He accordingly left the house, and walked about the garden and farm-yard, in a state little short of actual distraction.

When the last scene was over, and her actual sufferings closed for ever, the outrage of grief among his children became almost hushed from a dread of witnessing the sufferings of their father; and for the time a great portion of their own sorrow was merged in what they felt for him.

Nor was this feeling confined to themselves.

His neighbors and acquaintances, on hearing of Mrs.
M'Mahon's death, almost all exclaimed:-- "Oh, what will become of him?
they are nothing an will forget her soon, as is natural, well as they loved her; but poor Tom, oh! what on earth will become of him ?" Every eye, however, now turned toward Bryan, who was the only one of the family possessed of courage enough to undertake the task of breaking the heart-rending intelligence to their bereaved father.
"It must be done," he said, "and the sooner it's done the better; what would I give to have my darlin' Kathleen here.

Her eye and her advice would give me the strength that I stand so much in need of.