"
"Pray how long is it since you have eaten anything yourself?"
The tears burst from the eyes of the miserable creature as he replied--
"Before God in glory, your honor, an' in the presence of his Lordship
here, I only got about what 'ud make betther nor half a male widin the
last day, sir. 'Twas a weeshy grain o' male that I got from a friend;
an' as Ned Connor here tauld me that this crathur had nothin' to make
the gruel for him, why I shared it wid him, bekase he couldn't even beg
it, sir, if he wanted it, an' him not able to walk yit."
The worthy pastor's eyes glistened with a moisture that did him honor.
Without a word of observation, he slipped a crown into the hand of Dunn,
who looked at it as if he had been paralyzed.
"Oh thin," said he, fervently, "may every hair on your honor's head
become a mould-candle to light you into glory! The world's goodness is
in your heart, sir; an' may all the blessin's of Heaven rain down upon
you an' yours!"
The two gentlemen then gave assistance to the poor scholar, whom the
Bishop addressed in kind and encouraging language:
"Come to me, my good boy," he added, "and if, on further inquiry, I find
that your conduct has been such as I believe it to have been, you may
rest assured, provided also you continue worthy of my good opinion, that
I shall be a friend and protector to you. Call on me when you got well,
and I will speak to you at greater length."
"Well," observed Connor, when they were gone, "the divil's own hard
puzzle the Bishop had me in, about stalin' the milk.
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