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

40 WILLY BURKE; OR,
" "No then, alanna! what is it?"
" Why, don't you think it 'id be a good thing if I was
to go an' spake to Mr. Miller ? Who knows but, as
Pether 's gone, he 'd give me his place, an' then you 'd be
as well off as ever".
" Sure enough, child, it 's a good thought", said his
mother ; " but somehow or another I 'm afeard to thrust
you in it, for only Pether got into bad company in the
same place, he 'd never be so headstrong in his own opinion,
or go against his mother's biddin' ".
Willy's countenance fell— the light of hope, which had
for a moment illumined it, was quickly gone, but still he
thought not of opposing his mother's declared opinion.
" Well, mother, you know best ; but if it was pleasin' to
you, I 'd be glad to be doin' something".
" I know that, Willy dear—I know it very well, but
let us pray to God that somethin' may turn up that you
can go to without any danger. Pray, my son, an' we '11
all pray, an' let us not forget poor Pether in our prayers".
And Willy did wait patiently and submissively, and
that evening, when his mother's work was done, the little
family knelt together in the presence of God, and invoked
His blessing and protection for themselves and all dear to
them. They waited up long after their usual hour of re-
tiring to rest, in hopes of Peter's return, but Peter did
not appear, and at last the poor anxious mother threw
herself on her humble bed, to weep and pray rather than
to sleep.
In the afternoon of the next day Willy strolled out into
the street; and becoming insensibly diverted from his
melancholy by the incessant stream of life pouring on
around him, he wandered on, admiring the endless variety