midnight
The grief that carries the sufferer in his mind 's eye over the limits of this world , is arrested by the tender ties which bind him to life in the young . There is besides a hopefulness in early life -- it is , perhaps , its chief characteristic -- that combats sorrow , better than all the caresses of friendship , and all the consolations of age . Owen felt this now -- he never knew it before . But yesterday , and his father 's death had left him without one in the world on whom to fix a hope ; and already , from his misery , there arose that one gleam , that now twinkled like a star in the sky of midnight . The little child he had taken for his own was a world to him ; and as he went , he prayed fervently that poor Patsy might be spared to him through this terrible pestilence . When Owen reached the carpenter 's , there were several people there ; some , standing moodily brooding over recent bereavements ; others , spoke in low whispers , as if fearful of disturbing the silence ; but all were sorrow-struck and sad . `` How is the ould man , Owen ? ''