School: St John of God Convent, Rathdowney (roll number 16203)
- Location:
- Rathdowney, Co. Laois
- Teacher: The Sisters
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- Once upon a time and a very good time it was a lonely orphan boy trudged the roads cold and hungry, His widowed Mother had just been buried. His home was broken up, he had no friends, so he set out to seek work. For days and days he wandered through the bleak countryside but no one employed him. One stormy night as the thunder pealed and lightning flashed, drenched and miserable as he could be, poor Jack sought admittance at a farmhouse. The owner was a hard-hearted cruel man, very miserly about money, He wanted some one to mind his cows so he decided that this miserable looking boy would suit him and work for him at the lowest.
He gave him the nights lodging in a stable on straw, and next day engaged him at a job for a penny a month, and two meals a day which consisted of potatoes and salt. So sad and dispirited poor Jack took on the job, for want of something better. All the farmers of the district used to assemble every night to discuss the news of the day. Every Saturday the paper was brought from town and read in the farmer's kitchen. Jack sitting on a stool in the background used to(continues on next page)