179 



eldei* brother perceived which way sire 

 went, in all probability she would have lost 

 her life; for it being then in the evening, and 

 the turnip-tops very high, we should never 

 have found her, which is often the case in 

 this disorder. By God's mercy, however, 

 they all recovered in about fourteen days ; 

 but it reduced my wife so much that she 

 never got her strength again while she con- 

 tinued in the country ; which caused her to 

 have a very unhappy time of it. 



Luckily an Irishman came to ask for 

 work, who had a wife ; and we got her 

 into the house : and though the drunkenest 

 woman I ever saw, she proved useful to us. 

 She would rise in the morning to help to 

 milk, and wash the clothes, and wash dishes 

 at times, when sober; but she would be drunk 

 for a day or two together. Before that time 

 we had done every thing in ourselves , and 

 afterwards tried several others, but never 

 could find one of any use at all, except this 

 drunken woman, therefore we kept her 

 about twelve months. The man soon 

 brought another Irishman, a very bad fellow; 



N 2 



