Judicious Advice

I was now almost happy. I had the prospect of doing a little good, where so much good was needed. The daughter of the old man I met upon the lakes called, and modestly reminded me of the promise to give her the Word of God. She had not forgotten what we read together, and said she had thought much of it since. I gave her one, offering her some tracts, but she, too, wanted nothing but the Word of God. A young Roman Catholic lady was lodging in the house, and she possessed good sense and a tolerable education. She examined the bundle of tracts, and found some on controversial subjects. She begged me not to offer these. "You have," said she, "done good here, by showing to the people that you did not come to quarrel with them about their religion, but to do them good, by giving such books as they might read; but if you circulate these, it will be said you are like all others, and the good you have done will be lost." This was sterling advice, and I followed it. She took a Testament, and it was her constant companion. I have found her reading in bed, and by the way-side.

Ireland’s Welome to the Stranger is one of the best accounts of Irish social conditions, customs, quirks and habits that you could wish for. The author, Mrs Asenath Nicholson, was an American widow who travelled extensively in Ireland on the eve of the Great Famine and meticulously observed the Irish peasantry at work and play, as well as noting their living conditions and diet. The book is also available from Kindle.