Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-12-01

We vcnt up the miserable staIrs IN one OF
them. and gained the s,ili more miserable
den above. Il vas more like a coffin than i
room, and the idea of a coffin was brought
fprcihly 10 the mind ~ YOU glanced al the
wrvtchrd occupants On a miserable bed of
dried leaves covered with potato sacks. on
the one side. Was the emaciated form of i
man dl,ng of star, alton and consumption
lie had about forty eight hours Of life n
him Upon my word felt happy 10 see he
was 80 near death. For. having an excel
lent reputation. having always been good
man. he VAS certain TO 90 after death. " mere
there would not be the slightest possible
chance Of me>,ing Ny Lord Bantry. In the
other corner Vas flat stone upon which a
con,umpti,e fire Of peat was burning. iud-
died around this fire were tye children, un F.
der the watchful eve Of u comely woman.
The children were barefooted and stocking
less. and clad in the most deploratN- rag,
while the mother. also baretoOted. was
clothed in the regular cotton slip without a
particle Of underclothing Of any Kind OF de-
>cription. And into that garrett, poor a, It
Ma came other women, not clothed sufiicl-
entity to be decent. to boil their potatoes at
the wretched fire. They have the practice
of exchanging fires in this way, that none
shall be wasted.
What do you pay for this apartment ?"
''Ienpence a week, sor
Are you in arrears for rent ?"
"lis sor. He [pointing TO her husband
has been sick, sor, for months, s0r, and cud
not worruk."
What will you do if he dies ~
I'VE shall be put out, sor."
This with no burst of anguish with no
special tone of anger or manifestation Of
emotion. To be put out" is the common
lot Of the Irish laborer and the Irish wife
and they expect it.
And within mile of that wretched spot,
of that diving man and starving children,
nv Lord Bantrv has the most beautiful cas-
tie, with luxurious furniture and filed with
pampered funkies. his stables crowded
with the most wonderful horses and his table
groaning under the weight of the luxurles Of
every cline.
Surely not for tenpenee a week will he
tear this woman from the side of her dead
husband and throw her children out into
the cold and wet street?
Yes, but he will though.
For this family is but one Of the many
thousands on the land which bad King
stole from the people who owned it. Were
this but the only case, he might relent; but
should he do it in this case, he would have
to do il for the Others. and tenpence a week
from thousands aggregates very large sum
and nv Lord Bantry's expenses are very high,
for it costs money TO run a castle; and there
is his house in London, his house in Paris,
and his house in Rome, and his houses the
Lord knows where; and then his yacht is
rather expensive. as his officers and men
must be paid, to say nothing Of the larder
and wines necessary to entertain his friends
from London during the shooting season
and occasional losses at play, and all that.
Clearly the Widow Flanagan must either
pay her rent OF be pitched out into the stree,
to make room for some other widow who
can pay for a while, at least ; and, when she
can't pay, there are others who can.
II is needless TO add that there is in Ban.
try Bay splendid English gunboat. armed
as in time of war, with FURNISHED guns
with bombs of all sorts Of explosive power
rifed guns with fine-looking marines, armed
to the teeth, which, with the military OF
shore, would make it very warm for thu
Widow Flanagan and her friends shoult
they presume to interfere with my Lord'i
land agent and the bailiffs, and the soldier
behind them. The widow has nothing to d.
but to bow her head and submit and pra,