The gossoon was equal to emergencies; he put down his heavier burden of
goods and picked up the baby, lest it might run back to America. "God
be praised, what's this coming afther ye?" exclaimed the mother, while
Nora, weeping for joy, ran past her into the house. "Oh, God bless the
shild that I thought I 'd never see. Oh!" and she looked again at the
stranger, the breathless old man with the thorn stick, whom everybody
had left behind. "'T is me brother Patsy! Oh, me heart's broke wit'
joy!" and she fell on her knees among the daisies.
"It's meself, then!" said Mr. Patrick Quin. "How are ye the day, Mary?
I always t'ought I 'd see home again, but 't was Nora enticed me now.
Johnny O'Callahan's a good son to ye; he 'd liked well to come with us,
but he gets short l'ave on the Road, and he has a fine, steady job; he
'll see after the business, too, while we 're gone; no, I could n't let
the two childer cross the say alone. Coom now, don't be sayin' anny
more prayers; sure, we 'll be sayin' them together in the old church
coom Sunday.
"There, don't cry, Mary, don't cry, now! Coom in in the house! Sure,
all the folks sint their remimbrance, and hoped you 'd come back with
us and stay a long while. That's our intintion, too, for you,"
continued Patrick, none the less tearful himself because he was so full
of fine importance; but nobody could stop to listen after the first
moment, and the brother and sister were both crying faster than they
could talk. A minute later the spirit of the hostess rose to her great
occasion.
"Go, chase those white hins," Nora's mother commanded the gossoon, who
had started back to bring up more of the rich-looking bundles from the
side-car. "Run them up-hill now, or they 'll fly down to Kinmare. Go
now, while I stir up me fire and make a cup o' tay. 'T is the laste I
can do whin me folks is afther coming so far!"
"God save all here!" said Uncle Patsy devoutly, as he stepped into the
house. There sat little Nora with the tired baby in her arms; to tell
the truth, she was crying now for lack of Johnny. She looked pale, but
her eyes were shining, and a ray of sunlight fell through the door and
brightened her red hair. She looked quite beautiful and radiant as she
sat there.
"Well, Nora, ye 're here, ain't you?" said the old man.
"Only this morning," said the mother, "whin I opened me eyes I says to
meself: 'Where's Nora?' says I; 'she do be so long wit'out writing home
to me;' look at her now by me own fire! Wisha, but what's all this
whillalu and stramach down by the brook? Oh, see now! the folks have
got word; all the folks is here! Coom out to them, Nora; give me the
shild; coom out, Patsy boy!"
"Where 's Nora? Where 's Nora?" they could hear the loud cry coming,
as all the neighbors hurried up the hill.