162 Description of a Cottiers Family at Dinner. 



Navan, about four o'clock, and found the family 

 at dinner. The party consisted of a man, his 

 wife, and seven children. Potatoes, their only 

 fare, were served in a wooden bowl on a stool ; 

 the elder children ate with their parents, the 

 younger feasted out of an iron pot on the floor. 

 Appetite seemed to give a relish to the food, 

 while a small jug of butter-milk was -reserved 

 to crown and complete the repast. In reply 

 to some inquiries I made as to his wages, the 

 poor fellow observed, " Our fare is well enough, 

 and satisfies us all ; my only concern is, that ) 

 cannot earn sufficient to cover the nakedness oi 

 these poor children ; could I clothe them, I 

 should be happy !" The whole family, it is true, 

 was indeed in a most ragged condition pity it 

 should be so ! It is not in appearance only they 

 suffer, but real misery must be endured by 

 each individual, from the severity of cold. By 

 the aid of his pig, and what manure the chil- 

 dren could collect from the road, he was an- 

 nually enabled to plant about a rood of po- 

 tatoes, for which he paid after the rate of five 

 pounds an acre for the land j but when ma- 

 nure is furnished by the landlord, the rent is 

 doubled. 



The hopeless despondency which seemed to 

 pervade the hearts of this poor family, spoke in 



