Stories and Sketches | Page 2

to her sister's
motherless boy; she trated me kindly and allowed me to share her home,
although she could ill afford it, till I got a place as sarvant in a
gintleman's family. As for my father, he niver throubled his head about
me any more; indade I think he was glad to be rid uv me, an' all by
manes of that wicked woman. It was near two years afther I lift home
that I took the notion of going to Ameriky; me aunt advised me against
going, but, whin she saw that me mind was set on it, she consinted, and
did her best, poor woman, to sind me away lookin' dacent and
respectable. I niver saw me father or me stepmother agin. I had no wish
to see her; but, although I knew me father no longer loved me, I had
still some natral-like feelin's for him; but, as I had runaway from home,

I durst not go back, an' so I lift Ireland widout a sight uv him. But I
could not lave it foriver, as it might be, widout one more sight uv me
mother's grave. I rached the small village where me father lived about
nightfall, and lodged in the house uv a kind neighbor who befrinded me,
an he promised, at my earnest wish, to say nothing to any one uv my
visit. Early in the morning, before any one was astir in the village, I
stole away to the churchyard where they buried me mother. I knelt
down, I did, an' kissed the sods which covered her grave, an' prayed
that the blessin' which she pronounced before she died, wid her hand
restin' on me head, might follow me wheriver I might go." The boy
took from his pocket a small parcel, carefully inclosed in a paper,
which he handed to me, saying: "I gathered these shamrocks from off
me mothers grave, before I lift it forever."
My own eyes; grew moist as I gazed upon the now withered shamrock
leaves which the poor boy prized so highly. Would that they had
proved as a talisman to guard him from evil! I listened with much
interest to Terry's story till our conversation was suddenly interrupted
by Mr. ---- calling him, in no very gentle tones, to go and drive home
the cows from the far pasture. To reach this pasture he must needs pass
through about a quarter of a mile of thick woods. He had a great dread
of walking alone in the woods, which his imagination filled with wild
animals. When he returned that evening he seemed very much terrified,
and, when questioned as to the cause, he replied that he "had met a wild
baste in the woods, and was kilt entirely wid the fright uv it."
We endeavoured to gain from him a description of the animal he had
seen, but for some time were unable. "What color was the animal?"
enquired Mrs. ----, "Indade Ma'am an' its jist the color uv a dog he
was," answered Terry. This reply was greeted with a burst of laughter
from all present, at which he was highly offended. In order to pacify
him I said, "we would not laugh at you, Terry, only that dogs are of so
many different colors that we are as much in the dark as ever regarding
the color of the animal you saw." "Well thin," replied he, "if you must
know, he was a dirthy brown, the varmint, that he was." From what we
could learn from him we were led to suppose that he had met with one
of those harmless little creatures, called the "Woodchuck," which his

nervous terror aided by the deepening twilight, had magnified into a
formidable wild beast.
A few evenings after, two or three friends of the family chanced to call;
and in course of conversation some one mentioned an encampment of
Indians, who had recently located themselves in our vicinity, for the
purpose of gathering material for the manufacture of baskets, and other
works of Indian handicraft. Terry had never seen an Indian, and
curiosity, not unmixed with fear, was excited in his mind, when he
learned that a number of those dark people were within three miles of
us. He asked many questions regarding their personal appearance,
habits, &c. It was evident that he entertained some very comical ideas
upon the subject. After sitting for a time silent, he suddenly enquired,
"Do they ate pratees like other people?" A lady, present, in order to
impose upon his credulity, replied, "Indeed Terry they not only eat
potates, but they sometimes eat people." His countenance expressed
much alarm, as he replied, "Faix thin, but I'll kape out o'their way."
After a short time he began to suspect they were making