, they are numerous enough. All are well
clothed and well fed, while the flock that feed the pastor are mostly
in squalid poverty, actually bending the knee to their greasy
task-masters, poor ignorant victims of circumstances.

Among the many nostrums offered to Ireland, nobody offers soap. The
greatest inventions are often the simplest, and with all humility I
make the suggestion. Ireland is badly off for soap, and cleanliness is
next to godliness. Father Humphreys, of Tipperary, boasts of his
influence with the poor--delights to prove how in the matter of rent
they took his advice, and so on. Suppose he asks them to wash
themselves! The suggestion may at first sight appear startling. All
novelties are alarming at first; but the mortality, except among old
people, would probably prove less than Father Humphreys might expect.
He would have some difficulty in recognising his flock, but the
resources of civilisation would probably be sufficient to conquer this
drawback. Persons over forty might be exempted, as nothing less than
skinning would meet their case, but the young might possibly be
trained, against tradition and heredity, to the regular use of water.
But I fear the good Father will hardly strain his authority so far. An
edict to wash would mean blue ructions in Tipperary, open rebellion
would ensue, and the mighty Catholic Church would totter to its fall.
The threat to wash would be an untold terrorism, the use of soap an
outrage which could only be atoned by blood. And Father Humphreys (if
he knew the words) might truly say _Cui bono_? Why wash? Is not soap
an enemy to the faith? Do not the people suit our purpose much better
as they are? _Thigum thu_, brutal and heretic Saxon?

Killaloe (Co. Clare), April 27th.

No. 15.--THE PERIL TO ENGLISH TRADE.

As the great object of public interest in the city of Limerick is the
Treaty Stone, a huge block of granite, raised on a pedestal on the
Clare side of Thomond Bridge, to commemorate the Violated Treaty so
graphically described by Macaulay, and to keep in remembrance of the
people the alleged ancient atrocities of the brutal Saxon--so the
key-note of Ennis is the memorial to the Manchester Martyrs, erected
outside the town to commemorate the people who erected it. That is how
it strikes the average observer. For while the patriotic murderers of
the Manchester policemen, to wit, O'Brien, Allen, and Larkin, have
only one tablet to the three heroes, the memb