The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-05-19
THE SHAM R nCk:
RECOLLECTIONS OF IRELAND.
BY SLOW JAMIE.
CHAPTER iii.
Re0OOre

BY SLOW J AMIE.
CHAPTER Ill
Beggars.
Books and newspapers in early times were
very scarce. Bibles then, as now, were plentier
and cheaper than other books; yet pocket Bible
cost half guinea. A servant girl did very
well when she got thirty shillings for years
labor. In one-third of year, then, she could
earn a Bible, but she could not sare up that
much in less than whole year. Most families
tried, however, to have few religious books,
and each adult to have pocket Bible. These
were carefully preserved, and we'll read. With
these they were content. Newspapers were
out of the question for any but the wealthy. l
do not think that either of my grandfathers
ever took a paper.
At length they were brought within the reach
of the poor A number of farmers dubbed
together to take periodical, which was read
week about at each of their houses They
would take the paper, and 60 through it from
beginning to end, advertisements and all After
that, whatever was considered most interesting
would be read over again-something about
O'Con nell, for instance, and then the talk
would begin.
The want of news was supplied in three
ways-by songs, traditions, and beggars. The
last were the principal newsmongers. If a
man wished to send a letter to friend, without
burdening him with postage, which was very
high, he had nothing to do but hand it, with
verbal directions, to the first beggar man he
met. If a young man were far from his fathers
family, and could not write them letter, or
perhaps they could not read it, he found it very
convenient to send them message by some
stroller. The women were the best to commu-
nicate through, both because they could tell
their story better, and because they remem
bered names with the most certainty. When
he would meet with some sharp-looking beg
garwoman, he would ask her if she knew where
such and such townland was she would
inquire what parish and county, and, on hear
ing, would assure him she knew the place WE'LL
Perhaps she had never heard of the place be-
tore, bit she knew that she could nnu out Dy
inquiripg along the way. He would then de-
liver his message verbally, and she would pro
arrive, she would deliver her intelligence in all
it's detail, and even in better style than it was
first given. Here she would be literally re-
warded, and perhaps have lodging place
while she begged round the neighborhood.
If somebody had robbed a hen-roost, if
burglary had been committed, or if a bloody
murder had been perpetrated, the beggars de-
tailed the news around without letting it lose
anything.
They might be divided into FIVE classes: beg
gars from necessity, beggars by misfortune, pro-
tessional beggars, gentle heggars, and buckle
heggars.
As gentle beggars do not properly belong to
this class at all, will dismiss them with word.
When a man gets reduced by sickness or other
wise, some two or three of his neighbors take
day, and 60 round among his acquaintance
to collect provisions and money for his relief.
In such cases, the gatherings of day were
considerable. The collectors, not the donee,
were called beggars and they certainly de-
served the epithet gentle.
5Beggars from necessity formed large class
of the mendicants of Ireland, but they were far
from being the majority. If cotter died,
leaving his widow with a numerous family of
small children, unless she had some relations
who could help her, she had no alternative but
beg her bite from door to door, till her children
were old enough to hire out. Even though the
husband lived, yet if he got disabled, their fate
was the same. When a reverse in trade threw
poor operatives out of employment, as soon as
they had exhausted their little savings, they too
must take the road. Some, who had patch
of poor land about the edge of some barren
mountain, found, when a bad season came,
that their crop would not sustain them the year
through. Perhaps in spring they took the last
potato for seed. Nothing remained but to take
their bag on their back, and pursue the road,
till new potatoes gave them relief. These were
generally known by their weary step, their
downcast look of sorrow, and the awkward way
they related news.
One time, whole family lodged in my grand
fathers barn. The man had been a carpenter,
and managed by his work to support large
family. What they called a BACKBONE pleurisy
was as bitter as death to be dependent. But
life on the whole is sweet, and people will do
many things before they will starve. He took
great pains with his children, and seemed to be
so apprehensive that they would fall into the
way OF rude, importunate beggars. He never
came round again perhaps he was soon able
to 60 to work.
Another time, l was returning from school,
and saw an old woman knitting along the road.
She was followed by little GIRL about FIVE years
Of age. Of course she walked slow, yet the lit
tie girl was far behind. AS the mother urged
her along, she said "Wait on me, mother, for
my feet's sore )" and indeed, poor child, they
were swelled and cracked. Slow as l walked,
was home long before they came. My mother
spoke to her in kind tone, invited her to take
a seat with her work, and remarked that it was
not idleness that had brought her to beggary.
She passed on without stopping, after my
mother had given her a little meal, and the
poor girl had to limp after her. aaa
Beggars by misfortune might have been
classed with the foregoing, for certainly both
were unfortunate, and both were necessitated
to beg. But give them this designation be-
cause they are peculiarly unfortunate, and be-
cause they are brought to this condition by
what is called in the charitable language of the
country mischance or Hnisfortune.
When servant girls, of more confidence and
affection than prudence and caution, become
mothers without being wives, they generally
lost their place immediately; and if they deter
mined not to lead an abandoned life they must
beg. The law, it Is true, made provision t9
compel the faithless paramour to contribute for
the child's support. But unless some one Of
influence undertook to prosecute the suit, the
law was dead letter. Plenty of hired help
could easily be obtained at low wages, and few
wished TO be annoyed with the encumbrance
of servants child. Some, indeed, out of char
ity, would allow the girl to remain, and raise
her child but such cases, am sorry to say,
were rare. It
One such case occurred in our neighborhood.