The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-11-18

Shiny recesSes his victorious enemy holding
boisterous revelries in the banquetIng hall
above.
AT the gate line of grandmothers, moth
ers and children awaited us with fresh milk,
and delicious strawberries spread upon cab
bage leaves We patronized as many as we
could, and one old woman as we drove off,
soliloquized in loud tones, probably for our
ears-"God bless EN- Trims rale gintle-
min, rale quality Och if they'd only stay
with us foriver." This seemed like blarney;
but it was no humbug. They do delight in a
few pleasant words as well as the sixpences,
of which these people stand in bitter need
BANTRY BAY.
Wetook the cars to Bantry, passing through
the town of Bandon Bridge
1.-THE pleasant Bandon,
Crowned with many WOOD"
and once the home of George Richmond, one
of the earliest yoyagers to the coast OF Maine
and from whom probably Richmond's Island
takes its name. We left the cars to look at
the old place, very much dilapidated and full
of wretched homes, but picturesque in its
decadence. The old church, to which he
doubtless often went when lad, the crooked
stream where he fished and the green hill
sides looked much the same to us as they
looked to him when he gave them long, last
look, before bidding adieu to home and ma
tive land for his adventure in the New World.
We found the name was extinct, as the
citizens stared when we inquired for unheard
of people, We took carriage with jolly
Irish driver at Bantry for Glengariff The
road around Bantry Bay affords charming
views of the Emerald Isle and silver bay,
but the pleasure is seriously marred by the
terrible scenes of poverty along the route
The sight of the filthy habitations of south
ern Ireland and the wretched appearance of
the beggars is notwithstanding. One man,
with an insane leer in his eye, his unkempt
hair flying with the wind and his nakedness
only partially concealed by his rags, ran at
ter our carriage for miles, until to be rid OF
the CHASTITY sight, we gave him sixpence,
which he clutched with greed and gloated
over with tiendish delight. Sweet faced
little boys and girls, grasping about them
with one hand a few filthy strings for clothes,
and waving the other towards us cried out,
"Please, the price of a book sir; only the
price of book SIR" Whether this formula
for begging was the spontaneous outburst of
their thirst for knowledge in the midst of
such misery, or had been taught them as the
surest to attract the attention of the educat-
ed tourist, our readers may judge. Our driv
er, an intelligent man, urged us not to give
them, saying 'If travellers would refrain
from throwing money to these children their
fathers would have to work to keep soul and
body together, instead of sitting in their huts
in idleness and driving their little ones into
the road to wrench money by their pitiable
appearance from tender-hearted strangers
to keep themselves in whiskev There is
doubtless much truth in this; and the reform
will never be accomplished without the suf-
fering of many innocent children at the
hands of such brutal parents, for their fall
ure to bring home the expected treasure.
However there can be no question which is
the right course to pursue. We are told that
Americans especially, who are, in spite of
apparent egotism, the most liberal people in
the world, are increasing the pauperism in
Europe by bestowing mistaken charity upon
the beggars and fees upon the servants.
M. c. P. B.