CH. III.] WIDOWS WITH YOUNG FAMILIES. 15? 



but Protestants. This fund has never been made a means 

 of proselytism ; nor does the desire to get on the list lead 

 to any hypocritical professions of a particular religion, 

 inasmuch as they must be old parishioners and well 

 known. 



The law gives no relief to this class of persons. On 

 the estates of absentee landlords they have nothing to 

 expect, and there is no instance of the widow of a small 

 farmer or workman being permitted to retain his cabin 

 and his garden. The widows of mechanics are in no 

 better condition ; they never get support from those by 

 whom their husbands were employed ; their relatives 

 sometimes support them, but they are seldom able. 



This state of society, say the witnesses, must produce 

 incalculable evils, and nine-tenths of the prostitutes of the 

 town have been driven to this way of living by necessity. 



All agree in saying that the workman can never lay by 

 anything. 



County of Kildare, union of Kilcock, barony of Ikeathy and Ovyhterany. 

 Thirty -eight witnesses. 



Among fifty widows in the union, there are twelve with 

 families with young children, and in the most wretched 

 condition. The labourers often give a Sunday morning 

 to a widow to assist her in digging her potatoes ; never- 

 theless they are obliged to beg. 



A collection is made at the church, which affords some 

 relief, without any distinction of religion. The women 

 who have illegitimate children are mostly better off than 

 the widows. They are younger and more able to work, 

 and an allowance is made to them at the sessions. 



