, 1880-01-24
A DlSTRESSrUL COUNTRY.
yycst Irelnnd's Miserable Condition.

For several years past the SEASONS lave
been bad, and thut OF last yenr lncant absolute
catastrophe. Potatoes rostcd III the ground,
md were dug up as masses Of corruption;
barley, nnd oats, and beams, exposed 70 lln-
timely Atlantic storms, were lovelcd with the
ground or torn up by tho roots; tnrnlps
sckened IN the sour soil-thcre they are still.
some of ihc,n-nlid a pig would l,nrdly delgn
to root them up; while the inceasnnt ruin
nadu It Impossible 10 lay in n store Of turf.
As for tho fishing Industry, tho poor people
have neither the boats nor the gear requis!t
for deep-sea fishing In winter, and so they
G,e ae cut 9 yesga 's% ''gKIy KyoWinK san' al # faf %
| was prepared for snd sceres nt Kiidonayt
but even II l Ind given imagination full play
1t could not have c0njurctl up those wlIicl.
actually met my eyes. Our route lAy Tor
sois eouatry :s soden de With y Wet yandfaine. I aa
IN some, eases fast going back in . state of
bog. Here and tllere = ,largar farnslead
ns thnn sSna SSsrs srFof aE sna BY VII Tesfp. as IT,
dastr;y, dta; '. was at @ Work; R"t these were very
exceptional instances, and only, by contrast,
dcepencd the prevailing melancholy. Pres
emily We came to lnrEo house, With woods
round it. lato te residence q tue Erctestaat SGa
on what used to be the glGbe, aud IN full
truly -. :" melancholy ocean "7we found
III sh YnFs as It's fa sSesness net assf''oS 5 a9saor
are chronic, and everybody must be familiar
OF my. experience among the dMellers In these
wretchcd homes, for homes they arc, .nl-
in tlem my l,oine-like quality. My presence
III the place was soon noted, ilnd It appeared
rs though tie whole male. population, young
and old, turned out to discover tho reason.
and Gi h mn may % Iaye strsek them ilat Stranger
whateycr Ills immediate business, must mem
the dreaded eviction, could befal!., Butw!at-
SSeT ths reason frqn my aErlyni II tho Paee ,,
badly-fed men and boys at my heels, all
thaat tas I should SEQ tic wrcfcheaness Of
others rather than their own, md MI full Of II
WHO were even moro. helpless tllnn thon,-
selves. These poor Irishmen impressed mo
most fnvorably. They. n!ado no foolish con,-
plaints; they praised their landlord ns "dn-
Ssn 5 II bsy9 Wo ccaa S' fmy III yao4a aI'eGy u ose 91f IFS
snao Iss ans asf3 ssa u Wnss as oRS M
Lord" would cause something to bc 1ono
~ thom, and that soon. TIE first c4bin ,Ii into
man would think too bad for his pig. It's
floor, Of earth and stones, rcekcd with damp,
| md water even stood iii tho hollows; the
only furniture Was few cups and saMcers,
ioo II one q tMG eopner a nss naay ef ary e'
and and on a'tui the wreseiled '?S Hearth IL smoked
rather than burnt an apology for fire fire.
pnlo i @ aid hagesrtlNsat iils upon d bag Of In.
dian meal, beyond which, his fond resources
did not go, ind through the gloom around
tho hcartlI7thcro was no window to speak
erouch!ng fenaale figures. I never saw any;,
thing In THO. way of u homo In ciy!lizcd
coulitry-and lave seen . good deal
more appalling than this. Yet here was the
n1d oi snv H aE af rfe e. oa ToTGs 6a
content 10 call i living out of thorn; Now,
alasl he and thousands Of others like hin.
lave reached tho end Of their miserable last
ssasGrs wy es s4p;ap SEP S 9efG To hs 9 os " a e
meal was all TINT tho family h99d, nothing
moro remaining upol! which, by sale or
mortgage, money could bo raised. and to tho
question, "What will you do wllon the meal
gives olit2" came tho despntrlng nnsWor,
The good Lord only knows"
Not far from this ! wns shown by my mel.-
'nncholy attendants Into MI equally wretchctl
hoyel. where widow Y, WITH M seven. seven Young
and rapidly getting @orsted in the struggle.
She herself had gone ont gathering what She
| could Of stuff K. make fire wliereWlth to
cook the, family dinner, conslsting,.,O
e@,h eFSthsss ass in cGi%f9s'a'ls sina}e saobrka k
lit the poor little Children fsRif.
! clothed, thin, and hollow-eyed, wero there to
plead with heartrondtug e!o1uence for aid.
Once more ! heard tho old story. Tho land
tained for fuel short Of q journey. Of eight
| miles, and the family had Touched absollito
destitutlon. Oyer tho way, In Another apol-
ogy for q dwelling place. l found three poor
| women trying to klndle fire with damp
beanstalks. their only crop, In ordor to cook
| q dish Of Indian meal, their only food.