Scenes of holy faith, of tender love, and human pity are, however,
happily more frequent amongst the devotees at the holy wells of Ireland
than the fierce mutterings of malediction. At these sacred places may
be seen the mother praying for her child, the girl for her lover, the
wife for her husband; going the rounds on their bare knees, with the
crucifix in their clasped hands and their eyes raised to heaven in
silent prayer, with a divine faith that this prayer will be answered;
and who can say but that the fervour of the supplication has often
brought down the blessing of healing for the sick, or comfort for the
sorrowing? The picturesque grouping round the holy well, the background
of purple mountains, the antique stone cross at which the pilgrims
kneel, the costumes and often the beautiful faces of the praying women,
with their long dark hair and purple Irish eyes, form a scene of
wonderful poetic and dramatic interest, which has been immortalized by
Sir Frederick Burton in his great national picture, _The Blind Girl at
the Holy Well_—a work that at once made the young painter famous, and
laid the foundation of the subsequent career of this distinguished and
perfect artist.