at an agricultural labourer living on his wages and buying
food with them, was a person hardly to be found: all these things
must be regarded by one who would understand the matter. But seeing
that this book of mine is a novel, I have perhaps already written
more on a dry subject than many will read.

Such having been the state of the country, such its wretchedness,
a merciful God sent the remedy which might avail to arrest it; and
we--we deprecated his wrath. But all this will soon be known and
acknowledged; acknowledged as it is acknowledged that new cities
rise up in splendour from the ashes into which old cities have been
consumed by fire. If this beneficent agency did not from time to time
disencumber our crowded places, we should ever be living in narrow
alleys with stinking gutters, and supply of water at the minimum.

But very frightful are the flames as they rush through the chambers
of the poor, and very frightful was the course of that violent remedy
which brought Ireland out of its misfortunes. Those who saw its
course, and watched its victims, will not readily forget what they
saw.

Slowly, gradually, and with a voice that was for a long time
discredited, the news spread itself through the country that the food
of the people was gone. That his own crop was rotten and useless each
cotter quickly knew, and realized the idea that he must work for
wages if he could get them, or else go to the poorhouse. That the
crop of his parish or district was gone became evident to the priest,
and the parson, and the squire; and they realized the idea that they
must fall on other parishes or other districts for support. But it
was long before the fact made itself known that there was no food in
any parish, in any district.

When this was understood, men certainly did put their shoulders to
the wheel with a great effort. Much abuse at the time was thrown upon
the government; and they who took upon themselves the management of
the relief of the poor in the south-west were taken most severely
to task. I was in the country, travelling always through it, during
the whole period, and I have to say--as I did say at the time with a
voice that was not very audible--that in my opinion the measures of
the government were prompt, wise, and beneficent; and I have to say
also that the efforts of those who managed the poor were, as a rule,
unremitting, honest, impartial, and successful.

The feeding of four million starving people w