Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-09-10
]goutb's Department.
THE IRISH BOY.
A STORY OF THE rAM1NE.

90 thin don't shut the door awhile won't
some of We listen to me for tbs a sorrowful
story I've to tell. The shining beams OF the
blessed heaven on yer head, my lady an let
me spake a mint, while the hunger laves me
strength. Och little thought I'd ever be
driven from the strangers thrashel. For
wasn't always housces an friendless. Tisnt
long since was happy an continted in my
own fathers house, in the mountain beyant,
but wrra true tbs empty an desoate now
The fire has gone out on our hearth stone,
an my hand will niver be strong enough to
kndlc it agn Many night sat by it, lis
tening to ould stories, or hearing my mother /
sing wild the red light dancing up an down
her face an her voice rising an falling so
beautiful. till, in spite o me my eyes filled /
up wild tears. That was the pleasant crying /
but many is the bitter one fell from EN- since.
the blight of hard year fell on our crops, my |
lady, an thin come starvation where full an
plenty wor aforo A woesomo change came |
over us all; everything was sold to gather
the rint even, my own little goldhnch; sure,
tsn't that grudgod it. Mother didn't sing |
hin, and when she tried to spake joyful. to |
cheer my father up, there was a shake in her |
; voice. an her lip trembled; an they both /
had frightened look; no wonder, wild fam
inc staring EN- in the face. For we'd be
whole day, an more may be, widout tasting
food, an couldn't get it anyhow an d 90 |
to bed sick an hinting like but ! dldn
mind myself at all at all, only my little sister /
Norah. In all the country round there wasn't /
prettier child wild her checks of pink and /
snow. an her white forehead, wild the yellow
hair on it. like gold rings, only softer a dale
an shining eyes, the color of the sky in June.
o dear the hunger bore heavy on the inno-
cent child an rubbed out all the dimples IN
her face. an faded the red blush, an her eyes
: sunk back in her head, as if all the tears she
cried put out the light in EN-. An o lady
! it would have gone to your hearts heart 10
sec her hold out her thin long hand, an hear
; her young small voice, that used to be lanSh-
ing all the day, axing for bread an none TO
the fore Then mother I'd soothe her to
V sleep. an her face working all the time. The
y, sob would be on Norahs heart, an she asleep
= But ono night, after being stupid-like long
. while, she reused to say, m very hungry
and before the words were out of her mouth.
:, she stretched herself out on her mothers lap,
= and died Well, TUX on greatly at that =
~ but mother said God had taken her from the
" misery, and she wouldn't be hungry agln, Tor
the angels in hivin were feeding her. Thin
It thought, only for mother, Id like to go too.
:. Father berrd her igidom a coffin. She was
W. long strange thing to me. My father got
as work at last but the power to do it was going
fast An mother nd keen the last bite and
en- ann :, tho bousc far him. ,ybin he'd come in
ay and made him believe that she ate afore and
IN pretnd she was giving him her lavings, an
w laugh an Joke wild him. Och buther langf
had quare sound thin, Just like the crushing
w, of her heart it nd make my flesh creep;-
lel Int yo,, vor always nindin, every body bar
M ri,,, vourself mother dear hccrd EN- sa,
90 M onc could dbrive shade dceper nor m
mther once. hut hanger Is shronqer than III
s,Lrop, ,,,,,---,vhin that il tugrinr at the in
sidc hi, the arm, ie worry wake. He fainto
ovcrb Ne sn,do an was soon living down il
so nver W. wor ont of the doctors way, an
as tho nricst WINS ALWAYS ont. an a weight G
nav .;oLnoss -, nav f,ther an nothin, TO ouinc
but mo thi,st NAT ,yos nerisbino him. barring
inc can of cola yothcr from the strame afore tn
ere door nav an, nigbt mother sat beside tn
90. ,yhisn Of sihrow that kent him from the Aooi
,rs. oi INT his face was hot an red his two eve
ry- like Gghtnino Goals. am puff of his breat
hey nd bnrn 90 an he saving such QUITO til,
and y,v tbings in his wnndberinqs. Well. "
90. thougbt he was getting cool but sure enough
ar ,twns deaths own cold fingers upon him.
tie nor no ,,ot opito sensible and said TO mothe
leir .Norob ocushIa ma cbyee. nut yer hand und,
OBJ my hoad an raise me : and then he died o
ON. nn;to oisy nst AZ the dav dawn: an the spi
,rs. i diod IN me too. hut couldn't help starir
va nt nv mother. Assoon as she stroked Il
we body. she stated herselfforeninst it, and har
e to lv stirring for two DAYS. may be. | thong
free al bcr tears mere used np for her eyes W
we dhrv as dust. Them wor the sorrowful day
ink, "rbere was food in the house thin, but
and couldn't taste it: tbs very aisy to give t
maid bodv enough whin the heart is full On t
the third day she wrapped him in her ould cloa
they and called me to helm her SO we carried h
|, or to the grave ourselves; without shroud or c.
nded fin. for the neighbors wor too hard put to
sale to keep themselves alive to mind us or o
dead a light weight he was, dhried up
ears shrunk away. Sure. twas the great q
non eaye strength to mother that day. for nothi
Idly, was too hard for her We scraped out t
rust earth an berrid him Mother didn't spa
ally, all the time. only she shivered and put
duce face atuno her hands. an thin she got
loing ,;,o s4o,,, ord ,,olLod homo so fast thl