from the Grenada, West Indies, Queen Victoria's First Royal Regiment of Foot Staff Surgeon assignment and now fully recovered from Yellow Fever, writes in his diary.
Dear Diary,
Christmas Day weather: Pea Soup (dense fog)
Portobello Calvary Barracks
Today, from Portabello, I crossed the Grand Canal to Rathmines.
The Grand Canal separates Portabello and the main artery of Rathmines, a mileandahalflong line of elegant buildings intersected by numerous terraces.
I walked along treelined streets to Aunt Sally's 3 Arthur Terrace home.
I was glad to see my widowed Mother at Aunt Sally's today.
My Father was 47 when he married my Mother. They had 7 children. In addition, my sister Anne is a lovechild of my Father.
In later years, miffed at my Father's wayward ways, Mother bought a house on Fairview Avenue, Dublin, and lived apart from him. She has a personal annual income of 300 pounds left to her by her Father, Richard Holmes.
All of us 8 children dabbled with enthusiasm in art, writing or singing with varying degrees of skill.
My Father, fluent in French and an earned law degree, chose a military career. Colonel Daniel James Hearn, a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars and the Siege of Copenhagen, was appointed High Sheriff of County Wesmeath during his retirement. He died sixteen years ago at the age of 69.
Paddy's Aunt Jane Hearn Stephens writes in her diary.
Dear Diary,
Dec. 25, 1853
48 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin
Today was a fun day with all the trimmings of Christmas. Under the candlelitfloortoceiling Christmas tree were gifts for everyone. I like that Queen Victoria's Prince Albert introduced the German custom of the Christmas tree.
Aunt Sally's Christmas present to each of us was a Queen Victoria gold coin.
There were three picture books from Santa Claus for Paddy, my threeyearsixmonth&173old nearsighted, shy nephew, with an olive complexion, long eyelashes, and black hair.
I read one of his picture books. It was about a bad boy who disobeyed his parents. The boy suffered a terrible fate of having his nose cut off.
Every time I see Paddy, his English has improved, thanks to his Irish governess, Kate Mythen from Cannaught, Northwest Ireland. He's speaking more and more in simple sentences instead of isolated words. His Italian and Romaic accents are fading.
Kate tells Paddy Fairy Tales and when Aunt Sally is not at home, Kate tells him ghost stories even though Aunt Sarah forbids the staff to tell ghost stories to Paddy.
When Paddy is older, Aunt Sally will have home teachers for Paddy instead of his going to school. Home teachers are common in the education of the young among the wealthy in Rathmines.
Jane's husband, Attorney Henry Colclough Stephens writes in his diary.
Dear Diary,
11 P.M. Monday, December 25, 1853
Lower Gardiner Street, "Lawyers' Row"
It was an enjoyable Christmas Day with my inlaws. Jane's Aunt Sally has a retinue of servants managing her large elegant home.
Jane's Protestant Mother, Elizabeth Holmes Hearn, and her younger sixtyoneyearsister, Sarah Holmes Brenane, have a fine relationship in spite of Sarah's adopted Catholicism.
The Holmes are a distinguished literary and legal Protestant family. Sarah's greatuncle, John Arbuthnot, was among the retinue of doctors to Queen Anne who suffered excruciating pain from questionable medical practices, among which was bleeding her and applying hot irons. Yet, satirical poet Alexander Pope paid tribute to fellow wit and doctor in Pope's highly polished verse, "Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot."
I find it remarkable that the young Sarah Holmes had the guts to brave the Protestant Holmes family taboo thirty years ago by marrying the dashinglywealthy landed Justin Brenane, a Roman Catholic.
My wife Jane and I live in this large, oldfashioned terrace house at 48 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin. I rent this house on Gardiner Street because the street is famous for its variety of professional offices.
We invited Jane's aging widowed Mother to come live with us, not to mention her bringing Murphy, the parrot Jane trained to say, "Have you seen your Priest? Have you seen your Priest?"
Fortunately, Catholic Sarah Brenane has a good sense of humor. She always laughs when she's greeted at the door by Murphy.
Mrs. Brenane has a relaxed attitude towards her adopted religion. Jane and I have much fun when we are together with her Aunt Sally.
Aileen, Mrs. Brenane's chef, writes in her diary.
Dear Diary,
Christmas, 2008
Rathmines
WIth a goose imported from France, I prepared a traditional roast goose Christmas dinner. My assistant, Celeste, served the dinner on Mrs. Brenan's elegant silver plates with the Brenane family Crest.
The darkly handsome child, Paddy, the pampered heir to wealth and luxury, is also a favorite of the entire servant staff. Paddy follows Mrs. Brenane around the house. We all spoil him.
Paddy likes ice cream. Today, for dessert, I gave him a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a big piece of his favorite Bewely's Christmas Plum Pudding.
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Editor's background transportation notes:
A place that has a name with many historical resonances today is the Hearn Hotel in Clonmel, County Tipperary, where Ireland's first ever public transport system began in 1815: The Charles Bianconi Coach Service
In 1815, Charles Bianconi, 30, and Dan Hearn, 23, were friends. Dan was Charles Bianconi's first Bianconi Coach agent and Charles made the Clonmel Hearn Hotel headquarters for launching the Bianconi horsedrawn carriage service for private passengers. This became a wildly popular service and soon made Bianconi King of the Irish roads.
The Hearn hotel in Clonmel continues to exist today.
The remarkable Carlo (Charles) Bionconi emigrated to Ireland at the age of 17 from Tregelo, Italy, ten miles from Como.
He learned English from Edmund Rice in Waterford, Ireland.
Charles was the founder of Ireland's public transportation, "Bianconi Coaches." That was before railroads in Ireland.
Carlo amassed a fleet of 900 horses, 67 coaches and a number of Bianconi station Inns, some of which exist today.
Bianconi became an Irish Citizen at the age of 46 and at 50 he was a twoterm mayor of Clonmel, County Tipperary.
Charles Bianconi died in his nintieth year. He is buried in a Tipperary County Chapel.
Paddy's greataunt Sally writes in her diary.
Dear diary,
Wednesday, December 28, 1853
At home, 3 Arthur Terrace, Rathmines
I have confirmed reservations for Paddy and myself on a Bianconi Coach, a popular horsedrawn carriage service, leaving Dublin early in the morning and arriving late in West Ireland.
We are looking forward to a long holiday weekend at the home of my favorite niece, the delightful and clever Catherine Frances Hearn Elwood, beloved by all who know her, and her County Mayo Magistrate husband, Thomas Elwood Esq.
Sarah Brenane writes in her diary.
Dear Diary,
Thursday, December 29, 1853
Elwood Strandhill Estate on Lough Corrib
This morning at 5 a.m. we departed Dublin's Biaconi Coach station in a new Bianconi Long Car horse driven carriage with 13 other passengers.
It was a 104 mile journey from Dublin to Silgo. Along the way, there were 14 village stops at Bianconi stations some of which are hotels.
Niece Catherine and her coachman were waiting for us in Silgo at 8 PM with her barrouche. Soon we arrived at the Elwood Strandhill Estate on Lake Corrib, Ireland's largest lake.
Sarah "Sally" Brenane writes in her diary.
Dear diary,
Friday, December 30, 1853
Elwood Strandhill Estate
The Elwood Strandhill Estate here on Lough Corrib (Lake Corrib) is gorgeous.
Catherine lives in a rarefied environment of privilege, a life of genteel liesure.
The snow covered lawn slopes down to Lough Corrib. There's a pungent resinous scent of firtrees.
The lovely Cannemora Peaks are faintly dimmed against a forgetmenot Irish Sky.
Sally writes in her diary.
Dear diary
Saturday, December 31, 1853
Elwood Strandhill Estate
Catherine is Paddy's Father's elder sister. She is renowned for her performances of Sir Thomas Moore melodies.
After high tea today, Catherine sang for us in her lyriic sweetness, "Believe me if all those endearing young charms which I gaze on so fondly today..."
She has affectionate patience with her shy nephew, Paddy. He adores her.
Paddy's Aunt Catherine writes in her diary.
Dear diary,
Friday, December 30, 1853
At home on our Strandhill Estate
Tonight, at Paddy's bedtime, I told him a nursery story in pantomime. He was delighted.
Then, while I sang a little lullaby, he drifted off to dreamland.
Paddy's Aunt Catherine Frances Hearn Elwood writes in her diary.
Dear diary,
Sunday, January 1, 1854
At home on our estate
At the stroke of midnight, I gave my traditional New Year toast for another year, 1854:
"Here's to love and laughter and happiness ever after! May God Bless us all!
Then, I led my New Year's Eve guests and servants in the twelve verses of Scotland's Robert Burn's 1692 rendition of Auld Lang Syne (old long ago, the good old times).
The first verse is:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne!
Editor's notes:
After more than seven Centuries in existence Eachighearna was, in time, changed to Hearn.
There remains today no Hearn clan chief nor a Hearn family seat in Ireland.
Among several wellknown holders of the name, Hearn, was journalist Patrick Lafcadio Hearn who emigrated to Japan in 1890 at the age of 40 spending the rest of his life there. Alas, he died of a heart attack at the age of 54.
Lafcadio Hearn's International fame was being the first person to explain Japan to the western world. He did so in 13 books he authored and published in English. Some were translated and published in French and German.
Accordingly, Lafcaio Hearn is greatly honored in Japan today.
Page 110
Paddy Hearn's Mother, Rosa Antonia Kassimatis Hearn, 30, writes in her diary.
At our Kassimatis family home on Cerigo, the Ionian Island of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love.
Friday, January 6, 1854
Dear Diary,
Another sunny day here in Port Kapsali.
Paddy's little brother, Charlie (Charles Kassimatis Hearn) is 5 months old today.
My brother, Demetrius, says that Charlie looks like me.
Our family friend, thirty¯year¯old amateur archeologist, Giovanni Kavallinis, dropped in.
Giovanni very excitedly showed me his latest find, an ancient Venetian vase he dug up on Cerigotto Island, 22 nautical miles South of Cerigo Island.
Later, Giovanni went down to the white sand beach with Demetrius. They took a long walk along the shores of the emerald green waters of the Ionian Sea. Not so warm today: 11 degrees Celsius, 51 degrees Fahrenheit.
Paddy's wealthy 61¯year¯old Aunt Sarah "Sally" Brenane writes in her diary.
At home, 3 Arthur Terrace, Rathmines, Ireland
Friday, January 6
Today, I had a second fitting for a black silk dress at dressmaker Shauna's on Henry Street, Dublin.
Shauna always tells me the latest gossip.
Thirty¯four¯year¯old Queen Victoria's eighth child, Leopold, will be 10 months old tomorrow, Saturday, January 7, 1854. The surprising news is that Leopold is a heophiliac. Such a pity.
Itook Shauna in my barouche over to Sackville Street (now, O'Connel Street. (It's so designated in honor of the Irish Liberator, Daniel O'Connel.)
We had Bewley tea and scones at the Imperial Hotel. It opened last Fall in time for the Great Dublin Industrial Exhibitiion. The Imperial Hotel is atop the Delaney¯McSweeney Palatial Mart. (Today, the Mart is classic Clerys: www.cleary.com.)
Thomas Chenery, the correspondent in Constantinople for the London Times, reports.
Thomas Chenery sends a January battle report to the Times. All reports are two weeks late arriving at the Times. That' because ship sailing¯time from Constantinople to England is two weeks.
Friday, January 6, 1854
Constantinople
Today, January 6, the Battle for control of Citate, Romania, was won by the Ottoman Islamic forces led by the popular Omar Pasha.
Psha's fierce Islamic soldiers come from all parts of the Ottoman Empire: Egypt, Romania, Palestine, and Bulgaria.
The Ottoman Islamic forces swept the oncoming Christian Russian columns with waves of grapeshot (clusters of small iron balls) until the Russians lost their nerve and fled before Ottoman bayonets.
Psha's forces siezed Russian trenches killing and wounding six thousand Russians to Pasha's loss of one¯thousand men.
Omar Pasha's military successes are making him a hero in Constantinople not to mention that he is already a household name in England.
