17 The Man of the House by Frank O'Connor

Sullivan, a 10-year-old boy, took up the responsibility to take care of his mother, who was coughing very hard for several days. He decided to stay at home instead of going to school. When she did not get well, they called the doctor and the doctor told him to go to a dispensary to get a coughing syrup for his mother. He went over the hills and got one. On his way, he saw a cathedral and told himself that he will use the only penny he had to buy a candle in the cathedral when he got the syrup and pray for his mother. He met a very smart and talkative girl who was getting a bad tasting medicine for her sister's "consumption," a disease. She convinced him to let them try the syrup and they drank it all. Sullivan cried and went to the church repenting and praying to virgin Mary for a miracle. When he got home, he fell asleep because of intoxication of the syrup. When he woke up, his mother was well. The miracle happened.