The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-06-04
The Irish Famine.

fcv. teorge II. Hep.worth, one of the
.,mmittce appointed TO distribute the
Herald relief fund among the starving
people of Ireland, says in n communica-
ton from Dublin: Very many schools
had become almost empty because the
children were so constantly hungry and
so nearly naked that attendance was an
impossibility. One entreating letter
says hat many of the children attend
ing the Milltown schools. in Galway,
are in most pitiable state, being almost
without clothing TO cover their naked
ness, while their pale faces and shivering
bodies tell story of suffering from
cold and exposure. The stoutest heart
would De moved to pity at the sight of
boys and girls sitting on the roadside
half way to the school. In some cases,
too nearly worn out to get there, they
crawled back to their homes only to
learn when they ask for something to
cat that there is nothing in the house
and that they must still go hungry.
On one occasion | entered a poor col
lier's hut and found it empty. The only
bedstead consisted of some boards
aid on two boxes. The bed was a
pile OF straw. The bed covering was a
single, torn, wornout blanket. which
had to do service for family OF
four. / looked into the dinner pot and
saw nothing; into the meal sack and
found it empty. / laid piece of silver
on the table and left. When the mother
returned and found the money she broke
into flood of tears, and in the midst of
her sobs she hugged her children wildly
and cried out 'God has sent it to save
us! God has sent it to save usl" 1t is
n comfort to me to feel that God really
did send il through the medium of some
sympathetic American heart. The other
day a priest wrote to me that he entered
house in his parish and found the
of the sinoldering turf in the fire.
place, who had not tasted food
for fifty hours. He gave one of the
boys n shilling to get some meal, but the
poor little fellow refused TO go because
he was SO nearly naked. Unfortunately
these are not remarkably exceptional
cases. No matter how pradently we
spend our funds the famine will at
times strike at family and drive them
to the very verge of the grave before we
can find them out and relieve their
wants. God be thanked that you are
giving your sympathy and money for
these he lpless children. Their parents
have for two years spent all their pit
tance of income to buy the coarsest
food. To purchase u new garment
means simply impossibility. The peo-
pie in the distressed districts are in such
deplorable condition that very many
schools have an average attendance of
only half the usual number of pupils,
and the reason is that they have nothing
to eat and nothing to wear.
| have a letter before me which de.
oil that To fha a1 1nI.
of the writer, the decrease in the at
tendance at his school, is caused by the
utter inability of the parents to procure
break fast for their children. He adds
that it is quite disheartening to see the
sad condition of these little ones.
Those who once were rosy and blithe-
some are now pale, cold and listless,
their garments 80 thin ard worn that
they hardly hang even in tatters on
their backs. A poor man who lives
within pistol shot of the school
was, with his wife and eight
children, obliged to 20 to bed
supperless last Saturday night. He
had no breakfast on the following morn
ing until he was relieved by the parish
priest. "When take my lunch at the
schoolhouse," he continues, little one
throng around Inc like famished dogs
watching for morsel. Many time
have l been so moved by their wan,
hungry-looking faces that / have given
them what l had provided for myself,
and gone hungry in their stead." take
these extracts from pile of letters, all
of which are in the same tenor. We
have this week received other letters
which tell us how gratefully penny's
worth of bread and sup of milk are re-
ceived by the children and assuring us
that their faces are already beginning
to brighten and that the ring of old
laughter is coming back.