There, is an end now to all my follies and all my crimes; an' I hope--I hope that God will have mercy upon me, an' forgive me." The tears rained fast upon his pale face from the old man's eyes, as he exclaimed-- "He will have mercy upon you, my darlin' son; look to Him.

I know, darlin', that whatever crimes or follies you committed, you are sorry for them, an' God will forgive you." "I am," he replied; "kiss me all of you; my sight is gettin' wake, an' my tongue isn't isn't so strong as it was." One after one they all kissed him, and as each knew that this tender and sorrowful, embrace must be the last that should ever pass between them, it is impossible adequately to describe the scene which then took place.
"I have a request to make," he added, feebly; "an' it is, that I may sleep with Peggy and our baby.

Maybe I'm not worthy of that; but still I'd like it, an' my heart's upon it; an' I think she would like it, too." "It can be done, an' we'll do it," replied his mother; "we'll do it my darlin' boy--my son, my son, we'll do it." "Don't you all forgive me--forgive me--everything ?" They could only, for some time, reply by their tears; but at length they did reply, and he seemed satisfied.
"Now," said he, "there was an ould Irish air that Peggy used to sing for me--I thought I heard her often singin' it of late--did I ?" "I suppose so, darlin'," replied his mother; "I suppose you did." "Mary, here," he proceeded, "sings it; I would like to hear it before I go; it's the air of _Gra Gal Machree_." "Before you go, _alanna!_" exclaimed his father, pressing him tenderly to his breast.

"Oh! but they're bitther words to us, my darlin' an' my lovin' boy.

But the air, Mary, darlin', strive an' sing it for him as well as you can." It was a trying task for the affectionate girl, who, however, so far overcame her grief, as to be able to sing it with the very pathos of nature itself.
"Ay," said he, as she proceeded, "that's it--that's what Peggy used to sing for me, bekaise she knew I liked it." Tender and full of sorrow were the notes as they came from the innocent lips of that affectionate sister.