73 DIGGING A GRAVE —

servants seeing how mad I was, held me
back; and he quite past understanding, tried —
_ to stagger to his feet, to make a speech !”
~ Overcome by the memory of that dreadful
night, the Irish woman sank on her knees,
” drew out her rosary and muttered a prayer,
_ pressing the cross to her lips; she wiped
the drops from her forehead, and looking | |
at her young friend, who sat white and tremb-
) ling before her, she said,— | ,
“There, Mary, that has quieted me; when-
ever you're in trouble, Mary, dear, talk to
‘the beads : them’s the comfort! A hearty |
: prayer to the Almighty Father will P1lVe you
| the strength of a hundred men. They who
were so eager to get me to speak to him,
- earried me away. I pitied him the next day.
I did more; God help me, his agony was
so great, I tried to copy her, and ’ forgive
» him; and many 4 pull Il took at the beads that —
day, and they helped me to keep the devil