Fardorougha, The Miser: The Works of William Carleton, Volume OneCarleton, William
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Fardorougha, The Miser: The Works of William Carleton, Volume One
Carleton, William
Ireland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
“I do, alanna dheelish; your body, as well as your mind, is sick; but
we'll sind for the doctor, darlin', and you'll soon be betther, I hope.”
“I hope so; and then Connor and I can be married in spite of them. Don't
they say, mother, that marriages are made in heaven?”
“They do, darlin'.”
“Well, then, I will meet him there. Oh, my head--my head! I cannot
bear--bear this racking pain.”
Her mother, who, though an uneducated woman, was by no means deficient
in sagacity, immediately perceived that her mind was beginning to
exhibit symptoms of being unsettled. Having, therefore, immediately
called one of the maid-servants, she gave her orders to stay with Una,
who had now gone to bed, until she herself could again return to her.
She instantly proceeded to the parlor, where her husband and son were,
and with a face pale from alarm, told them that she feared Una's mind
was going.
“May the Almighty forbid!” exclaimed her father, laying down his knife
and fork, for they had just sat down to dinner; “oh, what makes you say
such a thing, Bridget? What on earth makes you think it?”
“For Heaven's sake, mother, tell us at once,” inquired the son, rising
from the table, and walking distractedly across the room.
“Why, she's beginning to rave about him,” replied her mother; “she's
afther saying that she'll be married to him in spite o' them.”
“In spite o' who, Bridget?” asked the Bodagh, wiping his eyes--“in spite
o' who does she mane?”
“Why, I suppose in spite of Flanagan and thim that found him guilty,”
replied his wife.
“Well, but what else did she say, mother?”
“She axed me if marriages warn't made in heaven; and I tould her that
the people said so; upon that she said she'd meet him there, and then
she complained of her head. The trewth is, she has a heavy load of
sickness on her back, and the sorra hour should be lost till we get a
docthor.”
“Yes, that is the truth, mother; I'll go this moment for Dr. H----.
There's nothing like taking these things in time. Poor Una! God knows
this trial is a sore one upon a heart so, faithful and affectionate as
hers.”
“John, had you not betther ait something before you go?” said his
father; “you want it afther the troublesome day you had.”
“No, no,” replied the son; “I cannot--I cannot; I will neither eat nor
drink till I hear what the doctor will say about her. O, my God!” he
exclaimed, whilst his eyes filled with tears, “and is it come to this
with you, our darling Una?--I won't lose a moment till I return,”
he added, as he went out; “nor will I, under any circumstances, come
without medical aid of some kind.”
“Let these things be taken away, Bridget,” said the Bodagh; “my appetite
is gone, too; that last news is the worst of all. May the Lord of heaven
keep our child's mind right! for, oh, Bridget, wouldn't death itself be
far afore that?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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