AN OLD IRISH NURSE 



It was not surprising that our mother should have imagined 

 she was passing us over to a much gentler authority / but 

 as a matter of factindolent, ignorant, peevish the new 

 nursery autocrat was given to enforcing her orders by 

 threats of a ghastly and impossible description. 

 " I'll cut your tongue out/' was a favourite menace, which, 

 if defied, would be supplemented by "Wait, now, till I 

 run and get my scissors/' 



Stronger of body, more enlightened in mind, my co- 

 nurseryites treated these remarks with the scorn they 

 deserved. But I cannot describe the agony with which 

 they pressed upon me. It is peculiar to all children that 

 these terrors are never communicated to others. Not even 

 to my brothers and sisters would I breathe one word of 

 my apprehensions. But the misery took shape in horrible 

 dreams and sleepless nights. And when matters became 

 too intolerable, I would creep out of my little bed, and 

 patter across the bare boards into the adjoining room 

 where the housekeeper slept. On no single occasion did 

 she show the smallest severity or even annoyance 

 at being disturbed. 



" Mobie," I would pipe, " I'm afraid ! . . . May 

 I get into your bed ? " 



" Come in, Alanna," was the invariable response. 

 Oh ! the comfort of snuggling against her ! 

 Whether she promptly fell asleep again, or whether 

 she watched and talked loving nonsense one felt 

 equally safe, equally blessedly happy. If she slept, 

 it was lightly enough, like all old people/ and each 

 time she turned or moved in the bed, the small bed- 

 fellow would hear her murmur: 



243 



