The Black Prophet: A Tale Of Irish Famine

task of administering to their necessities. Such was his smoothness of manner, and the singular control which a long life of hypocrisy had given

y the artless and candid, and all who were in the habit of expressing what they thought. We shall, how

ven away as much meal in charity, an' me can so badly afford it, as would-I can't now, indeed, my poor woman! Sick-troth they look sick, an' you look sick y

r Skinadre was one of those persons who, however he might have neglected wor

she an' they wants it, God help them. Here, poor creature, take this for th

the news wid you? They're hard times, Jemmy; we all know that an' feel it

and sickness, the counthry was never in such a state widin the memory of man, What, in the n

n regard to that, the thruth is, we have brought all these scourges on us

e axin' me can you do any thing for me, an'

skeerum rake, that never was likely to do much good; little r

a hundred of meal till the times mends a trifle. I have the six o' them at home widout their di

n it. It goes to my heart to refuse you, poor man; but Jemmy, you see you have brought this on yourself. If you had been

se them, Darby, bekase if we're hard pushed now, it's, a'most ever

an pay and won't, or if I sell my meal to a man that would pay and can't, by whi

, wid the woma

by my foolish good nature, an' I gave away so much on trust, that now I'm brought to a hard pass myself. Troth I'll fret enough this night for havin' to refuse you. I know it

prom

sell a pound of

or what to do or wher

the two of yourselves. Troth it does, to my very heart itself;

ut won't be so l

Here he wiped away a drop of villainous rheum which ran down his cheek, and he did it with such an appearance of symp

no valuables of any kind, Jemmy!-ne'e

keep it to help me in the rent. I was obliged to s

s starve. We'll see what can be done when it comes here. An' n

ggy has a web of frieze half made this good

ed there's little thought of God or religion in it. You passed last Su

cratures tasted hardly anything to-day yet, an' they wor cryin' whin I left home

Jemmy, bring the heifer here first till I look at it, an' the soo

y further; it is enough to say that the heifer passed from Jemm

kindness and affection, expressed in such a profusion of warm and sug

beauty and sorrow, joined to an expression that was absolutely deat

my fault, an' my sin, an' may God forgive myself in the first place, an' him that brought m

sinful creature-shame, shame, Margaret. Unfo

re was no fear of me goin' that wished to go. Oh, if God in His goodness to them had took me an' spare

credit. There's not in the parish a poorer man than I am. I'm done wid givin' credit now, thank goodness; an' if I had been so long ago, it isn't robbed, and ruined, an' beggared by rogues I'd be this day,

e of his eyes-for we ought to have said that there was one of them more sympathetic than the other-to shed its hypocritical tear at the right place, and in s

e baby in her arms, literally tottered out of the room, sobbing bitterly

ther, "how are you? an' how are you all over in D

is, is down wid this illness, an' I'm wantin' a

er know I've got a new prayer that he'll like to learn, for it's he that's the pious man, an' attinds to

e room in which the scales were, and shutting the door,

divil a one-God pardon me for swearin'-amin a Chiernah! I'm ruined all out-smashed down and broke h

y went; they were always a daicent and an honest famil

penny,

, that Murty Slevin, their cousin, if you remember, made

s well spake charitably of the absent as not; it's o

other, rather impatiently, "

ut achora, listen; you'll bring your bill at two months, only I must charge you a trifle for trust, for chances, or profit an' loss, as the schoolmasther says; but you're to keep it a saicret from livin' mortal, bekaise if it 'ud get

and the consequence was that Hacket did what the pressure of the time compelled him to do, passed

ds. With extortion in all its forms Skinadre, for instance, was familiar. From those who were poor but honest, he got a bill such as he exacted from Hacket, because he knew that, cost what it might to them, he was safe in their integrity. If dishonest, he still got a bill and relied upon the law and its cruel list of harassing and fraudulent expenses for security. From others he got prop

looking woman who carried a parcel of some description ro

misery characterizes the Irish people; "but sure we're only sufferin' like others, an' indeed not so bad as many; there's Mick Kelly has lost his fine bo

nt falls upon me, till they have me a'most out of house an' home-throth it 'ud be no wondher I'd get hard-hearted

int smile, for she knew the

ere, Darby," she said, "an'

h of it lyin' on my hands here already. Sure, any way, it's down to dirt since the wars is over-

t sure you had betther look at it, an' you'll find it

achora; there's no

pound, and that's the lowest price-God knows, if we

se they're gettin' an' will be gettin' every day. Troth, I say, my heart ble

imed the alarmed creature, "t

," he replied, "an' it's not in my nature to be harsh to a struggling per

iniquitous proposal; but she felt the truth of that o

d for such butther as this!-however, it's the w

d me-sarvin' every one, workin' for every one, an' thinkin' of every one but myself, an' little thanks or gratitude for all-I know I'm not

n description of farmer's wives. No one could mistake her for a highly-educated woman-but there was in her appearance that decency of manner resulting from habits of independence and from moral feeling, which at a first glance, whether it be accompanied by superior dress or not, indicates something which is felt to entitle its proprietor to unquestionable respect. The mis

ht be taken for an indication of either pleasure or pain. He' closed the sympathetic eye, and wiped it-but this not seeming to satisf

alton, it isn't to my poor pl

look upon their destitution without feeling that I should not allow my pride to stand between them and death: we are starving, I mean-they are; and I'm come to ask

w you've taken away my carrecther, an' spoken ill o' me everywhere, an' said that I bid for it over your heads; ay, indeed, an' that it was your husband that set me u

rs. Dalton, "you know that sickness has been among us, and

e comes in a bad end. What he will come too, if God hasn't said it. I hope he feels the afflicti

touched his heart, an' he's only waitin' for better health and be

ngrateful knave, and everything that is bad an' worse than another; an' for that raison, I say, I have naither male nor money to throw away. That's what I'd say if I was angry; but I'm not angry. I do feel for you an' them; still I can'

an, achora,

was this all the gentle and generous girl had to suffer. She experienced, in her own person, as well as Mrs. Dalton did, the painful sense of degradation which necessity occasions, by a violation of that hereditary spirit of decent pride and independence which the people consider as the prestige of high respect, and which, even while it excites compassion and sympathy, is looked upon, to a certain extent, as diminished by even a temporary visitation of poverty. When the meal-man, therefore, addressed her, she unconsciously threw the h

es not, nor it will not: so dry your tears, my darlin' girl; there are better times before us all, I trust. Darby Skinadre," she added, turning to the miser, "you are both hard-hearted an

lied, turning up his red eyes, as it were with thanksgiving, "the

ttered she had been in the act of extending her hand to Mave Sullivan, who had hers stretched out to receive it. There now

ton, sighing, as if with some hidden sorrow; "God bl

trembling and much agitated, laid her hand gently and t

t suspicion-I can't tell w

count. Mrs. Dalton returned her pressure, and at the same moment kissed the fair girl's lips, who sobbed a moment or two in her arms, w

se; but as his was not a heart susceptible of the impressions it

any rate, considerin' all that has happened atween the families. However, it's good to be forgivin'; I hope

eak to you inside a

t's my daughter-in-law I might have you yet, avillish! You

dre, on returning to the scales, weighed two equal

ying her hand on the one for which she had paid. "

but yourself I'd do it; but sure, now that I must begin to coort yo

er to proceed home; "mind," said she, laying her hand upon that which

sure a kiss o' them red, purty lips o' you

already acquainted. This was no other than the prophet's wife, who had fo

imed the former, "I'm glad to s

replied Mave, "

o, I'll be part o' the way wid you. I h

you can, Nelly, for I'm in a hurry;" and an expression

es had evidently been handsome in her younger days, yet there was now a thin, shrewish expression about the nose, and a sharpness about the compressed lips, and those curves which bounded in her mou

enly, and for a considerable time; after which she asked for a drink of wate

ung by her side, and pulling out a piece of writing, presented it to the me

Prophet, any quantity of meal necessary for his own famil

the Gra

st, then bit his lips, winked one eye, then another; looked at the prophet's wife with complacency, but immediately checked himself, and began to look keen and peevish. Thi

calls himself, is a quare young gintleman; as much male

h a hard smile, as of one who cared not

bad sign of either man or woman. There never was a villain hanged yet that didn't ait more to his last breakfast than ever

extortion together, followed by the strange woman, who seemed, as it were,

him the poor young-woman and her child, who had just left the place in such bitterness and affliction. He was singularly handsome, and of such resolute and manly bearing, that it was impossible not to mark him as a person c

se this girl and her starvin' father and mother the meal she wanted? Is this thrue, you hard-hearted ould scou

his tongue about three inches out of his mouth, causing his face at the same time to assume, by the violenc

at you've dared to do so scoundrelly an act, an' she,

position-and the latter, of course, could do nothing more than turn his

who came forward, to interpose; "you'll

eal-monger like him a curse and a scourge to the counthry-and hasn't the same counthry curses and scourges enough widhout ei

bled for

e-it's a lie-your heart never

," replied the mise

ke a piece of machinery touched by a spring, and again were the red eyes now almost starting out of his head, turned round, whilst he himself was in a state

ve his death to answer for "-and as he spoke he attempted to un

Sullivan, seized Hacket with one of his hands, and

whether we that wor your friends, an'-my father at least-the makin' of you"-and as he spoke, he accompanied every third word by a shake or two, as a kind of running commentary upon what he said; "ay-you did-you knew it well, and I could bear all that; but I can't bear you to turn t

h a feeble voice, "for the love

for. Come now," he proceeded, addressing the miser, "w

ied, "I don't want any, it's the oul

tone of meal, or by all the lies that ever came from your lips, I'l

it yourself-I'm not-indeed I'm not able," said he, breathless; "an' I was thinkin when you came in of sendin' aft

at. "Another lie," he exclaimed, "and

appy young woman a stone of oatmeal, which, on finding it too heavy for her feeble strength,

nsensible. His brow was now pale and cold as marble, and a slight dew lay upon his broad forehead; his shirt was open,

lst the miser, who had now recovered, shook his head, lifted his hands, and looked as if he felt that his house was undergoing pollution. In the meantime

m, are you g

ded, looking with a mournful smile around, "when he love

him. He felt a few warm tears upon his face, and she

ll, Tom, dear-I

and starting to hi

'," he shouted, in a hoarse and excited voice-"s

m a broken heart, caused by sin, shame, and desertion, or from famine and the pr

. Ay-there she lies. An' again, how are we at home? Brought low down, down to a mud cabin! Now, Dick o' the Grange, an' now, Darby Skinadre-now for revenge. The time is

se words, tottering and frantic, h

erved Skinadre, coolly; "but, as it's all over wid the unfortunate cra

eal, and deliberately emptied it back into t