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

THE IRISH ORPHAN IN AMERICA. 221
gone over again for her. Great was the joy of that true
friend ; but a cloud gathered on her face as a saddening
idea presented itself to her mind. " I 'm afraid you '11 be
taking my girls from me", she said, " now that you have
become rich".
" No, indeed, Mrs. Williams", said Peter and Willy
together, and the latter added, u not on any account, if
you still wish to keep them. It was God that put it in
your heart to take them ; you have been a mother to them
be so still, in God's name, and with his blessing. We
couldn't place them in better hands, until such time as
they 're able to do for themselves. By that time I hope
they '11 be so well grounded in their faith, that there will
be no danger of it slipping from them".
Mrs. Williams was delighted to hear this, and voluntarily
renewed her promise to be a mother, as far as she
could, to the interesting charge that heaven itself had
committed to her keeping.
From Mrs. Williams's the young men went to Mrs.
O'Grady's, and they found that worthy woman and her
family mourning around the deathbed of the husband and
father. Poverty was in and around the dwelling, and,
amid all their sorrow for him who was about to leave them,
his wife and children could scarcely wish that his life
might be spared, so great were the privations they were
all called upon to bear. This was no time for communicating
their own good fortune ; so the brothers went away
without saying a word about their own affairs. Next day,
however, Willy Burke, with Peter's consent (which he
took care to ask, as tho,ugh it had been necessary), drew
fifty dollars from the bank, and when, that same night,
he and his brother repeated their visit, they brought joy
;