Willy Burke, or, The Irish orphan in America - Digital Repository ...

THE IRISH ORPHAN IN AMERICA. Ill
Mr. Talbot soon after came in, and was much gratified
by Weimar's account of bis young protegee. " It is just
* fc tbere is in tbis Willy a simple
as I expected", said be ;
earnestness of purpose, and a fixity of principle which will
make him a truly respectable member of society, as well
as a sincere and practical Christian. In both these
qualities—that is to say, steadiness and resolution—his
brother is totally wanting, and I much fear that he will
ot turn out weir\ He, however, kept to himself his fears
with respect to the designs of which he feared Peter
for although Weimar
might eventually become the dupe ;
had little or none of v that proselytizing spirit by which
Watkins and his wife were actuated, yet he loved not the
Catholic religion any more than they did.
Father Fitzherbert called that evening according to
promise, and was much grieved when informed by Mrs.
Malcolm and Willy that 3 Peter was already gone. Nor
was he much consoled by Peter's fair promises, as repeated
by his brother ; but shaking his head with a desponding
air, he said with a sigh, " God grant him grace to keep
these promises ; that is all I can say". His visit was
necessarily short, as he was on his way to a sick person,
who, although not in any immediate danger, still desired
to receive the last sacraments.
Two or three weeks after came on the 4th of Julythen,
as now, the carnival day—the day of all days for
the citizens of New York. On the eve of this great
national festival, each of the young men in the employment
of Weimar and Talbot was presented with a few
dollars, less or more in proportion to their age, to spend
on the following day. Willy Burke had two dollars given
him 5 and he received it, not alone with the gratitude that