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

THE IRISH ORPHAN IN AMERICA. 47
" Why, what in the world has happened to yon, mother ?
for its long since I seen yon lookin' so joyful*'.
" An' well I may, Willy dear ; for sure when I went
to give that money (an' it was the lucky money all out)
to the priest, he began to question me, an' when he found
out who I was, he was mighty glad entirely, for it seems
that poor Father Maloney, God's blessin' be about him
is an ould friend of his, an' wrote to him about us as
soon as he hard of your poor father's death ; so his reve-
rence was ever since wishm* to find us out, but could n't
hear anything of us till the Lord put it in my head to go
with the money".
On hearing Father Maloney's name mentioned, the two
little girls cried out with great joy, " Och, then, mother
dear, did his reverence write about us ?" while Willy pulled
out his little cotton handkerchief, and wiped the tears from
his eyes, tears of joy they were, and such as the poor boy
had never shed before.
u An' you tell me he didn't forget us, mother, an' that
he wrote to put in the good word for us. Well, that 's
the best news I hard this many a day, an' I 'd rather hear
it than if somebody gave us a thousand pounds ! but sure
he said he 'd keep us all in mind ; an' mother is that all ?"
" No, dear, it 's not all", replied his mother, " for the
priest said he 'd come and see us, an' sure that same will
be a great comfort to us ; for it does a body good, let their
throuble be what it may, to see the priest crossin' their
door ; one is never so lonesome when they see him, for
they know then that they 're not without a friend. But I '11
tell you, Willy dear, what I want you to do : I 'm gettin'
very unaisy about Pether, an' if ye 'd jist run down to
Mrs. Watkins, in the evenin', when yon think he 's home