“Take the pigeon, my honest, generous lad,” said Mr. Somerville, “and carry him back to your neighbour. I forgive him all the mischief he has done me, tell your friend, for your sake. As to the rest, we can have the windows mended; and do you keep all the sixpences you earn for yourself.”
“That’s what he never did yet,” said the carpenter. “Many’s the sixpence he earns, but not a halfpenny goes into his own pocket: it goes every farthing to his poor father and mother. Happy for them to have such a son!”
“More happy for him to have such a father and mother,” exclaimed the boy. “Their good days they took all the best care of me that was to be had for love or money, and would, if I would let them, go on paying for my schooling now, falling as they be in the world; but I must learn to mind the shop now. Good morning to you, sir; and thank you kindly,” said he to Mr. Somerville.
“And where does this boy live, and who are his father and mother? They cannot live in town,” said Mr. Somerville, “or I should have heard of them.”
“They are but just come into the town, please your honour,” said the carpenter. “They lived formerly upon Counsellor O’Donnel’s estate; but they were ruined, please your honour, by taking a joint lease with a man, who fell afterwards into bad company, ran out all he had, so could not pay the landlord; and these poor people were forced to pay his share and their own too, which almost ruined them. They were obliged to give up the land; and now they have furnished a little shop in this town with what goods they could afford to buy with the money they got by the sale of their cattle and stock. They have the good-will of all who know them; and I am sure I hope they will do well. The boy is very ready in the shop, though he said only that he could earn sixpence a day. He writes a good hand, and is quick at casting up accounts, for his age. Besides, he is likely to do well in the world, because he is never in idle company, and I’ve known him since he was two foot high, and never heard of his telling a lie.”
“This is an excellent character of the boy, indeed,” said Mr. Somerville, “and from his behaviour this morning I am inclined to think that he deserves all your praises.”
Mr. Somerville resolved to inquire more fully concerning this poor family, and to attend to their conduct himself, fully determined to assist them if he should find them such as they had been represented.
In the meantime, this boy, whose name was Brian O’Neill, went to return the white pigeon to its owner. “You have saved its life,” said the woman to whom it belonged, “and I’ll make you a present of it.” Brian thanked her; and he from that day began to grow fond of the pigeon. He always took care to scatter some oats for it in his father’s yard; and the pigeon grew so tame at last that it would hop about the kitchen, and eat off the same trencher with the dog.
Brian, after the shop was shut up at night, used to amuse himself with reading some little books which the schoolmaster who formerly taught him arithmetic was so good as to lend him. Amongst these he one evening met with a little book full of the history of birds and beasts; he looked immediately to see whether the pigeon was mentioned amongst the birds, and, to his great joy, he found a full description and history of his favourite bird.
“So, Brian, I see your schooling has not been thrown away upon you; you like your book, I see, when you have no master over you to bid you read,” said his father, when he came in and saw Brian reading his book very attentively.