The farmer's wife could not do enough to make
me welcome. She had the kind and comely face and pleasant tongue that
reminded me of Highland friends in the long ago. Their name of Murray,
which is a prevalent name on these hills, had a Highland sound. Feeling
welcome, and safe under the care that has led me thus far, I fell asleep
in the best bed, with its ancient blue and white hangings, and slept
soundly.
These people are very thrifty. The blankets of the bed were homespun;
the fine linen towel was the same. The mistress's dress was home-made,
and so was the cloth of her husband's clothes. In noticing this I was
told that where they could keep a few sheep the people were better off,
but it was harder now to keep sheep than formerly.
VIII.
THE HILL COUNTRY OF DONEGAL--ON THE SQUARE--OFFICE RULES
Left up among my country people in this hill country of Donegal, I set
myself to see and to hear what they had to say for themselves or against
their landlords. In the pauses of storm I walked up the mountains to see
the people in their homes. I seem to have lost the power of description.
I will never think of scenes I saw there without tears.
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