hose of their
pastors and fellow-Christians, for the happy passage and merciful
judgment for their departing brother. Such were the tears and sadness
that Paul O'Clery and his little attendants shed around the bed of
their dying mother.

"Paul, my child, why do you act so?" said she, gently chiding him.

"O mother! mother! how can I help it? Stop ye your crying there," said
he, taking courage, and turning to his younger associates. "Silence
Bridget, Patrick, and Eugene. Answer me distinctly, and hold your grief.
It will vex mother." And he continued the prayer from where he left off
with as good grace as he could.

The venerable priest, though inside the door, was unperceived during
this affecting scene; and the heavy tears might be seen stealing down
his furrowed cheeks as he surveyed the group before him.

"O, faith of my Lord, O, best gift of God, how precious thou art! Thou
canst change men into angels, earth into paradise, and convert the
misery and poverty of the poor emigrant into a picture like this, that
heaven itself must delight to gaze on. That's right, my darling son,"
said he, "you have finished well; you have done your duty towards your
mother, for which God will bless you, and I bless you in his name. In
nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen."

"The priest, mother!" whispered Bridget. "I know him by his cloak."

"Glory, honor, and praise be to the Almighty," said the calm and now
rejoicing widow, as she saw the face of the venerable minister of
religion. "The Lord is too good to me, not to let me die in a strange
land, without the consolations of my holy religion," she continued,
kissing the silver crucifix of her beads.

The heart of the good man was too full to give utterance to many words;
and seeing that Death was at hand, that already he was master of all but
the heart,--for the extremes were cold and without feeling,--he ordered
the children down to Mrs. Doherty's, while he heard the short and humble
confession of the poor departing soul, administered the most holy
viaticum, with extreme unction, and read the last benediction of the
church--"In articulo mortis."

He then strengthened her soul with a few words of exhortation, and
having prescribed a few short, ejaculatory prayers, bidding her to have
the name, as well as the image, of Jesus ever in her heart and lips, he
departed, promising to call again as soon as possible, taking the
precaution to leave two dollars in silver a