Emigration - One of these final partings was witnessed by a writer named Harriet MARTINEAU, "Letters from Ireland," pub. London 1852. The writer, who frowned upon grief openly expressed reacted accordingly with a peculiarily British blend of sympathy and disdain, prejudice and an assumption of moral superiority: "The last embraces were terrible to see; but worse were the kissings and the claspings of the hands during the long minutes that remained...When we saw the wringing of hands and heard the wailings, we became aware, for the first time perhaps, of the full dignity of that civilisation which induces control over the expression of emotions. All the while that this lamentation was giving (me) a headache...there could not but be a feeling that these people, thus giving vent to their instincts, were as children, and would command themselves better when they were wiser. Still, there it was, the pain and the passion: and the shrill united cry...rings in our ears, and long will ring when we hear of emigration." A description of an emigrant's parting is also found in manuscript #1411, Irish Folklore Department, University College, Dublin: "...It was just like a big funeral..and the last parting...was indeed sad to see...The parents especially were so sad, as if the person leaving were really dead...You would rather not be there at all if you would be any way soft yourself."