He looked at his
fine boy, and was silent for a minute, after which he wiped the moisture
from his eyes. Art, on seeing his father affected, became so himself,
and added--
"That's my only raison, father, for not goin'; I wouldn't like to lave
you an' them, if I could help it."
"Well, acushla," replied the father, while his eyes beamed on him with
tenderness and affection, "sure we wouldn't ax you to go, if we could
any way avoid it--it's for your own good we do it. Don't refuse to go,
Art; sure for my sake you won't?"
"I will go, then," he replied; "I'll go for your sake, but I'll miss you
all."
"An' we'll miss you, ahagur. God bless you, Art dear, it's jist like
you. Ay, will we in throth miss you; but, then, think what a brave fine
thing it'll be for you to have a grip of a dacent independent trade,
that'll keep your feet out o' the dirt while you live."
"I will go," repeated Art, "but as for the trade, I'll have none but
Frank's. I'll be a carpenter, for then he and I can be together."
In addition to the affectionate motive which Art had mentioned to his
father--and which was a true one--as occasioning his reluctance to learn
a trade, there was another, equally strong and equally tender. In the
immediate neighborhood there lived a family named Murray, between whom
and the Maguires there subsisted a very kindly intimacy.
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