The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-04-10
A WEEK IN IRELAND.


smith, and now travelling in Ireland:
A WEEK IN IRELAND.
Leaves from the Editors Journal
SIibbgeen, Feb. 90 Rev. Mr.
r7patrick called, with several gentlemen of
M as'ownand in their company took my first
II rE through the potters field of restitution
M ddeath. As soon as we opened the door
III ,crowd of haggard creatures pressed upon
4 us. and with agonizing prayers for Bread fol-
a lowed US to the soup kitchen. One poor wo-
A man, enleaties became irresistably importu-
nate, had watched all night in the grave yard
lest The body of her husband should he stol-
en- from his last resting place, to which he
had been consigned yesterday. She had left
a five children sick with the famine fever in
her howell, and she raised an exceeding bitter
cy for help. A man with swollen feet press
ed closely upon us, and begged for bread
n most plteouSly. He had pawned his shoes
a for food which he had already consumed
The soup kitchen was surrounded by cloud
4 orthese famine spectres, hal(nakcd aud stand
ing or sitting in the mud, beneath n cold
lrzzling rain. The narrow defile to the dis
pcnsary was checked with the old and young
o'bOth sexes, struggling forward with their
rusty tin and iron vessels for soup; some of
them upon all tours like furnished BEASTS
There was Il cheap bread dispensary opened
in one end of the building; and the principal
pressure was at the door of this. Among the
Nlennaed apparitious of humanity that
\ 6rOnged tins gate of stinted charity, one poor
a wu presented himself under circumstances
0lUen distinguished his case from the rest
N HIRED several miles from the centre Of the
'W' III one of the rural districts, where he
Nd hlmsclfon the eve of perishing with
MSlnmily of seven small children. Life was
Nortil the last struggle of nature. and tAe mis-
rah'e skeleton Of father, had fastened his
youngest child to his back; and with four
more ny his slde,had staggered up to the door
Just as we were entering the bread depart
ment OF the establishment The hair upon
!!S face was nearly as long as that upon his
head, His cheeks were fallen Inland his laws
50 dlstended that he could hardly articulate
aword. His four little children were sitting
upon the ground by his feet, nesting togeth-
and trying to hide their naked limbs under
their dripping rags. How these poor things
could stand upon their feet and walk, and
rGE five miles as they had done, could not
Nlccive.
Their appearance, though common to
thousands in the regions ofthe shadow Of
death, was indescribabIe Their paeness
was not that Of common sickness. There
was no salIow tinge in it. They did not
look as If newly raised from the grave and to
lie before the blood had begun 70 i'll their
veins anew; but as if they had been thawed
ont Of ice, in which they had been inn
bedded until their blood had turned to water.
Leaving this battle field of life, | aecompa-
med Mr. Fitzpatrick, the Catholic mnisterin-
10 one "he howell lanes of the town. We
roman every tenement we entered enough
10 SNNeh the stoutest heart. In one we fond
aSno2haker who was at work before hole
"Me mud wall ofhis hut, about MS large as
asnall pane of glass. There were five in
NH anily,and he said when he could get any
work he could earn about three shillings per
week. In another cabin we discovered II nail
eJy the small light of his fire working in Il
Splce not three feet square. He too had Il
large family, halfof whom were down with
me fever, and he could earn but two shillings
aweek. About the middle ofhis filthy lane
"ecame to the ruin ola hovel which had fall
len during the night and had killed man
VINO had taken shelter in it with his wife and
V'III' lie had come in from the country;and
ready to perish with cold and hunger, had en-
Ied this fallen house of clay. He was warn
"oIhIs danger, but answered that die he
..0st unless he found n shelter before morn
"s' lie had klndIed small fire with some
straw and bits OF turf, and was crouchng oy-
VH, when the whole roof and gable end of
Ge'h and stones came down upon him and
lIS child, and crushed him to death over the
$40 SOW fire. The child had been pulled out A.
iaVe, aud carried to the workhouse; but the
a'ner was still laying there upon the dung
neap of the fallen root, slightly covered with
piece OF canvass. On lifting this, a humil-
Tl''hg spectacle presented itself What rags
uie poor man had upon BIN when buried be-
I ncI the fallen roof were mostly torn from
ms nIouy IN the last fatal struggle for life; his
, ,,'oN una shoulder and right arm were burnt
t lT" o,naer' There hel lay in the ruin, like
'I "r oaiGaSS ola brute beast thrown upon the
,I;n SsilI As we continued our walk along
J J.'' 'i'hy lane, half women and chill
nn tn would come out of their cabins, appar-
S ,f n! the last stage of the fever, to beg for
mn Uu ior The honor of God" As they stood
sn roI .',e wet ground, we could almost see it
,ba ,V IN peheath their bare feet, burning with
,n Elo'er' we entered the grave yard, in the
Tl iS' o' winch was small watch house,
l"'S miserable shed had served as grave
, v"ote Tue dying could bury themselves. 1t
w wao seven feet long and sixth in breath. 1t
w;,I "'ready walled around on the outside
,,bo n, Nn emharkment of graves half way to
olives UaVeS; The aperture ofthis horrible den
o off"'ath would scarcely admit the entrance
no; 'o'iltnon sized person. And into this
"II;Sesome sepulchre living men, women and
III" went down to die; to pillow uoon
WV. o rotteh straw, the grave clothes vacated Inv
EEecedIng victims, and fostering with their
~ ;r Here they lay as closely to each other
o ~ =" crowded side by side on the bottom of
, I%e grave, Six persons had been found in
o "'S 'etid sePuIchre at one time. and with one
fuzzy able to crawl to the door and to ask
r,n water Removing board from the en-
fo"n m1 {; or this black hole of pestiIence, we
.ro oau IL crammed with wan victims offamiue
.doS "y ana willing to perish. A quiet, IistIess