of hell you are about to work out this day.  I know that plot.  Be warned.  Look about you here, and think of what you’re going to do.  Have you no feeling for ould and helpless age—­for the weakness of women, the innocence of children?  Are you not afraid on such a day to come near the bed of sickness, or the bed of death, with such an intention?  Here’s widows and orphans, the sick and the dyin’, ould age half dead, Mid infancy half starved; and is it upon these, that you and blasphemin’ Deaker’s bloody Dashers are goin’ to work your will?  Hould your hand, I say, or if you don’t, although I needn’t curse you myself, for I am too wicked for that—­yet in the name of all these harmless and helpless creatures before you, I call their curses on your head.  In the name of all the care, and pain, and sorrow, and starvation, and affliction, that’s now before your eyes, be you cursed in soul and body—­in all you touch—­in all you love—­cursed here, and cursed hereafter forever, if you proceed in your wicked intentions this woeful day!”

“Who is that mad-woman?” said M’Clutchy.  “Let her be removed.  All I can say is, that she has taken a very unsuccessful method of staying the proceedings.”

“Who am I?” said she; “I will tell you that.  Look at this,” she replied, exposing her bosom; “these are the breasts that suckled you—­between them did you lie, you ungrateful viper!  Yes, you may stare—­it’s many a long year since the name of Kate Clank reached your ears, and now that you have heard it, it is not to bless you.  Well, you remember when you heard it last—­on the day you hunted your dogs at me, and threatened to have me horse-whipped—­ay, to horse-whip me with your own hands, should I ever come near your cursed house.  Now, you know who I am, and now I have kept my word, which was never to die till I gave you a shamed face.  Kate Clank, your mother, is before you!”

M’Clutchy took the matter very coolly certainly—­laughed at her, and, in a voice of thunder, desired the ejectments to proceed.

But how shall we dwell upon this miserable work?  The wailings and screams, the solicitations for mercy, their prayers, their imprecations and promises, were all sternly disregarded; and on went the justice of law, accompanied by the tumult of misery.  The old were dragged out—­the bedriden grand-mother had her couch of straw taken from under her.  From the house of death, the corpse of an aged female was carried out amidst the shrieks and imprecations of both men and women!  The sick child that clung with faintness to the bosom of its distracted mother, was put out under the freezing blast of the north; and on, on, onward, from house to house, went the steps of law, accompanied still by the increasing tumult of misery.  This was upon Christmas eve—­a day of “joy and festivity!”