152 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK II. 



oftener idle than employed ; they count themselves very 

 well off any day they get two meals. They have a right 

 to be much better off now than they were some time ago, 

 for he has constant employment for the last two months. 

 She lives in a small cabin, and holds no land, and they have 

 nothing to subsist upon but his 8d. a day, as often as he can 

 get it. 



7. Mary Lee is seventy years of age, and twelve years 

 a widow. She has no children ; she has no house now ; 

 she once had, but it was taken from her two years after her 

 husband's death. She is now in a most miserable state of 

 want, and is hardly able to cross the road, she is so weak ; 

 she has too genteel a manner to be a common beggar. She 

 intrudes upon the neighbours with whom she was once 

 acquainted; they know what she wants, and never wait 

 for her to ask it : she generally stops three or four nights 

 in each house. She has hardly so much clothes as would 

 screen her. She is not the least use in any house into 

 which she goes ; I know, for 1 had her nine years in my 

 own house, being loath to turn her out, as I bought the 

 house she lived in. I never made any difference between 

 her and my ow T n family, though she was unable to do any- 

 thing, except to make down a fire, and never brought any- 

 thing into my house, unless a piece of tobacco, or a grain 

 of tea ; and if she came a night now, she would be as wel- 

 come as ever. 



8. Mary M'Donagh is sixty years of age, has a house 

 of her own, and is comfortably supported by her son. 



9. Catherine Burk is between seventy and eighty years 

 of age ; has neither son or daughter, brother or sister ; she 

 is supported by going from house to house among the 

 neighbours. 



