I'll not have
you doing anything of the sort. If you know anything that can help a
baby when it's sick, you may do that, but nothing else."
"I do know one thing that can help a sick baby," Mrs. O'Brien answered
"and that I'll do, if you like it or not. If that thing there is one
of the Good People, as I think, it's not sick, and it will live for
thousands of years after we are dead. We can neither help it nor much
hurt it. But if that is your child, it doesn't look to me as if it
would live an hour. I'll not try whether it's yours or not, but if
it's yours I'll not stand by and see its soul die, that ought to be
the soul of a Christian. Ellen Sullivan, that child will be christened
before I leave this house."
"Christened!" poor Ellen cried in amazement. "And who's to christen
him? We couldn't get a priest here in an hour--maybe not to-day."
"There's no need of a priest," Mrs. O'Brien said; "I'll christen him
myself. Bring me some water there, Peter."
"But sure you can't do that," Peter protested. "Nobody but a priest
could christen a child.
Pages:
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177