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Carleton, William, 1794-1869

"Phelim Otoole's Courtship and Other Stories Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of William Carleton, Volume Three"


Och, do something for them that way, Owen, an' you'll relieve the heart
that loves them. It's a sore sight to a mother's eye, Owen, to see her
childhre beggin' their morsel."
"It is darlin'--it is; we'll hire out the three eldest--Brian, an' Owen,
an' Pether, to herd cows; an' we may get Peggy into some farmer's
house to do loose jobs an' run of messages. Then we'd have only little
Kathleen an' poor Ned along wid us. I'll try any way, an' if I can get
them places, who knows what may happen? I have a plan in my head that
I'll tell you, thin."
"Arrah, what is it, Owen, jewel. Sure if I know it, maybe when I'm
sorrowful, that thinkin' of it, an' lookin' forrid to it will make me
happier. An' I'm sure, acushla, you would like that."
"But maybe, Kathleen, if it wouldn't come to pass, that the
disappointment 'ud be heavy on you?"
"How could it, Owen? Sure we can't be worse nor we are, whatever
happens?"
"Thrue enough, indeed, I forgot that; an' yet we might, Kathleen. Sure
we'd be worse, if we or the childhre had bad health."
"God forgive me thin, for what I said! We might be worse. Well, but what
is the plan, Owen?"
"Why, when we got the childhre places, I'll sthrive to take a little
house, an' work as a cottar. Then, Kathleen, we'd have a home of our
own. I'd work from light to light; I'd work before hours an' afther
hours; ay, nine days in the week, or we'd be comfortable in our own
little home.


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