All-Hallow Eve; or, The Test of Futurity, Chapters XXX-XXXVI [pp. 241-263]

All-Hallow Eve; or, The Test of Futurity.
ceeding ones of which dragged Tom
Murdock to an ignominious grave.
Old Ned and Winny, accompanied
by faithful Bully-dhu, had returned to
B, where the old man read and
loitered about, watching every figure
which approached, hopipg to see his
angel girl pass on some mission of
holy charity, dressed in her black hood
and cape.
Accompanied by Bully-dhu, he
picked up every occurrence in the
street, and compiled them in his memory, to amuse Winny in the evenings,
in return for her descriptions of this
or that case of distress which she had
relieved. Thus they told story about,
not very unlike tragedy and farce!
A sufficient time had now elapsed,
not only for the deeds to have been
perfected, but for the provisions which
they set forth to have been carried
out. Pat Lennon had already removed to the comfortable cottage upon
the snug little farm which had been
purchased for him by Winny, and the
"annuity" she had settled upon him
was bearing interest in the savingsbank at C. O. S.
Phil M'Dermott was one of the best
to do men in that side of the country,
and his wife (if you can guess who
she was) was the nicest and the handsomest woman (now that Winny was
gone) that you'd meet with in the congregation of the three chapels within
four miles of where she lived.
Jamesy Doyle had been transferredhead, body, and bones-to the establishment, where he excelled himself
in everything which was good and
useful and-handy. Many a figary
was got from time to time after himin
the forge, filed up bright and nice,
and if he does not "sorely belie" his
abilities and aptitude, he will one day
become a "whitesmith" of no mean
reputation.
Biddy Murtagh was to have gone
as cook and thorough servant to Mrs.
Ml.'Dermott; but the hundred pounds
which had been lodged to her credit
in the bank soon smoothed the way
between her and Denis Murrican-a
Shanvilla boy, you will guess-who
induced her to become cook, but not
thorough servant, I hope, to himself;
so Kate M'Dermott-how strange
it seems not to write'Kate Mul.
vey'!-was obliged to get somebody
else.
* Poor Winny, blighted in her own
hopes of this world's happiness, had
turned her thoughts to a surer and
more abiding source. She had seen
her plans for the happiness df those
she loved carried out to a success almost beyond her hopes. Her poor
old father, getting whiter and whiter
as the years rolled on, attained a ripe
and good old age, blessed in the fond
society of the only being whom he
loved on earth. Winny herself found
too large a field for individual charity
and good to think of joining any society, however estimable, during her
father's lifetime, and was emphatically
the Sister of Charity in the singular
number.
But poor old Ned has long since
passed away from this scene of earthly
cares, and sleeps in peace in his own
chapel-yard, between two tombs. Long
as the journey was, Winny had the
courage and self-control to come with
her father's bier, and see his coffin
laid beside that of him who had been
so rudely snatched away, and whom
she had so devotedly loved. Poor
Bully-dhu was at the funeral, and
gazed into the fresh-made grave min
silent, dying grief. When all was
over, and the last green sod slapped
down upon the mound, he could nowhere be found. He had suddenly
eluded all observation. But ere a
week had passed by, he was found
dead upon his master's grave, after
the whole neighborhood had been
terrified by a night of the m1ost dismal howling which was ever heard.
Winny returned to the sphere of
her usefulness and hope, where for
many years she continued to exercise
a course of unselfish charity, which
made many a heart sing for joy.
But she, too, passed away, and was
brought home to her last resting-place
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