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

THE IRISH ORPHAN IN AMERICA. 83
* It was bad enough when poor father died, an' was thrown
into the sea, but then we didn't half know our loss, an',
besides, we had our mother still, so we weren't so badly
off ; but now"—here his forced composure deserted him,
for one glance at the dead face of his mother had subdued
his little self-control, and when the others burst out again
into tears and lamentations, himself wept and sobbed as
loudly as either of his little sisters. Hitherto Father
Fitzherbert bad remained kneeling at the foot of the bed
in silent prayer, deeming it best to let the grief of the
children exhaust its first violence ; but now he arose, and
coming calmly forward, took each by the hand in silence
and led them from the room, without the slightest oppo-
sition on their part. When once in the kitchen he said
to them :
" You must now stay'outof the room, my dear children
while Mrs. O'Grady performs the necessary duties for the
dead. I would advise you to go down stairs for a little
while".
Mrs. O'Grady, who had been kneeling just within the
room-door, now came forward and announced that she
would go for a " neighbour woman" to help her to wash
and lay out the corpse, and insisted that the children
should go down stairs, as the priest had proposed. Their
obedience to the clergy was habitual, and they, therefore,
went down with Mrs. O'Grady, while Father Fitzherbert
remained to close the mouth and the eyes of the deceased,
and offer up yet another prayer for her eternal repose.
When the women entered, and prepared to commence their
sad task, he withdrew, promising to return next morning
to see the children.
The corpse was at length laid out in decent order, at-