Holy Mother'll put in a good word for the chile afore
mornin'."

CHAPTER VII

A STOCKING FULL OF GOLD

Mrs Kelly and her grandson Tom lived in one of the two cottages just
outside the gates. Her husband, when he was alive, had worked in the
garden at Rowallan. She was a sprightly little woman, rosy-cheeked and
black-eyed, and always wore a black woollen hood, that had a border of
grey fur, around her face. The children loved to go to tea with her,
to eat potato bread just off the griddle, and hear the tales of the
days when she was young: when the boys and girls would go miles for the
sake of a dance, and when there was not a wake in the countryside that
she did not foot it with the best, in her white muslin dress and white
stockings.

Lull said Mrs Kelly hadn't her sorrows to seek. But the children
thought they had never seen anyone who looked more cheerful. She
herself said there were not many old women who were so well off.
"Sure, I've got me wee house, that I wouldn't change for a king's
palace," she said one day, "an' me grandson Tom, that niver said a
wrong word to me. Wouldn't I be the quare old witch if I didn't be
thankin' Almighty God for it!"

But one morning ould Davy, who lived in the next cottage, when he came
to work, brought a message from Mrs Kelly to say that Tom was ill.
Jane, who went down to see what was the matter, came back crying.

"He's goin' to die," she said, choking back her tears, "an' she's
sittin' by the fire cryin' her heart out."

"Auch, the critter! she's had sorras enough without that," said Lull.

"What ails him?" Mick asked.

"He's got consumption, an' she says--she says--she's buried eight a'
them with it."

"God help her! she was the brave wee woman," said Lull.

"Mebby he'll get better," said Patsy.

"He'll niver do that in this world," Lull said sadly.

"It's just awful," said Jane. "She says there's no cure for it. It'd
break yer heart to see her sittin' there."

"I'm sure as anything Doctor Dixey could cure him," said Fly. "Didn't
he mend Patsy's foot when he hurted it in the threshin' machine? An'
didn't he take them ould ulsters out a' my throat?"

There was some hope in this, the children thought. And though Lull
shook her head she allowed them to send Andy for Doctor Dixey. It was
not until the evening that the doctor came. Lull had promised that
they might stay up to hear what he thought about Tom. When he did
come, and Lull took hi