The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1843-11-20
NANCY NILLIGAN /;
OR, AN INSTANCE OF FILIAL AFFECTION.

OR, AN INSTANCE OF FILIAL AFFECTION
Whatever be the results of the Irish peasantry
Or CLOVER ORDER" as their aristocratic rulers
denominate them they cannot with Justice be
accused of want of social virtues nor can they
be charged with GOODNESS or indifference to the
claims of kindred, or insensibility to the finer
affections of our nature In all paternal and flial
relations, few persons evince more acute natural
feeling, or exhibit stronger heart seated sympathy
than they do. Exposed though they have been
to centuries of mental and physical suffering
crushed though they were by penal laws and
despotc ruers--still the fire of the pure and
tender emotion, like that which for centuries
burned at the shrine of their saints, was never
extnguished within them. Reverence for rel-
gion, veneralion for age courtesy to the stranger
sincerity towards friends, and hospitality to ALL
are attributes indigenous to the Irish mind. That
dark spots may be traced on its disc, we will mol
pretend to deny, but the only wonder, consider
ing the demoralzing ordeal to which it has been
exposed is that it is not-shrouded in perpetual
eclipse. How literally the poor Irish-for it
IS from them it principally comes-how lib
orally they subscribe their hard-earned dollars
with the view Of restoring to their country its
nationality. Perhaps it will be said it is impoli-
tic on their part to do SO but will any one ques-
ton the patriotism that prompts such course,
or say that the motive is an unjust or impure
one sa
Many pure Irish girl undergoes the mental
drudgery connected with service in our hotels
and elsewhere, because it enables her to render
pecuniary assistance to an aged mother or poor
and dependent father in Ireland Authentic re-
turns have been published showing how aston
ishingly large in the aggregate are the sums re-
mitted by these people for those purposes.
We happened yesterday to be in the neigh
borhood Of the delivery of the post office, when
young woman with red face and rich brogue
came up and inquired for letter-a letter from
Ireland for Nancy Nligan. While the clerk
was searching for the letter her face gave atten-
ton of a thousand coexisent thoughts passing
in her mind. He soon presented it to her. Il
bore blac+ SEAL and when this symbol of death
caught her eye, the rosy hue Of health vanished
from her cheek, and its place was assumed BY a
livid, bloodless whiteness; her hand was seized
with nervous tremor, and her eyes seemed to
float in tears, though none fell Wishing to
give her confidence, we asked her in manner
as kindly as we could, what was the matter
90, sir" she said, "this letter is from home
Though can't read writin' know its the
Priests. Father Dunn's hand, but Pm afraid from
the sale (seal) and me dreams last night that me
poor mother is ded Since sint her fifty dol
lars to pay the rint Of the cabin and the grass of
the COW, and may be didn't get it, and that she
died in distress. Will you read il for me sir"
she added, handing up the letter, "for sure my
neart is READY 10 brake and may as well know
the worst"
In compliance with her desire, we opened the
letter, and found that her dreams were realized
to the fullest and saddest extent The letter
was from Father Dunn 1t acknowledged the
receipt Of the fifty dollars, but they came too
late. The rent of Nancy's poor old mother for
her cabin and potato plot became DUE and re-
morseless landlord seized and sold the cow. The
prospect OF being turned out to beg was too much
tor constitution already broken down by in
trinity and age, and on the day that the fifty
dollars, sent to her relief by her affectionate and
lived, she was corpse
We did not read the letter to Nancy as il was
tenderly and pathelically written by Father
Dunn--we knew il would be too much for her
we merely told her The substance Of its contents
We did moi forget to read for her, however
that part which told how he administered 10 her
just before her death, the sacrament of extreme