Her gait was now slow, her step languid; and they could perceive that, as she approached them, she wiped away the tears.

Indeed her whole appearance was indicative of the state of her mother; when they met her, her bitter sobbing and the sorrowful earnestness of manner with which she embraced the sisters, wore melancholy assurances that the condition of the sufferer was not improved.

Hanna joined her tears with hers; but Kathleen, whose sweet voice in attempting to give the affectionate girl consolation, was more than once almost shaken out of its firmness, did all she could to soothe and relieve her.
On entering the house, they found a number of the neighboring females assembled, and indeed the whole family, in consequence of the alarm and agitation visible them, might not inaptly be compared to a brood of domestic fowl when a hawk, bent on destruction, is seen hovering over their heads.
As is usual with Catholic families in their state of life, there were several of those assembled, and also some of themselves, at joint prayer in different parts of the house; and seated by her bedside was her youngest son, Art, engaged, with sobbing voice and eyes every now and then blinded with tears, in the perusal, for her comfort, of Prayers for the Sick.

Tom M'Mahon himself went about every now and then clasping his hands, and turning up his eyes to heaven in a distracted manner, exclaiming--"Oh! Bridget, Bridget, is it come to this at last! And you're lavin' me--you're lavin' me! Oh, my God! what will I do--how will I live, an' what will become of me!" On seeing Bryan, he ran to him and said,--"Oh! Bryan, to what point will I turn ?--where will I get consolation ?--how will I bear it?
Sure, she was like a blessin' from heaven among us; ever full of peace, and charity, and goodness--the kind word an' the sweet smile to all; but to me--to me--oh! Bridget, Bridget, I'd rather die than live afther you!" "Father, dear, your takin' it too much to heart," replied Bryan; "who knows but God may spare her to us still?
But you know that even if it's His will to remove her from amongst us"-- his voice here failed him for a moment--"hem--to remove her from amongst us, it's our duty to submit to it; but I hope in God she may recover still.

Don't give way to sich grief till we hear what the docthor will say, at all events.