Household Words Volume 28 details from bookadda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1855 Excerpt: ...He usually carried a tattered English school dictionary under his arm, wherein he never failed to make diligent search for any unfamiliar word that was addressed to him: Irish being his vernacular tongue. During the height of the potato famine, the Relief Committee of the district where Con Quill resided, were forced, from the prevalence of petty theft, to make a rule that any one found stealing should be excluded from receiving the daily dole of Indian meal. A poor woman, a neighbour of Con's, being caught in the act of stealing a kid, came necessarily under the ban of the committee. On the next day of their meeting, the following petition, which I have copied verbatim et literatim, was laid before them: Wc the undersigned beg to state that the sole crime committed by Nelly Keen of lllaninah consisted in depriving of existence a small cornnted animal. She is a superannuated old maid who never entered the bands of Hymen, and on that account has no progeny to support her. Wo, under these circumstances, recommend her to the patronage of the I--relief Committee. (Signed) Cornelius Quill. The petition was, I believe, granted; but the beauty of the business was that not a single member of the committee, with the exception of the clergyman, had the most remote idea of the meaning of the word cornuted. A letter addressed to a clergyman residing in the same locality was as follows. It was evidently an original composition, and had not had the advantage of Mr. Quill's supervision: Revd. Sir--Your medicines are most solicitely requested by Catherine Brien who so piteous complain of a painful body and waist with others concerning the same matter, contained in the above mentioned place, you may judge of yourself, but however it is an act of charity for you to do so. Ti...