Bell instanced many cases of gradual prosperity and attainment of
wealth among his flock, but they were exceptional cases, and there were
better farms in the case for one thing, and leasehold tenure for
another, combining with their industry and thrift to account for the
success.
I had conversation with another gentleman of this congregation, who,
like many others, believed firmly in Paddy's laziness and carelessness
at home. I am very tired of these statements, for any one can see the
thrifty way mountain sides, scraps amid rocks, strips of land inside the
railway fences, and every spade breadth is cultivated. It is not fair
for a man who has means to judge a poorer man from the outside view of
his case. There was a strange inconsistency in this gentleman's
opinions, for while he declared laziness to be the cause of poverty and
not the oppression of rent raised above value, yet when peasant
proprietorship was mentioned as a remedy, he declared he would not take
the farms as a gift and try to raise a living out of them.
I heard some lament the prevalence of stilling illicit whiskey in
Innishowen. The excuse for doing so was to raise money for help in the
prevailing poverty.
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