Lives ruined by sickness and the lack of nourishment. A
splendid race perishing through misgovernment and intolerant
ignorance.
Angela went about amongst the people and made friends with them.
They were chary at first of taking her to their hearts. She was of
the hated Saxon race. What was she doing there, she, the sister of
their, till now, absentee landlord? She soon won them over by her
appealing voice and kindly interest.
All this Angela did in direct opposition to her brother's wishes and
her sister's exhortations.
The morning of the meeting she had ridden some mile to visit a poor.
family. Out of five three were in bed with low fever. She got a
doctor for them, gave them money to buy necessities and, with a
promise to return the next day, she rode away. When within some
little distance of her brother's house she saw a steady, irregular
stream of people climbing a great hill. She rode toward it, and,
screened by a clump of trees, saw and heard the meeting.
When O'Connell first spoke his voice thrilled her. Gradually the
excitement of the people under the mastery of his power,
communicated itself to her. It pulsed in her blood, and throbbed in
her brain. For the first time she realised what a marvellous force
was the Call of the Patriot.
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