The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-01-25
FRANK FINNEGAN,
THE FOSTER BROTHER.
DY WIN. CARLETON.

There is scarcely trait of human nature in
ralVed in more mystery, or generally less I'M
&erstood, than the singular strength of affec-
ton which binds the humble peasant of Irish
ltfe to his foster brother and more especially
# the latter be a person of rank or oonsidera-
ton. This anomalous attachment, though it
may be to n certain extent mutual, is never
eheless very seldom known to be equal in
strength between the parties. Experience has
SUfi GENTLY proved to US, that whilst instances
sGauea9alitx. ~, tf!eS predominant power of it's
apirit has always been found to exist in the
gsorson of the humber party. How to account
Cor this would certainly require n more philo-
aophical acIuain TANGO with human nature
than has fallen to onr lot; we must therefore
DO content to know that the fact is precisely
70 we have stated it. Irish history and trad-
ton furnish us with sufficient materials on
which to ground clear and distinct proofs that
the attachment of habit and contiguity in
these instances far transcends that of natural
affection itself. 1t is very seldom that one
brother will lay down his life for another, and
yet instances of such high and heroic sacrifices
have occurred in the case of the foster brother,
whose affection has thus not unfrequently tri-
amphed over death itself. 1t is certainly i'm
possible to impute this wild but indomitable
attachment to the force of domestic feeling,
because, whilst we maintain that the domestic
affections in Ireland are certainly stronger
chan those of any other country in the world,
still instances of this inexplicable devotion
have occurred in the persons of those in whom
tho domestic ties were known to be very
Seeble. 1t is true, there are many moral auo-
Inalies in the human heart with which we are
as yet but imperfecty acquainted; and as
they arise from some Maynard and irregular
combination of its impulses, that operate in
dependently of any known prin Piles of action,
ie IS not likely that we shall over thoroughly
understand them. There is another PECULIAR
fy in Irish feeling, which, as it is analogous to
this, we cannot neglect to mention it: we
allude to the parisheen, a term which we must
explain at further length to our readers. When
the Dublin Founding Hospital was in exist
ence, the peer infants whom an unhappy des-
tiny consigned to that gloomy and whitening
troN tad trA
of the country to be nursed by tho wives of
tho lower classes of the peasantry-suoh as
day laborers, cottiers and small farmers, who
cultivated from three to six or eight acres of
land. These children were generally, indeed
almost always, called Parisheens word
which could be properly applied to such only
by the parish in which they happened to be
born. 1t was transferred TO the Foundliugs,
however, although with the exception of the
metropolis, which certainly paid parish tax
for their maintenance, they were principally
supported by u very moral act of Parliament,
which, by the wise provision of large grant,
held out very liberal bounty to pra1igacy.
At all events, the opprobrious epithet of Par
isheen was that usually fixed upon them.
Now, of all classes of our fellow creatures,
Que might almost naturally suppose that those
deserted and forsaken beings would be apt,
consigned they uniformly were to the care
of mercinary strangers, to experience neglect,
honor be to the generous hearts and Affection
ate feelings of our humble people, it has been
proved by the incontestible authority of q
Commission expressly appointed to examine
and report on the working of the very hospital
an question, that the care affection and ten
derness with which these Inflated creatures
"Svere treated by the nurses to whom they were
given out, were equal, if not superior, to those
bestowed upon their own children. Even
when removed from these nurses to situations
of incomparably more comfort-sitnations in
which they were lodged, fed and clothed in q
Gar superior msnner-they have been known
IN innumerable instances to elope from their
Cnasters and mistresses and return to their old
abodes, preferring the indulgence of their af-
lection, with poverty and distress, to anything
else that life could offer.
All this, however, was very natural and rea- |
sonable, for we know that even the domestic |
Ruimal will love the hand that feeds him. But |
chat which we have alluded to as constituting |
the strong analogy between it and the attach
snent of the foster brother is the well-known
fact, that the affection of the children to the
nurses, though strong and remarkable, was as