I have; and it seems to me that the young lad whom I left with them
has not much more."

"They'll learn all in good time."

"Let us hope it will be in good time."

"If we once let them have the idea that we are to feed them in
idleness," said Mr. Townsend, "they will want to go on for ever in
the same way. And then, when they receive such immense sums in money
wages, the priests will be sure to get their share. If the matter
had been left to me, I would have paid the men in meal. I would
never have given them money. They should have worked and got their
food. The priest will get a penny out of every shilling; you'll see
else." And so the matter was discussed between them as they went
along to Gortnaclough.

When they reached the room in which the committee was held they
found Mr. Somers already in the chair. Priest M'Carthy was there
also, with his coadjutor, the Rev. Columb Creagh--Father Columb as
he was always called; and there was a Mr. O'Leary from Boherbuy, one
of the middlemen as they were formerly named--though, by the way, I
never knew that word to be current in Ireland; it is familiar to
all, and was I suppose common some few years since, but I never
heard the peasants calling such persons by that title. He was one of
those with whom the present times were likely to go very hard. He
was not a bad man, unless in so far as this, that he had no idea of
owing any duty to others beyond himself and his family. His doctrine
at present amounted to this, that if you left the people alone and
gave them no false hopes, they would contrive to live somehow. He