As she pointed to me she said to the young man, "She's going to walk to Clogher."
"To Clogher," he repeated. "It's a long walk."
"I've the day before me," I answered.
"Well, I've got my message to deliver or I'd go part of the way with you. It wouldn't be so long or lonely if you had company."
"Thank you," I said. "But I'll get along all right."
"Can I do anything for you before you start?" asked the woman when he was gone.
"Yes," I said. "You can give me a drink of water."
"Water!" she exclaimed. "Water! Indeed you'll get no water from me! You'll just take a long drink of milk. You'll need some nourishment to bring you over the long walk that's before you." With that she handed me a huge bowl of milk. She stood by me till I finished it, then she asked me if I had anything with me to eat in case I got hungry on the way.
"No," I replied. "The D.I. and his men took away the bag containing my rations."
"Well," she said, "you've got to have something." She commenced to butter some biscuits.