atter she wore a thin kerchief, drawn
round her head, and held under her chin with one hand, as the lower
classes of Irishwomen do in short and hasty journeys. Her journey,
however, though hasty in this instance, was by do means short; and it
was easy to perceive by her distracted manner and stifled sobs, that
however poorly protected against the bitter elements, she had a grief
within which rendered her insensible to their severity.

It was also apparent, that, though humble in life, she possessed, like
thousands of her countrywomen, a mind of sufficient compass and strength
to comprehend, when adequately moved, the united working of more than
one principle at the same moment. We have said it was evident that she
was under the influence of deep sorrow, but this was not all--a second
glance might disclose the exhibition of a still higher principle. The
woman was at prayer, and it was easy to perceive by the beads which she
held in her fervently clasped hands, by the occasional knocking of her
breast, and the earnest look of supplication to heaven, that her soul
poured forth its aspirations in the deep-felt and anxious spirit of that
religion, which affliction is found so often to kindle in the peasant's
heart. She had only knocked a second time when the door was opened, and
having folded up her beads, she put them into her bosom, and entering
the priest's house, immediately found herself in the kitchen. In a
moment a middle-aged woman, with a rush light in her hand, stirred up
the greeshough, and raking the live turf out of it, she threw on a dozen
well-dried peats out of the chimney corner, and soon had a comfortable
and blazing fire, at which the afflicted creature, having first
intimated her wish that his reverence should accompany her home, was
desired to sit until he should be ready to set out.

"Why, then," exclaimed the good-natured woman, "but you had abitther
thramp of it this cowld and cuttin' mornin'--and a cowld and cuttin'
mornin' it is--for sure didn't I feel as if the very nose was whipt
off o' me when I only wint to open the door for you. Sit near the fire,
achora, and warm yourself--throth myself feels like a sieve, the way
the cowld's goin' through me;--sit over, achora, sit over, and get some
heat into you."

"Thank you," said the woman, "but you know it's not a safe thing to go
near the fire when one is frozen or very cowld--'twould only make me
worse when I go out again, besides givin' me pain now