The North-Carolina standard., 1843-04-12


EIe left his house again, and walked a good
way to beg few potatoes He did not come back
quite mpty-handed. His father and his child had
meal, He ate but few himself; and when he
was about to lie down in his corner for the night,
he said to the old man across the room-"Don't
be a-crying tonight, father-you and the child,
there; but sleep we'll, and yell have the good
breakfast afore We in the mornin'."
"The good breakfast ma bauchGl p then an
where ill id come from ?"
ga body promised it to me, father"
"AuicA! Michaul, an sure its fun you're ma
king of US, now, at any rate. Bud, the good night,
a chorrG,t an my blessin' on your head, Michaul
an if we keep trust in the God an ak his bles-
sin,' too, mornin' an evenin, geltin' up an yin'
down, He'll be friend to us at last ; that was al
ways an ever my word to you, poor boy, since
you was the years O. your own weenock, now fast
asleep at my side; an its my word to you now,
ma bauchat; an you won't forget i'd and there's
one sayin' the same to you out O. heaven, this
|night-herself an her little angel-in-glory by the
hand, Michaul 0-rourmeen"
Having thus spoken in the fervent and rather
exaggerated, though every day, words of pious
alluson of the Irish poor man. old Carroll soon
dropped asleep, with his arms round his little
grandson, both overcome by an unusually abund
ant meal In the middle of the night he was ava
kened by stealthy noise. Without moving, he
cast his eyes round the cabin. A small window
through which the moon broke brilliantly was
open He called to his son. but received no an
swer. He called again and again; all remained
silent. He arose, and crept to the corner where
Michaul had laid down 1t was empty E1e look
ed out through the window into the moonlight
The figure of man appeared at a distance, Just
about to enter pasture field belonging to Mr.. Ev-
ans.
The old man leaned his back against the wall
of the cabin, trembling with sudden and terrible
misgivings. With him, the language of virtue,
which we have heard him utter, was not can't In
early prosperity, in subsequent misforunes and in
his late and present wretchedness, he had
never swerved in practice from the spirit of his
own exhortations to honesty before men, and love
for, and dependence upon God, which, as he has
truly said, he had constantly addressed to his son,
since his earliest childhood. And hitherto that
son had indeed, walked by his preceps, farther as
sisted by regular observance of the duties of his
religion. Was he about to turn into another
path to bring shame on his father in his old age2
to put stain on their family and their name sthe
name that rogue or a bould woman never bore2"
continued old Carroll, indulging in some of the
pride and egotism for which an Irish peasant is,
under his circumstances, remarkable And then
came the thought of personal peril incurred by
Mchaul and his agitation, increased by the fee
bleness of age, nearly overpowered him.
He was sitting on the floor, shiverins like one
in an ague fit, when he heard steps outside the
house He listened and they ceased but the E,-
miliar noise of an old barn door cracking on its
crazy hinges came on his ear. 1t was now day
dawn He dressed himself; stole out cautiously;
peeped into the barn, through chink in the door,
and all he had feared met full confirmation
There, indeed, sat Mchaul, busily and earnestly
engaged, with frowning brow and haggard
face, in quartering the animal he had stolen from
MIR. Evans field.
The sight sickened the father-the blood on his
sons hands, and all. He was barely able to keep
himself from falling. A fear, if not dislike of
the unhappy cuIprit also came upon him. His
unconscious impulse to re-enter their cabin
unperceived, without speaking a word; he sue
ceeded in doing So and then he fastened the door
again: and undressed and resumed his place be-
side his innocent little grandson.
About an hour afterward, Michaul came in eau
tiously through the still open window, and also
undressed and reclned on his straw, after glancIng
towa'd ds his fathers head, who pretended 10 be a
sleep. At the usual time for arising, old Carroll,
saw him suddenly jump up and prepare to go a
broad He spoke to him, leaning on bis elbow.
"And what hoILgt is on you now, ma baucAaI?"
"Going for the good breakfast promised you
father dear"
sAn' who's the good christian i'll give id to US,
Michaul2" :!
cob YOU III know that soon, tdher; now, good
bye;" he hurried to the door.
IA good bye, then, Mchaul; bud, tell me.
what's that on your hand2'
"No-nothin'," stammered Michaul, changing
color, as he hastily examined the hand himself;
nothin' is on i'd what could there be 2" (nor was
there, for he had very carefully removed all evl-
dence of guilt from his person; and the fathers
question was asked upon grounds distinct from any
thing he then saw.)
"Well, apich, an sure didn't say any thing
was on it wrong or any thing to make you look
so quare and spake sthrange to your father, this
mornin only I'll ak you, Michaul, over again,
who has took such snddn likin' to US to send US
the good breakfast an answer me straight, Mi
chaul-what is id TO be, that you call it so
good n
s:The good mate, father he was again passing
the threshold.
"stopl" cried his father; :'stop, an turn for.
ncnt me- Mate ? the good mate? What 'ud
bring mate into our poor house, Michaul2 Tell
me, bid you again an again, who is to give i'd
to you?"
''Why, as said aforc, body that"
ga body that thieved id, Michaul CarroIl!"
added the old man. as his son hesitated walking
close up to the" cu prit; 'a body that thieved id,
bod, to IL