The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-03-20
tbs IRISH FAMINE.

Nv t;eorge iiepwar;h one Of the r1m!~ !
mittee appointed TO distribute N Ireland ,
the New y ok HSrGid relief fund, sends +
to that paper 4 cable despatch, stating |
the results of 4 tour he has taken through !
a portion OF the disturbed district. lie |
says:
visited Il large number Of small set
Elements on the west bank OF the Shan
non. in the counties Of RoScommon and !
Sligo. For about ten hours each day ! |
rode and walked. entering altogether
about 4 hundred wretched novels. which |
this afflicted people delusively call their
homes. and where from morning till night
they encounter the dread monotony OF
want and misery While fully prepared
to meet more or less distress everywhere.
knowing through former visits something
Of the chronic state of poverty in which
The people live. | was not prepared. nor
could anything have ever before seen
in any degree prepare nc, i"r the scene:
of affect misery and sickcning squHlor
which iounh at every turn. The people
I'D not know Of my coming, and could
not prepare for any dramatic display of
wretchedneSs and want.
The first case remember was that of
an old woman who sat on the muddy
threshold of her hat as We went by lit
ing up her hands as if in supplication and
crying, Nothing has passed my lips for
twenty-four hours" ] never knew the
value of Il loaf Of bread till that moment
When we gave her half loaf she took
it with the eagerness of Il famished dog.
She trembled with age and weakness. for
she was over seventy years OF age, and
hunger had reduced her to the likeness
of a skeleton. There was glare III her
eye that told of famine. She stood i'll
the middle Of the road and thanked God
that Americans had not forgotten Ire
land. 1t was hours before | could Get
away from that haunting, haggard face.
MOTHER AND BABE
Nor shall | soon forget the sight which
| saw in another hut. The mother Of
seven children was holding the youngest.
\ girl Of 4 few months. in frantic embrace.
moaning as she rocked to and fro. She
looked up with startled gaze as We enter
ed the door. which We could only do by
bending. and gave Il lew cry as though in
very terror. After q few minutes she
was rcaSsured. for size thought me an
agent oil the landlord sent 70 evirt her.
Then she told me she had had nothing to
eat fer many days except 4 poor dole of
Indian meal which 4 relief committee
gave her. and for which she wa; thankful
enough. She added that, being half
starved herself, it was impossible to sup
ply milk for her babe. She would be
compelled to see it die by inches in her
arms. But for the meal which the relief
committee supplied. the family would
have literally Lad nothing to eat
Let ne give you sample of what |
saw in many scores Of huts, and in a few
which are matched and are of stone and
stood on the edge of a bog which affords
them peat for fuel. They contain three
/ small rooms. One is the room where the
household lives. Through small hole
| i'll its roof the kitchen smoke is forced to
/ escape. There is almost 4 peat famine
this year on account Of the wet weather
/ The only fuel consists Of a bunch of green
/ twigs. Another room Is for the COW. if
| they are happy enough to possess one
/ which is very rarely the case. The COW
/ is part OF the family and always goes in
! and out through the front door. IN the
| third room. which is perhaps eight OF nine
feet square. the family sleep.
! BEDs OF STRAW.
I They have one bed. with two thin, worn
out blankets. and here four OF house
| hold of nine must sleep, not lengthwise,
/ but crosswise. covering themselves as
best they can. The rest pile up Il small
bundle OF straw in the corner and sleep
on it. Pressed by hunger they have
eaten all their store of potatoes. The
4 l., Il,
pounds Of Indian meal, which they mix
with water, and make into a stir-about.
This is all they have and all they will
. have until the autumn. What wonder,
then. that they should be dishcartcncd
and diFcouragcd9 have asked again
and again what part Of their wrctchcd-
ness is due to inIemperance? | am as
sured it is caused solely by the utter fail
urc of the crops. And with all this pow
eIty the majority OF the Irish are cheer
tul. The people aic enduring the great
stress of suffering with 4 pluck and cour-
age which are IInly admirable. 1t is my
hope and prayer that the American PEG.
pie will not feel that enough has already
been done.
TIE BLESSINGS OF IRELAND.
Pinchcd as the Irish are to-day, their
condition is one Of happiness in compare
son with that in which they will find
themselves in the course of a few weeks
From the early part OF April until the
first crop is reaped-will be the season
of their real trouble, of their actual
struggle fol existence. Feed them until
the middle of summer. and the blessings
of the whole of Ireland will rest on youl
generous hearts. The committee have
money. but it is not enough to last until
tile end OF the famine. Hundreds. thou
sands. tens of thousands are keeping SOU
and body together by your bounty and
generosity