Cold and Hunger
Mary Sullivan sits in a poor attic with the rest of her family, watching as her father lies on his death bed. Her father squandered the family’s money on drink. With the arrival of the 1846 famine in Ireland, the family has no money and no food. Along with her father dying, the rest of Mary’s family is too young, hungry, or tired to work.
Seeing her family’s distress, 14-year-old Mary turns to her mother and offers to go sell the collar that she knitted. Her mother assents, but sorrowfully exclaims that Mary is also weak and hardly fit to work or walk.
Not waiting any longer, Mary quickly finishes knitting the collar and heads out into the streets. Fortunately, she runs into a wealthy woman walking along.
Holding out the collar, she asks the woman if she would like to buy it for two shillings. The woman responds that she will buy it for one shilling and one shilling only. Desperate for any money, Mary accepts the shilling and hurries on her way.
Virtue in Sickness and in Health
One of the young assistants brings Mary the stale bread that she bought and hands her the change. Mary walks away from the counter, but soon returns asking him how much the loaf was. The boy responds, “Threepence, and I gave you the change.”
Mary returns the money and assures him that he gave her too much change. The boy takes the money, quickly rectifies his mistake, and sends her on her way.
Yet Mary’s honesty doesn’t go unnoticed, for a woman watches as she returns the extra change. Seeing such virtue and honesty in spite of hardship, the woman steps forward and says, “Good principle may be shown as well about a penny as a pound—here is a shilling for you.” Mary takes the shilling with utter astonishment and gratitude and hurries out of the shop.
With her newly earned treasures, Mary is able to feed her family, but only for a little while. She must soon head back out to earn more money, yet not without touching and inspiring those she interacts with.
Through this story, Hoare praised honesty and virtue in both sickness and heath, for they inspire and touch more than just a few people. Like ripples in a pond, they spread out farther and farther, until their effects touch everyone around them.
Hoare emphasized that honesty and virtue are choices. Just as Roy T. Bennett says in “The Light in the Heart,” “Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.”
Because Mary chooses honesty, kindness, and virtue in her hardships, her choices make her brave spirit shine brilliantly in her dark and dismal situation.
