186 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK II. 



" Yes/' said the woman who owns the room, " that is 

 the reason she would not go there." 



9. An old woman, Nelly Mullins, supported by her 

 daughter. This daughter does a little plain work some- 

 times ; her husband is no help to her ; she was obliged to 

 leave him he took to drinking. She was asked, e< Would 

 you let your mother go to the House of Industry if we 

 could get her there ?" 



" Hy ' ah ! no, sir, she has not long to live, God help 

 her, and sure we wouldn't let her go there." 



" But she 'd be better off." 



" I don't know, but I wouldn't let her go there ; if I 

 was obliged to beg on the streets, I 'd rather do it." 



10. Margaret Crowley : chief dependence on her aunt, 

 who begs ; they get a corner for charity from a poor family. 

 She would not go to the House of Industry. " I'd like to 

 be among the neighbours ; I never was in any sort of a 

 strange place; I wouldn't like to be there, where there 

 would be nobody but strangers to do a hand's turn." 



" Well, but if you were well treated, and your aunt went 

 with you ?" 



" Well, I suppose I would go." She said this reluc- 

 tantly. 



11. Ellen Callaghan, an old woman, has the jaundice, 

 says she is all sore inside ; has seven children. Her son, 

 a young man, lay in a corner sleeping, after being up the 

 night before watching coals on the quay, to earn 8d. to pay 

 the rent of the room. This woman was asked if she 

 would like her son to go to the House of Industry. 



" If he 'd like it himself; I wouldn't begrudge him to go 

 there." 



