The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-03-09
THE IRISH BOYS LAMENT.

JlVo ID eXIroCteu from inle uuUiCeI VI ue
London Christian Miscellany. Il abounds
in Ill the deep pa.hos ond feeling incident
fos which the Irish character is 60 pre.eml-
nsntly distinguishcd:--
o, thin, don't shu, The door nwhile: won.
some of yc listen to me, for lis snErowlul
story I've 20 tell! The shining beams OF
the blessed Heaven on yer hcnd, my lady !.
and let mo speak minite while tho hun
rcr leaves me strength. Och! little tho't
ia ever be driven from the strangers
ehrashal. For I wasn't always housecss
and friendless. 1t wasn't long since was
happy an continued in my fathers house
in the mountains beynnt, but wirra true
tits empty nm dcsola,e now. The fire has
gone out on our hearth stone, nm my hand
will never be strong enough to kindlc j,
agnin. Many nigh, sat by il, listening
to ould stories, or hearin. my mother sing !;
and the red light dancing up and down her
face, nm her voice rising an falling SO
beautiful, till in spite o me, my eyes filed
up wild tcnrs. That was the plensan, cry
ing; but many 10 the bitter ono from 'cm
since.
The blight Of the hard year fell on our
crops, my lady, m thin came starvation
whore full and plenty wor aforc. A woe
some change came over us all; evcr.thin'
was sold to gather the rin,; even my own
little gold6nch; sure 'iisn't that grndged it..
Ny mother didn't sing thin, md when she
tried To spskc joyful, 10 cheer my father up.
there was shake in her voice, and her lip
tremblcd: and they both had frightened
look no wonder, wild famine staring 'cm in
the face. For we'd be n whsle day, an
more, maybe, without tasting food, an I'd
60 to bed sick an fainting like; but didn't
mind myscl at all at ali, only my little sis
ter Norsh. In all the country round there
Wasnt a prettier child, wild her cheeks o!
pink md snow, an' her white forehead
wild the yellow hair on il, like gold rings,
only softer dale; an shining eyes, the
color ri The sky in juno.
o dear the hunger bore heavy on the
innocent child. mn rubbed uut all the dim.
pes in her face, m faded the rcd blush
an her eyes sunk hack in her hcad ms il
all the tears she cried put I'M, the ligh, in
se,n. An oh lad, j, would have gone e.
vosr hearts heart 10 see her hid out her
long thin hand. an henr her vm,nr smal
voice, that used ,o be laughing al das. nx.
ing t"e hrend. an none 10 The fore. Then
mother 'uld s"ah her Ia s'aep. nm her face
working Nil the ii,nr. The sob would he
nh Nwah's heart, an She ns'erp. BIT one
might, nfier being s,upid.l,ke long while
sh" r"'scd up 10 say, i am very hnngr, :
an lsefnrc the words wor nut Il her IN nth
che stretched herself out on mothers lal
and died. Well. tuck on gra,e', ID, ,ha,;
hns moiher said God had taken her fro.
the misery. M she wondn'i be hnnrr,
s0ain, f"r ihc angels in Heaven wor fed
ing her. Thin thought, only tar mother
Id like I" ~ too. Father buried her ,rith
oGs coffin.
She was tho frs. I ever saw die; hu,
twnsnt I" 10 long n strange thing u mr.
NV father ct wnrk AT last. tut the power
90 do il was going fast, Aud mother lid
keep tho las, bite an sup in the hnuse for
him, when he'd come in, nn,i nike him
blieve she ate afpre, and pretind that she
was giving hun her lavings, an laugh m
Joke with him. Och! but her laugh had u
quare sound thin. just like the crushing Of
her heart; it I'D make my flesh creep; but
you wor always minding every boay bar
ring yourself, mother dear! | hcerd 'en,
say no one could chrivc spade deeper nor
my father once, but hunger is stronger nor
the strong man; when that is Juggling n, the
inside thin the arm is very wake. lie
tainted over his spade, mn wns soon lying
down 10 the faver. We wor out of the
doctors way, nm the prizes, was always
out, an nothing to quinch the thirst thu,
wns pcrishing him, barring can of cold
wather from the s,rcame "iorc the door.
Day nm nigh. mu,l,er set beside the
whisp Of straw that kept him from the
flrr. o! but his face was hot aud red .
his two eyes like lighting Goals, mn puff
Of his brenth 'ud burn We, an he sa, Ing
such out Of the way things in his wandher-
ings. Well. we thought he was getting
coil hut snrc no,gh, twas DEATHS own
cs!d fingers upon him. For ne 90, sensi.
bic, an said "a ,ncther, 'Norah, acnshia ma
ckrce, put yer hand under my head, an'
raise me; the sight is leaving my ewes, but
Net me feel We kissing me and then he died
of quite nisv, just MS the dav dawns; an
the spirit died in me too, but ! could't help
staring ut mother. As soon ms she Ind
covered the body, she stated herself formist
il, and hardly stirring for two days ma,
be. thought all her icars were used np;
for her eyes wor dry as dust. Them wor
the sorrowful d.ys.
There was food in the house thin, but
70 couldn't tasts il; tits very aisy to give
tho body enough when the heart il full.
On the third day she wrapped him in her
ould clcok and called me to help her; SO we
carried him 10 the grave ourselves, without
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