This last stroke, darlin', has
laid us at the door of both poverty and sickness, but blessed be the
mother of heaven for it, they are all left wid us; and sure that's a
blessin' we've to be thankful for--glory be to God!"
"Ay, poor things, it's well to have them spared, Owen dear; sure I'd
rather a thousand times beg from door to door, and have my childher to
look at, than be in comfort widout them."
"Beg: that 'ud go hard wid me, Kathleen. I'd work--I'd live on next to
nothing all the year round; but to see the crathurs that wor dacently
bred up brought to that, I couldn't bear it, Kathleen--'twould break
the heart widin in me. Poor as they are, they have the blood of kings
in their veins; and besides, to see a M'Carthy beggin' his bread in the
country where his name was once great--The M'Carthy More, that was their
title-no, acushla, I love them as I do the blood in my own veins; but
I'd rather see them in the arms of God in heaven, laid down dacently
with their little sorrowful faces washed, and their little bodies
stretched out purtily before my eyes--I would--in the grave-yard there
beyant, where all belonging to me lie, than have it cast up to them, or
have it said, that ever a M'Carthy was seen beggin' on the highway."
"But, Owen, can you strike out no plan for us that 'ud put us in the way
of comin' round agin? These poor ones, if we could hould out for two or
three year, would soon be able to help us.
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