to wait upon me, and my measures of meal ready for
the unfortunates who might come to ask for alms. There I sat, quite
proud, and more happy than I had ever felt in my life before; and the
unfortunates began to make their appearance. First came a bacah on
crutches; then came a woman with a white swelling; then came an
individual who had nothing at all the matter with him, and was only a
poor unfortunate, wandering about the world; then came a far cake, {22} a
dark man, who was led about by a gossoon; after him a simpley, and after
the simpleton somebody else as much or more unfortunate. And as the
afflicted people arrived and placed themselves by the side of the door
and said 'Ave Mary,' or 'In the name of God,' or crossed their arms, or
looked down upon the ground, each according to his practice, I got up and
emptied my measure of meal into his poke, or whatever he carried about
with him for receiving the alms which might be given to him; and my
measures of meal began to be emptied fast, for it seemed that upon that
day, when I happened to be particularly short of meal, all the
unfortunates in the county of Limerick had conspired together to come to
ask me for alms. At last every measure of meal was emptied, and there I
sat in my house with nothing to give away provided an unfortunate should
come. Says I to the colleen: 'What shall I do provided any more come,
for all the meal is gone, and there will be no more before the boys come
home at night from the ballybetagh.' Says the colleen: 'If any more
come, can't ye give them something else?' Says I: 'It has always been my
practice to give in meal, and loth should I be to alter it; for if once I
begin to give away other things, I may give away all I have.' Says the
colleen: 'Let's hope no one else will come: there have been thirteen of
them already.' Scarcely had she said these words, when a monstrous
woman, half-naked, and with a long staff in her hand, on the top of which
was a cross, made her appearance; and placing herself right before the
door, cried out so that you might have heard her for a mile, 'Give me an
alms for the glory of God!' 'Good woman,' says I to her, 'you will be
kind enough to excuse me: all the preparation I had made for alms has
been given away, for I have relieved thirteen unfortunates this blessed
morning--so may the Virgin help ye, good woman!' 'Give me an alms,' said
the Beanvore, with a louder voice than before, 'or it will be worse fo