There was a terrible famine in Ireland, caused by a disease, before unknown, which destroyed the potato crop. The potato is the chief food of the poor people in Ireland, and, when the potato rotted in the ground, there was nothing for them to live upon. The rich people of England did all they could to help the poor creatures, and a great deal of money was sent from this country to buy food and clothes for them; but, notwithstanding all that was done, thousands and thousands died of disease and starvation. This was a dreadful visitation; but it has providentially led to some good; for more care has been taken since then to cultivate land in Ireland, and everything done to try and keep off such a misfortune in future. And there have been rebellions in Ireland, because many of the people want to have a separate government of their own. But this would do them more harm than good, for they have a full share in making laws for the United Kingdom; and the Irish have equal liberty with the English and the Scotch. All three countries help one another; and there have been natives of all three among the great and good men who have raised the united BRITISH ISLES to power and prosperity. So it is foolish and wicked to want to divide them again. Another sad thing was the return of the cholera, which carried off great numbers of people; but this misfortune has also led to some good, for, although it is not known what brings the cholera, it has always been found that fewer people die of it where towns are kept clean, and houses are airy, and where people live on good food and wholesome water. So more care has since been taken of these things, and it may be that not only cholera, but fevers and other illnesses, may have been kept off by the care that is taken. But a great deal more has to be done to keep the air pure and provide plenty of pure water for our towns. There was very great distress for some time in Lancashire, where so many thousands of people live by weaving cotton. The reason of this was, that a civil war broke out in America, where the cotton was grown. As long as there was fighting in America, no cotton came from that country to this; and there was no work for the weavers to do, so that they were in the greatest distress. They bore their troubles patiently and well, and nearly every one in the country, and even some of the Americans themselves, sent money and clothes for the suffering workpeople, and did everything possible to help them until they could go to work again. And since then, a rich American merchant, Mr. Peabody, has given hundreds of thousands of pounds to build proper houses for workmen and poor people in London.