"Of course they will, mother," encouraged Pat.
"They are father's boys, too," said Andy.
"And _your_ boys, mother. Where else would your boys sit?" asked Mike.
And then the widow smiled. "I belave you'll ivery wan of you come to good," she said. "There's small bad ahead of b'ys that has a bit of heartsome blarney for their mother, and love in their eyes to back their words. Some has farms and money. But if any one would be tellin' of my riches, sure all they've got to say is, 'The Widow O'Callaghan's b'ys.'"
THE END.
_Good Reasons for the Popularity of_
THE
Widow O'Callaghan's Boys
It has succeeded by its own sterling merit and without the assistance of exaggerated advertising, and a popularity of this kind is always permanent. The charm of the book lies in the human interest of the sympathetically told story; its value in the excellent lessons that are suggested to the youthful mind in the most unobtrusive manner. Nothing is so distasteful to a healthy youngster as an overdose of obvious moral suasion in his fiction.
EXPERT TESTIMONY
_Principal Ferris, of the Ferris Institute, Michigan, expresses somewhat the same idea in a letter to the publishers_: "I bought the book and read it myself, then read it to my ten-year-old boy. He was captivated. I then tried it on my school of 600 students--relatively mature people. They were delighted. 'Widow O'Callaghan's Boys' is an exceptional book. It is entirely free from the weaknesses of the ordinary Sunday school book. The methods used by the Widow O'Callaghan in training her boys are good methods for training boys in the school room. The truth of the matter is the book contains first-class pedagogy.
There are comparatively few first-class juvenile books. 'Widow O'Callaghan's Boys' is a jewel. It is worthy of being classed as first-class literature."
A.C. McCLURG & CO. PUBLISHERS
_Newspaper Opinions of_
The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys
"It is a story of sturdy, level-headed effort to meet the world on its own rather severe terms, and to win from it success and progress. No strokes of miraculous good luck befall these young heroes of peace; but they deserve what they gain, and the story is told so simply, and yet with so much originality, that it is quite as interesting reading as are the tales where success is won by more sensational methods. The good sense, courage, and tact of the widow herself ought to afford inspiration to many mothers apparently more fortunately situated. It is a book to be heartily commended."--_Christian Register_.
"They are but simple adventures in 'The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys,' but they are pleasant to read of. The seven boys, whom the widow trains to be good and useful men, are as plucky as she; and they have a good bit of Irish loyalty as well as of the Irish brogue."--_The Dial_.
"The brave little Irishwoman's management and encouragement of them, amid poverty and trouble, the characters of the boys themselves, their cheerfulness, courage, and patience, and the firm grip which they take upon the lowest rounds of the ladder of success, are told simply and delightfully."--_Buffalo Express_.
"The smile of pleasure at the happy ending is one that will be accompanied by a dimness of vision in the eyes of many readers."--_Philadelphia Press_.
_Newspaper Opinions of_
The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys
"There is many a quaint bit of humor, many a strong, sound lesson in manliness and womanliness which must appeal to us in the telling. The story was probably written for children, but it will interest older people as well."--_The Living Church_.
"The Widow O'Callaghan is the greatest philosopher since Epictetus, and as bright and glowing as a well-cut gem."--_Topeka Capital_.
"The refreshing thing about the book is that its dialect approximates to the real brogue, and is not disfigured by the affected misspelling of English words which are pronounced almost as correctly by the Irish as by one to the tongue born."--_Detroit Journal_.
"This is a story that will be enjoyed by readers of every age. It is capitally written, and deals with the struggles of a brave little Irish widow, left in poverty with seven boys, ranging in age from three to fifteen years."--_Book News_.
"It is one of the best books for young people which we ever have seen.
It describes the mother love, the shrewd sense, and the plucky perseverance of an Irish widow with seven young children."--_The Congregationalist_.
_Another Use for_
The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys
The following news item from the Chicago Tribune of Nov. 7 describes a unique testimonial to the practical usefulness of a good book. "The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys," the story referred to, is now in its eighth edition, and seems to increase in popularity constantly:
"Barney Ryan, 12 years old and wearing a sweater twice his size, yesterday was sentenced by Judge Tuthill to read to his mother each night from a book designated by the court. The boy had been arrested for smashing a store window and stealing merchandise to the value of $200.
"'I'll let you go, Barney,' said Judge Tuthill, 'if your mother will buy a copy of "Mrs. O'Callaghan's Boys" and agree to make you read to her each night from it.'
"Mrs. Ryan, who lives at 139 Gault court, agreed to the stipulation."