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

THE IRISH ORPHAN IN AMERICA. 65
—only live—only open your eyes, and tell your poor
Pether that you know him, and that you '11 forgive him,
and he '11 never give you raison to complain of him again.
O mother darlin' ! are you dead? Oh! what will I do at
all ?" And in the extremity of his anguish, he started
to his feet and wrung his hands wildly.
" She 's not dead, Pether ! she 's only in a kind of
slumber, that she falls into after a fit !" And as Willy
spoke, he flung his arms around his brother's neck with
all the gushing affection of their childish days. " But
sure there 's no use in grievin' an' frettin' that way,
brother ! It 'id be better for us to pray to God, an'
maybe he 'd take pity on us, an' spare her life ! Come,
children, let us all kneel down !" The little girls pas-
sively obeyed, and Peter fell again on his knees, with his
face laid on the coverlid of his mother's bed. Few and
simple were the words they uttered, and it was only Willy
who said aloud, " Lord ! spare us our mother, our good
mother ; for what would we do without her, if she was
taken away from us ?"
" Ah, then, God's blessin' be about ye, for good chil-
dren that ye are !" cried Mrs. O'Grady, who just entered,
and kneeling, she joined in their prayer for a moment.
44 But now I must see to your mother !" and rising she
approached the bed.
When Peter had talked a little while with his brother
smd sisters, he asked Mrs. O'Grady whether she thought
there was any hope that his mother would soon be sensible
again. Before the good woman had time to answer,
the patient started from her feverish slumber, and broke
out again into her broken and unconnected exclamations.
44 There 's your answer now, Pether!" said Mrs.
5