God that I can testify, however slightly, my deep sense of the
virtues which you exercised towards me; although I regret that the
occasion is one of such affliction."

The farmer raised his eyes and feeble hands towards heaven. "Praise an'
glory to your name, good God!" he exclaimed. "Praise an' glory to your
holy name! Now I know that I'm not forgotten, when you brought back the
little kindness I did that boy for your sake, wid so many blessins to me
in the hour of my affliction an' sufferin'! Childher remimber this,
now that I'm goin' to lave yez for ever! Remimber always to help the
stranger, an' thim that's poor an' in sorrow. If you do, God won't
forget it to you; but will bring it back to yez when you stand in need
of it, as he done to me this day. You see, childhre dear, how small
thrifles o' that kind depend on one another. If I hadn't thought of
helpin' his Reverence here when he was young and away from his own, he
wouldn't think of callin' upon us this day as he was passin'. You see
the hand of God is in it, childhre: which it is, indeed, in every thing
that passes about us, if we could only see it as we ought to do. Thin,
but I'd like to look upon your face, sir, if it's plasin' to you? A
little more to the light, sir. There, I now see you. Ay, indeed, it's
changed for the betther it is--: the same mild, clear countenance, but
not sorrowful, as when I seen it last. Suffer me to put my hand on your
head, sir; I'd like to bless you before I die, for I can't forget what
you undertook to do for your parents."

The priest sat near him; but finding he was scarcely able to raise his
hand to his head, he knelt down, and the farmer, before he communicated
the blessing inquired--

"Musha, sir, may I ax, wor you able to do anything to help your family
as you expected?"

"God," said the priest, "made me the instrument of raising them from
their poverty; they are now comfortable and happy."

"Ay! Well I knew at the time, an' I said it, that a blessin' would
attind your endayvors. An' now resave my blessin'. May you never depart
from the right way! May the blessin' of God rest upon you for
ever--Amin! Childhre, I'm gettin' wake; come near me, till, till I bless
you, too, for the last time! They were good childhre, sir--they were
ever an' always good to me, an' to their poor mother, your Reverence;
an'--God forgive me if it's a sin!--but I feel a great dale o' my heart
an' my love fixed upon them. But sure I'm their fa