Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-04-15
SAD SCENES OF IRISH MISERY.
wresehsdaess efthe DweIlfnGs-Hsrysw-
tns Details of the Desttsutfon OF the
Psopie-How HeIieffs Dfstrfbuted.

pPohhGnb III lICiktIu bpGht q OuutAhJ db
| Westport, county Mayo, investigating
the results of the famine in that region.
At the hamlet of Thornhill he attended
church. After the services were over,
he writes, the Sunday-school met and a
brace OF babies were christened. Mean
while walked down the road with one
| OF the men TO see an Irish cabin. 1
| pointed out low cottage and asked
him to take me into it. II was a filthy
hovel-the foulest and dreariest human
habitation l had ever seen. A las I! only
| five days have passed since / saw it and
already ! remember ii as tolerable de-
cent cabin! There was no floor save the
cold earth; a calf had its share of the
room; 1t was a stable, kitchen, nur-
sery and sitting-room all in one. AS
in most of these Irish novels there is a
large niche in the wall near the fire, just
large enough to hold a rude bed. There.
covered with horrible rags. lay an aged
woman. ghastly, yellow and gasping.
There she had lain for a month OF two,
"dying of slow decline.n No American
family would have suffered such rags as
covered this dying woman TO stay even
in their ash-barrels for a single day.
The mother sat near the open fireplace
young. woman with a strong and
comely face and the head Of a Roman
matron. Her infant. in its homemade
wooden cradle, was beside her. There
was little dark room back-the room
where the children slept. Six children
lived here-a family OF nine persons
The mother and children were in rags
but the woman wore her rags with
dignity.
j had no wish TO see any other cabins,
so went back TO the church. Most of
! the men had gone home, but there was
a crowd of about fifty women and a
score OF old men around the vestry- door.
1t was raining; but no one stirred. The
tickets for Indian meal had to be dis
tributed rs soon as the priest was at
| leisure; and for this meager help from
the charity of the world these poor
mothers waited with patient anxiety.
There were few young women, and fewer
girls among them. They were mostly
women of from thirty 10 sixty years OF
age. At least n third of them were
barefooted. Not one of them had n
bonnet on her head. They covered
their heads with the hoods OF their old
cloaks, or with little faded woolen
shawls. Not a merry-eyed woman
among them all! Deep wrinkles and
sad faces everywhere not the fine
noble lines that the old artist Thought
had chiseled; but the sharp cutters
made by a torrent of calamity, the dark
shadows cast by mean care and grovel-
| ing want. They were the sign manuals
and signets-hunger and despair.
The priest came out, and, one by one,
read the names on the little handful of
orders for two stones, or twenty-eight
pounds, of Indian meal. This was all
the allowance that the funds of the local
committee permitted TO be given TO fami-
fNE FsrT.VV AH~n 70
week. One by one wretched women
from the crowd came up and took the
order that bore her name, and courte-
sled and thanked the donors and God.
They were soon distributed. A babel
OF appealsi Sure have five children
and not n mouthful for them" This
was one OF the cries; and il WIS the
truth. Again and again the priest told
them that he could do no more.
But" he added, "I have one blank
order. 1t must be given 10 the very
poorest family here. Now tell me who
is the poorest"
Only one man named himself, bat he
was thrown back by dozen indignant
voices. Not another one of the eager
voices that spoke named her own wants.
| IL was n noble tribute TO these poor
| Irish staTvelinPs-every one seemed
wretched than herself. And when one
man and his needs were stated" Sure.
| he is the worst Off, shdated n chorus of
women. Whatever centuries of mis-
rule and hunger may have made these
| people. 1t has not quenched the holiest
| light that illuminates the soul.
We drove back TO Murrisk, that we
had passed on our way to Thornhill.
1t Is a cluster of novels built higkeldy-
piggeldy along the shore and up the
sides of the little hill near one of the
arms of the bay. There is n rough bar
rier of stone across the water, which
was built TO keep the tide from overflow
ing the sweet water of the little pond
that empties into the bay Without 1t
the people could not drink the water,
and there are no springs or wells near
by. IL was badly constructed. and has
been partly demolished by the high
winds and the tides. II is dangerous
crossing when the wind is high. Ii re-
quifed the utmost care for US 10 keen
our feet in walking over it.
A woman lag dying in one OF these
novels. Father Lynskey entered to ad-
minister the last sacrament. As / am
not Catholic, the priest advised me TO
visit the other cabins while he sought
the dying woman. / went into one of
them. l shall have to grow half yard
or so before can truthfully be called
tall man, and yet I had TO tend nearly
double before / could get through tlfp
door. There was no fireplace. There
was only hole in the roof ut one end
of the room. out OF which the smoke
made its way st its leisure. A little
peat fire was burning on the hearth,
or rather beneath the hole in the roof
There was no ceiling. of course, for none
of these cabins have ceiling. There
was no floor but the ground-iew of
them have even few fat stones here or
| there. There was no window. Tie
rafters and the furze sticks on which
| the thatch rests, and the walls, and
everything in the wretched room, were
begrimmed with smoke. There was no
dresser for the plates and cups. There
were no chairs There was only one
Il