"
The Colonel then left him; and the simple man, on looking at the cold
meat, bread, and wine before him, raised his hands and eyes towards
heaven, to thank God for his goodness, and to invoke a blessing upon his
noble and munificent benefactor.
But how shall we describe the feelings of his family, when, after
returning home, he related the occurrences of that day. The severe and
pressing exigencies under which they labored had prevented his sons
from attending the investigation that was to take place in town. Their
expectations, however, were raised, and they looked out with intense
anxiety for the return of their father.
At length he was seen coming slowly up the hill; the spades were thrown
aside, and the whole family assembled to hear "what was done."
The father entered in silence, sat down, and after wiping his brow and
laying down his hat, placing his staff across it upon the floor, he drew
his breath deeply.
"Dominick," said the wife, "what news? What was done?"
"Vara," replied Dominick, "do you remimber the day--fair and handsome
you wor then--when I first kissed your lips, as my own darlin' wife?"
"Ah, avourneen, Dominick, don't spake of them times. The happiness we
had then is long gone, acushla, in one sense."
"It's before me like yestherday, Vara--the delight that went through my
heart, jist as clear as yestherday, or the blessed sun that's shinin'
through the broken windy on the floor there. I remimber, Vara, saying
to you that day--I don't know whether you remimber it or not--but I
remimber sayin' to you, that if I lived a thousand years, I could never
feel sich happiness as I did when I first pressed you to my heart as my
own wife.
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