AN IRISH SKETCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 188, 3 November 1876, Page 8

AN IRISH SKETCH.

0> TET E thing Ireland may well be proud of and that is the faith of her people. A person vuay vis.t Italy and France and in those countries no doubt will see many pious souls, but in Ireland he sees, as a general thing, a roo.l, pious people. Ou Sundays, from early morn to noon, at which time the lasb mass is generally said, the churches are crowded, and not crowded by people who go to mass simply to comply with the laws, bub by pious people who go to their duty, I suppose at leasb twice a monUi. The number of communicants that may be seen approachiug the holy table is really edifying. And this may not only be witnessed on the first or second Sunday of the month, but on every Sunday during the year. But it is not alone in the churches that the people of Ireland are remarkable for their goodness. Enter any o!i the places of amusement, any of the public houses, and you hear no cursing or swearing, no obsceue language so common in other countries. The only person I ever heard utter the most sacred name in Ireland, in an atvftcl manner, was a young swell who had just arrived from ilia States. He was looked upon by those who heard him as being somewhat insane. In Ireland you see but very little drunkenness. The law in reference to selling liquor on the Sabbath is very strict, and even if there were no law to prohibit the sale of liquor, I think the people would use but very little of it. One thing is certain, the Irishman at home is good. If in a foreign country he proves to be an) thing else, his fall may be traced to the bad company with whom, on a'l s des, he is likely to become acquainted. In America they, as a general thing, are looke.l upon as nofc being worthy of much notice, but if the American would take the paius to travel through Ireland, and study the manners and customs of the people, he would find them in respect to morality and religion, defying comparison with any other country in existence ; whilst in appearance they are far superior to the sickly Yankeo, and in intelligence and education nothing inferior, although they have not the public school si/stem to give them high-toned knowledge, that of late has made the American and his nation the laughing-stock of the world. — Correspondent of ' Lake Shore Visitor.'