course to be
pursued under such circumstances. It was singular to observe the change
that had taken place in her appearance even within a few hours; the
situation of her family, and her want of success in procuring them food,
had so broken down her spirits and crushed her heart, that the lines of
her face were deepened and her features sharpened and impressed with
the marks of suffering as strongly as if they had been left there by the
affliction of years. Her son leant himself against a piece of the broken
wall that partially divided their hut into something like two rooms, if
they could be called so, and from time to time he glanced about him, now
at his father, then at his poor sisters, and again at his heart-broken
mother, with an impatient agony of spirit that could scarcely be
conceived.

"Well," said he, clenching his hands and grinding his teeth, "it is
expected that people like us will sit tamely undher sich tratement as we
have resaved from Dick o' the Grange. Oh, if we had now the five hundre
good pounds that we spent upon our farm--spent, as it turned out, not
for ourselves, but to enable that ould villain of a landlord to set it
to Darby Skinadre; for I b'lieve it's he that's to get it, with strong
inthrest goin' into his pocket for all our improvements; if we had now,"
he continued, his passion rising, "if we had that five hundre pounds
now, or one hundre, or one pound, great God! ay, or one shillin' now,
wouldn't it save some of you from starving"

This reflection, which in the young man excited only wrath, occasioned
the female portion of the family to burst into fresh sorrow; not so the
old man; he arose hastily, and paced up and down the floor in a state of
gloomy indignation and fury which far transcended that of his son.

"Oh!" said he, "if I was a young man, as I was wanst--but the young men
now are poor, pitiful, cowardly--I would--I would;" he paused suddenly,
however, looked up, and clasping his hands, exclaimed--"forgive me,
O God! forgive the thought that was in my unhappy heart! Oh, no, no,
never, never allow yourself, Con, dear, to be carried away by anger,
for 'fraid you might do in one minute, or in a short fit of anger, what
might make you pass many a sleepless night, an' maybe banish the peace
of God from your heart forever!"

"God bless you for them last words, Condy!" exclaimed his wife, "that's
the way I wish you always to spake; but what to do, or where to go, or
who to turn to, u