The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1873-09-04
- lee II u 1 .
The ChaineS ilost.

The potato famine in Ireland was
nowhere felt more severely than in
that part of the country where the
following story is told "a o true tale.
In a small village In one Of the
most barren districts Of the west Of
Ireland, there lived very poor WI
dow whose sole inheritance from her
husband were two healthy children,
girls, of the respective ages of three
and five. Painfully and by the ut
most effort she had contrived TO pass
two yeara Of her sorrowful widow
hood. Bad and scanty food, obtain.
ed only by labor too great for her
delicate frame, had at last thrown
her upon her sick bed, and death in
pity removed her in a few days with
out great suffering, from her earthly
troubles. The poverty OF the whole
parish was 80 great that nothing
could be done for the poor orphans.
All the neighbors with the utmost
desire to help, were too famine strick-
en-, and heard their own children too
often cry in vain for bread, to assist
others.
"If the children could only get to
Kilburn," Q village some miles dis
tant, said one Of the neighbors, after
the poor mother had been buried, "a
brother Of their father lives there,
and he could not possibly refuse to
take care of them"
"But matters are as bad there as
here" replied another, and I fear
they will be no better off there"
1T cannot be possibly worse than
here, for nothing but starvation
stares them in the face. II we send
them to their relations we have done
our duty. We cannot possibly keep
them here"
So carrier, who was going near
to Kilburn, as an act Of charity, took
the two girls-Lizxie was seven now
aud Mary fve--in his cart with him.
The timid children kept very quiet
and close together, and the carrier
hardly looked at them. Towards
noon they reached the spot where
the cart would turn of. The man
lifted them out, showed them the
road to the left, and bade them go
straight forward, and il they did not
go from the high road they would In
about two hours come to the place.
He, then drove of. The childrn
sobbed out goodbye" and looked
after him as long ss they could see
the last speck Of the cart aud then
they both began TO cry. 4
Lizzie ceased her crying first; she
took hold of her little sister, hand
who had seated herself ON the grass,
and said: Get up, Mary! we must
not stay here il We wish TO get to
Kilburn. We cannot stop here on
the road"
II am 90 hungry" sobbed Mary.
"We have had nothing TO eat all day"
And again they both began to cry |;
for Lizzie was eiually hungry.
The children wero very week, and
could only diHX themselves SLOWLY
along. Hand in hand they tottered
on. At last Lizzie fancied she saw
Q house, aud pointed to the spot It
took them more than . quarter Of an
hour bstoys they reached the farm
house, for such It proved tobe. With
hesitating steps they entered the
yard, for they had never begged be-
fore in spite Of their former misery.
But at this moment they could think
of nothing else but theiy terrible
hunger. When but Q few steps from
the house they heard the farmer vio
lently soolding one OF his men, then
he went into the house. Aercely clos
cd the door after him. 70 - to make
the windows rattle, continuing his
abuse Ill the time. The children
tsrri6sd, stood still at the door where
they hed 70 enter. The farmer sat
in kis armed chais by The frs.
sWGl, Wha1 DO you wants' be
|horshly Nd ~ ehiJdyln, vho woge
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