congested areas here, as elsewhere, have been
powerfully assisted and benefited by the sagacity which at once
afforded relief, improved the country, and opened the way to great
markets. Temporary assistance is succeeded by a solid and permanent
benefaction.

And still the people are not happy. Most of them are rather below the
Irish average. Their isolated position in the extreme west, and their
want of means of communication, may partly account for this. Few ever
see a newspaper, and when they do they only read stuff concocted for
them by unscrupulous people who write down to their level, and
deliberately endeavour to keep them in total darkness. The men
employed on the line work well, and Mr. William Ross, civil engineer,
tells me they are even better workers than the Galway men, to whom I
gave due credit for industry. The townsfolk are great politicians.
That is, they echo the absurdities they hear, and are ready to believe
anything, provided it is unlikely enough. The country papers of
Ireland are poor and illiterate beyond belief, but their assumption of
knowledge and superior information is amazing. One of the Galway rags
recently treated its readers to a confidential communication having
reference to the real sentiments of Lord Salisbury and Mr. Balfour as
opposed to those ostensibly affected by those statesmen and to those
with which they are popularly credited. Lord Salisbury is really dying
for Home Rule, and Mr. Balfour would depart in peace if he could once
behold a Dublin Parliament bossed by Tim Healy and William O'Brien.
Lord Salisbury is not so bad as he seems, nor is Balfour altogether
beyond hope of salvation. Both are under a kind of Tory terrorism
which makes them say the thing that is not, compels them against their
wishes to fight, forces them reluctantly to make a show of opposition.
But both of them wink the other eye and have doubtless unbosomed
themselves--in strict confidence--to the editor of the Galway paper.
The poor folks of Ireland swallow this stuff, and will quote it
gravely in argument. The _Irish Catholic_ has a large circulation, and
a glance over its columns, particularly its advertising columns, is
highly suggestive at the present juncture. People offer to swop
prayers, just as in _Exchange and Mart_ people wish to barter a pet
hedgehog for a lop-eared rabbit, or a cracked china cup for a gold
watch and chain. Gentleman wishes someone to say fifteen Hail Marys
every morning at ei