The money soon
disappeared and then one by one the keepsakes of her mother were
parted with. But they never lost heart. Through it all they were
happy. All the poetry of O'Connell's nature came uppermost,
leavened, as it was, by the deep faith and veneration of his wife.
This strangely assorted fervent man and gentle woman seemed to have
solved the great mystery of happiness between two people.
But the poverty chafed O'Connell--not for himself, but for the
frail, loving, uncomplaining woman who had given her life into his
care.
His active brain was continually trying to devise new ways of adding
to his meagre income. He multiplied his duties: he worked far into
the night when he could find a demand for his articles. But little
by little his sources of revenue failed him.
Some fresh and horrible Agrarian crimes in Ireland, for which the
Home Rule party were blamed, for a while turned the tide of sympathy
against his party. The order was sent out to discontinue meetings
for the purpose of collecting funds in America--funds the Irish-
Americans had been so cheerfully and plentifully bestowing on the
"Cause." O'Connell was recalled to Ireland. His work was highly
commended.
Some day they would send him to the United States again as a Special
Pleader.
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