second Wee have A grate dele of sympathy for his wife and his little girl, what has got to get along now without him. third wee are vary Proud of him cause he dide a trying to save John Welshes life and pat Morys life and the other mens lifes. fourth he was vary Good indede to us Boys, and they ain’t one of us but what liked him vary mutch and feel vary bad. fift Wee dont none of us ixpect to have no moar sutch good Times at the braker as wee did Befoar. sixt Wee aint scollers enougth to rite it down just what wee feel, but wee feel a hunderd times more an what weave got rote down.

    Joe Foster, comity,

    Pat Donnelly, comity,

    his solem mark

    Jack + MURFY comity.

The widow laid aside the paper, put her face in her hands, and began to weep.  There was something in the honest, unskilled way in which these boys had laid their hearts open before her in this time of general sorrow, that brought the tears into her eyes at last, and for many minutes they flowed without restraint.  Those who were with her knew that the danger that had menaced her was passed.

After a little she lifted her head.

“I will see the boys,” she said.  “I will thank them in person.  Tell them to assemble in the hall.”

The message was given, and the boys filed into the broad hall, and stood waiting, hats in hand, in silence and in awe.

Down the wide staircase the lady came, holding her little girl by the hand, and at the last step they halted.  As Ralph looked up and saw her face, pallid but beautiful, and felt the influence of her gracious yet commanding presence, there came over him again that strange sensation as of beholding some familiar sight.  It seemed to him that sometime, somewhere, he had not only seen her and known her, but that she had been very close to him.  He felt an almost uncontrollable impulse to cry out to her for some word, some look of recognition.  Then she began to speak.  He held himself firmly by the back of a chair, and listened as to a voice that had been familiar to him in some state of being prior to his life on earth.

“Boys,” said the lady, “I come to thank you in person for your assurances of sympathy for me and for my little daughter, and for your veneration for the dead.  I know that his feeling toward you was very kind, that he tried to lighten your labors as he could, that he hoped for you that you would all grow into strong, good men.  I do not wonder that you sorrow at his loss.  This honest, simple tribute to his memory that you have given to me has touched me deeply.

“I cannot hope to be as close to you as he was, but from this time forth I shall be twice your friend.  I want to take each one of you by the hand as you pass by, in token of our friendship, and of my faith in you, and my gratitude toward you.”

So, one by one, as they passed into the room beyond, she held each boy’s hand for a moment and spoke to him some kind word, and every heart in her presence went out to her in sympathy and love.