AN IRISH EXPERIMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7975, 28 February 1906, Page 3

AN IRISH EXPERIMENT.

According to the chronicler of "An Irish Experiment," in the ourrent nnmber of the Monthly Review, a happy combination of practice with precept has markod the. efforts of the two ladies, Miss O'Brien and Mies O'Conor Eccles, to whom the carrying out of the scheme was entrusted. Installed in a model cottage in the midst of Dromore they have fulfilled far more than ordinary functions \pf lecturers, or even of lecturers and health visitors combined. When we read that *'the public washing of Miss O'Brien's face" gave her audience—of children—much delight, the accompanying ■ statement that there was nothing f|?w academic in the matter or style of the lecture iB superfluous. And the viating which was done in due course was by no means one sided. If the women were visited in their homes they were also made welcome in the model cottage, where daily recepktions were held, Miss Q'Biien giving an object-lesson to a party in the kitchen, while Mies O'Conor Eccles showed groups of four or five about the bedrooms and sitting-room, explaining the mysteries of bed making, dusting, sweepmg, and cleaning. Naturally, friendly relations of this kind were not established all at once. It took a little time before the cry, "Here's themselves."gieeted the newcomers and assured them that their footing was secure. But confidence orce gained, the number at the lectures grew, and the women came of their own accord to ask for si t counsel and help. Demonstrations *-\. in cookery and in the art of washing clothes followed; and, siDce the uien could nptbejeft out in the cold i a carpentry.'class in charge of a trained instructor was formed. Various articles of household use, hitherto anfctfownV began to appear in the homes. Doors were painted, walla whitewashed, and windows and floors mended. And it is recorded that when at last Mies Eccles came upon an old man doing his best to lime-wash his cabin; with a heather besom, hope sprang within her. An offer of help Jn the lay-ing-out of kitchen gardens for any willing to work and use them met with a ready response. Cottage gardening became something of a craze in the plane, and now the visitor to Dromone, says the writer of the article from which we have quoted, "may not only tread clean streets and trim sidewalks, but may , . have Bight of many bricbtened -^homes—-whitewashed, ,, rpajo&d, ordered, and brighieaediwith some 1 of the necessities and luxuries of life."