Protestant....  At the probationary girls’ school there were 76 on the books, at the time of my visit, their ages varying from eight to eighteen years.  They are all Catholics, or children of Catholic parents; and out of the number no fewer than 40 were orphans.  All the children at this school receive daily rations of Indian meal; 45 of them one pound, and the remainder half that quantity. Whether this is exclusive of the stirabout breakfast I saw preparing for them in the school, I forgot to ask.  All the children of these schools read the Scriptures and go to the Protestant Church, Catholic and Protestant alike."[312]

But I turn with pleasure from this uninviting and uncongenial subject, to one more elevating,—­to the all but unlimited private charity which was called forth by the Irish Famine.  I have already endeavoured to give some idea of it, but of course an imperfect one.  The feelings evoked, and the almost unasked alms bestowed with a noble Christian generosity, during that awful time, can be only fully known to Almighty God; the Great Rewarder.  The Merciful Rewarder has recorded them, and that is enough, at least for the givers.  However, there were some amongst them who should not be passed over in silence.  Baring, Brothers & Co.; Rothschild & Co.; Smith, Payne & Smith; Overend, Gurney & Co.; Truman, Hanbury & Co.; The Duke of Devonshire; Jones, Lloyd & Co.; an English friend (in two donations); and an Irish landlord (for Skibbereen) subscribed L1000 each.

Irish landlords did not contribute very munificently to the Famine-fund; but here is L1000 from one, and for a special locality.  Who was the retiring but generous donor?  The following extract of a letter will answer the question; and throw light upon another remarkable offering sent every month to Skibbereen for more than a year.

“The first case of death clearly established as arising from starvation,” writes Mr. M’Carthy Downing, “occurred at South Reen, five miles from the town of Skibbereen.  The case having been reported to me, as a member of the Relief Committee, I procured the attendance of Dr. Dore, and proceeded to the house where the body lay; the scene which presented itself will never be forgotten by me.

“The body was resting on a basket which had been turned up, the head on an old chair, the legs on the ground.  All was wretchedness around.  The wife, emaciated, was unable to move; and four children, more like spectres than living beings, were lying near the fire-place, in which apparently there had not been fire for some time.  The doctor opened the stomach, and repugnant as it was to my feelings, I, at his solicitation, viewed its contents, which consisted solely of a few pieces of raw cabbage undigested.

“Having visited several other houses on the same townland, and finding the condition of the inmates therein little better than that of the wretched family whom I had just left, I summoned the Committee, and had a quantity of provisions sent there for distribution by one of the relieving officers; and then published in the Cork and Dublin papers a statement of what I had witnessed.