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

84 WILLY BURKE; OR,
tired in the brown habit of the confraternity of our Lady
(which habit had been long ready for the occasion, as is
usual with the members of that society), with a cross of
brown ribbon laid outside the clothes on her bosom, and
the little wooden crucifix, the same which had fixed the
dying gaze of her husband, suspended on the wall at her
head. Then the children were again admitted ; and several
of the neighbours coming in, Mrs. O'Grady proposed
that Jlrst of all they should say the litany for the dead.
This pious duty performed, the remainder of the night
passed away in conversation, which, borrowing its tone
from the occasion, was of a serious and grave character.
The two little girls had been prevailed upon to go to bed
about midnight, and much pains were taken to console the
two young brothers—many a kind advice was given to
them, and more than one friendly offer of assistance.
Both were too much absorbed in their grief to pay any
great attention to those well meant attempts at consola-
tion, and they were sensibly relieved when the light of
morning called the greater number of those present to
their homes to commence the labours of the day. It was
only from Father Fitzherbert's promised visit that they
expected or received consolation ; and his entrance gave
them a gleam of comfort which the mild, and tender, and
pious counsels he gave them tended greatly to increase.
He it was who represented in clear and forcible terms to
their sorrowing minds, that, as far as their mother was
concerned, they had only reason to rejoice in her death,
as death to her was but a transition from toil and suffering,
and all the privations of poverty, to the happy eternity
where the saints reign with God. Then he made them
understand, that such being the case, their own selfish