Scathlan 2

The secret was out; and a wonderful example it was of the piety of these people and their love for the pure old Christian faith of their fathers. This man had been in America, he and his family. I was astounded; and asked in amazement what could have driven · him back to bleak Donegal and its frightful landlord rule? His answer was that, though he had been doing tolerably well in the United States,. the immorality and infidelity they had seen around them-and the spectacle of many ignorant and neglected, Irish falling away, amid the temptations of vice from religion and vktue-had frightened him and his poor wife; and they resolved to make every sacrifice, and hurry back to Ireland, with all its miseries, again, "for fear the children would lose the religion". This is still the miraculous fidelity to their faith which has consecrated these Irish a nation of martyrs through centuries of suffering andpersecution. It looks itself like a miraculous testimony to the truth and divine origin of the religion which, amid suffering and misery unspeakable, is still the hope and anchorage of this singularly destined people. ""They are a!! the same", said the good priest, with kindling eye. uMy heart bums with love - for them. They are a simple, faithful, sinless race; and, in spite of all their miseries, I think God's loving smile is upon them"'. Ta tabhacht fa leith leis an fhianaise seo mar go dtugann sf radharc beag duinn ar dhearcadh mhuintir Micheajl Airt ar ch(Jrsal creidimh agus ar an drabhlas a chonaic siad i measc na nEireannach i Meiricea. Ba mh6r an t-athru e Meiricea a fhagail agus iad ag deanamh 'maith go leor' ann mar a duirt Micheal thuas agus aghaidh a thabhairt arfs ar chadhrain agus ar dhomasach fhuar oJrthear Ghaoth Dobhair. Cuimhnfmis fosta gur le turas Thobar A Duin a dheanamh a thainiQ Padraig go Leitir Ceanainn i San:hradh na biiana 1883. BM d6chas aige go gcuide6chadh an turas agus uisce an tobair iena lamh ghorthaithe a aclu arfs. Na toithe a bhi acu bhf siad iontach bqcht, aimlf agus ta cur slos againn orthu 6 chupia ait agus 6 dhaoinf 6n taobh amuigh. Seo arfs Denis Ho~~and ag scriobh fa na cutannar ura san "Ulsterman": 20 ul inspected several of these plots on the property of these landlords. They were square patches of bog, soft and spongy, · where the black mould seemed floating on a sea of pink. They are -'colonised' in this fashion. A peasant has a stong limbed son who marries.... The married son is not allowed to stay with his father; the landlord will not stand that. He cannot emigrate, for he has no money. What can he do? He takes Of1e of these bog;.lots from the . landlord at some 3/- to 51- an acre, or even higher. Griffith's highest valuation is about 2d. an acre. He thatches up a hut of turl "scfaws' without chimney or door and in this hideous place he and his miserable young wife go to live. By something like a miracle they contrive to subsist on seaweed, turnips, any refuse that can be eaten and contrive to pay the landlord his £1 or 25/ - of rent besides. Stone is plentiful enough in this howling wilderness of bog and rock: and the peasant has been all the time building a cabin of dry stone masonry beside the turf hut. When this is done he