,,the  ,,cross ,,and ,,the ,,shamrock1  
,,or1  ,,how ,,to ,,defend ,,the        
,,faith4  ,,an  ,,irish-,,american      
,,catholic ,,tale  ,,of ,,real ,,life1  
,,descriptive ,,of ,,the  ,,temptations1
 ,,sufferings1 ,,trials1 ,,and          
,,triumphs  ,,of ,,the  ,,children ,,of 
,,st4 ,,patrick  ,,in ,,the  ,,great    
,,republic ,,of ,,washington4  ,a ,,book
  ,,for ,,the ,,entertainment ,,and     
,,special ,,instructions ,,of  ,,the    
,,catholic ,,male ,,and ,,female        
,,servants ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states4
   ,,written ,,by  ,a ,,missionary      
,,priest4  ,transcriber's ,note3 a      
pseudonym for ,hugh ,quigley4  ,,boston3
  ,,patrick ,,donahoe1  #c ,,franklin   
,,street4  #ahec4  ,entered1 according  
to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahec1
 by  ,,patrick ,,donahoe1  ,in the      
,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court
 of the ,district of ,massachusetts4    
,,stereotyped ,,at ,,the ,,boston       
,,stereotype ,,foundry4                 
,,dedication4   ,to the faithful        

,irish-,american ,catholic citizens of  
the whole ,union1 and especially to the 
working portion of them1 on account of  
their piety1 their liberality1 their    
patriotism1 and their steady loyalty to 
the virtues symbolized by the ,cross and
 the ,shamrock1--on account of their    
attachment to the land of ,st4 ,patrick1
 and to the religion of her patriot     
princes and martyrs1--this work1 written
 for their encouragement and            
instruction1 is respectfully inscribed  
by  ,their humble servant1   ,and       
devoted friend and fellow-citizen1      
,,the ,,author4  ,september1 #ahec4     
,,preface4   ,there are moments when    
every citizen who feels that he can say 
something promotive of the welfare of   
his countrymen and of advantage to his  
country is authorized to give public    
utterance to his sentiments1 how humble 
soever he may be4--,letter of           
,archbishop ,hughes on the ,madiai1     
,february1 #ahec4  ,there may be1 in    
public opinion1 an ,inquisition a       

thousand times more galling to the soul 
than the gloomy prison or the weight of 
chains4--,national ,democrat1 ,march1   
#ahec4  #ast4 ,the above extracts1 from 
different but respectable sources1      
comprise the author's chief motives in  
the publication of the following work4  
,it is a well-known fact1 that thousands
 of our fellow-,christians1 in all parts
 of this vast free country1 are         
continually subjected to a most trying  
ordeal of temptation and persecution on 
account of their religion1 and that the 
wonderful progress of ,catholicity and  
renewed power of the church only add to 
the malice1 if not to the influence1 of 
sectarians1 in their efforts to make use
 of this odious persecution of servant  
boys and servant girls1 of widows and   
orphans1 to build up their own tottering
 conventicles1 and to circumscribe the  
giant strides of what they call the man 
of sin4  ,a very intelligent ,american  
lawyer lately remarked to the writer of 
this1 that1 about twenty-five years ago1

 the parsons fulminated all their       
eloquence against ,satan2 but they seem 
to have formed a league with him now1   
for all their vengeance is directed     
against the pope1 who1 they say1 is far 
more dangerous than ,old ,harry4  ,when 
we know this to be literally true1 and  
find our poor1 neglected1 and           
uninstructed brethren in danger         
accordingly1 how can any thing that can 
be said1 written1 or done1 to alleviate 
their condition1 or to remove prejudice 
from the public mind1 be counted a work 
of supererogation8  #b;d4 ,the          
corruption of the cheap trash           
literature1 that is now ordinarily      
supplied for the amusement and          
instruction of the ,american            
people1--and that threatens to uproot   
and annihilate all the notions of virtue
 and morals that remain1 in spite of    
sectarianism1--calls for some antidote1 
some remedy4 ,in every rail car1        
omnibus1 stage coach1 steamboat1 or     
canal packet1 publications1 containing  

the most poisonous principles and       
destructive errors1 are presented to1   
and are purchased by1 passengers of both
 sexes1 whose minds1 like the appetites 
of hungry animals1 will take to eating  
the filthiest stuff1 rather than want   
food for rumination4 ,it is for the     
philanthropists of the present day1 and 
for those who are paid for making such  
inquiries1 to trace the connection      
between the rous of your cities1 your   
,bloomer women1 your spiritual rappers1 
and other countless extravagances of a  
diseased public mind1 and between the   
abominable publications to which we     
allude4  #c;d4 ,our people are not      
generally great readers of the trashy   
newspapers of the day2 and in this      
respect they show their good sense1 or  
at least have happened on good luck3 it 
is therefore our duty to supply them    
with cheap and amusing literature1 to   
entertain them during the few hours they
 are disengaged from work4 ,and what    
reading can afford the ,irish ,catholic 

greater pleasure than any work1 however 
imperfect1 having for its end the       
exaltation and defence of his glorious  
old faith1 and the vindication of his   
native land--his beloved ,erin-go-bragh8
 ,impress on his susceptible mind the   
honor and advantage of defence and      
fidelity to the ,,cross and the         
,,shamrock1 and you give him two ideas  
that will come to his aid in most of his
 actions through life4 ,we are ashamed  
here of the cross of ,christ1 when we   
see it continually dishonored and       
trampled on by heretics and modern      
pagans1 in their scramble for money and 
pleasures4 ,on the other hand1 the      
poverty1 humiliation1 and rags of old   
,erin1 of the kings1 saints1 and        
martyrs1 scandalize us2 and from these  
two false notions the degradation and   
apostasy of many ,irishmen commence4    
,hence they no sooner land on the shores
 of ,america than they endeavor to clip 
the musical and rich brogue of          
fatherland1 to make room for the bastard

 barbarisms and vulgar slang of         
,yankeedom4 ,the remainder of the course
 of the apostate is easily traced1 till1
 ashamed of creed and country1 he ends  
by being ashamed of his ,creator and    
,redeemer1 and barters the inheritance  
of heaven for the miserable and short   
enjoyments of this earth4  ,a fourth1   
and a leading motive in the publication 
of this work1 is to record the manly    
defences which the people among whom the
 author lives have made of the creed of 
their fathers1 and to enable them to    
refute1 in a simple1 practical manner1  
for the edification of their opponents1 
the many objections proposed to them    
about the faith4 ,by placing a copy of  
this work in the hands of every head of 
a family in the congregation in which he
 presides1 the author thinks he will    
have done something towards the         
salvation of that parent and his house1 
by showing him how he may educate his   
children1 and save them from those      
subtle snares laid to rob them and him  

of happiness here and hereafter2 for1   
without true religion and virtue1 there 
is neither enjoyment nor happiness even 
in this world4  ,but are the principles 
sound1 and the estimate he has formed of
 ,american character and the conduct and
 motives of the sectarian parsons       
correct8 ,there may be1 and undoubtedly 
there is1 great variety in ,american    
character2 and1 so far1 what may be true
 of the people of one state or county1  
may not at all be applicable to those of
 the rest2 but as far as regards        
sectarianism and its slanders of the    
church1 and the low character1          
intellectually and morally1 of the      
parsons1 ministers1 dominies1 and       
preachers1 with few honorable           
exceptions1 it may be said1 in the words
 of the poet1--  ,ex uno disce omnes4   
,they are all chips of the same block2  
and the description in the following    
pages of their attempts to proselytize1 
seduce1 and corrupt1 is not at all      
exaggerated1 as thousands of candid     

,american ,protestants can testify4     
,perhaps the sectarian dominies do not  
see the sad consequences that are       
infallibly produced on the minds of     
their hearers1 after they come to detect
 the frauds and falsehoods which the    
parsons inculcate on them when children2
 but they are in the cause1 and morally 
responsible for that doubt1 irreligion1 
and downright infidelity which are the  
well-known characteristics of the male  
and female youth of our great country1  
and which threaten such disastrous      
consequences to society4  ,yes1         
dominies1 you are responsible for all   
the extravagances of modern times1 for  
the irreparable loss to virtue and      
society of the noble youth of your      
country4 ,you hate the church of ,god   
because she is a witness against you4   
,the priest1 the nun1 and the recluse   
are objects of your malice2 for they are
 living examples of what you call       
impossible morals1 and refuters of the  
code of low virtue you practise and     

preach4 ,the faith of the ,catholic     
laity1 too1 you endeavor to destroy1 in 
order more securely to deceive your     
hearers1 and to secure your children1   
your wives1 and yourselves1 that bread  
which you eat by the dissemination of   
error1 contradiction1 and contention1   
and which you are too lazy to earn by   
the sweat of your brow4  ,finally4 ,this
 work is submitted to the reader by one 
who will be well pleased if it affords  
the former any pleasure or amusement    
during one or two of such few hours of  
leisure as it took the latter to write  
it4 ,regarding style1 method1 and       
arrangement of the matter1 the author   
has no apology to offer1 except that the
 work has been written in great haste1  
and by one who1 in five years1 has not  
had a single entire day for recreation  
or unoccupied by severe missionary duty4
 ,let not the critics forget this4      
,,contents4                             
,,page ,,chapter ,i4 ,a ,,death ,,bed   
,,scene1                                

#ac  ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,getting ,,the    
,,mother',s ,,blessing1                 
#bc  ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,an ,,official1  
#cb  ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,poorhouse1 
#da  ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,o',,clerys1   
#eb  ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,council1   
#fj  ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,a ,,rude ,,lover 
,,of ,,nature1                          
#fi  ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,orphans  
,,in ,,their ,,new ,,home1              
#gg  ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,prying     
,,family1                               
#hg  ,,chapter ,x4 ,a ,,ray ,,of ,,hope1
                                        
#ig  ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,van ,,stingey    
,,again4--,,how ,,he ,,gets ,,rich ,,and
 ,,ends1            #ajf  ,,chapter     
,,xii4 ,,mass ,,in ,a ,,shanty1         
#aag  ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,tempter 
,,at ,,the ,,woman1                     
#abi  ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,fruits   
,,of ,,the ,,cross1                     
#acf  ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,the             
,,conversion1                           
#ade  ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the            

,,enlightened ,,citizens1               
#aee  ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,he ,,and ,,his
 ,,whole ,,house ,,believed1            
#afd  ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,truth        
,,stranger ,,than ,,fiction1            
#agh  ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,what ,,happened
 ,,to ,,little ,,eugene ,o',,clery1     
#ahg  ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,the ,,same1     
,,continued1                            
#bja  ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,chapter ,,of   
,,accidents1                            
#bac  ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,deserted
 ,,home ,,of ,,the ,,orphans1           
#bbc  ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,in ,,which   
,,the ,,scene ,,of ,,our ,,tale ,,is    
,,changed1               #bdj  ,,chapter
 ,,xxiv4 ,,shows ,,how ,,the ,,cross    
,,and ,,shamrock ,,were ,,permanently   
,,united ,,after ,a ,,long ,,separation1
                          #bea          
,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,conclusion1          
#bfj     ,,chapter ,i4  ,a ,,death-,,bed
 ,,scene4   ,a cold evening in the month
 of ,january1 a drizzling rain storm    
blowing from the south-west1 a cheerless

 sky1 a dull1 threatening atmosphere1   
together with almost impassable         
roads1--these are the chilling and      
uninviting circumstances with which1 if 
we pay regard to truth1 we must         
introduce our narrative to our readers4 
,it is usual1 with writers of fiction   
and romance1 to preface their literary  
exhibitions with high-wrought and       
dazzling descriptions of natural and    
artificial objects--the sun1 moon1 and  
stars2 the clouds1 meteors1 and other   
fantastic creations of the atmosphere2  
the seas1 rivers1 and lakes2 the        
mountains1 fields1 and gardens2 the     
birds1 fishes1 and the inhabitants of   
the savage forests1 as well as the      
forests1 groves1 and woods              
themselves1--in a word1 all nature seems
 as if conscious of the effects likely  
to result to the morals1 habits1 and    
projects of men1 while some of your     
modern novelists are arranging their    
matter1 sharpening their scissors1      
preparing pen1 ink1 and paper1 and      

taking indigestible suppers to make way 
into the world for the offspring of     
their creative fancies4 ,ours being a   
tale of truth1--yes1 of bare1           
unvarnished truth1 yet of truth more    
interesting1 if not stranger1 than      
fiction1--it is not to be wondered that1
 when we acknowledge the homely dame1   
and her alone1 as our guide1 inspirer1  
and preceptor1 we lack the advantage of 
romancers1 and cannot command a special 
sunset1 or a storm made to order1 or    
other enchanting scenery1 to introduce  
us to our patrons4  ,we must take things
 as we find them2 and this is why cold1 
rain1 and frost1 the whistling of       
merciless winds1 together with false and
 pitiless ice1 constitute the principal 
features of our introductory chapter4   
,the merry chimes of sleigh bells1 as if
 to add gloom to the scene1 were silent1
 no snow having fallen this winter1 and 
the ice being irregular and lumpy4 ,the 
streets of the city of ,t---- were      
almost entirely deserted of foot        

passengers1 owing to the danger of      
walking over the slippery pavement2     
while cabmen and omnibus conductors had 
cautiously driven their teams to the    
stable or smithy1 to have them sharpened
 for the frozen coat of mail which      
enveloped the earth4 ,when about dusk1  
an aged gentleman1 in a cloak1 with a   
sharp-pointed cane in his hand1 might be
 observed moving along the gutter of a  
narrow street4 ,occasionally he would   
slip so as to come on one knee1 and now 
he would steer himself along by taking  
hold of the sills of windows1 and of the
 railings which here and there were     
erected in front of a few houses on the 
retired and deserted street on which he 
crept along4  ,at length he approaches  
an old three-story1 red1 frame-built    
house1 which1 from its shattered and    
dilapidated windows1 at first seemed to 
be deserted1 but which1 from the        
description left by a messenger with his
 domestic in the forenoon1 he could not 
doubt was the place where he heard the  

emigrant widow lay at the point of      
death4  ,is this where the sick woman   
is8 said he to an old woman who opened  
the door4  ,yes1 your reverence1        
answered ,mrs4 ,doherty1 at once        
recognizing the priest2 and thank ,god  
you are come4 ,the ,lord never deserts  
his own1 praise be to his holy name4    
,is she very ill8 said ,father          
,o',shane2 for thus was named the sole  
pastor of the city of ,t---- in those   
days4  ,that she is1 your reverence1 and
 callin' for the priest this three days2
 but as we heard your reverence say that
 you would be in the country till this  
day1 we thought it no use to give in the
 sick call sooner4 ,i myself gave it in 
this morning afore my poor1 sick old man
 got up4  ,god help the poor6 muttered  
the tender-hearted priest1 as he        
ascended to the third floor1 where the  
dying woman lay4  ,amen6 answered ,mrs4 
,doherty1 aloud4 ,you would pity her1   
your reverence1 if you seen the misery  
they are in this two months2 and it is  

easily telling they saw better days in  
the ould country4 ,it is easily knowing 
that1 by the dacent1 mannerly children  
she has around her1 ,god help 'em4  ,pax
 huic domui1 et omnibus habitantibus in 
ea--,peace to this house1 and all that  
dwell therein1 uttered the priest of    
,god1 as he opened the latchless door of
 the room on the third story of the old 
,oil ,mill ,house1 where the patient was
 extended on her pallet of straw4 ,for a
 moment he stood on the threshold1 for  
within an unusual and solemn sight      
presented itself to his view4 ,a woman  
of fair and comely features1 between    
about thirty and forty years of age1 lay
 as described on the floor1 with four   
children kneeling around her4 ,the      
eldest1 a lad of about fifteen years1   
read aloud the litanies and prayers of  
the church for the dying1 while the     
three younger children repeated the     
responses in fervent but trembling      
accents4  ,lord1 have mercy on her1     
cried ,paul1 the eldest boy4  ,christ1  

have mercy on her1 answered the younger 
children4  ,holy ,mary4 ,r4 ,pray for   
her4  ,all ye holy angels and           
archangels4 ,r4 ,pray for her4  ,all ye 
choirs of the just4 ,r4 ,pray for her4  
,all ye saints of ,god4 ,r4 ,make       
intercession for her4  ,from thy anger1 
from an unhappy death1 from the pains of
 hell4 ,r4 ,deliver her1 ,o ,lord4  ,by 
thy cross and passion1 by thy death and 
burial1 by thy glorious resurrection1 in
 the day of judgment4 ,r4 ,deliver her1 
,o ,lord4  ,deliver1 ,o ,lord1 the soul 
of thy servant from all danger of hell1 
and from all pain and tribulation4 ,r4  
,amen4  ,deliver1 ,o ,lord1 the soul of 
thy servant1 as thou deliveredst ,enoch 
and ,elias from the common death of the 
world4 ,r4 ,amen4  ,deliver1 ,o ,lord1  
the soul of thy servant1 as thou        
deliveredst ,noah from the flood4 ,r4   
,amen4  ,deliver1 ,o ,lord1 the soul of 
thy servant1 as thou deliveredst        
,abraham from the midst of the          
,chaldeans4 ,r4 ,amen4  ,deliver1 ,o    

,lord1 the soul of thy servant1 as thou 
deliveredst ,job from all his           
afflictions4 ,r4 ,amen4  ,deliver1 ,o   
,lord1 the soul of thy servant1 as thou 
deliveredst ,isaac from being sacrificed
 by his father4 ,r4 ,amen4  ,deliver1 ,o
 ,lord1 the soul of thy servant1 as thou
 deliveredst ,lot from ,sodom and the   
flames of fire4 ,r4 ,amen4  ,deliver1 ,o
 ,lord1 the soul of thy servant1 as thou
 deliveredst ,moses from the hands of   
,pharaoh1 ,king of ,egypt4 ,r4 ,amen4   
,deliver1 ,o ,lord1 the soul of thy     
servant1 as thou deliveredst ,daniel    
from the lions' den4 ,r4 ,amen4         
,deliver1 ,o ,lord1 the soul of thy     
servant1 as thou deliveredst the three  
children from the fiery furnace and from
 the hands of an unmerciful king4 ,r4   
,amen4  ,deliver1 ,o ,lord1 the soul of 
thy servant1 as thou deliveredst        
,susanna from her false accusers4 ,r4   
,amen4  ,deliver1 ,o ,lord1 the soul of 
thy servant1 as thou deliveredst ,david 
from the hands of ,goliah and ,saul4 ,r4

 ,amen4  ,deliver1 ,o ,lord1 the soul of
 thy servant1 as thou deliveredst ,peter
 and ,paul out of prison4 ,r4 ,amen4    
,and as thou deliveredst that blessed   
virgin and martyr1 ,st4 ,thecla1 from   
most cruel torments1 so vouchsafe1 ,o   
,lord1 to deliver the soul of this thy  
servant1 and bring it to the            
participation of thy heavenly joys4 ,r4 
,amen4  ,depart1 ,christian soul1 out of
 this world1 in the name of ,god1 the   
,father ,almighty1 who created thee2 in 
the name of ,jesus ,christ1 ,son of the 
living ,god1 who suffered for thee2 in  
the name of the ,holy ,ghost1 who       
sanctified thee2 in the name of the     
angels1 archangels1 thrones and         
dominations1 cherubims and seraphims2 in
 the name of the patriarchs and         
prophets1 of the holy martyrs and       
confessors1 of the holy monks and       
hermits1 of the holy virgins1 and of all
 the saints of ,god4 ,let thy place be  
this day in peace1 and thy abode in     
,sion1 through ,christ1 our ,lord4 ,r4  

,amen4  ,the offering up of this most   
beautiful prayer by the children for    
their dying parent was not unattended   
with several breaks and pauses1 caused  
by the overwhelming grief of the poor   
orphans4 ,they gave out the short       
prayers of the litany very well1 and    
without much interruption2 but when they
 came to the more solemn portion of that
 beautiful service1 the recommendation  
of a departing soul1 they could no      
longer restrain their tears or suppress 
their lamentations4  ,small blame to the
 poor children for this manifestation of
 grief1 since we have known instances of
 the most hardened hearts being touched1
 and the most manly eyes yielding their 
tribute of tears1 at the bare recital of
 the most beautiful form of prayer for  
the soul departing4 ,we have ourselves  
read this service a thousand times1 at  
least1 by the death bedsides of many    
departing souls2 and never could we once
 go through the form of it entire       
without yielding to the weakness of     

nature1 and becoming speechless by the  
violence of our tears4 ,let the most    
obstinate unbeliever attend but a few   
times by the bedside of a dying         
,catholic1 and observe the piety and    
faith of the priest and people around   
the bed of the soul departing2 and if he
 be not an atheist or a blasphemer of   
,god's providence1 it is impossible for 
him not to perceive the superiority of  
the ,catholic religion to all other     
forms of worship that ever existed4 ,but
 to be present at the death hour of a   
,christian is a privilege which         
,protestants and unbelievers seldom or  
never enjoy2 their levity and want of   
devotion1 with their impiety and        
irreverence1 being sufficiently powerful
 obstacles to their admittance into such
 sacred places as the chamber in which  
the sacred offices of religion are      
administered to the departing soul4 ,it 
is only the true believers1 and not     
those outside1 who have the privilege of
 hearing the prayer of faith that saves 

the sick man--it is only they who enjoy 
occasionally the consolation from the   
inspiring words of the church to join   
their tears1 and unite their sighs1     
sobs1 and sorrows with those of their   
pastors and fellow-,christians1 for the 
happy passage and merciful judgment for 
their departing brother4 ,such were the 
tears and sadness that ,paul ,o',clery  
and his little attendants shed around   
the bed of their dying mother4  ,paul1  
my child1 why do you act so8 said she1  
gently chiding him4  ,o mother6 mother6 
how can ,i help it8 ,stop ye your crying
 there1 said he1 taking courage1 and    
turning to his younger associates4      
,silence ,bridget1 ,patrick1 and        
,eugene4 ,answer me distinctly1 and hold
 your grief4 ,it will vex mother4 ,and  
he continued the prayer from where he   
left off with as good grace as he could4
  ,the venerable priest1 though inside  
the door1 was unperceived during this   
affecting scene2 and the heavy tears    
might be seen stealing down his furrowed

 cheeks as he surveyed the group before 
him4  ,o1 faith of my ,lord1 ,o1 best   
gift of ,god1 how precious thou art6    
,thou canst change men into angels1     
earth into paradise1 and convert the    
misery and poverty of the poor emigrant 
into a picture like this1 that heaven   
itself must delight to gaze on4 ,that's 
right1 my darling son1 said he1 you have
 finished well2 you have done your duty 
towards your mother1 for which ,god will
 bless you1 and ,i bless you in his     
name4 ,in nomine ,patris1 et ,filii1 et 
,spiritus ,sancti4 ,amen4  ,the priest1 
mother6 whispered ,bridget4 ,i know him 
by his cloak4  ,glory1 honor1 and praise
 be to the ,almighty1 said the calm and 
now rejoicing widow1 as she saw the face
 of the venerable minister of religion4 
,the ,lord is too good to me1 not to let
 me die in a strange land1 without the  
consolations of my holy religion1 she   
continued1 kissing the silver crucifix  
of her beads4  ,the heart of the good   
man was too full to give utterance to   

many words2 and seeing that ,death was  
at hand1 that already he was master of  
all but the heart1--for the extremes    
were cold and without feeling1--he      
ordered the children down to ,mrs4      
,doherty's1 while he heard the short and
 humble confession of the poor departing
 soul1 administered the most holy       
viaticum1 with extreme unction1 and read
 the last benediction of the church--,in
 articulo mortis4  ,he then strengthened
 her soul with a few words of           
exhortation1 and having prescribed a few
 short1 ejaculatory prayers1 bidding her
 to have the name1 as well as the image1
 of ,jesus ever in her heart and lips1  
he departed1 promising to call again as 
soon as possible1 taking the precaution 
to leave two dollars in silver and a    
three dollar bill on the little stool   
that stood by her bed4 ,he had now1 he  
said1 to go about forty miles into the  
country2 and he would1 after his return1
 call to see how she was1 and to comply 
with her request about the children4  ,i

 commend you now to the care of ,god and
 his angel4 ,god bless you1 said he1    
departing4  ,into thy hands ,i commend  
my spirit4 ,o ,lord1 receive my soul4   
,jesus1 ,jesus1 ,jesus1 have mercy on   
me4 ,o ,god of love1 goodness1 and      
mercy1 accept my imperfect thanksgiving2
 save my soul1 redeemed by thy precious 
blood1 and make me worthy to see thy    
glory4 ,i believe in thee1 ,o ,lord1 ,i 
hope in thee1 and ,i love thee4 ,o my   
,god and my ,lord1 who am ,i that thou  
shouldst visit me6  ,with these and     
other fervent aspirations1 this pure and
 exalted soul prepared for the          
manifestation of the glory of her ,lord1
 and sighed to be dissolved1 and to fly 
to the beatific vision that faith       
promised her1 and through the merits of 
,christ she expected to obtain4 ,after  
this1 the symptoms of her disease became
 sensibly less dangerous than before the
 visit of the priest2 but this calm1    
this seeming relief1 was only temporary4
 ,presently the impress of pale death   

was unmistakably settled on her calm    
brow4     ,,chapter ,,ii4  ,,getting    
,,the ,,mother',s ,,blessing4   ,when   
the priest departed from the precincts  
of ,oil ,mill ,house1 in company with   
the impatient messenger that required   
his services in the country1 after a few
 words of encouragement and advice      
spoken to ,paul1 ,bridget1 ,patrick1 and
 ,eugene1--for so were widow ,o',clery's
 children named1--they returned to the  
bedside of their dying mother4 ,little  
,bridget was the first to observe on the
 small bench by the bedside the money   
left there by ,father ,o',shane4  ,paul1
 she whispered1 look here6 ,this is     
money left1 ,i suppose1 by the priest4  
,paul1 who was acquainted with ,american
 coin1 took up the eight pieces1 or     
quarters1 in silver1 and the bill1 and  
examining them by the candle1 said1 ,o  
,bid1 see how good the priest is6 ,he   
has left us five dollars1 or one pound1 
without saying a word about it4 ,mother1
 how do you feel8 ,look6 the priest left

 us a deal of money here quietly4  ,god 
reward him for it1 answered she1 with a 
hoarse and broken voice4 ,paul1 darling1
 go on your knees1 you and your sister  
and brothers1 till ,i give ye my        
blessing before ,i die4 ,quick1         
children1 quick1 while ,i have strength4
  ,o mother6 mother6 sure you aren't    
going to leave us orphans8 ,may be you  
will get better now1 after extreme      
unction4  ,kneel down here by my side1  
my children1 said she1 feeling that her 
time was now short4 ,paul1 do you       
promise me you will be a good boy1 love 
,god1 and keep his commandments8  ,yes1 
mother1 with ,god's help4 ,o woe6  ,will
 you watch over your brothers1 and      
sister ,bridget1 and go with them to the
 priest1 telling him not to forget that 
,i gave ye all up to his care1 and the  
care of ,god and his blessed mother8    
,o1 ,i will4  ,bridget1 ,patrick1 and   
,eugene1 will ye obey1 and be said by   
,paul1 who is the oldest8  ,yes1 mother1
 please ,god1 they answered1 amidst     

sobbing and tears that half choked them4
  ,god bless ye1 and guard ye1 and save 
ye from all dangers of soul and body4 ,i
 give ye up to ,god4 ,i place ye under  
the holy care of the blessed mother of  
,god4 ,i pray that ye may preserve pure 
the faith of ,saint ,patrick4 ,i bless  
ye4 ,o1 pray for me4 ,jesus1 into thy   
hands--,jesus--,mary--,jesus----4 ,there
 was a sigh1 and by a single effort the 
soul extricated itself from its prison  
of clay to join the ranks of its kindred
 spirits4 ,the widow ,o',clery is no    
more1 and ,paul and his brethren are    
orphans indeed4  ,for a few minutes     
there was a deep silence in that chamber
 of death1 and ,paul repeated the ,de   
,profundis1 in ,english1 out of his     
,prayer ,book2 but when the cold and    
ghastly form of death was perceived by  
this poor company to be all that was    
left of their darling and affectionate  
mother1 loud and mournful were their    
lamentations4 ,then1 and not till then1 
did the forlorn state to which they were

 reduced reveal itself even to their    
juvenile minds4 ,there they were1       
helpless and destitute1 without father  
or mother1 friend or relation2 on every 
side strangers1 cold1 hunger1 and want4 
,the mysterious hand of ,providence     
conducted them from comparative comfort1
 if not luxury1 through several stages  
of trial1 danger1 and trouble1 till they
 were now entirely stripped1 like ,job1 
of all but an existence to which death  
was preferable4 ,many are the phases of 
misery and crosses with which the life  
of man is surrounded in this vale of    
tears2 but we think the condition of the
 orphan1 deprived of both parents1 and  
thrown for support or existence on a    
strange and selfish world1 the most     
desolate of all4 ,a policeman was the   
first who was attracted to the house of 
mourning by the wailing and cries of    
those whom this night saw alone and     
desolate4 ,mrs4 ,doherty1 attended by an
 ,irish servant maid from a neighboring 
house1 were the next visitors2 and1     

after piously kneeling around the corpse
 to offer their fervent prayers for the 
soul1 they prepared to lay out the body4
 ,this consists1 as all are probably    
aware1 of washing the corpse1 clothing  
it in clean linen1 extending it on a    
table or bed1 and putting up such       
temporary fixtures as would deprive the 
room in which it lies of the gloom and  
repulsiveness attendant on such an      
event4 ,after arranging all things so   
that she looked a decent corpse1 with   
the religious habit around her1 ,mrs4   
,doherty hung up the crucifix1 pinned to
 a white linen sheet at the head of     
where she lay1 placed her ,ursuline     
,manual on her breast1 and her beads on 
her arms1 crossed on the body4  ,she was
 a handsome1 fine woman1 in her day1    
,god bless her1 said ,mrs4 ,doherty4    
,yes1 any body can tell that1 answered  
,norry4 ,i wonder how they came here at 
all4  ,i know it well1 answered old     
,peggy ,doherty4 ,she telled me all     
about it afore she took bad entirely4   

,her man was well off1 and had a brother
 next to the bishop in the church1 in   
the county of ,c----4 ,when landlords   
began to root out the people from their 
homes1 the brother of ,mr4 ,o',clery1   
her husband1 wrote letters in the       
newspapers about the cruelty of the     
landlord1 who was called ',lord         
,mandemon2' and on that account1 and    
because the priest took part with the   
poor1--as they always do1 ,god bless    
'em6--the landlord came down on ,mr4    
,o',clery1 sold out his sixty milch     
cows1 after being twenty-one days in    
pound2 and though the cows were worth   
ten pounds each1 ,lord ,mandemon's agent
 sold them by auction1 and he bought    
them back himself for two pounds each2  
and so the poor family was ruined4      
,after that1 ,o',clery sold out another 
farm he had2 and1 collecting all that   
was due to him1 he came to ,america1    
against the advice of the priest1 his   
brother4 ,he thought1 he said1 to live  
with his family in 'a free country1'    

where there were no landlords or        
tyrants1 and1 while he had some means1  
to buy a farm which he could call his   
own4 ,but he took the cholera when      
within sight of land1 and he only lived 
a few days4 ,god rest his soul1 and the 
souls of all the faithful departed4 ,and
 ,god help those poor orphans1 she said1
 piously1 looking to where the little   
group1 wearied from grief and crying1   
lay asleep on a straw bed4  ,i do really
 pity the poor creatures1 said ,norry4  
,i suppose they will have to go to the  
poorhouse4  ,i hope not2 ,god forbid1   
asthore1 the poorhouse is such a        
dangerous place for ,catholics4 ,i heard
 the priest say he would call to-morrow2
 and may be he will do for the little   
dears4  ',tis hard for him to provide   
for all that are in distress1 said      
,norry4  ,i know it2 but it would be a  
murther to let such well-reared and     
decent children into the hands of those 
poormasters1 but especially that ,van   
,stingey1 whose great delight is1 they  

say1 to convart the children of         
,catholics to his own sect4 ,see what he
 done to the little ,cronin children1   
whose father and mother died lately4  ,i
 heard of that2 but ,i am afraid the    
priest won't be able to call on         
to-morrow1 as he promised1 if it        
continue to snow so4  ,o yea1 ,god      
forbid2 but it is a terrible night4 ,do 
ye hear how it blows8 ,o ,heirna ,dioa4 
,yes1 and the snow is falling in        
mountains2 the roads will be blocked up1
 and hills and hollows will be on a     
level in the morning4  ,god help every  
poor ,christian that is out to-night1   
said ,mrs4 ,doherty4 ,i hope the ,lord  
will save his reverence from all harm4  
,amen6 answered ,norry4 ,he will have a 
hard night of it4 ,had he far to go8    
,he had1 agra1 forty miles out in       
,vermont2 but sure he could not refuse  
going4 ,the woman is just dying2 and    
besides1 she is a ,protestant1 who wants
 to die in the faith4  ,happy for her1  
said ,norry1 if he overtakes her alive4 

,how good the priests are to these      
,yankees1 although they are always      
ridiculing the clergy2 yet1 if one of   
them is going to die1 the priest not    
only forgives them1 but is willing to   
travel any distance to do them a        
service4  ,sure that's the orders of    
,god and the church1 said ,mrs4         
,doherty4 ,it is not for them alone they
 are working1 but for ,god1 you know4   
,that's true1 said ,norry4 ,but still   
and all1 when one hears how they are    
always ridiculing priests and nuns1 and 
sees how they hate our religion1 it is  
very hard1 ,i think1 to forgive them4   
,yes1 agra1 said ,peggy1 who was better 
informed than ,norry2 so it is hard for 
flesh and blood to forgive the heretics2
 but1 unless we forgive them1 ,god won't
 forgive us4 ,the priest knows this     
well2 and so1 if there were two sick    
calls to come at one time to him1 as    
happened lately1 one a ,protestant and  
the other a ,catholic1 he would go to   
the ,protestant first4  ,that beats all1

 said ,norry1 and is more than ,i would 
do1 if ,i were the priest2 for ,i know  
well all that is said of him behind his 
back4  ,what harm will all that         
scandalous talk do the priest8 said     
,peggy4 ,it only does him good2 and he  
has a blessing for being 'spoken evil   
of' like our ,lord4 ,he forgives all    
those whom ,god forgives2 and so1 if his
 enemy1 the ,protestant1 falls sick1 and
 wants his services1 he goes to him     
first1 in order that he may be brought  
into the church1 where alone he can be  
saved4  ,thanks be to ,god1 said ,norry4
 ,is not it a wonder the ,protestants   
don't understand this1 and look on the  
priests and the church as their best    
friends1 seeing that the priests are as 
ready1 and readier1 to attend to them   
than to the ,catholics themselves8  ,how
 can they understand it when they are   
blinded by love of money1 impurity1 and 
the hatred that the ministers excite    
against the church in the minds of their
 hearers8 ,wasn't our ,lord himself     

hated by those whom he most loved1 and  
put to death by them8 ,it is so with    
every priest who follows his steps1 now 
as well as then4 ,the world will always 
hate good4  ,this ,christian philosophy 
was a little too sublime for poor       
,norry's mind1 who was a long time among
 the ,yankees1 sufficiently instructed  
in the customs of this free country to  
be ready to observe the law of ,eye for 
eye1 tooth for tooth1 and life for life2
 and who1 besides1 had her naturally    
warm temper rather spoiled from her     
continual rencontres with her mistress  
on such subjects as confession1 priests'
 celibacy1 purgatory1 and other subjects
 too profound for the understanding of  
her mistress to know any thing about    
them1 and too sacred in the eyes of     
,norry to allow them to be irreverently 
handled without saying something in     
their defence4 ,it requires not only a  
perfect acquaintance with the sublime   
and heavenly tenets of ,catholicity to  
speak of them with precision and        

propriety1 but1 in addition to a deep   
study of the truths of true religion1   
the practice of her precepts1 and the   
frequent reception of the sacraments1   
are necessary to imbue the mind with the
 true ,christian notions regarding her  
high commands4  ,poor ,norry had not a  
chance1 she said1 of going to her duties
 for several years2 and that is why she 
considered ,peggy ,doherty's talk about 
forgiveness so strange and              
unaccountable4  ,yes1 a ,greffour1      
resumed old ,peggy1 we must forgive all 
the world2 and myself would forgive any 
thing sooner than kidnappin' or stealing
 away the children of ,catholics1 which 
these ,yankee parsons are so fond of    
doing4  ,o1 so they are1 the villains1  
said ,norry4 ,did they take away or     
steal any of this poor woman's children8
 ',tis a wonder if they didn't4  ,well1 
besides the four children you see here1 
asthore1 she had another neat child1 one
 year old1 named ,aloysia1 whom a lady  
up town took with her1 two months since1

 to rear her up along with her own      
children2 and it was only about ten days
 since she got news of her death4 ,when 
the poor woman heard this1 the heart    
broke entirely within her1 especially as
 she could not be present at the child's
 death bed or at the funeral4  ,why1    
that's rather strange1 said ,norry4 ,did
 they send her word that she was sick8  
,not a word4 ,it was only when ,i went  
up to ,mrs4 ,sillerman's1 the other day1
 to inquire about the child1 she comes  
out and tells me the child died1 and was
 decently interred4 ,when ,i told the   
mother1 she cried out1 ',o ,aloysia1    
,aloysia1 my darling6 are you1 too1     
gone8' ,and she was not herself since4  
,i do think there must be something     
wrong in the matter1 said ,norry4 ,did  
you tell the priest8  ,no1 ,i did not1  
for ,i had not time1 said ,mrs4         
,doherty4 ,god forgive me4 ,i have a    
doubt in my own mind that the lady of   
the house 7,i renounce judging her7 was 
not honest when she told me of the      

child's death4 ',perhaps1' says ,i to   
myself1 'she is kidnapped4' ,and she was
 such a purty angel1 with a face you    
would delight looking on2 and on her    
right hand1--the ,lord save us6--a      
circle like a ring was on her middle    
finger4 ,she was too good to live2 and  
was made for heaven1 ,i suppose4 ,glory 
be to ,god4     ,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,an  
,,official4   ,our poormaster1 ,van     
,stingey1 was a very conscientious      
officer4 ,he never squandered what he   
called the people's property1 the       
commonwealth4 ,he was none of your      
vulgar1 ordinary poormasters4 ,he did   
not want the office2 they only forced it
 on to him4 ,like some of your great    
statesmen1 he acted for man1 as he      
emphatically said2 not for poor widows  
and orphans1 taken one by one2 that was 
only a secondary consideration4 ,his    
whole duty1 his very existence1 seemed  
to be needed for the good of man1 or    
humanity in general4 ,the question with 
him was1 not how to relieve this or that

 poor man or woman4 ,that might engage  
the attention of a man of no            
intelligence1 no education1 or no       
philosophy3 what he aspired to was1     
always to act by principle2 to act so   
that the state1 or the people who owned 
real estate1 and who elected him against
 his will1 to see that their interests  
were attended to1 whatever became of the
 poor4 ,accordingly1 when he heard of   
any case of particular distress1 such as
 that a poor emigrant died of misery in 
a cold1 deserted house1 our poormaster  
regretted it1 as an individual2 but1 as 
an officer1 he said1 he acted according 
to principle4 ,he could not betray his  
constituents1 who elected him against   
his will1 by any act of extravagance2   
and the good of the many must be        
consulted4 ,even the ,lord1 he used to  
say1--for he was a religious man1--when 
he created the sun1 left spots in it4   
,the best statesman must sometimes do   
what may be cruel to the few2 but1 in   
the end1 it would turn out for the good 

of man4 ,this district1 since his       
election1 now twice successively1 had   
made a saving of some two hundred a year
 since he became its officer2 and that  
would1 in time1 open the eyes of the    
people as to who were proper candidates 
for office1 tend to diminish taxes1 and1
 in fact1 be a work for man--progress   
and virtue4 ,besides this1 ,mr4         
,poormaster ,van ,stingey had got       
religion1 by which he was wonderfully   
enlightened1 having been so lucky as to 
gain that valuable accomplishment just  
six months1 and only six months1 before 
his election1 at a camp meeting held    
near the village of ,m----ville4  ,i    
tell you what1 the fact of the matter   
is1 ,mr4 ,knicks1 said he1 there is     
nothin' like religion4 ,before ,i got   
religion1 and jined the church1 ,i      
didn't have any knowledge of ,god4 ,i   
used to pity these emigrants1 seeing    
them poor and pale looking as death2 but
 now1 sir1 ,i reads my ,bible1 and finds
 that the ,lord must not regard nor love

 these ,papists1 wher'n he lets them run
 down so4 ,the word of life is great4   
,wal1 ,i do not know4 ,i care not a     
straw about any church2 but my old      
mother used to teach us1 when children1 
that poverty and crosses were no sign of
 the ,lord's displeasure2 as witness    
holy ,job and ,christ himself1 who were 
poor4 ,in fact1 she never stopped       
telling us1 when boys1 that riches were 
dangerous1 the love of money the root of
 all evil1 and that 'whom he chastiseth 
the ,lord loveth4'  ,o1 but your mother 
was a stiff ,papist1 you know1 and did  
not understand the word of ,god4  ,yes1 
sir-ee1 she did that2 for ,i well       
recollect that1 in the many arguments   
she had with father1 she always had the 
best of it4 ,that she had4  ,she may    
argue from ,jesuit books and the like2  
but the ,bible she durst not look at1   
you know1 ,knicks4  ,i know better1     
,van4 ,don't you talk so4 ,i have got   
the very ,bible she used and read every 
day--a great large one1 printed in      

,london4 ,mother was ,english1 and      
herself a convert to the church of      
,rome1 though father was ,dutch4  ,why1 
,i never knowed that1 ,knicks4 ,that was
 a great misfortune4 ,these priests1 by 
the arts of ,antichrist1 will come round
 simple folks so1 that they often       
succeed in leading them down to         
destruction4  ,well1 sir1 said ,knicks1 
,i can tell you ,i never met a          
,christian but my mother2 and ,i cannot 
believe or listen to you say she went to
 destruction1 but to heaven1 if there is
 such a place4 ,and again3 if ,i were to
 embrace any religion1 it would be the  
,roman ,catholic religion2 for it is the
 only honest religion there is4 ,father 
often brought ,methodist and            
,presbyterian ministers to make mother  
give up her'n2 but it was no go4 ,she   
always treated them civil2 but they had 
the worst of the argument1 ,i can tell  
you4 ,they brought their ,bibles1 and   
she her'n2 and then they would set to1  
and be at it1 till at last they were    

obliged to give up4 ,the only difference
 between her ,bible and theirs is1 that 
her'n contained some fourteen or fifteen
 books more than the ,protestant ,bible4
 ,the end of it was1 that father turned 
with mother1 and had the ,irish priest  
,o',shane to attent him afore he died4  
,mother got us all baptized too4        
,indeed6 carelessly ejaculated our      
official4 ,i must call and see that     
,bible of yours some day4  ,this        
conversation--which happened a few days 
before the death of our emigrant        
widow--between his neighbor ,knicks and 
our official shows what an enlightened  
gentleman he was4 ,since his elevation  
to office1 he also got promotion to     
another situation1 which1 though not so 
lucrative as that of poormaster1 in the 
course of time1 by proper management1   
promised to come to something4 ,in a    
certain school house in his vicinity1   
where the faithful were too poor1 too   
irreligious1 or too pernicious to hire a
 preacher1 our official held forth every

 ,sunday1 and several evenings on the   
week days1 at prayer meetings1          
protracted meetings1 and other roaring  
exercises4 ,and to do him credit1 his   
nasal accent and piercing shrill voice  
made him a capital substitute for the   
hired regular ,methodist preacher4 ,he  
could be heard for nearly a mile distant
 calling on the brethern and sistern to 
come to heaven4  ,o1 let us come6 he    
would cry2 we were made and intended for
 heaven4 ,i see the shining seats1 ,i   
see the crystal fountains1 ,i see the   
,lord sitting on the throne4 ,come1     
sisters1 come6 ,i could embrace ye all  
for the ,lord's sake4 ,i could hide ye  
in my bosom4 ,o6 ,o6  ,there were some  
whose faith was not strong enough to    
place implicit reliance on the veracity 
of this very enlightened minister of the
 word2 but the great majority believed1 
or pretended to believe1 and expressed  
their faith by crying out1 ,glory6      
glo-ry6 glo-r-y6  ,if a more particular 
or personal description of our official 

is required1 we can state1 from minute  
observation1 that ,mr4 ,van ,stingey was
 of the middle size1 of thin1 cadaverous
 appearance1 short neck1 snake head1    
with lank1 sandy hair1 nose flat and    
simex-like1 small eyes1 one of which he 
kept continually shut1 as if he supposed
 himself a match for the poor whom he   
had to deal with by keeping one eye     
skinned1 reserving the other for some   
important office in church or state1 to 
which he unquestionably aspired4        
,several times during the two months the
 destitute widow and her family were    
reduced to penury and sickness4 ,our    
worthy master was apprised of their     
condition by the neighbors2 but he      
always answered that the law did not    
allow him to spend any more1 just now2  
that these emigrants ought to remain at 
home2 that they had no right to this    
country2 that he heard a very godly     
minister foretell last year1 at camp    
meeting1 that the ,romanists would yet  
have this country2 that too many were   

coming by millions2 that he feared that 
they could not be converted as fast as  
they were arriving2 that they ought to  
be made pay a heavy sum1 or sent back4  
,in short1 said he one day to poor ,mrs4
 ,doherty1 ,i was not elected by them   
,irish paupers1 and ,i never expect to  
be4  ,if every thing you say was as true
 as that last word1 ,i think you would  
be an honest man for wonst1 said ,mrs4  
,doherty2 for there is no fear that an  
,irishman's or a ,christian's vote will 
ever elect the like of you4 ,god forgive
 you this day6  ,to suppose that any man
 could display such bona fide ignorance 
as this official did in the foregoing1  
would be to form an incorrect and       
inadequate estimate of the human mind4  
,the fact was that ,van ,stingey was a  
false1 low1 cruel man1 whose soul1      
steeped in the sensuality of his past   
life1 had lost all that was divine in   
its nature4 ,his circumstances were so  
reduced by his crimes and dissipation1  
that1 being too lazy to work1 and       

ashamed to beg1 he assumed first the    
guise of religion to gain popularity2   
and when he had got religion1 then the  
teachers of the stuff which they call by
 that noble name1 to keep it            
respectable1 procured him this office as
 a reward for his hypocrisy4  ,this was 
the official who startled the inmates of
 our house of mourning about five       
o'clock in the morning1 when1 thrusting 
his head inside the door1 he cried out1 
,a corpse there1 eh8  ,the ,lord save   
us6 ,who are you1 or what brings you    
here this hour o' night8 said old granny
 ,doherty1 suspecting him as nothing    
good4  ,like you ,irish1 allers asking  
questions1 said he1 discharging a mass  
of tobacco almost in her face4 ,i am the
 poormaster2 and1 having received a     
report that there was a dead pauper     
here1 thought ,i would have it put out  
of the way early1 before the folks would
 get up4  ,you are a very polite        
gintleman1 ,god bless you4 ,i hope she  
won't be buried so soon4 ,this is not   

the custom in any ,christian country4   
,after to-morrow will be soon enough4   
,you need not be in a hurry4 ,we expect 
the priest here to see to the children1 
as he has already left some help1 ,god  
bless him4  ,she must be enterred this  
morning1 having died with the ship      
fever1 ,i suppose4 ,the citizens expect 
me to do my dooty2 and that ,i will do1 
if the ,lord spares me4  ,the dickens a 
ship fever nor no other fever she had2  
but the poor woman's heart broke1 seeing
 what she had come to in a strange      
country1 said ,mrs4 ,doherty1 pityingly4
  ,wal1 wal1 if she had trusted in the  
,lord1 and knew the word of ,god1 he    
would not have deserted her as he has1  
hypocritically answered the official4   
,i beg your pardon1 sir1 don't judge    
rashly4 ,she was not deserted by ,god1  
but died content and happy1 after all   
the rites of her holy religion were     
administered to her1 was the prompt     
reply4  ,you think so2 but ,i want to   
know how she could love ,god without the

 ,bible2 and you ,roman ,catholics are  
not allowed its use4  ,god help those   
that can't read so1 said ,mrs4 ,doherty4
 ,there is no chance for me or my old   
man1 for neither of us can read it2 but 
not so ,mrs4 ,o',clery1 ,god be good to 
her4 ,she had her ,bible1 and many more 
good books4  ,yes1 sir1 said ,paul1     
joining in the dialogue4 ,we have always
 had the true ,catholic ,bible1 and     
mother always read it on her knees4     
,wal1 my good lad1 you are pooty smart2 
and now get you ready1 with the rest of 
you little critters1 and come on the    
sleigh ,i will send for you4 ,let's see 
how many of you there are4 ,one1 two1   
three1 four--a great lot of ye4 ,as ,i  
was saying1 be ready to come up to the  
county house till ,i can get some folks 
to take ye in to keep till ye are of    
age4  ,the priest1 sir1 said ,paul1     
promised to call to-day2 and as he      
already has left us a good sum of money1
 ,i know the good man will provide for  
us till he writes to my uncle1 who would

 be very sorry to hear of our going to  
the poorhouse or the county house1      
though it may be a better place4  ,my   
young lad1 you will be provided for by  
law1 and don't fail to be ready by ten  
o'clock1 said the official1 sternly1 as 
he left the room4  ,in a few hours      
after1 the body of the widow ,o',clery  
was deposited in a rough1 unplaned pine 
coffin1 and placed on board a two-horse1
 open sleigh4 ,the four orphans were    
stowed around in the same vehicle1 and1 
in care of a constable1 the cortege     
drove off at full speed to the cemetery4
 ,by half past eleven1 the remains of   
the widow were consigned to their       
kindred earth1 the few lumps of hard    
frozen clay on the surface her only     
monument--the sobs1 sighs1 and prayers  
of her own dear children the only       
requiem uttered over her lowly and      
soon-to-be-forgotten tomb4 ,blessed are 
the dead who die in the ,lord from      
henceforth now1 saith the ,spirit1 that 
they may rest from their labors4 7,apoc4

 xiv4 #ac47     ,,chapter ,,iv4  ,,the  
,,poorhouse4   ,when ,father ,o',shane  
left for the village of ,b----1 in      
,vermont1 to administer the rites of    
,christian unction to a departing soul1 
the roads were very hard to travel1 and 
his progress1 in company with his       
faithful guide1 was tedious and slow in 
the extreme4 ,the call was to a sick    
woman named ,finmore1 who was in the    
last stage of consumption1 and who had  
often1 during her illness1 expressed a  
desire that she should be attended by a 
priest before she would die4 ,her       
husband did not oppose her wish1 but was
 yet either too indifferent on the      
subject1 or too lazy1 to go such a      
journey as to the city of ,t---- in     
search of a personage of whom he stood  
in such awe1 and knew so little of1 as  
the ,catholic priest4 ,a neighboring    
,irish farmer1 named ,o',leary1 hearing 
of the wish of the dying woman1         
volunteered to bring the priest1 if     
there was one to be found in all        

,america1 he said1 provided he got a    
horse and wagon from the stable of the  
rich ,yankee4 ,and it was in company    
with this simple but brave and faithful 
man that ,father ,o',shane set out on   
the evening of the widow's death4 ,they 
had not advanced many miles1 however1   
when the wind veered round to the       
north-west1 and a most violent snow     
storm blew quite in their face4 ,slow   
and unpleasant was their progress over  
the hard1 icy road2 but in the course of
 a few hours their farther advance      
became an utter impossibility with a    
wagon4 ,they had1 therefore1 to stop at 
a tavern2 and after a good deal of      
entreaty1 and after having fed their    
horse1 they succeeded in hiring from the
 boss the use of a sleigh to carry them 
along to ,vermont4  ,ye can't travel    
nohow to-night1 said the boss2 the roads
 will be blocked up1 chuck full4  ,we'll
 have to travel1 sir1 said the          
,irishman1 or die in the attempt2 so let
 us have the cutter4 ,charge what you   

have a mind to4  ,why1 what in the world
 can be the matter8 ,ye ain't           
subpoenaed1 or going to arrest somebody8
 said the jolly boss4  ,ah1 no such     
thing1 man1 said the farmer2 but there  
is a woman dangerously ill1 and yon     
gentleman in the sitting room is a      
doctor1 going to visit her4 ,cost what  
it may1 we must go ahead4  ,o1 that     
alters the case4 ,why did you not say so
 at first8 and you should have had it   
and welcome4 ,it will be ready in no    
time4 ,hitch on to that new1 light      
cutter in the shed1 ,sam1 said he to the
 hostler4  ,ya1 ya1 said ,sam2 and in   
five minutes the priest and his guide   
were again proceeding on their          
charitable mission4 ,they reached their 
destination about two o'clock in the    
night1 just one hour before the death of
 her on whose account they had come such
 a journey4 ,father ,o',shane--poor old 
gentleman6--suffered terribly2 had his  
ears frostbitten1 and two of his fingers
 frozen4 ,but no matter2 a soul was to  

be saved1 and that consideration        
alleviated all his sufferings1 and      
rendered him dead to every thing--cold1 
pain1 watchings1 hunger1 thirst1 and    
weariness2 nay1 even death itself was   
but a trivial1 inadequate price to be   
paid by a mortal man to gain an immortal
 soul to ,christ and eternal happiness4 
',tis an awful night1 reverend sir1 said
 ,o',leary4 ,i fear we can't go ahead4  
,what matter1 ,o',leary1 said ,father   
,o',shane1 as we reached in time8 ,what 
is this night and all its violence      
compared with the sufferings of a poor  
soul in the next world8 ,all ,i regret  
is that you did not send me in the sick 
call sooner4 ,all is well1 however2 she 
was perfectly conscious1 and1 ,i hope1  
worthily received all the rites of      
religion4 ,hold up6 you will rest well  
to-night1 your conscience at ease1 after
 having been engaged in such a          
meritorious act of charity4  ,in nothing
 does the church of ,god manifest the   
divinity of her origin and mission more 

than in the care which she bestows on   
her children1 the adopted brethren of   
,jesus ,christ1 at the awful hour of    
death4 ,she reserves all her good things
 for this her last service to her       
children4 ,she sends her keys there1 to 
the bedside of the dying man1 to open to
 him the gate to the calm and peaceful  
walks of justification4 ,she sends her  
oils thither1 too1 to anoint the        
,christian gladiator for his last and   
final struggle with his powerful        
enemies4 ,she sends her divine manna1 to
 strengthen him and sustain him for the 
trying and unknown journey2 and she     
sends the music of her sweet hymns and  
litanies to cheer him on1 and the light 
of indulgences and benedictions to guide
 his soul1 illumine his understanding1  
and shed the rays of their heavenly     
reflection on the difficult passage that
 he has to traverse4 ,and this food1    
these blessings1 gifts1 and graces1 she 
has ready for all repentant sinners     
without exception1 be they the inmates  

of the true fold1 or straying without   
the boundaries of the city of ,god2 be  
they the timorous souls who are already 
washed1 or the negligent1 who have      
followed the hard ways of the world4    
,if1 in her other functions1 the spouse 
of ,christ is terrible as an army set in
 array1 fair as the moon1 and beautiful 
as the setting sun1 in this1 her last   
office at the death bedside1 she is all 
mercy1 tenderness1 and goodness4 ,o1 how
 cold1 selfish1 and intolerable would   
life be1 if the ,catholic church was not
 present1 on all occasions1 with the    
graces1 blessings1 and consolations of  
,christ6  ,o ,lord1 if it be thy will1  
deprive us of every thing--riches1      
health1 renown1 pleasure2 but never     
leave thy creatures1 thy inheritance1   
thy children1 without the consolations  
of thy church6 ,o ,lord1 the many sheep 
that are here not of thy fold gather and
 bring in speedily1 that there may be   
but one fold and one ,shepherd1 as thou 
thyself hast foretold4 ,thus prayed this

 pious priest of ,god1 after having     
added another strayed sheep to the fold 
of his divine ,master2 and his soul was 
at peace4  ,for two days the storm      
continued unabated1 the whole country   
becoming like an undulating ocean of    
snow4 ,drift snow1 mountain high1 was   
accumulated in the valleys between      
hills2 whole herds of sheep and cattle  
were suffocated2 and the bodies of      
several teamsters1 whose teams were     
overset1 were dug out lifeless from     
under the drifts by the men who had     
assembled with their ox teams and       
shovels to open the interrupted         
communication with the city4  ,father   
,o',shane bemoaned his fate in doleful  
terms2 the more so as ,sunday was       
approaching1 when he feared he should be
 absent from his congregation2 and he   
also regretted that he had it not in his
 power1 according to his promise to the 
widow ,o',clery1 to visit her next day1 
and provide for her poor orphans among  
the benevolent of his flock4 ,and1 well 

aware of the character of the           
hard-hearted ,van ,stingey1 he shuddered
 for the fate of the children4  ,the    
apprehensions of the good priest were   
not groundless2 for no sooner was the   
body of ,mrs4 ,o',clery consigned to its
 narrow1 cold habitation1 than the      
official1 assisting the children into   
the sleigh that had borne their mother's
 body to the tomb1 drove off in a rapid 
trot towards the poorhouse4  ,have we   
far to go yet1 sir8 said ,paul1 thinking
 that the county house was something    
different from the much dreaded         
poorhouse4 ,i am afraid ,bridget will   
perish with cold1 sir4  ,no fears of    
her2 she's hardy1 ,i guess4  ,yes1 sir1 
but her dress is so very light4  ,well1 
she can pull that ere buffalo around    
her4  ,ou1 hou1 hou6 cried ,bridget1    
breathing on her little bare hands1     
which she kept pressed to her lips4  ,i 
hope1 sir1 you are not going to take us 
to the poorhouse1 said ,paul2 we don't  
want to go there4 ,the priest that      

attended my mother--,god rest her       
soul6--told us he would provide for us4 
,indeed6 ,how can he do so8 said ,van   
,stingey4  ,why1 sir1 ,i don't know2 but
 perhaps he will write to my uncle1 who 
is a vicar general in ,ireland1 and he  
will send us money to take us back home4
  ,is your uncle in the ,british        
sarvice1 then1 and a general in the     
army8  ,no1 sir1 but he is a priest next
 to the bishop in station in the church4
  ,that's it1 eh8 ,wal1 ,i guess you    
better not talk of going back1 any how4 
,you must live here in this free        
country1 and learn to be a man and a    
,christian--a thing you could not be at 
home1 in the old country4  ,i beg your  
pardon1 sir1 replied ,paul2 the very    
best ,christians are in ,ireland1 which 
was once called the ',isle of ,saints1' 
when all the people were ,catholics2 and
 where ,i came from1 even now1 they are 
all mostly ,catholics4 ,there are in the
 whole parish but two peelers1 the      
minister and his wife1 and the tithe    

proctor1 or collector of tithes2 in all1
 five ,protestants4  ,you are a lad1 ,i 
see1 said the official1 as he dismounted
 from the sleigh and ordered the        
children to enter their new home4  ,o1  
woe1 woe1 woe6 cried they1 as they found
 themselves admitted as paupers1 and    
enclosed within the precincts of the    
terrible poorhouse4 ,o ,lord1 what will 
we do8 cried they4 ,o sir1 don't keep us
 here1 or send word to the priest first4
 ,i will go to his house1 myself1 said  
,paul4  ,shet up1 ye little fools6 said 
the official2 this is a better place nor
 ye think4 ,ye ain't going to get no    
potatoes1 nohow1 but something better   
than ye ever were used to4 ,take these  
young 'uns to the stove in the kitchen1 
said he to an under official4 ,and the  
sobs and groans of the destitute orphans
 were drowned in the uproarious rumbling
 of the gong that called the officers of
 the establishment to dinner1 it being  
now noon4  ,the repugnance of the       
,irishman to the poorhouse is           

proverbial4 ,neither prison1 dungeon1   
nor death is invested with greater      
horror1 in the minds of the peasantry of
 ,ireland1 than this institution4       
,solely founded1 as they are told1 for  
their special use and benefit1 there are
 instances1 countless1 on record1 where 
the affectionate mother has thanked     
,heaven1 when by fever1 plague1 or      
hunger it deprived her of her darling   
infant1 rather than that it should      
become an inmate of the poorhouse6  ,is 
not this prejudice unreasonable and     
strange8 it will be asked4 ,and why is  
it that the ,irishman shuns and abhors  
an institution which his ,english       
neighbor enjoys and petitions to enter8 
,the reasons are numerous1 and the      
difference in the feelings of both      
obvious and palpable4 ,it must be first 
remarked1 that the ,irish are a         
traditional people1 and remarkably      
conservative of the customs and usages  
of their ancestors4 ,they look back into
 the history of their country1 or       

consult their fathers and grandfathers1 
and in vain look back for the existence 
of a poorhouse1 or any necessity for its
 existence1 before the advent of the    
godly reformation and the established   
church in their midst4 ,they heard of   
such establishments as the ancient      
beataghs1 or houses of hospitality1     
which were provided for the stranger and
 destitute in every townland1 the doors 
of which were open day and night1 and on
 the boards of which cooked victuals for
 scores of men were continually ready4  
,these were the substitute for the      
poorhouse in the days when ,england and 
all ,europe sent their poor scholars to 
receive a gratuitous education among the
 inhabitants of the ,island of ,saints4 
,there the poor and the hungry could    
come in and eat1 and be filled1 and go  
his way1 without being questioned who he
 was1 without being asked for a pauper  
ticket to admit him1 without being      
obliged or compelled to lead a life of  
celibacy1 or running the risk of his    

soul's salvation1 to keep his body from 
perishing of hunger4  ,in a word1 when  
,brian ,boru expelled the ,danes from   
,ireland1 when ,hugh ,o',niel triumphed 
over the troops of ,elizabeth1 as well  
as when ,dathi held the sceptre1 or     
,nial of the hostages planted his colors
 on the ,alps1 there was enough to feed 
the poor of ,ireland4 ,there was no     
necessity for a poorhouse2 and there is 
no need of it now1 says the ,irish      
peasant1 if justice was done to         
,ireland4 ,give us back our monasteries 
and abbeys1 and we will bestow you the  
poorhouses4  ,besides these             
considerations1 the ,english poorhouse  
has this advantage over the ,irish      
one--that the former is conducted and   
presided over by ,englishmen1 who have a
 sympathy for1 or at least are of1 the  
same blood1 religion1 and race with its 
inmates4 ,but in ,ireland the case is   
different4 ,the poorhouses1 prison-like 
edifices1 in ,elizabethan style of      
architecture1 presided over by          

,englishmen1 generally1 and nominees of 
the crown1 are a monument of conquest   
and tyranny4  ,the inmates being        
principally mere ,irish1 and the cost of
 their support derived chiefly from the 
land1 the landlords consider their      
health1 comfort1 or life of only        
secondary importance4 ,hence we find the
 number of deaths in these charnel      
houses averaging that of years of       
plague2 and each pauper is allowed far  
less weekly for his support than the    
lord of the soil allows the meanest dog 
in his kennel4 ,add to these the        
separation of man and wife1 the         
isolation of members of the same family1
 the dangers of perversion and          
proselytism to the thinning ranks of the
 law church2 and then1 if you can1 blame
 the poor ,irishman for his horror of   
the dreadful poorhouse of ,england4 ,he 
saw hundreds of his neighbors enter the 
gates of the poorhouse1 but he never saw
 one return back4 ,less active          
imaginations than that of the ,irish    

peasant would be worked on so as to     
conclude that some means more active    
than sickness or old age were had       
recourse to1 for the purpose of         
lessening the taxes on land1 by getting 
rid of the poor4  ,in truth1 the        
,british poorhouse is a great government
 establishment1 where the sons of the   
low squirearchy are provided for--a     
terrible mill1 where the bodies and     
souls of ,irishmen and women are ground 
up and annihilated--a labor-saving      
machine of political economy1 introduced
 into the world by the robbers of the   
reformation1 in order to get rid of     
surplus population1 and in order that   
the ,lazaruses of society might not     
disturb the false repose of their       
hypocrisy1 by begging the crums that    
fall from their plunder-burdened tables6
  ,the ,american poorhouse1 however1 is 
of quite a different description1 and   
the promptitude and unanimity of the    
public mind regarding the necessity of a
 law to provide for the support of the  

poor are among the most laudable traits 
in the ,american character4 ,in         
,america1 the patrimony of the poor was 
never wrested from the church1 to which 
,god committed their care2 the charities
 and bequests of ages were not plundered
 and squandered by the vilest of the    
human race1 as in ,britain2 hospitals1  
churches1 abbeys1 monasteries1 convents1
 and other endowed provisions for the   
poor1 were not robbed and confiscated by
 the sectarians of the new world1       
7probably because they did not exist    
there27 and hence the essential         
difference between the ,english and     
,american poorhouse4 ,there is no part  
of the ,scripture the reformation people
 so rigidly adhered to1 or now pretend  
to adhere to1 as the advice of ,judas1  
,let this be sold and given to the poor4
 ,they made the sale1 but the poor they 
left unprovided for1 till their numbers 
increased so as to threaten the         
ill-gotten goods of the plunderers1 who 
at length passed laws compelling the    

poor to support the poor4 ,and this was 
the origin of poorhouses--a true        
,protestant creation4     ,,chapter ,v4 
,,the ,o',,clerys4   ,the ,o',clery     
family was an ancient and honored one in
 ,ireland4 ,princes1 chieftains1 and    
warriors of the name were renowned      
before ,charlemagne or ,alfred ascended 
the throne1 or before any of the petty  
princes of the heptarchy ruled over the 
barbarous ,saxons4 ,like all the royal  
and noble houses of ,europe1 the        
,o',clerys1 after ages of glory and     
prosperity1 had their hour of decline   
and decay also4 ,but it was a question  
whether the virtues of this renowned    
house were more brilliant or conspicuous
 in the zenith of its glory1 or in its  
fallen or humbled state4 ,the ,irish    
church founded by ,saint ,patrick never 
wanted an ,o',clery to adorn her        
sanctuary or to record her victories4   
,the annals of the ,four ,masters will  
stand to the end of the world as a proud
 monument of the services rendered to   

the ,irish church and to history by     
these illustrious annalists2 and when   
the deeds of the most renowned knights  
and chieftains of this royal house shall
 have been obliterated by the merciless 
chisel of time1 the authors of the ,four
 ,masters' ,annals will become only     
brighter among the shining stars that   
adorn the literary firmament of old     
,ireland4  ,the martyrology of the      
,irish church can attest the virtues of 
constancy and patriotism with which the 
,o',clerys bore their share of the      
wrongs of ,erin and of her faithful     
sons4 ,whether or not the subjects of   
our narrative1 the poor emigrant        
orphans1 had any of this royal and noble
 blood flowing in their veins1 is a     
thing that we cannot genealogically     
vouch4 ,but that they were not          
degenerate sons of ,erin1 or faithless  
to their allegiance to the glorious old 
church of their fathers1 we trust this  
history will amply demonstrate4 ,at all 
events1 the uncle of our hero1 ,paul    

,o',clery1 held a very high station in  
the ,irish hierarchy4 ,having1 with     
eclat1 finished his ecclesiastical and  
literary primary studies in the colleges
 of his native land1 he subsequently    
repaired to ,rome1 where he won with    
distinction the title of doctor in      
divinity and canon law1 and carried the 
first premium from many ,french1        
,german1 and even ,italian competitors4 
,hence1 soon after his return from      
abroad1 on account of his learning1 as  
well as his tried virtues1 he was       
appointed the vicar general of the      
diocese of ,kil----1 a promotion which1 
far from exciting the envy1 gained the  
unanimous approval1 of the diocesan     
clergy4 ,during the horrors of the      
general landlord persecution of the     
,irish ,catholics1 7for it is nothing   
else than a persecution of ,catholics17 
the ,o',clerys found their name on the  
roll of the proscribed1 and got notice  
to quit the homestead of their fathers4 
,the principal cause for this           

proscription by the landlord was1 that  
,dr4 ,o',clery1 in the newspapers1      
exposed the system of cruel and         
barbarous extermination which took place
 on the extensive estates of ,lord      
,mandemon--a gentleman who said he      
thought it far more honorable1 as well  
as profitable1 to have his princely     
estates in ,munster tenanted by fat     
cattle than by ,irish ,papists4 ,his    
lordship had also the mortification to  
learn that all the meat1 money1 and     
clothing he had employed for the last   
five years could not make one single    
sincere convert to his rich law         
establishment4 ,when the praties were   
dear1 and the crops failed1 there were a
 few1 to be sure1 who would profess     
themselves ready to ate the mate on     
,friday2 but as soon as plenty returned1
 the new lights went out1 or returned to
 ask pardon of ,god1 the priest1 and the
 people2 and ,lord ,mandemon and his    
soup were pitched to the seventy-nine   
devils4 ,this failure1 this result1 so  

often before seen and felt1 and so      
certain to follow1 was1 in his zeal for 
proselytism1 attributed by his lordship 
to ,dr4 ,o',clery's zeal and learning4  
,for1 whenever or wherever he went among
 the peasantry to preach to them in     
their own sweet and loved dialect1 the  
jumpers1 the new lights1 and the soupers
 disappeared like the locusts from      
,egypt when exorcised by the magic rod  
of ,moses4 ,hence the hatred with which 
the ,o',clerys were persecuted4 ,hence1 
also1 the oath of ,lord ,mandemon1 that 
he would never return to his home in    
,england till every ,papist on his      
estates was rooted out4 ,this oath was  
kept by his lordship1 probably the only 
true one he ever swore2 for in less than
 a fortnight he fell a victim to the    
cholera1 and expired on board the       
,princess ,royal steamboat on her return
 to ,liverpool4  ,arthur ,o',clery1     
father to the subject of our tale1 sold 
out a second farm he held near          
,limerick1 turned all his effects into  

money1 bade adieu to his beloved        
brother1 ,dr4 ,o',clery1 who was averse 
to his emigration1 and1 in the autumn1  
set sail from ,liverpool for ,new ,york1
 in the ship ,hottinguer4 ,he had all   
his family with him3 they were          
comfortably provided with all           
necessaries1 and1 besides1 had one      
thousand pounds1 in hard cash1 to start 
with in the new world4 ,they were not   
long out at sea1 when1 owing to the     
crowd on board1 the lack of proper      
arrangements1 and room1 or ventillation1
 as well as on account of the cruelly of
 the inhuman captain1 ship fever and    
cholera broke out on board4  ,the number
 of bodies consigned to the ocean from  
that unlucky vessel was from five to ten
 daily1 and among the victims of the    
plague was ,arthur ,o',clery4 ,he was   
the only one of the cabin passengers who
 was attacked by the epidemic1 which1 in
 the ardor of his charity1 he contracted
 while attending on1 and ministering to1
 the wants of the poor steerage         

passengers4  ,sad and impressive was the
 scene when the ,rev4 ,h4 ,o',q----1 a  
young ,irish priest on board1 in the    
middle hold of the ship1 where ,o',clery
 had been removed by order of the       
captain1 called on the six hundred      
surviving passengers to kneel while he  
was administering the rites of the      
church to the benefactor of them all4   
,never was a call on the piety and faith
 of any number of men more cheerfully   
obeyed4 ,instantaneously that mixed1    
nondescript crowd--,irish1 ,english1    
,scotch1 ,welsh1 ,dutch--,catholic1     
,protestant1 infidel--fell on their     
knees1 and1 if they did not pray1 they  
paid that outward homage to ,religion   
which sometimes the most indifferent and
 irreligious cannot resist paying her4  
,infidelity is a great coward1 as well  
as a false guide4 ,in her hour of ease  
and satiety1 she pretends to scorn the  
threats and judgments of the ,most      
,high1 and1 like ,satan in his          
pandemonium1 to make war on ,heaven2 but

 no sooner does the roaring of the      
thunderbolt shake the earth1 or the vast
 abyss open its devouring throat to     
swallow her unhappy victims1 than she   
hides her head in the caves of the      
earth1 or1 flying to some secure place1 
abandons her votaries to the forlorn    
hope of trusting to the weakness of     
their own minds for resources to        
extricate themselves from the evils that
 threaten them4 ,it was so on board the 
ill-fated ,hottinguer4 ,those who1 under
 the influence of the security offered  
by the prosperous sailing of the few    
first days1 were bold1 independent1 and 
defiant of danger1 no sooner did they   
see their comrades thrown overboard1    
after a few hours' sickness1 than their 
hearts failed within them1 their tone of
 defiance was turned into despair1 their
 mockery of religion ceased1 and that   
priest of ,god1 whom they ridiculed1    
insulted1 and despised for the first few
 days1 was now respected1 confided in1  
and regarded by them with sentiments    

bordering on religious homage4          
,fervently did that priest1 who thanked 
,god that he was on hand1 pray1 not that
 ,god would restore him to his wife and 
children1--for all hope of recovery was 
now gone1--but that1 in accordance with 
the anxious desire of the dying man1 he 
should have the privilege of burial in a
 ,christian1 consecrated tomb4  ,pray1  
father1 said he1 that1 if it be ,god's  
holy will1 ,i may be buried in a        
consecrated soil4 ,it seems to me a sort
 of profanation1 that the cruel fishes  
and those monsters of the deep1 which we
 see leaping around the vessel1 should  
devour my flesh1 united with1 and ,i    
hope sanctified now by1 the flesh and   
blood of my ,lord4  ,the priest did     
pray1 and the people joined in that     
impulsive prayer of faith1 and that     
prayer was heard2 for1 though ,o',clery 
breathed his last on board1 and1 by the 
captain's orders1 the sailors--poor     
fellows6--were standing around his      
berth1 prepared1 as soon as the last    

breath left him1 to throw him overboard1
 yet he lingered for three days after2  
and they reached quarantine before that 
pure soul quitted its tenement of clay  
and winged its flight to heaven4 ,the   
wife and her children had the body      
conveyed to shore and interred in the   
,catholic cemetery of ,new ,york1 where 
a neat marble monument could be seen    
with these words inscribed3--  ,pray for
 the soul of ,arthur ,o',clery1 whose   
body lies underneath4 ,requiescat in    
pace4 ,amen4  ,it was thus that the     
,o',clerys were deprived of their good  
and virtuous father1 and the widow of   
her husband2 but this1 as already has   
been partly seen1 was but the beginning 
of their woes2 for1 after their arrival 
in ,new ,york1 an individual1 who1      
during the voyage1 ingratiated himself  
with the family by his attention around 
the sick man's bed1 joined them at their
 lodgings4 ,but in a few days they found
 him gone one morning1 after their      
return from mass at ,barclay ,street    

,church1 and with him the canvas bag1   
containing the thousand pounds in gold  
and ,bank of ,england notes left by them
 in a trunk4 ,thus were six persons1    
strangers and destitute in a great city1
 reduced from competency to poverty at  
one fell swoop by the villany of a      
pretended friend and associate4  ,o     
,lord1 pity me6 ,one misfortune never   
comes alone1 groaned the now poor and   
afflicted widow ,o',clery1 when she was 
informed by little ,bridget that the    
trunk was broke open1 and all the things
 ransacked through and fro4  ,she soon  
saw that all she had was gone1 and      
concluded that ,cunningham1 as he was   
absent from breakfast contrary to his   
wont1 must be the thief4 ,the police got
 immediate notice2 advertisements were  
issued1 and rewards offered1 and in a   
day or two after ,cunningham was        
arrested2 but as none of the money was  
found on his person1 and as there was no
 direct evidence of his guilt1 the      
magistrate discharged him4 ,the articles

 of dress in her well-supplied wardrobe 
were detained1 in payment of her board  
bill1 by the hotel keeper where she     
lodged in ,new ,york2 and with the few  
shillings that remained in her purse1   
she1 with her children1 took passage on 
one of the ,hudson ,river boats1 hoping 
to make out certain acquaintances of her
 husband1 whom she heard were settled in
 the vicinity of ,t----4 ,the rest has  
been already told--namely1 how she took 
sick and died after great sufferings2   
how her children were left destitute1   
and next to naked2 how they were now    
reduced to the rank of paupers1 and     
secured within the precincts of the     
county house4  ,of all the things which 
we brought from home with us1 we have   
nothing of value now left1 ,bridget1    
said ,paul1 but this silver crucifix1   
which belonged to my grandfather4 ,glory
 be to ,god4 ,let us be glad that this  
has been left1 said he1 kissing it with 
religious affection4 ,this is all we    
have now left4 ,let us defend it4       

,,chapter ,,vi4  ,,the ,,council4       
,father ,o',shane was now several days  
weather bound and laid up sick in       
,vermont1 where1 with great anxiety1 he 
waited the first opportunity to return  
home to his mission2 and the orphans    
were safely lodged in the poorhouse1    
where our friend ,paul1 to calm the     
anxiety and dispel the grief of his     
younger companions1 began to contrast1  
with an air of satisfaction1 the aspect 
of things here with what he had heard of
 the horrors of the ,irish poorhouse4   
,what nice men we have in ,america over 
the poorhouse1 said he2 they are very   
kind to us4  ,yes2 but ,i don't like    
that man with the great beard1 said     
,bridget2 he frightens me when ,i meet  
him4 ,o1 such a feesage2 a robin        
redbreast could make her nest in it1    
said she1 smiling4  ,he might be a nice 
man for all that1 ,bid4 ,most people    
here don't shave at all1 you know1 as we
 saw in ,new ,york4 ,and did you notice 
that sailor that saved the boy who fell 

overboard1 what a long beard he had8    
,and he must be a brave1 good man1 to   
risk his own life to save another's4    
,yes1 ,paul2 but he was a ,catholic1 and
 from ,ireland1 too2 for he made the    
sign of the cross on himself in ,irish  
before he leaped out1 for ,i was near   
him2 and besides1 ,i saw him going to   
confession to the same priest we went to
 the day after we landed4  ,and are not 
they all ,catholics here1 ,paul8 said   
,patsy4 ,i seen crosses on three        
churches1 the time ,i went with ,mrs4   
,doherty for the priest for mother1 ,god
 be good to her4  ,no1 ,patsy1 they are 
not2 for if they were1 there would be   
more than one priest for this large     
town2 and you heard ,father ,o',shane   
say that there was only himself for all 
the city and a great part of the        
country1 said ,paul4  ,i hope somebody  
will take us to mass on ,sunday1 said   
little ,patrick2 and1 ,paul1 will you   
ask the priest to allow me to answer    
mass8 ,you know ,father ,doyle told us  

never to forget the lessons we learned  
of him4  ,i'd know are there any nuns   
here1 said ,bridget4 ,o1 how beautiful  
the convent chapel in ,limerick was6 ,i 
hope ,i have not lost my beautiful      
little silver medals and crucifix they  
gave me when ,i was coming away4 ,no2   
here they are1 and my ,agnus ,dei1 too1 
she said1 kissing them4 ,god rest       
mother's soul1 how glad she was when ,i 
got these from the holy nuns6 ,and the  
tears streamed down her fair cheeks in  
floods4  ,hold your tongue1 ,bridget1   
again1 said ,paul1 with emphasis4 ,don't
 you know that mother told us not to    
grieve1 but pray for her soul8 ,and     
besides1 in the ',imitation of ,christ1'
 which ,i read for you this morning and 
last night1 it is said that grief kills 
devotion1 and excessive1 sorrow is a    
sin4 ,you can serve mother1 or rejoice  
her soul1 by praying1 but not by crying1
 ,bridget4  ,o1 how can ,i help it8     
',tis against me will1 ,paul1 said she1 
wiping her eyes4  ,always look          

attentively at that crucifix1 said      
,paul1 and you need never grieve for any
 thing except sin4 ,this is what ,father
 ,doyle used to say4  ,o ,paul1 we have 
no father or mother now4  ,yes we have1 
,bridget--our ,father in heaven1 and the
 blessed virgin mother of ,god1 our     
mother also1 said the young preacher4   
,how well the priest did not call as he 
said he would4  ,may be he could not    
help it2 he had to go far into the      
country1 and the snow might stop him4   
,you know he will find us out4 ,the     
priest always visits the poorhouse in   
,ireland4  ,while this conversation was 
going on between the members of this    
poor orphan family1 ,paul acting the    
meritorious part of a comforter1 7,i say
 acting1 for his own noble soul was     
almost crushed with grief1 which he     
thought it better to disguise than to   
have his little charge rendered quite   
stupid and almost dead from crying and  
sobbing27 while this was the way ,paul  
entertained his little charge1 in       

another part of the poorhouse1 in a     
well-furnished room1 were seated around 
a table containing the reliqui or       
remnants of a good dinner1 five persons1
 engaged in earnest chat about the late 
importation of orphans4  ,really they   
are likely young 'uns1 and no mistake1  
said ,mr4 ,van ,stingey1 wiping his     
mouth with the corner of the tablecloth4
  ,dear me6 said a lady who formed one  
of the council4 ,charles1 if you saw    
them1 they are perfect beauties1 you    
would say4 ,the oldest boy is as        
noble-looking a lad as ever you did     
see--,roman nose1 raven hair1           
delightfully-carved mouth1 and lips1 and
 eyes1 and eyelashes quite              
indescribable1 so beautiful are they4   
,the little girl is a perfect ,venus2   
while the two younger children1 ,patrick
 and ,eugene1 are as if they came from  
the chisel of ,powers1 or some renowned 
artist of antiquity4  ,why1 my love1    
said ,parson ,burly1 you are quite      
classical in your description2 whether  

or not it is a correct one1 is another  
thing4  ,i assure you1 ,mr4 ,burly1 said
 ,van ,stingey1 that your lady has not  
described them beyond what is true4     
,they are almighty fine young 'uns4  ,i 
want you to adopt that eldest one1 ,mr4 
,burly1 said the parson's wife1 who was 
president of the council4 ,he would make
 such an elegant preacher1 ,i am sure4  
,you must also change the name of the   
second boy from ,patrick1 which is so   
,irish1 to ,ebenezer1 ,zerubabbel1 or   
some ,scripture name1 or even classical 
one4  ,why1 madam1 ,i am beginning to   
get jealous1 and to think you don't     
sufficiently admire my powers of        
oratory1 said her husband4  ,well1 my   
dear1 putting aside jokes1 she solemnly 
remarked1 you know how much we need     
,irish ministers to preach to the ,irish
 amongst us1 who are the best church    
attenders on earth1 ,i believe4 ,and it 
is notorious1 that those whom we can    
take out from the ranks of ,papacy while
 young become the greatest ornaments to 

our denomination4 ,witness ,kirvoin1    
,maclown1 ,moffat1 and several others4  
,well1 well1 my fair refuter1 said the  
parson1 who really feared his wife would
 rivet her affections on the young      
orphan if adopted2 you know it would    
never do to keep that little fellow with
 us4 ,how old did you say he was--about 
fifteen8 ,well1 fifteen or              
sixteen--ya--you recollect how that old 
priest acted last ,july1 at the village 
of ,scurvy8 ,a little girl ,i sent out  
to ,brother ,prim this priest smelt and 
hunted out2 and actually broke in the   
room door where she was confined1 and   
took her off by physical force to a     
,roman ,catholic orphan house4 ,these   
priests are terrible fellows2 and your  
young fancy orphan1 ,paul1 would soon   
find out the priest1 and have his       
grievance redressed4 ,and what is worse1
 this priest got ,americans--ay1 members
 of my own church--to applaud his       
conduct1 and defend him from            
prosecution6 ,the ,irish are getting so 

powerful in this country1 said the      
parson1 after a pause1 from their       
admirable union of purpose and the      
perfect organization of their church1   
that ,i dread their influence4 ,in fact1
 'you catch a ,tartar' when you get one 
of them into your family4 ,ten to one1  
instead of converting this young        
,papist1 he would convert our whole     
family to his own creed4  ,o ,burly1    
said the disappointed wife1 you are     
always a prophet of evils4 ,i tell you1 
,i must have that young lad1 for ,i want
 him4  ,you do8 ,cynthia1 my dear1 said 
the parson1 we cannot have the lad in   
our family4 ,we dare not1 without the   
consent of the trustees1 who pay us our 
salary4 ,do you understand that1 my fair
 disputant8 said he1 triumphantly4      
,well1 ,burly1 as soon as ,i recover the
 means my father willed me1 ,i shall    
have that young man--already almost     
fully educated1 as you can              
perceive--brought up for the church4    
,o1 then you can try it1 madam1 said the

 man in white neckcloth1 in a sharp1    
sarcastic style2 but as for me1 and ,i  
think my opinion is of some weight1 ,i  
tell you much can never be made out of  
that shrewd boy4 ,there was a solemn1   
ominous silence1 for a moment1 in the   
company4 ,did you remark the sort of    
dignified and independent motions of the
 fellow1 continued he1 when you had him 
here just now8  ,fellow6 said his wife1 
looking at her husband1 in anger4 ,is   
that a proper term to apply to the      
child8  ,it is not an improper or       
inappropriate one1 not more so than     
calling him 'child1' said he4 ,i was    
just going to remark the coolness of his
 reply when you introduced my name as   
the parish clergyman4 ',a ,catholic     
clergyman1 ,i hope1 sir1' said he2 'as  
such1 ,i am very glad to see you4' ,did 
you observe how sad and demure he looked
 when told he was to be sent to school1 
where he could read the ,bible1 and     
become acquainted with the word of      
,god8' ,o sir1' said he1 'much obliged  

to you2 ,i have got a ,bible already1   
and other good books of devotion1 which 
we brought from home4 ,i should be very 
glad to learn what is good1' said he2   
'but ,i trust ,i have got my catechism  
well committed to memory2 and having    
made my first communion and been        
confirmed1 ,i was discharged from class1
 and appointed a ,sunday school teacher1
 by our good priest1 ,father ,doyle4'   
,and on my telling him that he could be 
a teacher here of a better religion than
 that of his country1 he shook his head1
 declining the honor of the post        
offered1 and remarking that 'it was     
impossible to have a better religion    
than that which had ,god for its        
author--the ,catholic religion4' ,with  
this bit he retired 7ye all saw him1 ,i 
need not repeat more7 from our presence1
 a blush of mental triumph playing on   
his smooth cheek4  ,sartain there was   
such a feelin'1 said an old gray-headed 
,yankee1 who sat at the head of the     
table1 and who was guardian of the      

establishment4 ,you can't do nothin'    
with these ,papists1 continued he4 ,i   
have seed the attempts made time and    
agin1 but allers fail4 ,the very        
children1 only five years of age1 of    
that ere religion1 refuse to eat flesh  
on ,friday1 or to disobey such other    
darned ceremonies of their church as    
they are brought up to4  ,wal1 ,mr4     
,burly1 madam1 and my esteemed brother  
,valentine1 my plan is this1 said ,van  
,stingey3 send them1 separate or in     
couples1 here and there1 into the       
country1 and there1 with the farmers1   
they will soon get used to our church   
ways1 and be gradually broke in4  ,that 
you can't do safe1 neither1 ,van1 said  
the boss of the house1 for they would   
raise such a dust as would bring half   
the city around us2 and you know the    
people would never consent to any thing 
like cruelty towards one so young and   
interesting as these here are4  ,you say
 the truth there1 sir1 said the parson4 
,it would be cruel to separate the dear 

ones1 said the wife2 wherever they are  
sent1 let them go together4 ,i could    
pledge my watch and wedding diamond ring
 to help to raise such beauties1 said   
she1 passionately4 ,surely they cannot  
be ,irish1 or they must belong to some  
race different from the ,celtic half    
savages which we have read inhabit      
,ireland4  ,you mistake1 ,cynthia1 my   
dear1 said the parson2 these are ,irish1
 and genuine ,celts1 too1 as one can    
tell from the hair and nose4 ,i think1  
however1 you exaggerate their beauty4   
,have you not read the ,european letters
 of ,thurlow ,w---- and ,horace ,g----1 
which described the middle and upper    
classes of the ,irish as the most       
beautiful complexioned and dignified    
people in ,europe or the world8 ,now1   
this is my mind1 that you must get some 
farmers in a good ,protestant           
neighborhood to adopt these children1 so
 that they may all live in the same     
vicinity1 if not in the same family2 and
 by this means all unpleasant           

consequences will be obviated4  ,i say  
ditto to that1 said the ,nestor of the  
council1 old ,valentine2 but you must   
lose no time1 for the eldest lad told me
 the priest promised to call for them2  
and if that gentleman gets them into his
 hands1 ,i'll warrant all your plans    
will be frustrated4  ,that's just it4   
,you have hit the nail on the head1     
friend ,valentine1 said ,van ,stingey4  
,i will take charge on them1 and take   
them to that gentleman's house1 in      
,w---- county1 who was here last week   
looking for a boy and a girl to raise2  
and mebbee ,i will scare up somewhere   
else for the other two young critters4  
,take 'em along1 then1 and see that you 
get your pay1 said the boss1 rising4    
,o1 never mind1 leave that to me1 said  
the vile1 wily knave1 as he went to see 
to his arrangements for carrying the    
orphans to parts unknown4     ,,chapter 
,,vii4  ,a ,,rude ,,lover ,,of ,,nature4
   ,father ,o',shane1 who had suffered  
severely from the effects of exposure to

 the late violent storm1 no sooner found
 himself a little recruited1 and the    
roads passable1 than he prepared to     
return to his residence in the city4 ,he
 had1 as conductor1 a green young       
,irishman1 lately arrived1 who felt     
almost inspired by the unusual luxury1  
presented for the first time to his     
view1 of a ,north ,american snowfall1   
and petitioned earnestly to accompany   
his reverence back to the city to enjoy 
the glorious sport1 as he called it1 of 
a sleigh ride4 ,the enthusiasm of the   
young native of the perennial green     
fields of ,munster did not escape the   
notice of ,father ,o',shane1 who himself
 was once not less enthusiastic1 and now
 not altogether insensible1 to the      
chaste and almost sublime beauty of     
,nature1 when arrayed in her bridal     
robes of white on the advent of spring4 
,well1 ,murty1 how do you like this     
manner of travelling8  ,be gonnies1 your
 reverence1 there is nothing ,i like    
better4 ,what a fine time it would be   

for tracking the hare1 or hunting the   
fox6  ,you are fond of sport1 ,i        
perceive4  ,bedad1 sir1 ,i would rather 
be out such a day as this1 with dog and 
gun1 than eating bread and honey4 ,i    
wonder if they would put you to jail or 
transport you here1 as they would at    
home1 for fowling a bit in these woods8 
,no1 ,murty1 ,i believe not4  ,no1 said 
,murty1 doubtingly4 ,you don't tell me  
so1 your reverence8  ,i tell you that   
there are no game laws1 or only very    
nominal ones2 so that1 when you come    
back1 if you and your dog traverse      
yonder mountain from top to bottom1 you 
need not be afraid of the rifle of the  
gamekeeper1 or of a sentence to a free  
passage to ,van ,diemen's ,land4        
,murther6 ,must not they be very fine   
gentlemen here1 to be so liberal8 ,signs
 by ,i shall1 please ,god1 one of these 
days1 visit that old1 grand mountain    
with the white head2 and if there be a  
hare's form in his rough sides or his   
curly beard1 ,i will ferret it out1 and 

soon have pussy by the hind legs4  ,i   
can see1 ,murty1 you are growing        
poetical in your description of old     
,mount ,antoine1 said the priest4  ,your
 reverence1 did you ever see such a     
grand sight8 ,i can't help comparing    
that grand mountain there to the king of
 yon wild regions4 ,the snow on the     
trees1 on the summit1 causes them to    
look like gray locks2 and1 looking down 
on the smaller mountains on every side1 
they appear like his subjects or his    
sons1 which1 in time1 are to grow big   
like himself1 affording shelter and     
refuge from the snares of the hunter to 
the wild animals of nature4 ,o1 how ,i  
like ,america6 said he1 his enthusiasm  
still rising4  ,that's right1 ,murty2 ,i
 am glad you do like it4 ,wait till     
summer or autumn1 and then how beautiful
 these bleak hills will appear during   
these delightful seasons6  ,o sir1 it is
 a great1 grand country6 ,no tyrants1 no
 landlords1 no poverty4  ,no poverty1   
,murty1 except what is purely           

accidental1 or brought on by the        
improvidence of individuals4 ,in the    
very best regulated society there must1 
of necessity1 be poverty less or more1  
said the priest1 by way of              
qualification4  ,every thing is free1   
and there is liberty for all4 ,the very 
fences1 you see1 sir1 unlike our stone  
walls at home1 give liberty to the winds
 and storms to blow through them4 ,the  
mountains are free to the huntsman2 the 
very snow is free to blow and form      
itself into those beautiful banks1 and  
little mountains1 and castles1 and      
stacks1 and curtains1 and drapery that  
we see on every side of us as we glide  
along4  ,the priest listened with       
astonishment4  ,was there ever seen any 
thing so purty1 continued the peasant1  
as those ridges and mounds of snow8 ,i  
have seen the grandest buildings in     
,ireland1--,marlborough ,street ,church1
 in ,dublin1 the stone carving and      
ceiling in ,cashel of the ,kings1 the   
stucco work on the old ,parliament      

,house in ,college ,green1--but ,i think
 ,i see work in these fantastic snow    
banks that beats them all hollow4       
,and--glory be to ,god6--all this       
beauty1 so dazzling1 so chaste1 was     
created by a storm1 when all nature was 
in a rage1 and men shut themselves up in
 houses from its violence6 ,i am glad   
now1 said he1 our landlord turned us    
out4 ,i now forgive him for being the   
cause of our coming to this country of  
the brave and the free4  ,was it a      
landlord who has been the occasion of so
 much enjoyment to you1 ,murty8 said    
,father ,o',shane1 drawing him out4     
,yes1 sir4 ,it vexes me to think of it1 
much more to speak of it1 said the      
simple youth1 with a tear full created  
in his eye4 ,we1 and our forefathers    
before us1 had the farm of ,lapardawn   
for more than three hundred years4 ,a   
new landlord coming in possession of the
 estate1 we got notice to quit1 in the  
middle of winter4 ,my father refused to 
yield the hearth of his forefathers     

without a struggle1 and locked himself  
and family up4 ,my mother was just after
 her confinement1 and becoming short of 
provisions and even of water1 she begged
 of the police who kept guard to hand   
her in a drink4 ,they refused4 ,she then
 begged1 for ,god's sake1 to have a     
messenger go for the priest4 ,for two   
days1 the police refused to let any body
 out of the house1 unless we            
surrendered4 ,my father1 who had cut a  
hole in the roof of the house to catch  
at rain water for my dying mother1 made 
his escape through it4 ,a neighbor1 who 
handed me a drink of water through a    
broken pane in a window1 had his hand   
cut off by a stroke from the police     
sergeant's sabre4 ,my poor mother died  
before the priest arrived4 ,my oldest   
brother1 seeing his mother dead1 and    
that we had nothing now to guard1       
surrendered4 ,we were all lodged in jail
 that night1 and all our means were sold
 at auction4 ,it was lucky for us we    
were put into jail2 for1 one week from  

that day1 the landlord that was the     
cause of all our misery and of my       
mother's death was shot dead on the road
 from our farm to the town of ,ennis4   
,if we were out of jail1 we would all   
have been accused of the cruel          
landlord's murder1 and hanged2 but we   
were1 after one year in prison for the  
crime of defending our homestead1       
liberated1 and came out in a body to    
,america4 ,and now ,i am glad of it1 for
 two signs of tyranny ,i find wanting   
here--landlords and game laws4 ,the     
absence of one allows me to trace the   
steps of the wild quadruped2 and of the 
other1 to trace my title to the soil    
which ,i shall possess1 down to the     
middle of the earth and up to the sky1  
unfrowned on1 or unawed by the          
landlord's tyranny or the 'peeler's'    
cruelty4 ,this is partly why ,i like to 
see these mountains of snow1 said he1   
for ,i think that neither landlords nor 
'peelers' could exist here4 ,they would 
become buried under these snow banks1   

for it is by night that they are        
generally patrolling the highways1 and  
plotting against the peace of innocent  
families2 and such a storm as the late  
one could not but be fatal to the       
villains4  ,these and the like          
sentiments are those which generally    
pervade the bosom of the ,irish emigrant
 after landing on this enfranchised     
land4 ,wonder not1 then1 you natives of 
this ,god-provided country1 that the    
foreigner is likely to become more      
republican than yourselves1 and that his
 is a keener sense of enjoyment than    
yours1 from the evils of his antecedent 
life4 ,do not1 therefore1 become jealous
 of his purer and more ardent love for  
this republic1 the inheritance of the   
oppressed2 but1 instead of envying his  
growing influence in this country of his
 choice and adoption1 receive him with  
open arms1 and make him a participator  
with yourselves in the good things which
 you and your fathers have enjoyed for  
ages1 and your claims to which are      

grounded on no better title than that of
 the emigrant2 and which title is       
founded on the adventitious discovery of
 this continent by a ,catholic and a    
foreigner1 and on oppressions undergone 
by your fathers in their native lands4  
,wonder not1 then1 that the ,irish      
,catholic is the best lover of this     
country1 and that he feels himself at   
home here2 for his sufferings in the    
cause of liberty and of conscience have 
been such as to give him the strongest  
title deed to the liberties and         
privileges1 if not to the enjoyments and
 comforts1 of this favored land4 ,every 
prejudice is unreasonable1 but none more
 irrational than that which would throw 
obstacles in the way of the gallant     
emigrant towards procuring a home and a 
sanctuary in this land of refuge and    
freedom4  ,the land is wild and         
uncultivated1 with its womb groaning    
under the burden of plenty and fertility
 that have been dormant for ages upon   
ages1 and that must remain so for ages  

to come1 unless the thrifty hand of     
husbandry assist them into birth2 and   
where are we to find1 or when will the  
nativists be able to procure1 as busy   
hands and stalwart arms1 sufficiently   
numerous to bring into cultivation the  
millions of acres within the extent of  
our country1 if the emigrant and        
foreigner are to be discouraged1 and the
 mad clamor of the nativists is to      
prevail8 ,it was not all native blood   
that was spilled in the establishment of
 the republic4 ,it was not native genius
 alone that created the constitution1   
laws1 and institutions of our country4  
,it was not natives1 of course1 that    
first discovered1 settled1 or           
established the several states that form
 the grand ,union4 ,it was by emigrants1
 by furriners1 that all these things    
were done4 ,what1 therefore1 can be more
 ungrateful1 if not more unjust1 in the 
nativists1 than to attempt to rob the   
poor emigrant of the rewards of his     
labor and merit1 in order that they may 

enjoy all the fruit of the latter's     
toil8 ,this is the height of ingratitude
 and injustice2 a far more glaring      
instance of both than that of the       
reputed forefathers of these nativists  
when they robbed the old ,britons of    
their homes and of those liberties which
 they were hired to defend4 ,what models
 of honesty1 justice1 and truth you are1
 most distinguished nativists6 ,the     
foreigner built your house1 after having
 first procured the site or the lot2    
they furnish the house with all useful1 
and necessary1 and ornamental furniture2
 and these very emigrants are yet       
necessary to keep the house in order2   
and you come and threaten to turn them  
out1 telling them you can now dispense  
with their services1 and that they are  
furriners6 ,and1 what is more           
inconsistent and unjust still1 by this  
policy of yours1 if it could prevail1   
you would be doing the most effectual   
thing to annihilate yourselves1 both    
physically1 politically1 morally1 and   

socially4 ,for1 if you turned off all   
the furriners1 not only would you sink  
in wealth and resources1--your ships    
unmanned1 your factories unworked1 your 
canals and railroads undug1 and your    
battles unfought1--but your very blood  
would corrupt1 and turn into water6     
,your physical stature would soon be    
reduced to the standard of the ,aztecs2 
and1 what is worse1 following the       
natural channel of your ,anglo-,saxon   
instincts1 you would become a godless   
race of ,liliputians6 ,yes1 followers of
 ,mormon ,smith1 ,joe ,miller1 ,theodore
 ,parker1 and spiritual raps4 ,o        
nativists1 to what an abyss your mental 
intoxication was hurrying you1 in your  
blind zeal against the emigrant and the 
foreigner6     ,,chapter ,,viii4  ,,the 
,,orphans ,,in ,,their ,,new ,,home4    
,after the arrival in the city of the   
wearied missionary1 his first visit was 
to the scene of his late visit to the   
dying widow2 and learning all the       
particulars there that came under the   

cognizance of ,mrs4 ,doherty1 he next   
drove rapidly to the poorhouse1 where1  
as we have already stated1 the pious    
officials had arranged the details so as
 to disappoint the ,popish priest of his
 benevolent designs1 and to secure1 if  
possible1 the adhesion of the young and 
interesting orphans to what they called 
,bible religion4  ,when ,father         
,o',shane called at the county house1 he
 learned from an under official that the
 boss warn't to home2 and1 said he1 the 
children hadn't been here mor'n a few   
hours1 when a highly-respec'able farmer 
had taken them with him to bring up4 ,he
 couldn't tell nothin' about who the    
farmer was1 or where he was from2 but   
the children wor well done for1 that's  
all4 ,it was in vain the priest         
represented that the children were no   
paupers1 but of highly-respectable      
connections1 who were able and willing  
to provide for them4 ,he didn't know    
nothin' about that2 but he knowed papers
 were signed1 7as he was directed       

falsely to assert17 and that sartain the
 children could not now be claimed by   
any persons except their parents4 ,they 
were now under the care of guardians4   
,after repeated visits1 continued for   
weeks and months1 to the same           
establishment1 ,father ,o',shane could  
gain no more satisfactory knowledge of  
the fate of the orphans4 ,he was obliged
 to relinquish his search in despair1   
concluding that the children were       
kidnapped1 and that1 except by ,god's   
mercy1 their faith and morals were      
doomed1 under the influence of cold1    
contradictory infidelity or heresy4 ,he 
mentioned the case to his congregation1 
earnestly soliciting their prayers for  
these poor orphans of ,christ2 and he   
oftentimes offered the holy sacrifice1  
to enlist the influence of heaven in    
their regard4  ,let it not be said we   
exaggerate this account of the conduct  
of the poorhouse officials2 and from the
 improbability of such an instance of   
injustice and cruelty happening in our  

day1 let not our readers conclude that  
such a case1 and many such cases1       
happened not in times gone by4 ,then the
 ,irish ,catholic population of the     
state was not much more than what that  
of one county is now4 ,then an ,irish   
,catholic could not get the office of   
constable or bailiff2 now we have       
,catholic cabinet ministers1 judges1    
senators1 legislators1 and aldermen4    
,then the ballot box was surrounded but 
by a few ,irish naturalized citizens1   
and these not of such importance as to  
influence the election of a constable or
 poormaster2 now the ,irish adopted     
citizen1 by the power he exercises in   
his vote1 is solicited by candidates1   
from a town officer to the president2   
and whoever would attempt to renact the 
kidnapping of ,van ,stingey1 and many   
other officials of his class1 in their  
days of petty power1 would be sure to be
 compelled to retire forever from public
 life1 and pass into the gloom and      
infamy of his depraved private circle4  

,there were many exposures and wailings 
of the children of ,israel on the waters
 of the river of ,egypt1 before ,moses2 
and there was many an instance of the   
kidnapping of ,irish ,catholic children 
from their parents1 or natural          
guardians1 by the jealous ,pharaohs of  
sectarianism1 before the attempt made by
 ,mr4 ,van ,stingey to kidnap ,paul     
,o',clery and his brethren4  ,in their  
new home1 however1 up to this time1     
,paul and his little charge were well   
treated1 as far as meat and clothing    
were concerned4 ,even in regard to      
religion1 and the devotional exercises  
prescribed by its precepts1 there was no
 obstacle thrown in their way2 although 
the fidelity of ,paul and his sister    
,bridget to their morning and night     
prayers was quite astonishing to their  
patrons4 ,a few indirect1 covert attacks
 were all that1 for many months1 it was 
thought prudent they should have to     
encounter from the family1 named        
,prying1 with whom they staid4 ,the     

truth was1 that ,paul1 the eldest of the
 children1 was such a smart1 watchful1  
prudent young lad1 his younger brothers 
and sister were so accustomed to obey   
him1 and he exercised such emphatic     
authority over them1 that it was the    
advice of the most prudent of the       
preachers who interested themselves in  
his case1 to let him alone for the      
present4 ,the change intended to be     
brought about was to be left to time1   
conversation1 and the influence of      
common school education to accomplish4  
,his education1 in ,ireland1 was        
principally religious and classical1    
rather than commercial2 and he was just 
now acquiring1 in his present trying    
noviceship1 what was precisely wanting  
to his previous course4 ,he and his     
brothers1 who lived in the next farmer's
 house1 together with ,bridget1 his     
sister1 who was under the same roof with
 himself1 obstinately refused to attend 
the ,sunday school1 the meeting house1  
or to join in the prayer with which     

school was daily opened4 ,hence they    
were more than once publicly prayed for 
by the fanatical ,presbyterian minister1
 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,gulmore1 at whose      
church the ,prying family attended4     
,there was a sufficiency of prayers now 
put up1 in ,mr4 ,gulmore's opinion1 to  
begin the work of more practical        
conversion4 ,accordingly1 a big dinner  
was prepared1 a turkey cooked1 and      
,friday fixed upon--the appetite being  
chosen1 after a very ancient pattern in 
paradise1 as the channel through which  
to open the eyes of these blind young   
,papists6 ,some neighboring ministers   
were of opinion that it was too soon to 
begin2 but they were but ,methodist1    
,universalist1 and other preachers1 who 
were jealous of the influence and of the
 salary of ,mr4 ,gulmore1 and who1      
besides1 did not think it exactly fair  
that all the children should be         
converted to ,presbyterianism1 while    
there were a dozen as good denominations
 around1 and better too4 ,but the       

good-salaried disciple of ,john ,calvin 
had no respect for such opinion2 so     
forthwith the good work must begin1 as  
he authoritatively said4 ,he should not 
be trifled with any longer1 or have it  
said that1 after all the prayers put up1
 and pains taken1 they should still be  
left wallowing in the mire of ,popery4  
,it should not be6 ,it could not be6    
,the power of the ,lord must be made    
manifest4 ,he could not any longer allow
 the light to remain under a bushel4 ,it
 should shine1 and he should then and   
there convert those obstinate young     
things to vital religion4  ,some turkey1
 ,paul1 my dear8 said ,gulmore1 after   
having first served the ladies and      
senior members of the family4  ,not any1
 sir1 thank you1 said ,paul4  ,not any6 
repeated the parson1 frowning4 ,why so8 
,that's not good manners1 my lad4  ,if  
it be not1 ,i am sorry1 sir1 said ,paul4
 ,i cannot be expected to be very       
polite1 or to know the usages of this   
country1 as yet4 ,so ,i beg to be       

excused4  ,you should not refuse the    
gifts of ,god when offered you1 replied 
his reverence4  ,but ,i do not think it 
would be good for me to use these gifts 
of ,god in the present instance4  ,you  
must eat meat1 ,paul1 and use the good  
things of our glorious country1 or you  
will fail and die4  ,i know ,i will die1
 said ,paul2 and ,i guess eating turkey 
won't make me immortal4  ,a loud laugh  
followed this remark from all but the   
parson and a female member of the       
family4 ,this raised his dander a       
leetle1 as old uncle ,jacob afterwards  
used to say4  ,that is more unmannerly  
still1 ,paul1 said the parson4  ,you    
think you are smart2 but ,i tell you1   
child1 you are ignorant1 and impudent to
 boot4  ,i should be sorry to make a    
saucy or impudent answer to any body1   
much more to a clergyman of any church2 
but ,i thought you were aware that it is
 counted very insulting to ,catholics to
 offer them meat on ,fridays1 as if they
 were apostates who would sell their    

souls for a 'mess of pottage2' and ,i   
thought you were aware that we are      
,catholics1 and that our religion       
forbids us to eat flesh on ,friday4  ,i 
know1 sir1 the ,romish faith forbids her
 votaries the use of meat2 but1 ,paul1  
,i thought you were now thoroughly      
weaned from such notions1 from what you 
have seen since you came to this free   
and ,protestant country4  ,all ,i have  
seen since ,i was unfortunately         
compelled to come to these parts1 only  
confirms me in my attachment to the     
religion of our ancestors1 said ,paul4  
,my child1 ,i love you1 said the parson1
 seeing he had been committed by his    
temper1 and now changing his air of     
haughtiness into that of affected       
kindness2 ,i love you in my soul1 and   
that is why ,i want to teach you to know
 ,jesus1 and to cause you to give up the
 fooleries of ,popery4 ,what can be more
 foolish than to abstain from what ,god 
has given for man's use8  ,i hope ,i    
appreciate that love1 sir1 said ,paul2  

but if you wish not to insult me1 and if
 you do not want to cause me to doubt   
the sincerity of your love1 you won't   
call any prescription of the church of  
,christ foolish4 ,the ,scriptures tell  
us that we may lawfully and             
meritoriously abstain from many good and
 useful gifts of ,god--as ,samson       
abstained from wine2 ,st4 ,john the     
,baptist from flesh and the luxury of   
apparel2 ,st4 ,paul fasted and chastised
 his body2 the ,jews were commanded to  
abstain from the use of pork and other  
meats4 ,finally1 our ,savior promises to
 reward those publicly who will fast or 
abstain from food4  ,ah1 poor1 lost1    
ignorant one1 exclaimed the parson1 you 
are in error2 sunk in superstition6  ,i 
hope your assertions do not prove me so4
  ,paul1 child1 don't you speak so to   
the minister1 interrupted old ,mrs4     
,prying4 ,he is for your good1 and      
desires to make you a ,christian4       
,ma'am1 ,i don't wish to insult any     
body1 as ,i said before2 but ,i can't   

hear my religion run down and           
misrepresented while ,i know the        
contrary to be the fact4  ,well1 madam1 
let me alone2 ,i will soon catch the lad
 in his own ,jesuit net4 ,paul1 you know
 the ,bible1 you think2 where in the    
,bible do you find it ordered to fast   
from flesh on ,fridays8  ,where in the  
,bible1 said ,paul1 do you find it      
ordered to keep ,sunday holy instead of 
,saturday1 the ,sabbath8 where are you  
ordered to build churches8 where do you 
find authority for establishing feasts  
and fasts8 where to hold synods or      
assemblies8 where to baptize infants8   
,o ,paul1 the ,bible does not order     
these things expressly2 but the         
,christian church does4  ,well1 said    
,paul1 it is only our church that       
forbids her children the use of flesh on
 ,friday2 and 'he that does not hear the
 church1 let him be to thee as the      
heathen and publican4'  ,but you ought  
not to obey the church in what is       
evidently wrong2 and it must be wrong to

 forbid the use of meat made for man's  
use4  ,if it was wrong1 ,god would not  
have forbidden the ,jews the use of meat
 that we now use as a gift of ,god4     
,that was in the old law4 ,you cannot   
find any such prohibition in the gospel4
  ,i can4 ,in the ,acts of the          
,apostles1 xv4 #bi1 the use of blood and
 strangled meat is forbidden4 ,besides1 
our ,lord fasted forty days from the use
 of all the good gifts of ,god in the   
shape of food4 ,the ,israelites fasted  
from flesh in the desert1 and were      
terribly punished for asking for it2    
over seventy thousand of them having    
died as a punishment for their carnal   
desires4  ,paul1 ,i fear the ,lord has  
deserted thee1 said this ignorant       
hypocrite1 when he saw himself refuted  
by this young boy4 ,don't we read from  
the mouth of truth itself1 that 'what   
entereth into the mouth defileth not'8  
,i think ,i heard the teetotal lecturer 
on the road there say that a glass of   
brandy defiled a man2 and ,i am sure a  

quart or two of it would cause a man to 
sin1 and thus defile him4 ,and as the   
apple in the garden defiled ,eve1 not by
 its nature1 but by reason of the       
prohibition of ,god1 so the meat on     
,friday does not defile of itself1 but  
by reason of the prohibition of the     
church4  ,you should not obey the       
church1 ,paul1 in all these things4 ,it 
is slavery the most vile1 so it is4  ,is
 it slavery in one to obey his parents  
in what is good and useful8  ,no4       
,well1 then1 the church is my mother2   
and when she prohibits an indifferent   
thing1 ,i1 as a good child1 am bound to 
obey her1 particularly when ,i have the 
promise of ,christ that she can never   
err--that 'the gates of hell can never  
prevail against her4' ,we have an       
instance in this very county1 said      
,paul1 now warming into the argument1 of
 the effects of a prohibitory law4 ,a   
few years ago it was no harm to fish for
 pickerel in the lakes and brooks of    
this county2 but some of the people     

petitioned the legislature1 and got a   
law passed forbidding the fishing for   
such fish for twenty years2 and now1    
whoever is detected in violating the law
 is fined or imprisoned4 ,so it was no  
sin to eat meat on ,friday2 but the     
church1 for wise reasons1 and to        
encourage mortification1 has forbidden  
its use2 and so now1 after the          
prohibition1 just as after the passage  
of the law in regard to fishing1 whoever
 knowingly violates the law disobeys the
 church2 and he who disobeys the church1
 or his parents1 offends ,god1 and will 
be punished by imprisonment1 death1 or  
eternal condemnation4  ,that boy will   
never do any good1 and is a dangerous   
viper in a family1 said the parson1     
abruptly rising1 and taking his hat4    
,well done1 my young paddy1 said uncle  
,jacob1 as he saw the dominie retire2   
you have beaten the minister holler4    
,ha6 ha6 ha6 ,i am really glad you      
silenced his gab1 for he is 'tarnally   
blabbing about his religion2 though ,i  

think he hain't much of it himself1     
except counterfeit stuff1 like a bad    
bill1--ha6 ha6--that he wants to pass4  
,i hope he is not angry1 said ,paul1    
timidly4  ,pshaw6 ,and who cares1 ,paul8
 ,let him cool1 if he is mad1 the darned
 fool1 said uncle ,jacob4 ,i am glad to 
have the house shet of him4  ,paul and  
uncle ,jacob1 with whom he was of late  
becoming a great favorite1 retired for  
the evening to the latter's bed room1   
where ,paul was accustomed to read aloud
 for him out of his ,catholic books of  
instruction4     ,,chapter ,,ix4  ,,the 
,,prying ,,family4   ,the farms of the  
brothers ,prying were situated in a     
beautiful valley4 ,on the one side were 
the ,vermont snow-crowned and           
cloud-capped mountains1 rising up like  
eternal ramparts against all eastern    
hostile incursions of the elements4 ,on 
the other1 or the western side1 were the
 pleasant hills of ,york ,state1 which1 
in contrast with the mountains of       
,vermont1 looked like so many tumuli of 

the deceased ,indian giants of ages gone
 by4 ,in the centre between1 in a       
southerly course1 ran a clear1 silver   
brook1 well stocked with an abundance of
 trout and other species of the finny   
tribe4 ,on both sides of this stream    
were situated the extensive farms of the
 ,pryings4 ,they had abundance of woods 
from the elevated extremes on either    
side4 ,the rivulet constituted a cooling
 retreat for cattle in summer1 and in   
spring afforded an abundant source of   
irrigation to the rich meadows on both  
sides4  ,ephraim's family1 where ,paul  
and ,bridget remained1 consisted of     
,mrs4 ,prying1 ,amanda1 the senior      
daughter1 ,melinda1 and ,mary1 called   
after her grandmother1 who was ,irish4  
,there were besides1 ,calvin1 ,wesley1  
,cassius1 and ,cyrus1 younger members of
 the family1 together with old uncle    
,jacob1 an unmarried brother of         
,ephraim1 the head of this family4 ,we  
may as well here remark that ,mr4       
,prying was1 from the beginning1 averse 

to receive these orphans into his house1
 seeing1 as he said1 that he wanted no  
more such hands as they were2 but       
,amanda persuaded him1 in order to have 
the glory of being instrumental in the  
conversion of the interesting orphans1  
as they were called4  ,there were       
frequent friendly contentions in the    
family to see who would have the special
 care of the new comers4 ,little ,mary  
insisted on having ,bridget to sleep    
with herself instead of her sister      
,melinda1 whom she wanted to dispossess4
 ,wesley1 ,calvin1 and ,cassius wanted  
to monopolize ,paul1 especially on      
,sundays1 when each of them were about  
to separate for their respective        
meetings to hear the preacher4  ,father1
 said ,calvin1 won't ,paul come with me8
 ,our minister1 ,mr4 ,gulmore1 is such a
 clever preacher1 and our ,sunday school
 the best and the largest4  ,i say he   
shan't1 now1 ,calvin1 replied ,wesley4  
,your minister1 the old feller1 is      
nothing1 compared with ours1 ,mr4       

,barker4  ,well1 brothers1 said         
,cassius1 ,i don't see the use of your  
jawing about it4 ,but ,i say ,paul had  
better come to our meeting--the very    
name1 ,universalist1 signifying the same
 with ,catholic1 as ,i was telling ,paul
 yesterday1 while a-fishing1 and as our 
minister said4  ,well1 boys1 said uncle 
,jacob1 laughing1 my advice to you is2  
to see first whether ,paul is willing to
 go with any of ye to yer meetings4 ,i  
think his mind is made up to stay at    
home1 like myself4  ,amanda now stepped 
forward to inform this conference that  
,paul had been spoiled by their example2
 that he cried when told he must go to  
meeting2 and that it was better now not 
to urge the matter further4 ,in future1 
she intended to instruct ,paul and      
,bridget herself2 and she was resolved  
to cut off all intercourse between them 
and the younger members of the family4  
,our readers are aware that ,amanda was 
the ,miss ,prying1 a child of her father
 by a former marriage2 and besides this1

 she was an old maid4 ,in addition to   
the foregoing circumstances1 she became 
pious1 attended camp meetings1 donation 
parties1 and quilting matches at young  
ministers' houses1 who were just        
preparing to get a rib4 ,and though she 
was praised as the best needle lady in  
the town1 her epistles on love to young 
preachers were the most admirable       
mixture of classical and biblical       
composition that could be found4 ,though
 she had a good pair of hands at making 
pies1 puddings1 and other culinary      
preparations1 though she was praised1   
flattered1 and admired1 yet nobody ever 
yet went beyond this4 ,all was          
admiration1 praise1 flattery1 no more4  
,again3 ,amanda1 though a strict old    
school ,presbyterian1 in order to       
exhibit her liberality and prove that   
she had no objection to a partner from  
any of the other countless sects of     
,protestantism1 be he ,baptist1         
,methodist1 or ,unitarian--in order to  
prove her liberality1 she attended the  

donations of the six ministers of her   
village1 and each of the dominies       
received from her a neatly-worked       
handkerchief for pulpit use4 ,yet1      
though she was at once liberal and      
strict1 pious and politic2 though she   
induced one ,sally ,dwyer to join her   
church and declare she got the change of
 heart2 though she was eternally working
 and planning to bring others to her way
 of thinking1 and had some success in   
her proselyting efforts1--she never     
could1 with all her art1 biblical lore1 
and policy1 succeed in causing any body 
to say1 ,i take thee1 ,amanda1 to my    
wedded wife4 ,this was the chief point2 
and here is just where she failed4 ,what
 was the cause of it8 ,she was not too  
old--not near so old as ,miss ,longface1
 whom the youthful parson ,barker lately
 wedded4 ,and besides1 said she1 in a   
soliloquy1 when ,i was young1 it was    
just the same bad luck4 ,is it that men 
are less numerous than ladies8 ,there   
might be something in that1 for she had 

seen it stated in their newspaper1 ',the
 ,home ,journal1' that female births    
exceeded that of males by forty thousand
 annually in certain ,european kingdoms4
 ,the number of ,popish priests also1   
she said1 who remain unmarried1 adds    
greatly to the superfluity of the female
 sex4 ,hence there is no part of the    
wicked ,popish system ,i regard so much 
contrary to ,god's holy word as         
celibacy4 ,celibacy6 she cried aloud2   
one of the doctrines of devils1 as any  
one can tell1 who has been these twenty 
years in search of a mate1 and could    
never yet find one6 ,o horrid thought6  
,she had consulted the famous fortune   
teller at the state fair of ,vermont1   
and1 after having paid that seer of     
future events a fee of ten dollars1 she 
found his prediction was false4 ,for she
 was told she would be married within   
two years1 and to a neighboring         
minister2 but now it was twenty-six     
months since1 and the only single       
minister around lately got married to   

,miss ,longface1 a very ignorant and    
unamiable person4 ,but there was no     
taste1 or judgment1 or discernment      
nowadays in men1 as this fact clearly   
proved4 ,thunderation on them6 said she1
 in a rage4  ,such were the ideas that  
were passing through the brain of       
,amanda one ,sunday morning1 as she     
lounged on the sofa of her sitting room1
 when1 upon her looking out towards the 
lawn in front1 she perceived ,paul and  
,bridget kneeling by a seat1 at the foot
 of a large wild plum tree that stood at
 the end of the green plot in front of  
the house1 and that had its branches    
bent within a few feet of the ground by 
the embraces of a rich grape vine that  
for years had grown around it and       
impeded its development4 ,for a few     
moments she watched the movements of the
 orphans as they smote their breasts at 
the ,confiteor1 or bowed their heads at 
the ,sanctus1 accompanying the priests  
who1 they knew1 in thousands of         
churches1 were engaged in offering      

sacrifice to ,god2 and reading the      
,prayers at ,mass out of the ,key of    
,heaven manual of devotion4  ,instead of
 admiring this sincerity of devotion1 or
 giving thanks to ,god for the grace of 
fidelity and piety that his mercy had   
vouchsafed to these children of grace1  
,amanda1 as if she could not endure the 
sight of such happiness1 or mortified at
 the miscarriage of her vain attempts to
 rob these innocent hearts of the       
treasure of true faith and piety which  
they possessed1 still pale with rage in 
consequence of her ruminations about her
 own misfortune1 the ill-tempered old   
maid there and then resolved to try     
another and a severer plan to effect her
 purpose of proselytism4  ,confound yer 
impudence1 ye little ,popish paupers6   
she said to herself4 ,i shall soon make 
ye give up these superstitious          
practices4 ,paul1 ,paul1 dear1 she said1
 tapping at the window1 come in out of  
that1 come in ,bridget1 ye little fools2
 the sun will spoil yer features1 cover 

ye with tan4  ,yes1 miss1 in a few      
minutes2 we are just finishing1 said    
,paul4  ,ever since ,paul came to this  
house1 in obedience to the advice of his
 mother1 as well as in accordance with  
the prescriptions of the excellent      
religious education he received at home 
in the diocesan seminary1 he always read
 the ,prayers at ,mass1 accompanied by  
his sister ,bridget1 first2 and after   
having read them with her at home1 he   
went across the brook to ,reuben        
,prying's1 where his brothers lived1 and
 taking them into the fields1 or to the 
barn if the weather did not answer1 he  
read for them the same devotions1       
causing them to answer ,amen after the  
end of each prayer1 and reading to them 
a chapter of the catechism for committal
 to memory4 ,and to do justice to       
,reuben1 whose wife was a southern lady1
 there was no obstacle thrown in the way
 of the children to prevent them from   
discharging their duties to their       
religion4 ,on the contrary1 the fidelity

 of ,paul1 and his watchfulness over the
 faith and morals of his younger        
brothers ,patrick and ,eugene1 commanded
 the highest approbation of ,mrs4       
,reuben ,prying4 ,and such was her      
horror of any thing like the domestic   
tyranny or intolerance of ,amanda1 that 
,mrs4 ,reuben always allowed the two    
young lads to say their own prayers in  
private1 notwithstanding the advice of  
the ministers to the contrary4 ,the only
 times that ,pat and ,eugene were ever  
asked into the parlor to pray was on    
some rare occasions1 when ,mrs4 ,reuben1
 through a laudable curiosity1 and to   
serve as an example to her own children1
 caused the orphans to say their prayers
 aloud before retiring to bed4 ,the two 
little fellows1 one five and the other  
eight years of age1 joining their hands 
before their breasts1 repeated the      
,lord's ,prayer1 ,hail ,mary1 the       
,apostles' ,creed1 the ,general         
,confession1 the ,acts of ,faith1 ,hope1
 and ,charity1 the ,litany of the       

,blessed ,virgin1 the ,prayer of the    
,angel ,guardian and ,patron ,saint1 and
 ,prayers for the ,dead3 these they     
repeated aloud1 and correctly1 to the   
astonishment of the other children and  
the edification of the mistress4  ,ah1  
,reub1 ,ben1 and ,will1 she said1 when  
will you be such good boys as ,patsy and
 ,geny8 ,you can't say the ,lord's      
,prayer yet4  ,i can tell1 said ,reub1  
blushing1 more than ,pat can4 ,i know   
how old ,mathusalem was1 who was the    
wife of ,abraham1 and who was the mother
 of ,solomon1 and the wife of ,putiphar4
  ,i don't know how to say so many      
prayers1 said ,ben1 contemptuously2 but 
,i can tell how many cents in ten       
dollars1 how many states in the ,union1 
and how large ,england is4  ,i can sing 
a hymn1 said ,will1 which ,i heard in   
the choir in the ,methodist meeting     
house when ,i went there with cousin4   
,let us hear you1 ,will1 said his       
mother4  ,mother1 ,i have only a little 
of it1 said ,will4  ,say all you        

remember1 said she1 and sing it4  ,the  
ladies first said1 ma1 said he1         
commencing1--      ',o for a man--,o for
 a man--,o for a mansion in the skies4' 
,the men answered1--      ',send down   
sal--send down sal--       ,send down   
salvation to our souls4'  ,at this      
specimen of ludicrous poetical          
composition the mother burst out        
a-laughing1 in which she was joined by  
the two arch ,irish lads2 and ,will1    
discouraged1 blushed and stopped4  ,i   
would rather not have any prayer than   
have that foolish hymn1 said ,ben4 ,o   
,will6 ,o1 you goose6  ,silence1 boys6  
said ,mrs4 ,prying4 ,pat and ,eugene1   
can you not sing8 ,come1 let us hear how
 you can sing4 ,commence4 ,don't be     
ashamed4  ,will we sing1 ma'am1 what the
 ,christian brothers taught us8  ,yes1  
,pat1 any thing2 don't be shy1 said the 
lady4 ,the lads began thus1 with joined 
hands and uplifted eyes3--      ,ave    
,maria6 hear the prayer       ,of thy   
poor helpless child6     ,beneath thy   

sweet maternal care       ,preserve me  
undefiled4      ,ave ,maria6 do ,i sigh 
,in deep affliction's hour4     ,nor to 
a suppliant heart deny       ,thy       
mediative power4      ,ave ,maria6 for  
to thee1       ,whom ,god was pleased to
 choose     ,the mother of his ,son to  
be1       ,no prayer will he refuse4    
,ave ,maria6 then implore       ,one    
only grace for me--     ,this heart to  
give forevermore       ,to ,god alone   
and thee4  ,to bed1 children1 with you  
all1 said the good lady1 covering her   
face with her handkerchief1 for the     
tears started from their source in her  
noble soul on hearing this delightful   
hymn sung by the poor orphans1 whose    
countenances looked like those of       
angels' while chanting it4 ,god forgive 
those1 she said to herself1 in a        
half-audible tone1 that would rob these 
poor children of that divine religion   
that teaches her children such heavenly 
hymns4  ,this incident recalled to her  
mind vividly the days of her girlhood1  

when1 in the sunny south1 she heard     
,catholic hymns sung and ,catholic      
devotion practised in the convent where 
she1 though a ,protestant1 received her 
education4 ,and probably her conscience1
 too1 reproached her for the neglect of 
the good resolutions she formed while   
there4     ,,chapter ,x4  ,a ,,ray ,,of 
,,hope4   ,many times during what we    
shall call his captivity within the     
gates of the strangers ,paul had        
contrived to write letters to ,father   
,o',shane in the city of ,t----1 as well
 as to his uncle in ,ireland2 but from  
some cause or other1 to his innocent    
mind inexplicable1 the letters never    
reached their destination1 nor were they
 ever after heard of4 ,the postmaster of
 ,s----1 not generally supposed to be a 
very exact man1 particularly when       
remitting money in letters for farmers' 
boys to their ,irish friends in eastern 
or western parts1 was ever ready to     
oblige1 and with hearty good will       
entered into the views of1 ,parson      

,gulmore1 when he called on him1        
according to the advice of ,amanda1 to  
have ,paul's letters seen to4 ,and never
 mind they were seen to and secured4    
,this disgraceful proceeding1 so        
disreputable to all concerned1 and so   
characteristic of the fidelity with     
which the business of ,uncle ,sam is    
managed1 was not confined to the        
detention and destruction of the poor   
orphan's letters1 but to the piracy of  
their contents too4  ,there is no       
department of the public service in the 
,united ,states so badly managed as the 
post-office department4 ,not only do    
robber postmasters continue in office   
after their exposure and their plunder  
of money letters1 but they can be bribed
 to convey the epistles of individuals  
to interested parties1 who would come at
 their secrets2 and thus the most sacred
 and secret concerns of life are liable 
to exposure1 and to be sold for gain4   
,we knew a postmaster who for years     
continued to rob with impunity the      

letters that were deposited in his den  
of thieves2 and when he was exposed and 
disgraced through the instrumentality of
 the writer of this tale1 whole bushels 
of letters1 directed to ,ireland by poor
 emigrants to their fathers1 wives1 and 
sons1 were found thrown aside in a nook 
of his office2 the sole motive for this 
scandalous robbery being the plunder of 
the twenty-four cents paid on the       
letters to free them to ,europe4  ,sadly
 did the mysterious miscarriage of his  
letters puzzle the ingenuous heart of   
poor ,paul2 though he had reason to     
suspect1 from certain hints thrown out  
by ,amanda1 that she1 somehow or other1 
was in possession of their contents4 ,on
 a certain day1 however1 a circumstance 
convinced ,paul that he could not now   
expect an answer from his letters to    
,father ,o',shane2 for ,miss ,amanda had
 just pointed out to him a paragraph in 
the newspaper stating that the ,catholic
 priest of ,t---- had died of ship      
fever1 taken by him in the discharge of 

his duties among the sick of his flock4 
,god rest his soul1 said ,paul1 raising 
his eyes to heaven2 he was a good friend
 to us in our hour of need4  ,what's    
that you say1 ,paul8 said ,amanda1 with 
a frown4 ,did ,i not tell you           
repeatedly1 ,paul1 that it was useless  
to pray for the dead8  ,i know you told 
me that often1 ',mandy2 but am ,i bound 
to believe you1 when ,i know the church 
teaches me the contrary8 ,in fact1 the  
,bible says it is 'a holy and a         
wholesome thought to pray for the dead1 
that they may be loosed from their      
sins4' 7,mac4 xii4 #db47  ,don't you    
call me ',mandy1 ,paul1 said the vain   
old maid2 my name is ,miss ,a-man-day4  
,a-man-a-day1 said ,paul1 with a        
sarcastic smile4 ,i beg pardon1 said he1
 miss2 ,i must guard against that       
blunder in future1 and say ,a-man-a-day4
  ,ah1 you naughty boy6 she said1       
catching him by the hand4 ,come here to 
me till ,i teach you the knowledge of   
,god's word4 ,now1 ,paul1 that passage  

you quoted ,i do not find in my ,bible4 
,no1 said ,paul1 for your ,bible is no  
other than an imperfect1 mutilated      
,bible1 corrupted by the men who made   
your religion4 ,the ,catholic church1   
from which the ,protestants stole their 
piecemeal ,bible1 always regarded the   
book of ,machabeus as the inspired word 
of ,god4  ,but1 ,paul1 it is so foolish1
 this 'half-way house4'  ,then1 miss1   
you must blame ,god1 who created it1 for
 the folly of his not consulting with   
some ,protestant philosopher before he  
created such a 'half way4' ,for most    
certainly there was always1 since the   
dawn of creation1 a third place2 as1 for
 example1 the place where the souls of  
the just were confined before ,christ1  
who was the first to ascend into heaven1
 as himself says in his gospel4 ,now1   
the ,bible does not say that this half  
way was 'foolish1' or abolished either4 
,besides1 it is but reasonable that     
there should be a place to purify the   
frail and imperfect soul before         

admitting her to ,god's holy presence4  
,where the tree falleth1 there it lieth1
 said she4  ,yes1 fallen1 said ,paul1 it
 lieth there till it is taken away to   
another place4 ,where the soul          
falleth1--that is1 whether in a state of
 grace or in sin1--there it will lie    
forever2 but those who go to purgatory  
die in a state of grace1 and so their   
eternal destiny is heaven--like those   
just souls who died before ,christ2 yet 
they are not fit for heaven immediately1
 for 'nothing defiled can enter         
therein4'  ,you wrote to the priest1    
didn't you1 to say masses for your      
mother's soul in purgatory8 ,how do you 
know she is there8 said ,amanda1        
unguardedly4  ,i hope she is in no worse
 place1 said ,paul1 the fire kindling in
 his dark ,celtic eye2 and whether in   
heaven or in hell1--which ,god          
forbid6--the mass can do no harm1 but   
tend to the honor and glory of ,god1 and
 ,i hope procure me and the celebrant   
merit4 ,but1 ,amanda1 how do you know   

that ,i wrote any such request to the   
priest8 ,i know you are above reading my
 letters1 though ,i should leave them   
open under your eye2 but ,i am afraid   
that hypocritical-looking postmaster may
 have kept my letters1 and given them to
 somebody4 ,in ,ireland1 that crime     
deserved hanging as a punishment2 and ,i
 do not know what ,i would do to any    
body ,i would detect in opening my      
letters1 and pilfering my secrets1 said 
he1 raising himself up4  ,o1 my dear    
,paul1 said the old maid1 perceiving her
 imprudence1 ,i only guessed at the     
contents of your letters4 ,we ,yankees  
are great at guessing1 you know4 ,be    
silent2 shut up1 my good fellow1 she    
added1 going over to the window4 ,what  
crowd is that there below on the road8  
,an unusual sight in that part of the   
country now presented itself to view4   
,slowly moving along the road was a     
crowd of men and women--the men1 as they
 came up1 taking off their hats1 and the
 women courtesying1 in that way that    

only ,catholics can courtesy1 to a young
 gentleman1 who1 seated in a one-horse  
carriage1 the top lowered down1 seemed  
to be engaged1 as he was1 in earnest    
conversation about some subject of an   
absorbing interest to those around him4 
,in truth1 any body1 even ,amanda1 who  
never saw one1 could have guessed that  
this personage1 surrounded by so many of
 the ,irish railroad laborers lately    
settled in the vicinity1 was no other   
than the ,catholic priest4 ,paul's eye1 
so lately kindled into passion from the 
hints dropped by ,amanda about the foul 
play regarding his letters1 became      
immediately subdued into composure1 and1
 taking out a small miniature reliquary 
and silver crucifix which he ever wore  
on his breast1 he pressed them to his   
lips1 saying to himself1 ,glory be to   
,god2 and ,mary1 his virgin mother1 be  
ever blessed4 ,i see the priest1 if he  
is alive4 ,and instantly he was over the
 fence and on the road4  ,there is one  
of 'em1 said ,mrs4 ,murphy1 your        

reverence2 and it would be a charity to 
do something for the poor children1 for 
they were well reared4  ,paul could not1
 owing to the tears that rushed on him  
in floods1 dare for some time to join   
the crowd to offer his respects to the  
representative of religion2 and it was a
 full quarter of an hour before he could
 say1 ,welcome to these parts1 your     
reverence4  ,thank you1 my child1 said  
the priest1 reaching him his hand4      
,forgive me1 sir1 said the poor youth2  
,i can't but weep1 'tis so long since ,i
 saw a priest or heard mass4  ,there was
 not a dry eye in the crowd as the young
 lad clung to the priest's hand1        
embracing it1 and crying aloud1 ,o my   
uncle6 my uncle6  ,take him into the    
shanty and calm him a little1 said the  
stalwart missionary4 ,poor little       
fellow6 poor child6 poor child6  ,o1    
,god help the orphan6 said ,mrs4 ,murphy
 again1 fearing she had not touched his 
reverence's heart4 ,it would be the     
charity of ,god to do something for     

them4 ,the men would be all willing to  
subscribe4  ,we will do all we can1 said
 his reverence4 ,god will provide for   
them1 if they be what you represent4    
,meet me here to-morrow1 at six o'clock4
 ,we will have mass and confessions here
 in the shanty1 as we could procure no  
better place4 ,give word around through 
the entire neighborhood4 ,good by for   
the present1 said he1 moving along      
towards the village of ,s----4  ,god    
speed your reverence1 answered a hundred
 voices1 as they returned the adieu4    
,this was the first night since the     
death of his beloved mother1 and that   
was over two years1 that the slightest  
ray of hope penetrated the burdened but 
confiding soul of ,paul4 ,for himself he
 did not much care4 ,he could have      
escaped any day1 and repudiated the     
iniquitous contract by which the        
villanous poormaster had sold him and   
his brethren2 but what was to become of 
his younger sister and brothers8 ,he    
knew how to plough1 mow1 cradle1 and    

farm it1 as well as any body of his age4
 ,he knew how to read1 count1 write1 and
 even defend his religion1 against all  
opponents1 as he did last winter at the 
,lyceum2 but what was to become of      
,bridget1 ,patrick1 and little ,eugene1 
who had yet many years to serve8 ,this  
was what puzzled him4 ,but now the      
priest had come for the first time to   
this remote region1 and he knew what to 
do1 and would not desert the orphan1 for
 no priest ever had done so4 ,he felt   
there was to be now a change1 and he    
felt assured that it would be for his   
good4 ,thank ,god1 said he1 ,i saw the  
priest at last4 ,i return thee thanks1  
my ,god1 and thee1 my mother in heaven1 
now my only mother1 and ,i thank all the
 heavenly citizens and all heaven1 for  
this dawn of hope that ,i feel in my    
soul4 ,o ,lord1 thy will be done on     
earth as it is in heaven4  ,fervent and 
pious were the prayers offered to ,god  
on this night by ,paul1 as he thanked   
him for having seen one in whom he could

 confide as a friend1 as well as because
 he was preparing to go to his religious
 duties on the morrow4 ,let it not be   
said that it was superstition in ,paul  
to thank ,god so fervently for having   
permitted him once more to converse with
 his priest4 ,what can be imagined a    
more worthy cause for thanksgiving than 
the meeting with a true friend8 ,what   
better gift can we receive from ,god    
than a friend8 ,and who ever1 in need1  
has failed to find the good priest a    
friend in all emergencies8     ,,chapter
 ,,xi4  ,,van ,,stingey ,,again4--,,how 
,,he ,,gets ,,rich ,,and ,,ends4        
,after a year or two in office1 our     
friend ,van ,stingey found ,fortune     
rather adverse to him1 a thing not      
unusual with the worshippers of that    
fickle goddess2 for not only was he put 
out of office by the influence of the   
furren vote thrown against him1 but his 
farther promotion even in the church    
became almost problematical4 ,his was   
now a rather unpleasant situation4 ,he  

was not only defeated at the ballot box 
by the ,irish element1 according as     
,mrs4 ,doherty foretold1 but he was in  
disgrace with many of his regular       
church-going brethren4 ,this latter     
trial was caused by the well-known fact 
that a negro girl1 who was put under    
this religious man's care by the        
abolitionists1 and who was now two years
 in his family1 had just given birth to 
a young mulatto child in his house4     
,yes1 and worse2 the miserable yellow   
thing not only was born1 and in health1 
under the roof of this religious        
teacher1 but he was mortified to find   
that it had his very nose on its face1  
and could not by any possibility be     
fathered on any body else4 ,thus were   
the prospects of this pious gentleman   
blasted in one day4 ,he got religion1   
but now it failed him4 ,he was of the   
true nativist stamp in politics2 but    
here again his defeat was signal and    
complete1 and all through the suffrages 
of foreigners4  ,what was he to do for a

 living8 ,he must give up religion and  
politics1 and take to some other        
pursuit4 ,loafing or living on his      
neighbors was now impossible1 as he was 
in disgrace with many2 and besides1 he  
had a wife and family to support4       
,peddling was so common1 that nothing   
could now be made in that line2 and     
besides1 it took some capital to start  
with--a thing that was out of the       
question in our ex-official's case4     
,the only chance now open for him was   
the railroad1 and to the railroads he   
said he would betake himself as soon as 
he could4 ,on the railroad he saw men of
 little talent1 of less honesty1 and of 
no capital1 amass not only a competency1
 but wealth1 in a few years2 and our    
official was very anxious to try his    
luck in that line of business4          
,accordingly1 when the ,northern        
,railroad was about to be let1 ,van     
,stingey1 in company with four others1  
put in their estimate1 which was the    
very lowest1 and they thus succeeded in 

getting ten miles of the road4 ,the     
partners of ,van ,stingey were one      
,purse1 one ,mr4 ,kitchins1 one ,timens1
 generally called ,blind ,bill1 one     
,whinny1 together with ,mr4 ,lofin1 an  
,irishman4 ,they had the job now1 but   
had neither horses1 carts1 shovels1 nor 
any of the various implements necessary 
to carry on the work4 ,a council was    
held among these five worthies to see   
what was to be done4 ,they had neither  
money1 nor means1 nor credit to begin   
with1 and how were they to fulfil their 
contract8 ,most of them were novices in 
this sort of business2 but there was    
,mr4 ,p4 ,lofin1 whose experience was   
something1 and who suggested a plan     
which could not but succeed1 if his     
advice was followed4 ,the plan was1 that
 they should advertise for three        
thousand men and several hundred horses1
 and on the strength of their           
advertisements1 and their certificate of
 having obtained such a respectable     
contract1 try to borrow some provisions 

on three months' credit4  ,in a few     
days1 the public places of the cities of
 ,t---- and ,a---- were posted up with  
large placards1 and advertisements were 
inserted in all the daily papers1 which 
read thus3--    ,,wanted4    ,three     
thousand men to work on the ,northern   
,railroad at one dollar   a day of      
twelve hours4 ,men who wish to work     
extra time will   receive extra wages4  
,wanted1 also1 six hundred horses to    
hire1 at three dollars a day   for every
 team1 on the same work4    ,p4 ,,lofin1
   ,,van ,,stingey1   ,,kitchins1  ,,co4
  ,in a few days1 not only did the three
 thousand men make their appearance1 but
 twice that number were now located on  
the site of the proposed line4 ,but how 
were so many men to live8 ,there was    
some delay in proceeding with the works1
 and ,van ,stingey and ,co41 having     
represented themselves as very          
independent and wealthy contractors1    
said that1 as they did not like to be   
hard on the men1 they would give them   

free sites for their shanties1 which the
 men could afterwards have without the  
necessity of having to pay so much a    
month for their use1 as was the custom  
with other but less honorable           
contractors than ,van ,stingey1 ,purse1 
,lofin1  ,co4  ,this bait took          
capitally1 as ,van used to say1 and not 
only were two hundred shanties built1   
but the praise of the ginerous          
contractors was in every mouth2 and     
,hurrah for ,lofin1 ,van ,stingey1      
,co41 became a regular toast among the  
men1 as they went to spend a shilling in
 the company's grocery store4 ,the      
shanties were now up1 and the horses1   
three hundred in number1 all ready for  
work2 but a week1 and another1 and a    
third passed on1 and not a sod of ground
 was broke on the ten miles of our      
independent company's contract4 ,here   
was now a sad and alarming spectacle4   
,thousands of men1 women1 and children1 
seduced into a wilderness by the        
specious promises of these vile knaves2 

and now1 after having spent every penny 
they had earned for years1 brought to   
the very verge of starvation4 ,some were
 obliged to trade off and sell their    
clothes for food2 others had to open    
small retail groceries to keep          
themselves and their neighbors from     
starving4 ,the more independent in      
circumstances were obliged to mortgage  
their horses and carts for provisions   
and fodder2 and all had1 as far as their
 means went1 to patronize the new store 
opened by the contractors1 who retailed 
provisions and groceries1 to those who  
had any thing to lose1 at a profit of   
one hundred and a quarter per cent4 on  
their original cost4 ,for three months  
this was the state of things on the     
contract of our honorable company4      
,works not yet commenced1 men and horses
 half starving1 occasional murmurs among
 the most knowing of the hands--which   
murmurs were1 however1 soon allayed by  
the representations of the bosses and   
their countryman ,mr4 ,lofin1 who       

pledged his honor as a gintlemon that   
the whault lied intirely with the       
directors1 and the faurmuns1 who refused
 to settle for the right uv way4 ,the   
mystery was soon cleared up by the      
appearance on the ground of ,messrs4    
,van ,stingey1 ,lofin1  ,whinny1 with   
fifteen constables1 who laid an         
injunction on all the shanties1 and     
quietly1 revolver in hand1 drove off the
 three hundred horses to the county     
town1 to secure those contractors in    
their pay for the debt into which they  
brought all those men whom they got to  
deal in their store1 or who had any     
property4 ,this is the way thousands of 
men were deceived1 betrayed1 and robbed 
of all they possessed in the wide world4
 ,and this is the way in which ,messrs4 
,van ,stingey1 ,timens1 ,kitchins1      
,whinny1  ,lofin supplied themselves    
with horses1 carts1 shanties1 and all   
other necessaries for carrying on the   
work according to agreement4 ,the plan  
had so far succeeded2 the only question 

now was1 how to deprive these poor men  
of all legal redress1 and have them     
exterminated from the neighborhood4     
,this was not difficult to effect with  
poor men who were half starved1 and who 
had to look out for work somewhere else 
for the support of their families4      
,those men who had the means left had   
quitted this cursed ground already1 and 
,mr4 ,p4 ,lofin struck on an expedient  
by which others1 the more bold1 were    
soon compelled to follow them4 ,he      
proceeded some eighty or a hundred miles
 into the ,state of ,massachusetts1     
where he represented to several hundred 
men from the part of ,ireland to which  
himself belonged1 which was ,connaught1 
that several of their countrymen were   
driven off and ill treated by ,munster  
men and far-downs1 and that now they had
 not only a chance of defending the     
honor of the province1 but1 by driving  
off their far-up and far-down enemies1  
they could have a year's job1 and a     
dollar a day4  ,this was enough2 one    

thousand men immediately started for the
 scene of action1 breathing vengeance   
against their fellow-countrymen1 and    
determined on establishing the anshint  
ghilory of ,connaught4 ,every           
unfortunate ,munster or ,ulster man they
 met on their route was knocked down1   
and left senseless on the road2 and     
shouts of victory were heard1 and shots 
were fired1 in anticipation of the      
triumph that awaited them4 ,lofin1 the  
head mover in all these disgraceful     
scenes1 now drove off to the capital of 
the state2 and--will it be              
believed8--this vile1 low wretch1 who   
could neither read nor write1 succeeded 
in getting the loan of one thousand     
muskets out of the state arsenal to     
enable him to carry out his murderous   
and swindling scheme6 ,a few days       
previous to this1 ,lofin got some few   
boards on his work set fire to1 in order
 to have a case made out for the        
authorities1 and by this means1 and     
through the influence of political      

wirepullers1 he succeeded in getting the
 arms of the state placed in the hands  
of his ignorant dupes1 for the murder of
 their plundered countrymen4 ,during    
these troublesome times1 the house of   
,father ,ugo1 the priest of these parts1
 was literally besieged with weeping    
women and enraged men1 stating their    
grievances1 and asking for advice and   
counsel2 for they had no other friend4  
,surely1 said his reverence to one      
,hannohan1 whose eight horses were      
seized1 and who had used some violence  
in defending his property1 surely the   
law will not sanction such barefaced    
plunder4 ,i am witness myself of the    
cruelty to which many of you have been  
subjected by these villanous            
contractors4 ,i know the decision of the
 law will be in your favor4  ,law6 said 
poor ,hannohan4 ,god help us if we have 
to look to law for justice2 go to law   
with ,old ,nick1 and the court held in  
the low countries6 ,besides1 we are     
going to be attacked and butchered in   

our beds by night4 ,you know ,mr4       
,lofin's men are all up and armed every 
night1 firing rounds1 and shouting till 
our wives and children are almost scared
 to death4  ,what can ,i do8 said the   
priest4 ,you know ,i have been censured 
before for interfering when some of the 
men were on a strike for higher wages2  
and ,i can't expect to have any         
influence with such men as you have to  
deal with4 ,they are a lawless and      
hardened set of knaves4  ,god help us1  
then1 your reverence1 said ,hannohan2 ,i
 and my family may as well go into the  
poorhouse or starve1 if you can't       
influence that ,mr4 ,lofin1 who is a    
,catholic1 to let me have my eight      
horses and carts1 for ,i owe him not one
 single cent4  ,he may call himself a   
,catholic1 ,mike1 said ,father ,ugo2 but
 he cannot be a ,catholic1 or even a    
believer in ,god's justice1 if he is    
guilty of all those villanies which are 
laid to his charge4 ,it would be no use 
for me to speak to such an abandoned    

scoundrel and robber as1 by all         
accounts1 he is4  ,poor ,hannohan got   
the benefit of law1 which resulted in   
his losing his eight horses and carts3 a
 warrant was issued for his capture1 for
 threatening the robbers of his property
 with chastisement4 ,he was taken in a  
few days1 and lodged in prison1 where he
 died in a fortnight of the injuries    
inflicted on him by the drunken         
constables1 who succeeded in arresting  
him after a two days' chase through the 
woods4 ,no doubt the good ,catholic1    
,mr4 ,lofin1 rested quiet when he heard 
of the death of this formidable         
opponent4 ,and ,i suppose1 by way of    
appeasing the public indignation1--for  
,i do not think he had any dread of the 
anger of ,heaven1--his name appeared1 a 
few days after1 at the head of a list of
 subscriptions for the support of an    
orphanage in the city4 ,and well he     
might spend a little of his profits in  
charitable objects1 for he and his      
partners had1 by the late manoeuvre got 

up under ,lofin's auspices1 saved not   
less than five thousand nine hundred    
dollars' worth of property in horses1   
carts1 harness1 and shanties6 ,we have  
heard of robbers in ,italy and ,spain1  
who1 after they rob and murder the rich1
 are very liberal to the poor1 although1
 like your railroad-contract robber the 
poor ,italian brigand has not the chance
 of having his name published in the    
newspapers1 or read out from the pulpit1
 as a good1 charitable1 and humane      
gentleman4 ,of the two charities1 ,i    
think that of the obscure brigand is the
 most worthy and laudable4  ,one ,sunday
 evening1 as ,father ,ugo was returning 
from service in the country1 where he   
officiated every two weeks1 he came up  
with a large and enraged crowd of people
 on both sides of the road on which he  
travelled4 ,on one side of the way about
 one hundred carts were placed in a     
line1 so as to form a rampart and       
protect some two hundred men1 who1 with 
loaded muskets1 crouched behind the     

carts as if watching for an object to   
fire at4 ,an occasional shot was fired  
from this rampart1 and the volley was   
returned slowly but deliberately from an
 old house in front1 on which this large
 body of men were making an assault4    
,while the priest stood at a distance1  
looking on at this horrid contest1 he   
was perceived by the people in the      
house1 who at once despatched a         
messenger to inform his reverence of the
 danger they were in1 assailed by so    
many men resolved on their              
extermination4 ,at no small risk1       
leaving the messenger in charge of his  
horse1 he entered between the ranks of  
the combatants1 and1 with crucifix in   
hand uplifted1 he implored the          
assailants1 in the name of ,christ1 to  
desist from their cruel warfare1 and    
take some other means and time than the 
,lord's day for getting possession of   
that old house about which the          
contention arose4 ,by a great deal of   
difficulty1 and after a speech of an    

hour1 he succeeded in quelling this     
cruel and disgraceful riot1 and before  
he left the ground he had all the arms  
secured in one pile1 and conveyed to an 
adjacent farmer's house for security4   
,after this the work went on peacefully4
 ,van ,stingey  ,co4 made money1 and    
were now rich2 the poor priest had every
 thing but the thanks of the contractors
 for his pains1 and he concluded1 from  
his experience of this and other        
railroads and public works in ,america1 
that1 of all the men living1 the        
railroad and day laborer of this free   
country is the most ill treated and     
oppressed4 ,he has to work from dark to 
dark2 he has to take store pay for his  
wages2 and he has to obey the nod1 look1
 and arbitrary commands of the lowest1  
cruellest1 and most brutal class of men 
on earth4 ,i ask any man1 ,is not this  
slavery8 ,van ,stingey was now rich--had
 horses1 wagons1 and a splendid mansion4
 ,he took another1 and a third contract1
 in which he was very successful4 ,one  

day1 however1 he was on his work1 and a 
blast having failed to go off1 ,van     
ordered his men to return to the dump4  
,they refused4 ,he stamped and swore1   
and then and there discharged all the   
darned paddies1 who were not fools      
enough to get killed4 ,so himself and   
his nephew1 who bossed for him1 returned
 to the cut1 where they were no sooner  
arrived than the blast went off1 and    
poor ,van ,stingey was blown into atoms4
  ,thus perished1 at the height of his  
success and of his guilt1 the meanest   
and most worthless of the human         
race--the mocker and robber of the poor1
 the persecutor and kidnapper of ,paul  
,o',clery and his brethren1 the         
merciless swindler and defrauder of the 
laborer's wages1 and1 finally1 the      
hypocritical sensualist and drunkard4   
,we boast of our progress1 and          
advertise1 as proof of it1 the number of
 railroads in operation1 their extent1  
and the rapidity of the motion over     
their iron surface2 but the trials1     

tears1 labors1 sufferings1 and injustice
 which our indifference or avarice has  
inflicted on those thousands of our     
fellow-creatures whose hands have built 
them never occur to our minds or cause  
us a single regret1 while glorying in   
the advancement of our great country4   
,how can we help that8 answers ,uncle   
,sam4 ,it is the contractors that are   
unjust and cruel1 and the men themselves
 that are not 'wide awake enough' in    
allowing themselves to be so imposed    
upon4  ,the whole fault is yours1       
,uncle1 and lies at the doors of the    
people1 who1 having the power to protect
 the laborer by law1 neglect to exercise
 that power1 and1 by this their neglect 
of duty1 create your ,van ,stingeys1    
your ,lofins1 your ,blind ,bill         
,timenses1 your ,whinnys1 and other     
villains1 who are a disgrace to our     
country1 and whose crimes1 encouraged by
 our silence and tolerance1 will        
ultimately bring the vengeance of       
,heaven on us and our children4 ,quod   

avertat ,deus4  ,it has been remarked by
 some1 that if the tears shed by        
emigrants on the bosom and on the banks 
of the great ,father of ,waters1 the    
,mississippi1 were preserved in a great 
reservoir1 they would form a lake many  
fathoms in depth and many miles in      
circumference4 ,with less exaggeration  
can it be stated1 if the number of men  
killed1 murdered1 and otherwise cut off1
 on the railroads of the ,union1 by the 
ill treatment1 neglect1 cruelty1        
avarice1 and malice of contractors1     
storekeepers1 overseers1 and bosses1--if
 all these men's dead bodies were placed
 within three feet of one another1 or   
even side by side1 they would cover1    
from end to end1 the ten thousand miles 
of railroad that are within the ,united 
,states4 ,and if the tears shed on the  
,mississippi would make a lake the size 
of the ,lakes of ,killarney1 the tears  
shed on the railroads would form a body 
of salt1 burning water1 as great in bulk
 as ,lakes ,superior and ,ontario       

together4 ,if there be any              
irresponsible1 cruel1 barbarous         
despotism on earth1 in savage or        
civilized life1 it is emphatically in   
the discipline that prevails on the     
railroad rgime4 ,there is no man daring 
enough to speak a word in favor of the  
cruelly-oppressed railroad man1 except  
an odd priest here and there2 and even  
he has often to do it at the risk of    
having a revolver presented at him1 or  
having his character maligned by the    
slanders of the moneyed ruffians whose  
crimes and excesses he may feel it his  
duty to reprimand4 ,father ,ugo was not 
the man to wink at the cruel treatment  
to which1 in the part of the railroad   
that ran through his mission1 his poor  
fellow-men and fellow-,christians were  
submitted2 and he had1 consequently1    
often to experience no small share of   
the malice1 and a tolerable share of    
outrage1 in the shape of threats and    
insulting language1 from our independent
 company1 ,lofin1 ,van ,stingey1        

,whinny1  ,co4     ,,chapter ,,xii4     
,,mass ,,in ,a ,,shanty4   ,there was   
great bustle and preparation in the     
valley of ,r---- ,creek1 on ,ascension  
,thursday4 ,hired men were up at three  
o'clock that morning to do chores1 and  
hired girls were busy the night before  
in arranging the household1 so that the 
female bosses of the several farm-houses
 would be able to find all things in    
order4 ,many and violent also were the  
arguments that passed between ,catholic 
servants and their heretical masters and
 mistresses1 on one hand to ignore1 and 
on the other to assert1 the right to    
worship according to one's conscience4  
,yes1 to their shame be it told1 the    
,protestant sects in ,america1 as they  
do in all countries where they have sway
 or are tolerated1 practically deny that
 article of the federal constitution    
that guarantees the right to every      
citizen to worship ,god according to the
 dictates of conscience or individual   
judgment4 ,with the word liberty ever on

 their lips1 like the lion's skin on the
 ass1 to deceive1 the sects1 great and  
small1 from the ,church of ,england     
down1 down1 down to the ,mormons or     
,transcendentalists1 through the grades 
of ,presbyterian1 ,methodist1 ,baptist1 
all play the tyrant in their own way4   
,all act the despot1 and would exercise 
spiritual tyranny1 if in their power4   
,for proof of this1 the history of the  
,blue ,laws in the land of the ,pilgrims
 is only to be consulted on this side of
 the ,atlantic2 and at the other side1  
modern as well as by-gone records show1 
that1 wherever ,protestantism had the   
power1 there the few were oppressed by  
the many4 ,every sovereign1 from        
,elizabeth down to ,victoria1 acted the 
tyrant over the ,catholics2 and in      
,sweden1 ,denmark1 ,prussia1 and the    
,protestant ,swiss cantons1 persecution 
is now a part of the laws of these      
several states4 ,persecution is not     
sanctioned by the laws of the ,united   
,states1 if we except the prescriptive  

code of ,new ,hampshire1 which comes    
under that genus2 but if it be not      
legalized1 we are not to thank          
,protestantism for that4 ,wherever it   
has sway in the family1 in the town     
council1 or the assembly1 there the     
cloven foot of intolerance and          
persecution is seen from under the      
sanctimonious gown it puts on4 ,indeed1 
although the compulsion of the          
conscience is not enforced by ,state    
laws1 it is attempted1 as far as        
practicable1 where its effects are more 
galling1 and its existence more         
intolerable1--namely1 in the family at  
home1 or in the camp or barrack abroad4 
,catholic servants are not only denied  
the right to attend their duties in many
 families1 but actually forced to hear  
the disgusting ranting or ludicrous     
prayer of any impostor who may take on  
himself the office of preacher4 ,and    
,catholic soldiers are punished by fine 
and severe corporal chastisements for   
refusing to attend the service of an    

heretical chaplain4 ,and no senator1    
zealous for liberty1 raises his voice on
 behalf of the ,catholic soldier1 and of
 the ,catholic servant girl1 while they 
are exposed to a persecution such as no 
,catholic government1 king1 or despot   
ever attempted to force on the          
consciences of their dissenting         
subjects1 not even ,queen ,mary1 of     
,england1 excepted2 for the so-called   
persecution by ,catholic princes has    
never been to compel men to adopt a new 
religion4 ,protestants in ,europe and   
here attempt to compel the adoption of  
their false tenets by those who are     
neither desirous nor willing to adopt   
them1 and who already profess a true    
religion4 ,this is what makes a vast    
difference between the persecution your 
,madiai suffer1 and this ten times worse
 persecution which many an otherwise    
honest and kind-hearted ,american farmer
 allows to take place in his family4    
,the ,day of ,judgment alone will reveal
 to light what trials1 crosses1 and real

 persecution ,catholic servant men and  
women have to endure in remote and      
country places from the bigotry1        
hypocrisy1 and cruelty of ignorant1     
unfeeling farmers and their wives1      
goaded on1 no doubt1 and urged1 by low1 
base1 and brutal parsons1 who have      
scarcely enough to eat1 and who envy the
 priest the comparative independence    
which the liberality and true ,catholic 
charity of his flock enable him to      
maintain4  ,by these remarks ,i am not  
to be understood as saying that         
good-nature1 justice1 and even          
generosity1 do not govern the conduct of
 the ,american people4 ,i am aware of   
their kindness1 hospitality1 and        
philanthropy2 but these fine traits of  
character are obscured1 perverted1 and  
rendered abortive1 whenever the demon of
 sectarian influence touches them with  
her black rod4 ,and1 like the ,jews1    
while they are persecuting the ,holy    
,one of ,god in his humble members1 they
 think they are doing a service to ,god4

 ,such is the effect of the poison1 in  
the shape of religious instruction1     
infused into the minds of this noble    
people by the lying and ignorant        
teachers that they allow to instruct    
them4 ,the ,american people are         
generally so busy1 so intent in making a
 fortune or a livelihood1 that they have
 not time1 as they cannot have the      
inclination1 to pay much attention to   
religious training4 ,hence it is in the 
science of the soul and salvation1 as in
 that of medical science1 the number of 
impostors and quacks is infinite4  ,the 
following dialogue between an ,irish    
,catholic servant and her evangelical   
mistress will serve faintly to          
illustrate what is the weekly1 if not   
daily1 recurrence in tens of thousands  
of families all over this free country3 
,you can't go1 that's the amount of it1 
,anne1 said ,mrs4 ,warren to an ,irish  
,catholic servant maid of hers1 who     
heard of the priest's being at the      
shanties on this morning4  ,why so1     

ma'am8 said ,anne4 ,all the girls of the
 country around are allowed to go2 but  
,i never get a ,sunday or holy day to   
myself4 ,it is too bad4  ,why don't you 
come with us to our meeting1 where all  
the decent folks go1 and none of your   
,irish are present8  ,many decent folks 
go to ',old ,harry6' cried ,anne1 in    
anger4 ,is that the reason ,i must go   
too8  ,anne1 your obstinacy in refusing 
to join our family worship has made me  
resolve not to let you go to hear the   
old priest4 ,and your refusal to attend 
to the sermon of our preacher1 ,mr4     
,scullion1 has also displeased me much4 
,i mean to punish you according4  ,why  
should ,i go hear the old sinner's      
stuff1 said ,anne1 when your own sons   
laugh at him and say he is a fool8      
,besides1 ,i am told he is ever abusing 
the ,catholics1 and ,i heartily despise 
his nonsensical1 lying cant4  ,well1    
,anne1 ,i am determined to punish you   
for it1 calmly replied the mistress4 ,so
 you can't see the priest to-day4 ,that 

settles it4  ,i beg your pardon1 ma'am2 
the priest ,i will see1 please ,god1 let
 what will happen4  ,you must leave this
 house1 then4  ,small loss1 madam4      
,america is wide1 thank ,god6 answered  
,anne4  ,don't you know ,mr4 ,scullion  
is a brother of mine8  ,i don't care1   
ma'am1 if he was your father4 ,i know he
 is ignorant or malicious1 either one or
 the other1 or maybe both1 or he would  
not speak of the ,catholic ,church as he
 does4 ,oh1 dear1 she cried1 bursting   
into tears of anger1 what a 'free       
country' it is6 ,the ,protestants in    
,ireland were decent4 ,they came1       
attended by the peelers1 to their       
tenants1 telling them they must conform 
to the will of the landlord1 or quit    
their homes2 but here ye say all        
religions are equal1 and yet ye try to  
compel us to go to listen to low1       
ignorant preachers1 who know they are   
lying about the ,church of ,christ4 ,ye 
want us to change the religion of ,st4  
,patrick and of the martyrs for such    

ridiculous churches as ye have here4    
,oh1 dear6 oh1 dear6 said the poor girl1
 as she contrasted her present situation
 with what it was when she was at home  
at her father's1 where she heard ,mass  
daily1 and knew not what it was to      
suffer persecution for conscience' sake4
  ,while scenes such as we have here    
described were taking place in the      
farmers' houses1 and such scenes are not
 occasional nor unusual1 all was busy   
preparation at the shanties4 ,the       
largest shanty in the patch was cleared 
of all sorts of lumber4 ,forms1 chairs1 
tables1 pots1 flour and beef barrels1   
molasses casks1 and other necessary     
stores were all put outside doors4 ,the 
walls1 if so we can call them1 of the   
shanty1 were then hung round with       
newspapers1 white linen tablecloths1 and
 other choice tapestry1 while a good    
large shawl1 spread in front of the     
altar1 served as a carpet on which his  
reverence was to kneel and stand while  
officiating4 ,green boughs were cut in a

 neighboring wood lot and planted around
 the entrance by the men1 while around  
the altar and over it were wreaths of   
wild flowers and blossoms1 gathered by  
the little girls of the patch in the    
adjacent meadows1 in order to prepare a 
decent place for the holy ,mass4 ,at an 
early hour the priest made his          
appearance1 and was very much pleased to
 see the transformation which the piety 
of these poor1 hard-working people      
wrought in the appearance of the humble 
shanty4 ,for fifteen miles along the    
line the crowds were gathering1 and the 
works were suspended for the day4 ,the  
overseers and contractors1 to do them   
justice1 had no objection to this       
occasional interruption of their        
profits4 ,at all events1 they knew it   
was a holy day2 and even they1 with all 
their irresponsible control over their  
men1 had ample proof that1 even in the  
wild deserts and savage woods of        
,america1 the ,irish ,catholic remembers
 the ,sabbaths and festivals of his ,god

 or his ,church4  ,long before the hour 
of ,mass1 the shanty was crowded1 and   
many were the comments and remarks made 
on the physical powers and other        
external accomplishments of the new     
priest4  ,some remarked that his        
reverence1--,god bless him6--need not be
 afraid of travelling alone through     
these lonesome glens1 for it would      
require a good man to handle him2 that  
it would4  ,that's thrue1 said another2 
he would be able to 'settle bread' on a 
half-dozen ,yankees any day2 that is1   
provided they did not use any weapon but
 the arm that ,god gave 'em4  ,but you  
know1 said a third1 these ,yankees      
always carry a rewolwer or two in their 
pockets1 the treacherous rogues4 ,look  
how they killed that ,irish peddler1 and
 robbed him1 and fired six shots into   
,michael ,gasty's house the other night1
 and he in bed quietly sleeping4  ,this 
and other such narratives and comments  
were the order of the day outside the   
door1 only where those who were careless

 or not preparing for their duties were 
congregated4 ,inside1 a large crowd of  
women and rough-fisted men gathered     
around the door of the temporary        
confessional1 and it was near noon      
before the priest ascended the temporary
 altar to offer up the victim of peace  
for the assembled sons of toil4 ,upon   
his reverence asking if there was       
anybody to answer or serve ,mass1       
several presented themselves2 but he    
accepted the services of ,paul1 because 
he had been accustomed from his         
childhood to wait round the altar1 and  
he was the most intelligent of those who
 offered to assist the priest while     
celebrating4  ,the substance of the     
priest's discourse was1 that they should
 not forget that it was ,god's will that
 the holy sacrifice should be offered in
 every place1 from the rising to the    
setting of the sun1 and that probably   
they were made the instruments which he 
made use of for the literal fulfilment  
of that famous prophecy2 for if they    

were not here employed on these public  
works1 probably the holy sacrifice would
 not be1 for years and years to come1   
offered up in such places as this4 ,that
 they should all regard themselves as   
missionaries engaged in ,god's service  
to spread the knowledge of the true     
religion in this virgin soil among a    
people who had lost the true mode of    
,god's worship1 though a generous and   
successful race of men4 ,that they      
should guard against drunkenness and    
faction fights1 for these crimes brought
 their proper punishment both here and  
hereafter2 and that they should1 by pure
 morals and fidelity to their religion1 
rather than by controversy or           
disputation1 make a favorable impression
 on1 and confute the errors of1 those   
opponents of their faith among whom     
their lot was cast4 ,in fine1 that they 
should lose no opportunity of receiving 
the sacraments1 for1 without their use1 
salvation was very difficult1 if not    
absolutely impossible4 ,let them not    

regret the loss of this day1 or think it
 too much to dedicate it to ,god's      
service3 that was the chief end for     
which they were created4 ,when          
population was small1 and a livelihood  
easily obtained1 and men had to work but
 little1 ,god had appointed one day in  
the week to rest and service4 ,now1 when
 the cares1 distractions1 and labors of 
life had increased a thousandfold1 it   
seemed not too much if1 instead of one  
day1 two or more days were devoted to   
rest and worship4 ,and if the ,church   
had her way unrestricted1 she1 by her   
festivals and holy days1 would do a     
great deal towards alleviating the      
present hardships of labor1 and men     
would be taught to be content with a    
competency1 and employers would treat   
their men with kindness and justice     
combined4  ,you1 poor fellows1 have to  
work hard1 frequently for years1 without
 having a chance to frequent the        
sacraments4 ,thank ,god1 then1 and be   
grateful for this opportunity1 and spend

 this day as becometh ,christians4 ,you 
are exposed to dangers from accidents1  
and frequently from the influence of    
evil-advising men4 ,in ,religion and her
 resources alone you can find the only  
safeguard against the effects of the    
former1 and the best security against   
the wiles of your enemies3 keep the     
commandments1 and hear the ,church4  ,on
 this day no less than ninety-five      
received1 and the effects of this one   
visit even were felt by the overseers   
and employers of these men for months to
 come4 ,even ,anne ,council1 the girl   
whom we introduced as disputing with her
 ignorant mistress about the freedom of 
worship1--and which dispute was then    
decided in ,anne's favor by the         
interference of the boss1 who           
remonstrated with his wife on her       
imprudence in resolving to discharge her
 maid in the midst of their hurry1 while
 there was no chance of having her place
 supplied1--even ,anne1 brought to a    
better sense by the advice of the priest

 administered in confession1 when she   
came home asked her saucy mistress's    
pardon for speaking back to her this    
morning4  ,i forgive you1 ,anne1 she    
said2 though ,i am sure there is not a  
lady in the hollow that would put up    
with your impudence but myself4  ,i know
 ,i am hot1 answered ,anne1 smothering  
her anger at this second provocation in 
being called impudent4 ,the priest told 
us to be obedient to those even who are 
not amiable nor kind2 to serve them for 
,god's sake1 as a punishment for our    
sins4  ,now1 said ,mr4 ,warren to his   
wife1 you see ,anne has rather improved 
by her visit to the priest1 which you   
thought to prevent4 ,were you and ,i to 
be at her for six months1 we could not  
get her to acknowledge as much as she   
now has4 ,the fact is1 ,i am certain    
those much-abused priests are far ahead 
of our dominies in knowledge of religion
 and human nature4 ,it is impossible    
otherwise to account for the influence  
they exercise over the ungovernable     

,irish race1 and over those millions    
whom they instruct and rule4  ,it's all 
priestcraft1 said his wife4  ,i don't   
know1 ,sarah1 what craft it is1 but ,i  
wish our ministers learned a little of  
the same craft2 for they are fast losing
 all influence over the minds of the    
people1 and especially over that of the 
youth4 ,that we can all see4  ,that's   
because people are daily getting worse1 
said this female philosopher4  ,worse6  
,then whose fault is it that they are8  
,what have we ministers for1 but to     
prevent this state of things8 ,there are
 six of them in the small village of    
,s----1 and it can't be beat in the     
,union for blacklegs and rowdies4 ,would
 we have so many wild1 irreligious young
 men1 and women1 too1 if1 instead of six
 preachers1 we had six ,catholic        
priests8 ,i would like to see one of    
your young ones show such signs of a    
superior mind and training1 such        
manliness and fortitude1 as that ,irish 
,catholic lad1 ,paul1 down at ,prying's4

 ,they have had all the ministers within
 fifty miles of you to convert him1 but 
they could no more move him than they   
could ,mount ,antoine4 ,in fact1 he beat
 them all to pieces in ,scripture and   
argument4 ,take no more pains about     
religion1 wife1 said the honest ,yankee2
 let ,anne alone4 ,i won't have her     
disturbed any more on the subject4 ,if  
there be any religion on earth1 those   
very people have it whom you want to    
bring round to the exact pattern of your
 favorite minister's manner of doubting4
 ,it's ridiculous1 wife1 said he1       
rising1 and calling his men to the      
fields2 it's ridiculous to try to       
convert these ,catholics1 who appear to 
have some religion1 to the countless    
systems of ,,no ,,religion that are so  
numerous on all sides around us4 ,i say 
it's ridiculous1 said he1 departing4    
,,chapter ,,xiii4  ,,the ,,tempter ,,at 
,,the ,,woman4   ,it was arranged among 
the ,pryings and their advisers1 one day
 in ,august1 that1 as ,amanda said ,paul

 was an incorrigible young man1 he      
should be sent off to the ,state fair of
 ,vermont1 and1 in the meantime1 a      
certain true blue ,presbyterian         
minister1 named ,grinoble1 should try   
his hand at converting ,paul's little   
sister ,bridget4 ,it was1 some thought1 
wrong to begin with ,paul1 as all       
experience1 but especially scriptural   
testimony1 taught that temptation was   
more likely to succeed when woman was   
the subject or the instrument4 ,so      
thought ,parson ,grinoble2 and1 with    
true serpent wisdom1 he concluded that  
it was through the woman1 the weaker    
sex1 that1 in this instance1 ,popery was
 to be conquered4 ,besides1 this old    
hand at proselytism read somewhat of the
 epistles of ,st4 ,paul1 and read there 
of the success of his predecessors in   
unbelief in seducing silly women1 and   
ensnaring their confiding souls within  
the meshes of their wily nets4 ,so      
thought ,mr4 ,grinoble1 and he began to 
act on it on the day in question1 by    

going into the kitchen and addressing   
himself to ,bridget1 as she was peeling 
apples for cooking1 in the following    
manner3  ,come here1 my dear1 and shake 
hands1 said his dominieship to the girl4
  ,she walked over shyly1 holding the   
knife in one hand1 and stretching       
forward for the other4  ,sit down here  
beside me1 on the settle1 my dear4  ,i  
must do what ',mandy ordered me1 sir1   
she said1 excusingly4  ,oh1 don't you   
fear ,amanda1 he said2 ,i will be your  
security1 my little woman1 that she     
won't be displeased4 ,dear me1 what nice
 hair and purty curls you have6 and such
 beautiful teeth6 ,don't you think ,miss
 ,amanda is jealous of your charms8 eh8 
,why do you turn away your head1 my pet8
  ,i don't like such talk1 sir1 she     
answered4 ,my ,prayer ,book1 in the     
',table of ,sins1' says it is a sin to  
listen to praise or flattery4  ,well    
said1 my little lady1 said the tempter4 
,you are right1 ,bridget2 ,i was only   
trying you4 ,i do not wish you to sin4  

,you know ,i am the minister4 ,i love   
you1 and wish to see you a good         
,christian1 said he1 caressing her4  ,i 
thank you1 sir1 was her answer4  ,now1  
my little good one1 ,i want to tell you 
some news4 ,i have a message for you1--a
 letter from a friend4  ,please show it1
 sir1 she said1 impatiently2 perhaps it 
is from my uncle1 in ,ireland1 to whom  
,paul often wrote1 but never got an     
answer back4  ,no1 my dear1 it is from  
your father1 said the tempter4  ,my     
father is dead1 sir1 she quickly        
rejoined4 ,it can't be from him1 anyhow1
 ,god rest his soul4  ,it is from your  
,father in heaven1--behold it6 said he1 
in a dramatic accent1 and pulling out of
 his breast-pocket a small octodecimo   
,bible4  ,queer letter carrier1 and     
purty heavy letter1 grinned a young     
fellow1 who was sitting by1 waiting for 
the return of the boss to employ him4   
,christ sent you this by me1 said the   
dominie1 presenting the ,bible4 ,it will
 teach you the knowledge of the ,lord1  

and the true spirit of his gospel4      
,never knew before that the ,lord kept a
 post-office1 said the young ,celt2 but 
,i'm sure he never sent the like of you 
to be letter-carrier1--too slow1 too    
stupid1 entirely1 entirely2 and not very
 honest1 maybe4  ,i am not addressing   
you1 sir1 said the parson1 gruffly4 ,how
 do you like that1 ,bridget8 said he1   
plying his arts4  ,it is very nicely    
bound1 sir1 said she2 but ,i dare not   
take it without acquainting my brother  
,paul4  ,now1 my little favorite1 said  
the representative of the serpent1 if   
your uncle at home left you all his     
property1 would you not like to be able 
to read the will1 or would you wait for 
,paul's leave to read a document by     
which you inherited so much wealth8     
,perhaps not1 sir1 she answered1        
particularly if he did not forbid me to 
do so4  ,very well1 this is the will1   
the testament of ,god to all men1 to me1
 to you4 ,now1 ,bridget1 learn this     
will1 read it1 study its contents1      

without consent of priest or brother4   
,don't you see how proper this advice   
is8 said he1 thinking he had her little 
reasoning powers conquered4  ,yes1 old  
fellow1 said the young man at the table2
 but if that will was disputed1 which   
would you do1--submit it to an able     
lawyer1 or go into court yourself       
without advice or counsel8 ,you surely  
would fee a lawyer1 if money or property
 was at stake4 ,well1 you 'omadawn1'    
said our young stranger1 don't you see  
that1 though that ,bible is the will1   
the devil1 and his small heretical      
attorneys--,luther1 ,calvin1            
,wesley--dispute the will1 and the      
,church is the able advocate1 and judge1
 too1 that will conquer the devil1 and  
put to shame his agents1 and secure the 
stake1 which is heaven1 and the         
salvation of the soul8 ,let the child   
alone1 said he1 boldly1 as you see she  
doesn't want your biblical pills1 or1   
'be the tinker that mended ,fion-vic    
,couls' pot1' ,i will turn you out of   

doors1 if ,i were to hang for it after4 
,let the child alone this minute1 said  
he1 firmly4  ,who are you1 sir8 said the
 indignant parson1 turning to view his  
antagonist4 ,how dare you interrupt me  
when ,i am not addressing you8  ,i am an
 ,irishman and a ,catholic1 said he2 and
 furthermore1 if you wish to know my    
name1 it is1 sir1 ,murty ,o',dwyer1     
,tipperary man and all4  ,the reader    
will recollect the rollicking young     
attendant who drove ,father ,o',shane in
 the snowdrifts from ,vermont1 a        
specimen of whose oratory we have given 
in a preceding chapter4 ,the antagonist 
of ,parson ,grinoble was no other than  
the same young man4 ,he had rambled up  
to this neighborhood in search of work1 
and hearing that ,mr4 ,prying was in    
need of a hay hand1 he waited his return
 from the ,vermont ,state fair4  ,the   
minister ,grinoble returned to the      
parlor to report progress to ,amanda1   
and to represent the controversial      
rencontre which he had with ,o',dwyer1  

while ,murty learned with wonder and    
indignation from ,bridget1 that they    
were the children which cost ,father    
,o',shane so much vain search1 and that 
they were kept in continual annoyance by
 all sorts of male and female religious 
quacks and mountebanks1 all bent on the 
work of perversion4 ,oh1 thunder and    
age6 said he2 and ye are widow          
,o',clery's children1 ,god rest her     
soul6 ,what a murthur ,father ,o',shane 
could not find ye out before he died6   
,the ,lord have mercy on him4  ,we have 
heard he died1 said ,bridget4 ,is it    
long since1 sir8  ,almost two years4 ,he
 published ye in the ,boston ,pilot1 and
 all the newspapers4 ,he even offered a 
reward for yer discovery4 ,oh1 mille    
murther6 what a pity ,i did not know ye 
were so near home6  ,i suppose uncle    
wrote to him1 and sent us money to take 
us home again8 added pensive ,bridget4  
,money6 said the disinterested young    
man2 what money8 ,i would give all ,i   
earned since ,i came to this queer      

country myself to have ye found out4 ,we
 all thought ye were lost1 drowned1 or  
killed on the railroad cars4 ,i am glad 
,i have found ye out2 ye will have to   
leave right off4 ,i will take ye away   
myself to-morrow4  ,oh1 no1 sir6 said   
,bridget2 we can't leave this till our  
time is served out or our board         
paid1--two dollars a week for nearly    
three years4 ,the priest1 not long      
since1 came here to see if he could get 
my brother and me off1 but they told him
 they would not let us go4 ,and besides 
that1 they insulted his reverence by    
telling him1 if he dared to come to try 
to kidnap us1 they would tar and        
feather1 or shoot him1 the ,lord save   
us4  ,i wish to ,god ,i was present1    
said ,murty2 ,i would settle bread on   
some of them2 that ,i would1 and no     
mistake1 said he1 bringing his clenched 
fist down on the table1 if ,i heard them
 insult the minister of ,christ in any  
shape or form4 ,oh1 ,america6 ,america6 
said he1 in an undervoice1 ,i am        

deceived in you4 ,i thought you were a  
second paradise1 where all was peace1   
and comfort1 and justice1 and           
prosperity1 and true liberty4 ,but alas6
 ,i find all my ideas of your character 
erroneous and false4 ,all the crimes of 
the old world are not only here1 where  
we thought the very soil was virgin pure
 and unstained1 but here in the most    
odious forms4 ,the poor at home were    
naked1 and hungry1 and ground2 but most 
of them were innocent1 and an innocent  
man is not entirely miserable4 ,the poor
 here1 besides their poverty and        
wretched slavery1 working eighteen out  
of the twenty-four hours1 are almost all
 wicked in addition4 ,the crimes in the 
old country1 that aristocratic          
institutions kept up in the inaccessible
 palaces of the rich1--like the         
panther's den on the summit of yonder   
mountain1--here are familiar to the     
lowest and vulgarest of the populace4   
,in the old country1 the few and the    
rich were unjust1 cruel1 wicked2 it was 

so in ,ireland4 ,here the vices of the  
few are ingrafted on the many1 and1 like
 the small-pox1 they do not become      
weaker1 but stronger1 by universal      
propagation4 ,i wish ,i never saw you1  
,america1 said he1 musing1 his head     
resting against the wall2 ,i wish ,i was
 in the grave with my two sisters and   
mother1 rather than here to witness the 
slavery1 corruption1 and vice of        
,america4 ,the remainder of his musings 
were lost in the sighs and emotions that
 proceeded from his manly bosom4        
,,chapter ,,xiv4  ,,the ,,fruits ,,of   
,,the ,,cross4   ,paul was now a free   
man1 the term of apprenticeship having  
expired4 ,it was his right now1         
according to the terms of the implied   
contract1 not only to receive support   
and clothing1 but wages2 and ,mr4       
,prying was very willing to keep him in 
the house and give him a man's wages2   
but this conflicted with ,amanda's plan 
and that of her advisers2 consequently1 
,paul was reluctantly obliged to part   

with the society of his sister ,bridget1
 who had yet a part of her term to      
serve1 and to look out among the        
neighboring farmers for a situation4    
,this he soon found in a gentleman's    
family named ,clarke1 who was very glad 
to receive such a modest and intelligent
 young man into his family4 ,this ,mr4  
,clarke was not a farmer by profession1 
but a lawyer1 and editor of a daily     
journal in the capital of ,vermont1 and 
only spent a few days in the summer and 
fall with his family at the farm4       
,paul's chief occupation was to attend  
young ,master ,clarke in his sports of  
fishing1 fowling1 and riding on         
horseback4 ,the duties of his present   
situation afforded ,paul not only time  
and leisure to keep up his accustomed   
religious exercises1 but1 in addition1  
he was able to revise what he had       
previously studied1 and to add          
considerably to his stock of useful     
knowledge4 ,the equal terms and         
familiarity in which he stood in his    

relation with his young employer        
afforded him an opportunity of revising 
,virgil1 ,sallust1 ,lucian1 and other   
classical authors1 the use of which he  
was so long obliged to discontinue4     
,mr4 ,clarke was delighted when he      
learned from his son that ,paul knew    
,greek and ,latin much better than his  
former teacher in the academy4 ,and this
 information he knew to be correct1 from
 the fact that he found his son had     
learned more during vacation1 in company
 with ,paul1 than he did during the     
whole year before in college4 ,he       
therefore advanced ,paul's wages by     
one-third1 and prolonged his son's stay 
in the country beyond the usual period4 
,this generous and kind-hearted man was 
also sensibly affected when ,paul1 at   
his request1 related how he came to know
 ,latin2 how he was nephew of the grand 
vicar of ,kil----2 how he had spent five
 years in college2 how his father was   
obliged to emigrate with his family2 how
 he had died on the voyage2 how they    

were robbed of a thousand pounds2 how   
his mother sunk under her trials2 how he
 and his brethren were kidnapped out    
hither2 how the priest of ,t---- had    
advertised for them2 and how1 ,i        
suppose1 said he1 they gave us up in    
despair2 thinking1 probably1 that we    
were lost in some of the late steamboat 
disasters2 but here we are yet1 thank   
,god6  ,mr4 ,clarke1 with the instinct  
of a true-hearted ,yankee1 immediately  
saw into the snare laid for the faith of
 the young orphans2 and he thanked his  
,god mentally that he had come to the   
knowledge of these facts1 for he was the
 man to expose and reprobate such foul  
play4 ,i now well remember1 ,paul1 said 
he1 the advertisements respecting you   
and your brothers and sister4 ,i shall  
see to this business1 ,i promise you4   
,in the meantime1 be you and ,joe good  
friends4 ,don't spend too much time at  
fishing and gunning1 but study a good   
deal4 ,good-by1 ,joe1 my son4 ,good-by1 
,paul4 ,i shall soon return again to see

 you4  ,paul took every favorable       
opportunity to visit his sister and     
brothers1 to console and strengthen them
 against the temptations to which he    
knew they were exposed4  ,now1 ,patsy1  
my boy1 he said to the elder of his     
younger brothers1 every time you look at
 that cross--show it to me--have you    
lost it8  ,no1 sir-ee2 ,i never put it  
off my neck since mother put it on1 said
 ,patrick1 pulling it out of his bosom4 
,every time you look at that crucifix1  
continued ,paul1 think how our ,lord    
,god ,himself suffered2 how1 when he was
 a boy like you1 he was good1 obeyed his
 parents1 and was subject to them4 ,now1
 you have no parents here but one1 the  
,catholic ,church2 and if you obey not  
her counsels and precepts1 you will not 
be rewarded by ,christ1 whose image you 
wear around your neck4 ,say the ,six    
,precepts of the ,church for me1 ,pat4  
,first4 ,i am the ,lord thy ,god--  ,oh1
 ,pat1 you are saying the ten           
commandments of ,god4 ,your little      

brother ,eugene can say them4 ,i        
examined you in these before4  ,oh1 ,i  
forgot4 #ast4 ,to hear ,mass on ,sundays
 and holy days of obligation4 #b;d4 ,to 
fast and abstain on the days commanded4 
#c;d4 ,to confess our sins at least once
 a year4 #dth4 ,to receive communion at 
,easter4 #eth4 ,to contribute to the    
support of our pastors4 #fth4 ,not to   
solemnize marriage within forbidden     
degrees1 nor clandestinely4  ,the first 
precept1 ,patrick1 we cannot keep here1 
as we are not near the church4 ,but the 
second1 'to abstain on the days         
commanded1' we can keep4 ,do you ever   
eat meat on ,friday1 ,pat8  ,never but  
once1 through mistake1 said ,pat4 ,i    
thought it was ,thursday4 ,mr4 ,prying  
is always wanting me to eat it every    
day1 and so was a gentleman whom he     
called the priest1--sure he is not a    
right priest1 is he1 ,paul8  ,not at    
all1 ,pat2 he is only a ,protestant     
minister4  ,a minister6 said ,pat1 in   
astonishment4 ,why did they call him a  

priest8 ,he wanted me and ,eugene to eat
 meat on ,friday2 but ,i said ,i could  
not1 it would make me sick4 ,then ,mrs4 
,prying told him to let me be2 that she 
could not allow any interference with   
our religion2 and since that1 the       
minister never returned to our house1 or
 nobody said a word about it4 ,i think  
she is very good4 ,she often cries when 
she hears me and ,eugene speaking of    
father and mother1 ,god rest their      
souls6 ,paul1 said ,pat1 introducing a  
new subject1 ain't there a hell to      
punish the wicked1 as well as a heaven  
to reward the good8  ,certainly1 ,pat2  
does not the ,catechism say so8  ,yes1  
but yesterday1 ,cassius ,prying tried to
 persuade me that there was no hell4 ,he
 said all would go to heaven1 in the    
end4 ,i told him it was no such thing4  
,he said the minister said so4  ,oh1    
,patrick1 my boy1 beware of ,cassius2   
you must not listen to his talk1 for it 
is wicked4 ,god tells us there is a     
hell1 and we must believe all he teaches

 us by his church and his word1 or we   
will be condemned to hell forever4  ,oh1
 the ,lord save us6 ,i won't hear to    
,cassius no more4  ,that's a good boy1  
,patsy2 mind to watch ,eugene1 and make 
him do as you do4 ,we will all soon be  
going home to uncle's1 please ,god4     
,how soon1 ,paul8 ,i am tired of being  
in ',merica4  ,very soon1 please ,god4  
,good-by1 and be good3 learn this1 the  
eighth chapter of the ,catechism1 next4 
,i will1 ,paul1 with ,god's help4  ,this
 is the way ,paul1 our hero1 took care  
of the responsibility ,god had thrown on
 his tender shoulders at the age of     
fifteen4 ,never did missionary or priest
 labor1 by prayer1 and prudence1 and    
anxiety1 to save souls to ,christ1 as   
,paul did to save his brothers4 ,he was 
to them the true ,joseph1 who not only  
kept their bodies from starving1 but    
preserved their souls from a worse than 
,egyptian captivity4 ,and not only did  
his exertions produce the desired effect
 on the immediate objects of his        

solicitude1 but ,god added as the reward
 of his zeal other souls1 not of this   
fold4  ,old uncle ,jacob was all but    
disconsolate at the loss of ,paul4 ,he  
was his bed-fellow for years1 and every 
night and morning was witness of his    
piety and punctuality in prayer4 ,and   
although poor uncle ,jacob himself had  
long since learned to doubt of all forms
 of faith1 he could not be indifferent  
to the example set him by ,paul's steady
 devotion4 ,the poor old man1 besides1  
led a very innocent life1 and the grace 
of ,god had few obstacles to contend    
with in its influx into his empty but   
innocent soul4 ,he was often heard to   
say in presence of even ,mr4 ,gulmore1  
the minister1 and ,amanda1 who might be 
called the female parson1 that1 if any  
religion was worth having1 it was that  
one which made ,paul so victorious in   
his arguments1 and so pure and pious in 
his conduct4 ,that was the young one1   
said uncle1 his voice trembling with    
feeling1 for he loved ,paul as a son1   

that was the child that deserved to be  
called one2 that knowed what he owed to 
,god1 and man too4  ,he was as cunning  
as a fox1 and as full of the spirit of  
,popery as an egg is of meat1 said ,mr4 
,grinoble bitterly4  ,i know him to be  
as innocent as a dove1 said uncle       
,jacob1 warmly1 and believe him to be as
 full of the ,spirit of ,god as ,samuel 
was in the temple4 ,there1 now4  ,then1 
uncle ,jacob1 ,i see you are beginning  
to believe in the ,bible1 sarcastically 
added the parson4 ,i am glad to find    
your mind inclined in that way4 ,i hope 
you will soon get religion and the      
change of heart4  ,i hope and pray to   
the ,lord1 said the old man1 in a voice 
little removed from that of one in      
tears1 to change my heart1 and give me  
religion1 as ,i now believe there is    
such a thing on earth4 ,but1 ,mr4       
,grinoble1 your hard and cruel religion1
 ,i trust1 shall never be mine4 ,god    
forbid6 ,it will never change my heart4 
,uncle1 don't you talk that way1 said   

,amanda4 ,this is very unpleasant4 ,take
 no notice of him1 sir1 said she1       
addressing the parson1 who appeared to  
be disconcerted at this pointed attack  
of uncle ,jacob4  ,amanda1 ,i will talk 
so1 ,i must talk so1 said poor uncle1   
rising4 ,how can ye reconcile it to     
religion1 to justice1 or to charity1 the
 snares and plots laid by you1 miss1 in 
company with those men of ,god1 to rob  
that poor child ,paul1 and his little   
sister and brothers1 of their ancient1  
noble1 and holy religion8 ,fie1 fie1    
fie6 ,is it such conduct you call       
religion8 ,it is the very reverse4 ,it  
resembled more the conduct of the       
serpent in paradise1 than that of the   
meek disciples of ,jesus ,christ4 ,it   
was more like the religious profession  
of ,herod1 to get the ,child at         
,bethlehem into his clutches1 than      
anything else we read of1 your conduct  
was4 ,there is more ,bible for you1 ,mr4
 ,grinoble1 said he1 slamming the door  
after him1 and retiring to his room4    

',tis not much use attempting to convert
 such an old hardened sinner1 said      
,grinoble1 smothering his mortification 
at the rebuff of uncle ,jacob4  ,that   
,paul has ruined him1 said ,amanda4 ,i  
would not be a bit surprised if he died 
a ,papist yet4  ,sure you would not let 
the ,popish priest visit him1 on any    
account8 said the tolerant parson4  ,i  
fear pa would1 for you know uncle ,jacob
 left him this farm1 and more than half 
what he possesses in money and stock4   
,come1 tea is ready4  ,poor uncle       
,prying1 as we have said already1 was   
the senior brother of ,ephraim and      
,reuben ,prying1 and was now about      
seventy-two years of age4 ,during the   
last twenty years of his life he labored
 under a slight asthmatic affection1    
which lately increased in violence1 and1
 joined with a disease of the liver1    
which physicians said he suffered from1 
now seriously endangered his life4      
,since he was eighteen years old1 ,mr4  
,jacob ,prying never went inside a      

meeting-house or professed any religion2
 a conclusion which he partly was drove 
to by the hypocrisy of a certain        
minister in his neighborhood1 who wanted
 to have ,mr4 ,jacob married to a       
daughter of his1 who1 two days before   
the marriage1 he found out1             
accidentally1 had been seduced by an    
ex-senator in ,boston4 ,this piece of   
deception on the part of the religious  
teacher1 and the treachery of the maid  
herself1 so disgusted ,jacob ,prying1   
that he registered a vow in heaven that 
he never again would allow himself to   
become the victim of hypocrisy or of    
female dissimulation4 ,the parsons1 all 
round1 because he was proof against     
their transparent baits1 to fill their  
meeting-houses1 cried him down as an    
infidel1 whose heart was hardened1 and  
who despised the ,bible4 ,uncle ,jacob  
never attempted to dispel the prejudices
 raised against him by the malice of    
despised dominies2 but his heart refuted
 their lies1 for it was open to every   

noble and humane influence1 and1 above  
all1 undefiled from the corruption of   
the world4 ,hence1 in his hour of       
sickness1 in his hour of trial and need1
 the ,almighty rewarded him for his     
natural good parts1 and sent ,his angel 
to conduct him1 by the simple means     
herein recorded1 to the bosom of that   
holy religion1 outside which there is   
nothing but bitterness and woe1 and     
without which it is impossible to please
 ,god4 ,knowing the nature of the       
enemies he had to contend with1 poor    
,mr4 ,jacob ,prying was silent on the   
subject of his religious doubts till the
 advent of ,paul to the farm4 ,like the 
ancient noble ,roman1 who1 under the    
garb of folly1 concealed his profound   
heroic wisdom1 uncle ,jacob was content 
to be called an infidel and unbeliever1 
so that he might preserve his heart     
undefiled1 and ready for that precious  
pearl of great price which his heart    
sighed for1 and which he was about now  
to receive2 becoming1 in his latter     

days1 a further illustration of the     
,divine narrative that ,god adds daily  
to the ,church those who are to be      
saved4     ,,chapter ,,xv4  ,,the       
,,conversion4   ,the ,lord be praised2  
,i am glad to hear it1 said ,paul1 one  
day1 as he sat by the bedside of uncle  
,jacob1 who was now in the last stage of
 his disease4 ,paul1 said the dying man1
 while ,i was robust1 and independent in
 means1 ,i relied too much on these     
gifts of ,god1 and too little on the    
,giver of them4 ,but now1 when this     
frail wall1 that shuts the soul in from 
her world of kindred spirits1 is nearly 
worn down1 and the glorious light of    
eternity shines through the chinks of   
this earthen rampart1 in all directions 
,i see the necessity of having the soul 
prepared1 thoroughly washed1 before she 
goes into a world of such purity and    
justice2 and you have convinced me1 or1 
rather1 ,god has taught me1 that it is  
only in that religion of which ,god     
alone is the ,author that the means of  

purification can be found4 ,so1 ,paul1  
in ,god's name1 take a team1 and go for 
the priest of ,god immediately2 there is
 no time to be lost4 ',tis consoling to 
reflect that there is a priest of ,god  
now to be had on earth1 as well as in   
the days of the ancient patriarchs4 ,how
 merciful ,god was1 said he1            
soliloquizing1 in leaving us on earth a 
priest1 a representative of his divine  
,son1 to prepare the soul for the       
terrible voyage of eternity6 ,all       
eternity is not too long to thank him   
for this blessing4  ,paul communicated  
the wishes of his dying brother to ,mr4 
,ephraim ,prying1 who answered1         
,certainly1 ,paul2 why not8 ,go for the 
priest2 take the best team--that black  
mare1 there1 is the fastest traveller4  
,o my poor brother1 why will you leave  
us8 said he1 as he rushed up to his     
brother's bed room4  ,it soon went      
abroad that uncle ,jacob was at the     
point of death2 and all the friends and 
many neighbors were assembled around the

 bed1 and among others ,mr4 ,barker1 the
 ,methodist preacher1 who thought1 as   
the ,presbyterian dominie's nostrums    
were rejected by ,jacob1 his own1 as    
being more novel1 might have the desired
 effect4 ,and though these several      
ministers were jealous each of the      
influence of his neighbor1 yet any thing
 with them was preferable to the priest4
 ,let uncle ,jacob turn ,turk1 ,jew1 or 
,heathen1 any thing but a ,papist1 and  
the six sectarian teachers of the       
village of ,s---- were content4  ,now1  
brother ,jacob1 said his roaring        
reverence1 after a long-winded prayer1  
in which he professed to command great  
influence with the powers above1 how do 
you feel8 ,tell us your experience1 and 
what you see4  ,i am afraid1 if ,i tell 
ye what ,i think and feel1 said the     
feeble invalid1 ye may not like to hear 
it1 and ,i do not wish to give offence4 
,i have something else now to occupy my 
time besides talking for your           
entertainment4  ,o1 by all means1       

brother1 said the reverend roarer1 tell 
what you experience2 we will not be     
displeased1 but ,i hope edified4 ,i have
 prayed earnestly to the ,lord ,jesus   
for thee1 and he has answered me--,i    
have been heard4  ,well1 my experience  
and conviction are1 that there is no    
real religion1 but superstition or      
infidelity1 in all the sects that ,i    
ever yet knew around here4 ,my          
experience is1 that ,i led a very       
worthless and careless life1 for which  
,i expect ,god's pardon2 but ,i fear ye 
parsons will have a hard account to     
settle for the contradiction and        
confusion ye have introduced into the   
,christian religion4 ,ye first attempted
 to make an infidel of me1 by your      
glaring contradictions and hypocritical 
pretensions2 and now1 on the very brink 
of eternity1 ye would deceive my soul   
into the delusion that ,i am fit for    
glory direct1 in the blossom of my sins1
 'unhouselled1 unanointed1 and          
unannealed4' ,retire from my presence1  

ye deceivers1 and make way for the      
minister of ,god's church1 who can      
absolve me from my sins in the person of
 ,christ1 give me his true body to      
repair the ruins in my own body and     
soul1 and strengthen me1 by the oil of  
faith1 against the terrible struggle    
that ,i must encounter1 and the awful   
journey over which ,i must pass4 ,o     
,lord1 he cried1 forgive these          
persecutors of my soul2 and1 ,o virgin  
mother of ,jesus1 obtain for me to      
confess my sins and repent ere ,i die4  
,all were astonished at the foregoing   
impassioned speech of uncle ,jacob4 ,the
 parson retired like an evil spirit     
exorcised by the powerful words of holy 
writ4 ,the room was empty1 and the      
priest was soon after at the dying man's
 bedside4 ,after a full1 sincere1 and   
humble confession1 conditional baptism  
was administered2 and1 confirmed by all 
the rites of the church1 purified by    
penance1 strengthened by the holy       
eucharist1 and healed by the holy       

unction of heaven1 that pure soul passed
 away to ,god in two days after1 having 
become speechless in about an hour after
 the administration of the sacrament4   
,now1 said the priest1 addressing ,paul1
 did ,i not tell you ,god had some      
mysterious design in view by the        
succession of trials which he enabled   
you to pass through8 ,but for you1      
probably1 this good soul would not have 
heard of the ,catholic church2 but for  
your mother's death you could not be out
 here1 where the malice of those who    
wanted to rob you of your faith sent    
you4 ,it is owing to the robbery of the 
money you possessed that your mother    
died2 and1 finally1 but for the cruelty 
of the landlord and his injustice1 you  
might be now at home in ,ireland1 and   
probably studying in ,maynooth ,college4
 ,see how ,god brings good from evil4   
,see how1 as he made the hardness of    
,pharaoh's heart contribute to the glory
 and miraculous power of ,moses and     
,aaron1 he continually makes use of the 

tyranny of the landlords of             
,ireland--not inferior to the cruelty of
 ,pharaoh or ,herod--to contribute to   
the spread of the faith1 without which  
there is no salvation1 among the        
generous and naturally good people of   
this vast country4  ,i understand it all
 now1 said ,paul1 and thank ,god for all
 that has happened to us4  ,that's      
right1 my boy2 you will be yet a priest1
 perhaps1 yourself4 ,i must now prepare 
to return4  ,as ,father ,ugo passed down
 stairs1 he was met by ,mrs4 and ,mr4   
,prying1 who invited him to the parlor1 
and by a good deal of persuasion        
prevailed on him to remain there over   
night1 rather than go to the hotel six  
miles off4 ,even the bigoted ,amanda was
 very anxious to have an argument with a
 real priest--that mysterious sort of   
being whom she never saw1 but heard so  
much about4  ,father ,ugo was a robust1 
brave-looking man1 of unaffected        
manners1 bordering on plainness1 though 
highly educated1 and accustomed in      

,europe1 where he was chaplain to ,lord 
,c----d1 to the most aristocratic       
society4 ,perhaps it was owing to his   
knowledge of the vanity of aristocratic 
airs that he affected such a plainness  
of manners1 being thoroughly tired of   
the odd1 unmeaning ceremonials of       
fashion4 ,it must be confessed1 at any  
rate1 that he entertained no small      
contempt for the mushroom aristocratic  
imitations that he witnessed in         
,america2 and this made him a little    
sarcastic1 and therefore rather rude1 in
 his association with what he called the
 monkey aristocracy of the new world4   
,such being the sentiments of ,father   
,ugo1 the reader ought not to be        
surprised that his reluctance to enter  
into a theological discussion with      
,amanda was great1 and his answers to   
that indefatigable she bore rather curt 
and ironical4 ,after a good deal of     
conversation about the weather1 crops1  
the telegraph1 railroads1 thunder       
storms1 electricity1 and such other     

subjects as were suggested by the       
climate and state of the weather1 ,mr4  
,prying left the room1 wondering where  
this priest got his knowledge1 and how  
could he be one of that low1 canting1   
,scripture-phrase class to which all    
ministers he ever knew belonged1 and in 
which he thought the priest must have   
exceeded the ministers in degree as much
 as the ,green ,mountain exceeded the   
little knoll in front of his house4     
,that's a well-read1 intelligent fellow1
 said he to his wife4  ,we allers heard 
they knowed nothing but ignorance and   
idolatry1 she carelessly remarked4  ,i  
guess those who represented the         
,catholic priests as such are the most  
ignorant1 was the remark of ,ephraim4   
,well1 sir1 said ,amanda1 who was now   
alone with the priest in the parlor1    
there are many admirable things in your 
religion2 there are indeed4  ,i am glad 
you think so2 but are not all its       
institutions admirable and perfect8 said
 the priest4  ,i can't concede that1 by 

any means1 she replied1 with a          
consciousness of her logical powers4    
,for instance1 there's celibacy2 why    
don't you priests get married8 ,i think 
this very wrong2 the ,bible calls it the
 'doctrine of devils' to encourage that 
institution4  ,i am astonished1 if you  
think so1 miss1 said the priest1 you    
have not got married yourself before    
this1 for you appear to be of age4  ,o1 
that1 perhaps1 is my own choice1 she    
said1 coughing with embarrassment4      
,well1 it is my fixed and determined    
choice1 rejoined ,father ,ugo1 to lead a
 single1 unmarried life1 free from care 
and anxiety4  ,i think you are mistaken1
 sir1 she said2 the single life is one  
of much more care and anxiety than the  
married4 ,witness pa and ma2 how happy  
they have lived for thirty-five years in
 this our homestead4  ,although such may
 have been your experience1 miss1 said  
,dr4 ,ugo1 ,i must beg leave to decline 
accepting it as an authority1           
particularly when ,i have my own        

experience1 though not so venerable as  
yours1 to balance it4 ,besides1 does not
 the inspired ,st4 ,paul tell us that   
those who are married are divided1 and  
have heavier cares2 while those who lead
 a single1 chaste life1 as he did1 would
 be better able to serve ,god free from 
anxiety8  ,o1 ,paul1 she replied1 was   
very poor authority on the subject1     
being a bachelor when he wrote that     
passage4 ,probably in after life his    
opinions underwent a change on the      
subject4 ,i am aware of his oddity in   
that way4  ,do you joke1 miss8 said the 
priest1 solemnly4 ,if you do not joke1  
,i have no hesitation in saying you     
blaspheme1 in thus trifling with the    
words of the ,holy ,ghost4  ,i am       
serious1 sir1 she said2 it is your      
church that is guilty of                
misinterpretation of ,god's word1 and1  
in addition1 denies its 'free use' to   
the people4  ,i hope my church1 miss1   
will never allow her children to trifle 
with ,god's holy word as you have now   

been guilty of1 said the priest4        
,what's this8 ,at theology again1       
,amanda8 ,i think you have met your     
match at last1 daughter1 said ,mr4      
,prying4 ,this young lady has taken to  
the study of ,scripture and theology1   
continued he2 she and the several       
ministers who visit here are ever at    
controversy1 and she seldom comes off   
second best1 ,i tell you4  ,don't you   
speak so1 father1 she said2 no1 ,i      
don't1 neither4 ,i have been arguing    
with this gentleman about celibacy1 and 
we can't agree about the interpretation 
of a text2 that's all4 ,but this is the 
birthright of every ,american citizen1  
the right to differ2 the right to read  
the word of ,god1 and to interpret it   
each for himself1 without let or        
hinderance4  ,i have no great desire1   
nor does it at all accord with my       
notions of propriety1 ,i assure you1    
said the priest1 to enter into          
controversial disputations around the   
fireside1 in a family whose hospitality 

,i am enjoying1 and especially when a   
lady is my antagonist4  ,o you need not 
be particular1 said this female bore2 we
 are used to such discussions4 ,i had a 
few questions to put to you as a        
,catholic priest1 of which ,i had taken 
notes1 and my object is information on  
those points1 as much as the refutation 
of your church doctrines4  ,any         
information you require ,i am ready to  
afford1 if in my power2 but ,i have a   
horror--,i suppose from the invariable  
habit of my past life--of introducing   
either political or religious           
discussions into the fireside family    
circle4  ,we are always disputing here1 
she said4 ,i am a ,presbyterian1        
,cassius a ,universalist1 ,wesley a     
,methodist1 and ,cyrus has taken to the 
spiritual rapping1 and is a 'medium4'   
,so you see controversy is no novelty   
here4  ,in ,europe1 miss1 said the      
priest1 we never introduce----  ,in     
,europe1 she said1 interrupting ,father 
,ugo1 there is nothing but tyranny1     

despotism1 poverty1 and superstition4   
,we despise the customs of ,europe1 sir4
 ,i am told1 she added1 after a glance  
at her notes1 that priests in general1  
and you in particular1 forbid ,catholics
 to attend the meetings1 or join in the 
prayers or worship1 of other            
denominations4 ,is this true1 or how can
 you reconcile it with liberty or       
religion8  ,certainly1 said the priest1 
it is our duty to guard the ,catholics  
from such immoral customs4 ,we do not   
believe any of the sectarian            
denominations1 into which ,i regret to  
learn your family is divided1 derive    
their existence or institutions from    
,god1 or contain the ordinary means of  
salvation4 ,and while under this belief1
 in which we are joined by millions upon
 millions of ,christians1 living and    
dead1 how can we join your prayer or    
worship1 when we know it to be spurious 
and illegitimate8  ,i shall1 before ,i  
am done with you1 sir1 she replied1     
prove your church idolatrous1 and all   

,papists idolaters2 and this is one of  
the proofs1 this horrid opinion of      
yours1 sir4  ,it is not my opinion at   
all1 miss1 said he1 coolly2 it is my    
faith1 and that of ,god's church in all 
ages4 ,now1 on the very plea that we all
 are idolaters1 as you call us1 for this
 very reason you should except your     
hired help from joining in your 'long   
prayers4' ,for if you have any faith in 
,god1 or believe you address him in     
prayer1 why should you insult and mock  
him by taking an unenlightened1         
,papistical idolater to join your       
petitions8 ,if you were to go to ask a  
favor of a king1 or of the president1   
would you deem it prudent to take one to
 accompany you who was guilty of high   
treason8 ,would not this lead to your   
certain rejection from the presence of  
majesty or excellency with disgrace and 
punishment8 ,now1 ,catholics1 if they be
 idolaters1 are guilty of treason       
against ,heaven4 ,do not1 then1 insult  
heaven and its divine ,majesty1 by      

asking them to join in your 'holy       
prayers4'  ,this nonplussed the         
self-confident and vain ,amanda2 all she
 could answer was1 that that was fine   
,jesuitism4  ,meditate well on it1 said 
the priest1 and repent1 if you have been
 guilty of violating the laws of ,god1  
the laws of your country1 and the       
dictates of reason1 by compelling       
,catholics to join in your1 to them1    
repulsive and unlawful worship4 ,forgive
 me1 miss2 ,i must be off4 ,good by4    
,god bless you1 said he1 departing4     
,,chapter ,,xvi4  ,,the ,,enlightened   
,,citizens4   ,any news this morning1   
squire8 said ,mr4 ,wakely1 the tavern   
keeper1 to his honor ,squire ,wilson1 as
 he entered the bar room with a cigar in
 his mouth4  ,wal1 nothin' except this  
report of the turning of old uncle      
,jacob ,prying1 if we can give credit to
 such a rumor4  ,i seed the priest      
riding past here two days since1 said   
the tavern man1 and his team half dead  
from driving4 ,there can be little doubt

 of ,jac's conversion to the ,romish    
faith4 ,i asked that young lad ,paul1   
who used to stop at ,prying's1 and he   
said it was true4  ',tis really         
astonishing1 said ,benjamin ,lifford1   
the ,quaker4 ,i'd have let him die      
without a minister1 if he did not       
content himself with the inflooence of  
the speerit4 ,these is how ,i would     
sarve thee1 ,jacob4  ,i consider ,mr4   
,prying rather simple to allow such a   
man as the priest to come into his house
 at all1 said his honor ,squire ,wilson1
 the ,universalist4  ,had it been my    
brother1 said old ,elder ,fussel1 ,i    
would pay no attention to the dying     
request of old uncle ,jacob4 ,that would
 be the way to bring him to4  ,that     
would be cruel1 said ,high ,sheriff     
,walter1 seeing that ,jacob left him all
 his property1 real and personal4       
,besides1 this is a free country1 and ,i
 say a man ought to be allowed to       
embrace any religion he has a mind to4  
,that's my creed1 at all events4  ,yes1 

said ,mr4 ,ebenezer ,white1 the         
,methodist class leader1 pervided the   
creed he wanted to jine was the religion
 of the ,bible2 otherwise not4  ,do not 
the ,roman ,catholics ground their      
doctrines on the ,bible8 said the       
sheriff4 ,that they do1 and their ,bible
 contains many books that yours does not
 contain4  ,nonsense1 sheriff6 said his 
enlightened honor4 ,the ,papists never  
read the ,bible4 ,i have a boy1 ,thomas 
,noonan1--you know him1--and he neither 
will read it himself1 nor listen to it  
read4 ,the priest won't allow him4 ,no  
,catholic is allowed to have or read a  
,bible4  ,you state what is not true1   
said a loud1 emphatic voice from behind 
the stove4 ,it was the voice of ,murty  
,o',dwyer4  ,i guess1 squire1 you are in
 error there1 said the sheriff4 ,my boy1
 you know1 ,patrick1 a very strict      
,catholic1 every month at confession    
with the priest1 has a ,bible with him  
in my house1 which ,bible the priest    
gave him4 ,i have read the book time and

 again4 ,nay1 ,i heard the priest preach
 out of our ,bible last summer4  ,is it 
not astonishing1 began ,murty again1    
that1 though ye all differ in opinion1  
ye agree in hating and maligning the    
church of ,christ8 ,though ye can't     
'join in love1' ye know well how to     
'join in hate4' ,here are unbaptized    
,quakers1 groaning ,methodists1         
blaspheming ,presbyterians1 faithless   
,universalists and ,unitarians1 and     
humbug spiritual rappers2 and yet ye not
 only coincide in hating the pope1 but  
ye are all intolerant and cruel save    
this gentleman here1 said he1 pointing  
to ,mr4 ,walter4 ,now1 will any body    
tell me whence is this hatred8 said the 
,irishman1 pausing4 ,is it grounded on  
knowledge or well-formed opinion8 ,no2  
for ye are all grossly ignorant of the  
principles and facts of ,catholicity1 as
 ye have shown by your statements about 
the ,bible4 ,in truth1 it is impossible 
to evade the conclusion that ye hate the
 church for the same cause that the     

devil envied and hated our first        
parents2 namely1 because he saw them the
 heirs of that bliss which he and his   
rebellious crew had lost4  ,take care   
what you say1 my man2 the law does not  
suffer any person to disparage the      
,bible so1 said the squire1             
threateningly4  ,i am not afraid1 sir1  
to speak my mind1 whatever you1 as the  
representative of the law1 may threaten4
 ',tis really amazing that ye should be 
so busy and troubled about ,catholics1  
take such pains in kidnapping ,catholic 
children1 and forcing ,catholic servants
 to go to listen to your disgusting     
prayers and bellowing preachers1 when   
your own children are beyond your       
control2 go to bed like cattle1 without 
ever bending a knee in prayer2 and if   
they go to 'meeting1' as it is properly 
called1 it is only to mock the 'old     
fool' who holds forth to them4  ,there  
is some truth in what he says1 added the
 sheriff1 looking at the squire4  ,agree
 among yourselves first1 said the ,irish

 peasant1 before you commence to convert
 ,catholics4 ,convert the rowdies that  
crowd your village and city tavern bar  
rooms before you extend your zeal to    
those who are in no need of it1 or on   
whom it will be all spent in vain4      
,agree about the meaning of one single  
text in your ,bible before you hand it  
to us for our study4  ,we all agree it's
 the word of ,god4  ,well1 the word of  
,god cannot contradict itself1 and yet  
the religious system of each of you     
contradicts that of his neighbor4 ,one  
man says ,christ is ,god2 another denies
 this2 and both quote ,scripture in     
proof4 ,this man says bishops are       
necessary and divinely appointed2 the   
next man denies this totally4 ,the      
,quaker denies what the disciple of     
,calvin or ,knox believes1 while the    
,universalist ignores what the latter   
professes2 and now the ,mormons1        
spiritual rappers1 and                  
,transcendentalists explode the ,bible  
altogether4 ,the ,catholic church1 with 

those countless millions of her children
 that constitute her body1 has been     
reading the ,bible and studying it these
 nineteen hundred years1 and never yet1 
with all her learning1 could find two   
opposite meanings to one single text2   
never once contradicted herself4  ,you  
don't say the ,catholics are allowed the
 use of the ,bible1 do you8 or that     
there was any ,bible in the world but   
the one ,luther found in the monastery  
hid1 in the year #aeag8 said the elder1 
who did not well hear1 as he was        
somewhat deaf4  ,do you seriously       
believe that we ,catholics have not     
leave to use the ,bible8 ,i tell you we 
have1 and always had1 the unquestioned  
right to its proper use4 ,even before   
the art of printing was discovered by a 
,catholic1 and when books were scarce1 a
 ,bible1 in large1 plain writing1 was   
chained to a stand or desk in each      
parish church in most countries1 so that
 all who wished could read4 ,i saw one  
of these stands1 which turned on a      

pivot1 in an old ,catholic church in    
,yorkshire1 ,england1 where it remains  
to this day4 ,and as regards the        
absurdity that ,luther found the only   
copy of the ,bible extant in a monastery
 or university1 that story is refuted by
 the fact that there were millions of   
,bibles1 and countless editions of it1  
printed before ,luther was born4        
,indeed1 ,i have just read in this      
,protestant paper1 here1 that there is a
 ,bible in ,cincinnati1 printed in      
#adgj2 that is1 nearly fifty years      
before ,luther began to revolt4  ,why1  
,betsey ,darcy1 that jined our kirk at  
the late revivals1 told us1 public1 in  
the meeting house1 that the priests in  
,ireland would not allow any ,catholic  
to read the ,bible2 and she said that   
was the first one she ever saw which ,i 
handed to her1 said the pious elder4    
,don't you believe her1 elder1 said     
,murty1 for ,i saw that same girl handle
 a true ,protestant ,bible in ,ireland1 
when she attempted to father her        

illegitimate child on an honest man1 but
 when she was1 instead1 convicted of    
perjury the most gross4 ,she has had two
 other fatherless children since she    
came to 'free ,america2' and now1 after 
having been rejected from the humblest  
society of ,catholics on account of her 
immoralities1 she1 of course1 takes     
refuge among the impeccable saints of   
,presbyterianism1 where she ranks high  
in the scale of sanctity4  ,sartin1 said
 the sheriff2 she is a hard one1 ,i do  
believe4 ,i saw her drunk at the        
donation visit of dominie ,grinoble1    
last winter4  ,yes1 said ,murty1 when   
you get such a convert as this          
unfortunate reprobate1 you boast and    
write tracts to herald the conquest2 but
 such conversions as those of ,spencer1 
,brownson1 ,wilberforce1 ,newman1 ,lords
 ,camden1 or ,freeling1 are as nothing  
in your eyes4 ,you stuff your ears when 
you hear of them1 cautiously keep them  
out of hearing of your sons and         
daughters1 and these glorious           

conversions never appear in your shabby1
 lying newspapers4 ,i do really pity the
 blindness of ,protestants1 said he1    
rising and walking out of doors4  ,next 
day after these events1 the funeral of  
uncle ,jacob took place1 and these      
ministers1 whom1 while he lived1 he     
could not endure1 and who heartily hated
 him1 came1 when he was dead1 to offer  
their services over his remains4 ,if any
 thing was required to show the meanness
 and inconsistency of ,protestantism and
 its teachers in this country1 it is the
 readiness with which they will         
officiate over the body of a man dead1  
over whose soul1 while living1 they     
could exert not the smallest influence4 
,we have known several instances where  
,methodist and ,presbyterian hirelings1 
in consideration of the fee of three or 
five dollars paid them1 preached long   
sermons1 and opened the gates of their  
,elysium to the souls of men who became 
converted from the sects to which these 
hireling parsons belonged4 ,nay1 in     

cases where the deceased committed      
suicide by hanging or poisoning1 we     
heard parsons officiate1 and promise the
 friends1 for certain1 that the soul of 
the suicide was in glory1 because       
sometime ago he happened to get         
religion1 or join the ,sons of          
,temperance1 or conform to some other   
requirement of fanaticism4 ,thus1 in the
 present case of uncle ,jacob1 ,mr4     
,barker1 the ,methodist1 and ,parson    
,grinoble1 the ,presbyterian1 and ,mr4  
,gulmore1 another style of              
,presbyterianism1 all three vied to see 
who would be hired to do the last       
service to him whom1 while alive1 they  
all despised4 ,mr4 ,gulmore1 however1   
had the best luck1 and accordingly      
mounted the pulpit to pass sentence on  
the departed soul of uncle ,jacob4 ,he  
descanted for a considerable time on the
 virtues of the deceased while young1   
told all he knew of his religious       
experience1 not forgetting the virtues  
of the entire family1 and what they had 

done for religion by circulation of     
tracts1 by subscription to ,bible       
societies1 by adopting and raising of   
destitute orphans1 and other good deeds1
 all tending to the honor of ,calvinism4
 ,the only instance of any thing like   
want of belief that happened for a      
hundred years in the family1 said he1   
was the seduction of our brother to the 
ranks of ,popery4 ,his faith was weak1  
my friends1 he continued2 but if he did 
not believe strongly1 we believed1 and  
our faith saved him4 ,his soul is in    
glory1 ,i have no doubt4 ,the faith of  
his family and all our faith saved him4 
,glory be to the ,lord4 ,amen4  ,the    
conclusion of this discourse was applied
 to the warning of the faithful against 
the influence of the ,papists2 the      
necessity and obligation incumbent on   
all to compel their ,catholic servants  
to join their prayer and other meetings2
 and1 above all1 to take care that all  
,popish books and publications1 should  
be excluded from their houses4 ,we are  

fallen on dangerous times1 my friends1  
he said2 and if the friends of the      
,bible and free religion do not combine 
their efforts against the common enemy1 
our institutions are doomed1 and the    
glory of our country is extinguished    
forever4  ,the reader is not to imagine 
that ,mr4 ,gulmore and men of his class 
are so brutally ignorant as some would  
imagine4 ,when1 therefore1 we hear them 
speak of our institutions being in      
danger1 they mean the institutions of   
heresy and sectarianism2 namely1        
parsons1 and their wives and children1  
and countless sects and contradictions  
in creed--institutions that1 sure       
enough1 are in imminent danger1 and     
doomed to fall before the irresistible  
and unerring progress of ,catholicity4  
,but will this divinely decreed result  
be injurious to the progress or         
prosperity of the republic8 ,on the     
contrary1 there can never be a real     
union among the ,states till the minds  
of the people1 north and south1 are     

united in faith and sentiment4 ,and by  
the annihilation of sectarianism and its
 castes1 the people will be freed from a
 very burdensome tax now going to the   
support of a large and lazy body of men1
 women1 and children1 whose only object 
in existence seems to be to eat and     
consume1 and who1 besides1 by their     
idleness and habits1 keep up a system of
 detraction1 jealousy1 and discord among
 otherwise well-disposed citizens1 that1
 like so many cancers1 are eating into  
the very vitals of the public morals4   
,let not the ,american citizen1         
therefore1 bewail the certain decline   
and rapid decay of the institutions of  
sectarianism1 but rather pray for the   
dawn of that glorious approaching day   
when1 as we are but a one people and a  
united nation1 we may have but one      
religion1 and a country that will know  
no sectional divisions4     ,,chapter   
,,xvii4  ,,he ,,and ,,his ,,whole       
,,house ,,believed4   ,paul1 now1 though
 full of anxiety and care on account of 

his young charge1 was comparatively well
 off4 ,his good fortune removed him from
 the neighborhood of all that was low1  
fanatical1 and cruel in ,new ,york1 to  
the capital of ,vermont4 ,and he felt   
the change for the better1 sensibly1 in 
quitting the birthplace of ,millerism1  
and going into a comparatively          
enlightened region4 ,he thought there   
were1 as he said1 some gentlemen and    
ladies here in ,vermont2 but he could   
never see one of either species1        
properly so called1 where he lately     
lived4 ,the truth was1 ,mr4 ,clarke1 his
 present employer1 was a well-bred1     
full-blooded ,yankee2 and though his    
notions of ,catholicity were such as he 
gleaned from the rabid discourses of    
half-educated preachers1 and a few      
anti-,popery tracts which he read1 his  
gentle and noble mind could not sanction
 for an instant any thing like          
persecution on account of religion4     
,hence1 besides the favorable impression
 which the talents of ,paul made on him1

 he considered it time to show him some 
kindness1 to compensate for the ill     
treatment he underwent under the        
machinations of ,parson ,gulmore and    
,amanda ,prying1 and their clerical     
associates4  ,paul1 said ,mr4 ,clarke1  
on ,saturday night1 at supper1 ,i am    
glad you are beginning to like this part
 of the country4 ,i will endeavor to    
convince you that all ,america is not   
like your late home in ,york3 all       
parsons are not like ,mr4 ,gulmore1     
whose conduct in regard to your letters 
,i cannot sufficiently condemn2 nor are 
all young ladies of the same temper as  
,miss ,amanda ,prying4  ,i do not blame 
,amanda much1 sir1 said the youth1      
fearing that he might be led to any     
thing bordering on detraction2 she was  
very kind to me in all things1 except   
that she wanted to keep me from mass1   
and tried to force my sister and myself 
to attend ,mr4 ,gulmore's church4  ,that
 was very wrong of her1 ,paul4 ,i do not
 think ,miss ,martha1 here1 will be so  

cruel as to require you to do any thing 
against your will2 nor would she        
interfere with your letters to your     
friends1 as ,i have no doubt ,amanda has
 interfered4 ,well1 ,martha1 said the   
good-natured father1 looking with pride 
towards his eldest daughter1 a bright   
girl of sixteen1 are you going to force 
,paul with you to church2 to compel him1
 whether he likes it or not1 to eat     
flesh meat on days forbidden by his     
church8 ,and will you forbid him to     
write to his uncle1 who1 ,i doubt not1  
is a very respectable gentleman in      
,ireland8  ,god forbid1 father1 that ,i 
should be guilty of half that4 ,however1
 we shall be very glad if ,paul comes to
 our meeting house1 seeing we often go  
to hear the priest1 ,father ,o',c----1  
of the ,catholic church4  ,i should be  
very sorry to disoblige any body1 but   
especially one so amiable as yourself1  
miss1 said ,paul2 but ,i do not think ,i
 can conscientiously go to any church   
except the ,catholic church4  ,mr4 and  

,mrs4 ,clarke smiled1 and a significant 
glance passed between them at the       
gallantry of this speech4  ,why1 ,paul1 
said he1 ,i think you are a leetle too  
particular4 ,it would do you no harm to 
hear our preacher1 ,mr4 ,holdforth2 ,i  
do not see what can be wrong in it1 no  
more than our going to hear the priest4 
,the only difference is1 said ,paul1    
quickly1 that our religion and service  
being right1 and yours being wrong1 you 
can attend our service without scruple1 
but ,i could not attend yours without   
sin4 ,it would be a loss of time1 a bad 
way to spend the ,sabbath1 or ,sunday2  
the sin of curiosity1 or the danger of  
being an encourager of1 or              
countenancing1 a false worship1         
unauthorized by ,god or his church4     
,ah1 ,paul1 said the editor1 this is    
taking a high ground1 and rather a new  
one to me2 and besides1 this is not very
 logical1 for this is what we want to   
see4 ,this is just the question in      
dispute between the ,roman ,catholic    

church and the ,protestant2 viz41 to    
which of the two belongs true and lawful
 worship4  ,you are a lawyer1 sir1 said 
,paul1 and you must know well the       
evidence is all in favor of the         
,catholic church--being that founded by 
,christ1 and ruled and guided by the    
apostles4 ,for1 go back to the very     
apostolic ages1 and you will find the   
rites and the ceremonies of the church1 
recorded in the writings of the ancient 
fathers1--as1 for instance1 in the works
 of ,tertullian1 ,ireneus1              
,ignatius1--to be the very same as those
 now practised in the ,catholic church  
in this country and all over the world4 
,i confess1 ,paul1 said he1 that the    
external evidences are rather favorable 
to ,catholicity2 but we principally     
depend on internal evidence1 or the     
feelings of our minds4  ,that1 said     
,paul1 is no evidence at all2 for you   
have to do with external facts4         
,institutions1 history1 monuments1      
testimony of men1 customs1 and habits1  

are the only evidence you can bring to  
bear on this controversy4 ,how would you
 like to try a criminal by internal     
evidence--to tell a jury that you had   
'internal evidence' of the innocence or 
guilt of the man accused8 ,how could you
 discover whether or not ,csar lived by 
the light of internal evidence8 ,is it  
by internal evidence you learn that such
 cities as ,rome1 ,paris1 or            
,constantinople exist8 ,no1 sir2 it is  
by external evidence1 which is          
altogether in favor of our church2 and  
this is more valuable than all the      
internal evidence that ever existed in  
the minds of fanatics1 from ,simon      
,magus to ,john ,wesley1 or from the    
,gnostics to the spiritual rappers4     
,husband1 said ,mrs4 ,clarke1 ,i am     
afraid of your reputation in this       
argument about religion4  ,madam1 it is 
not reputation ,i seek1 but truth2 and  
if ,i can find it in the ,catholic      
church1 ,i shall embrace it myself1 and 
all my family4  ,you may bid adieu to   

most of your subscribers1 then1 after   
you become a ,roman ,catholic1 said     
madam4  ,my dear wife1 said he1         
impressively1 you ought to know me      
sufficiently well to be convinced that  
not only the success of my journal1 but 
even the entire of my means1 with my    
personal feelings1 would be willingly   
sacrificed by me1 in order to secure for
 myself1 and for you all1 what is       
infinitely beyond all earthly or        
temporal considerations2 namely1 the    
salvation of our immortal souls4  ,i did
 not want to insinuate1 my dear1 for a  
moment1 that you could be influenced by 
such a consideration as the success of  
your journal in a matter of such        
everlasting importance4 ,i only dropped 
the remark casually and without         
reflection1 said madam4  ,in order to   
explain more fully the seriousness of   
,mr4 ,clarke's desire to learn more and 
more regarding the ,catholic church1 and
 to account for his rather too easy     
concession to the arguments of ,paul1 we

 think it right to state that he had    
lately become a member of a literary and
 religious society established in his   
native city1 under the presidentship of 
a minister of an ,episcopal church4 ,the
 object of this society1 partly         
religious and partly literary1 was to   
infuse a new spirit into the thinning   
ranks of ,episcopalianism1 by searching 
for1 and bringing to light1 in the      
popular form of lectures and            
dissertations1 the evidences in favor of
 ,protestantism1 which1 they supposed1  
were to be found in the writings of the 
primitive or ante-,nicene sages of the  
church4 ,we do not think it would be    
appropriate to class this society under 
the appellative ,puseyite1 for they had 
no direct connection or communication   
with that now rather celebrated school  
of schismatics1 but undoubtedly the     
objects of both were analogous4 ,mr4    
,clarke's occupation was so much        
confined to the business of his lawyer's
 office1 and his time so much engrossed 

by the attention required of him as an  
editor1 that he had very little leisure 
to attend the regular meetings of the   
society1 of which he was elected an     
honorary member2 and hence1 while he was
 at home and at the table1 the whole    
discourse was on religion2 for these    
were his only leisure hours4 ,paul he   
found not only well instructed in his   
religion1 but capable of explaining very
 satisfactorily to him various points   
connected with such an important matter 
as that on which his mind of late turned
 its attention1 and on which he desired 
the fullest information4  ,great was the
 joy and consolation of ,paul1 after the
 dialogue given above2 and long and     
fervent were his thanksgivings to ,god1 
for choosing him so far to be the       
instrument in bringing his employer to  
the resolution of examining ,catholic   
doctrines4 ,for who ever seriously      
examined and did not find the truth8    
,no1 said ,paul to himself1 never did   
any body examine into or compare the    

relative claims of the ,catholic church 
and her countless opponents to be       
considered divine1 that did not decide  
in favor of the former4 ,and well       
knowing that ,mr4 ,clarke was a man not 
to be turned aside from his resolution  
by any human motives or selfish         
considerations1 ,paul wisely concluded  
that he and his whole house would become
 reconciled to the church4 ,and so they 
were4 ,mr4 ,clarke was the first member 
of the ,literary and ,religious ,society
 of ,vermont who became a convert4 ,the 
next was the reverend president of the  
society2 afterward one and another1 till
 the entire society1 consisting of some 
fifty members1 submitted themselves to  
the sweet yoke of faith2 and now there  
is a church1 a resident priest1 in that 
very locality1 and using the very       
meeting house where the ex-,episcopalian
 minister preached4 ,under ,god1 all    
these conversions were owing to the     
tact1 prudence1 and other admirable     
virtues1 as well as the thorough        

,catholic education1 of ,paul4 ,to this 
very day1 ,mr4 ,clarke1 the ,rev4 ,mr4  
,strongly1 and many other members of the
 society acknowledge that it is to the  
circumstance of ,paul's living in ,mr4  
,clarke's family that he owed his       
conversion1 and that the secession of   
,mr4 ,clarke from their ranks was what  
principally hastened the conversion of  
the whole society4 ,thus ,god frequently
 makes use of what appears to us very   
inadequate means to the most glorious   
results4 ,thus are the weak and humble  
of his church made use of1 like ,david1 
to subdue her enemies1 and bring them   
under the salutary sway of her dominion4
 ,and while this servant boy and that   
hired girl are acting the hypocrite in  
attending this master's meeting1 or     
joining his long prayers1 or eating meat
 on ,friday1 in violation of the        
precepts of the church1 they are        
becoming stumbling blocks on his way to 
salvation--resisting the design of ,god1
 who wishes all men to be saved1 as well

 as ruining their own souls4 ,he that   
despiseth small things shall fall by    
little and little4  ,while these events 
were the order of the day in ,vermont1  
the proselytizers in ,york were not     
idle4 ,amanda now1 since ,paul had not  
only left the house1 but even went away 
from the neighborhood1 thought she1 and 
her coadjutors the parsons1 would have  
little difficulty in converting         
,bridget4 ,but the latter now1 besides  
having once a month an opportunity of   
hearing mass1--the new priest1 ,father  
,ugo1 having made it a rule to visit the
 railroad laborers as often as he could1
 and being pretty well grounded in the  
catechism1--in addition to these very   
important aids to combat temptation1    
,bridget had also ,murty ,o',dwyer1 who 
was hired in the house1 to take up the  
cudgels for her against ,amanda and     
,parson ,gulmore4  ,prepare1 ,bridget1  
to come with me this evening to ,sabbath
 school1 said the persevering ,amanda4  
,i want to show them how well you can   

read1 and also ,i want them to admire   
these nice flowers of your hat1 and your
 pretty new dress1 to see how smart you 
look4  ,why1 miss1 if that be all you   
want1 ,i can't go1 for that would be a  
sin4 ,vanity1 you know1 said the little 
roguish girl1 looking sarcastically at  
,amanda4  ,i am the best judge of that1 
missy1 said the old maid4 ,go on and    
prepare3 you must come4 ,you are getting
 very ugly since you got the habit of   
seeing that old priest of late4  ,i beg 
your pardon1 miss4 ,it is not for the   
priest's advice ,i refuse joining your  
worship1 but because ,god forbids it and
 the church4 ,before the priest ever    
came here1 ,i refused1 during more than 
two years1 to go to ,protestant meetings
 or ,sunday schools1 which cost me many 
a tear and a scolding2 and the priest's 
advice has not made me more determined  
than ,i was before never to put my foot 
inside your ugly meeting house or       
,sunday schools4  ,if ,i asked you to go
 to the priest to pay him a quarter to  

pardon your sins1 you naughty ,irish    
girl1 you1 said ,amanda1 in a passion1  
how readily you would obey me1 you      
naughty thing1 you6  ,you're welcome to 
your joke1 miss1 answered ,bridget2 but 
if you are in earnest1 ,i must say that 
it is not true that ,father ,ugo1 or any
 other priest that ever lived1 charged  
any money for hearing confession4       
,confession was ordained by ,christ1 our
 ,lord2 and those who do not go to      
confession cannot lead a pure life of   
virtue1 nor preserve the love of ,god in
 their souls4  ,indeed1 miss6 said      
,amanda1 with a sneer4 ,i see the priest
 has been giving you a lesson4 ,as if   
none but ,papists knew what purity or   
virtue was--the low set of ,irish that  
they are6  ,our books of devotion say as
 much1 said ,bridget2 and it stands to  
reason1 for if ,catholics who frequent  
confession have enough to do to keep    
themselves undefiled1 how much more     
difficult is it for those who do not    
confess at all8 ,besides1 by confession 

restitution is enforced1 and whatever   
your neighbor loses by fraud is         
restored4  ,is it not strange1 then1    
that the ,irish ,papist who robbed your 
mother of the money does not think of   
restoring it8 ,and you say he had the   
priest's certificate of confession in   
his pocket8  ,that is not the fault of  
confession1 miss4 ,may be he would make 
restitution yet1 if ,god give him grace4
  ,i have been listening to you1 miss1  
this half hour1 interposed ,murty1 who  
now entered from the back kitchen where 
he was smoking1 and ,i am really shocked
 to find you tamper so with the virtue  
of this innocent girl4 ,you first       
attempt to reach her pure soul through  
her vanity1 by praising her dress and   
accomplishments2 and she nobly rejects  
the temptation4 ,next you attempt to    
conquer her fortitude1 by maligning and 
ridiculing the most sacred institutions 
of her holy religion2 and here again you
 fail4 ,it is the strangest thing in the
 world1 in my mind1 that you should     

continually annoy that poor orphan1 and 
stranger again1 that her noble          
fortitude1 her piety1 her faith1        
fidelity1 and other heroic virtues have 
not converted you1 and those who have   
been for years witness of them1 to      
something like admiration of them4  ,but
 she is so obstinate1 ,murt1 said the   
old maid4  ,yes1 said he1 and in that   
she is right4 ,yourself had an          
opportunity of information on all these 
subjects1 and1 ,i understand1 discussed 
them at length with the priest in       
person4 ,you ought to know better1 then1
 than to repeat to this child a pure    
fable1 that you dare not hint in the    
presence of the priest2 namely1 that he 
levies a tax of two shillings or half a 
dollar on every penitent whose          
confession he hears4  ,that is generally
 believed1 said she1 ashamed that her   
violent attack on ,bridget had been     
overheard by one whose good opinion1 of 
late1 she was rather anxious to secure1 
for a delicate reason that shan't be    

mentioned here4  ,it is generally       
talked1 but not believed1 dear miss1    
unless by the idiots and children into  
whose minds it is continually dinned by 
malicious persons1 who know that their  
occupation would be gone if the truth   
were known1 and who struggle to shut out
 the light and knowledge of ,catholicity
 from the souls of their wretched       
hearers with the same cruelty that the  
tyrant shuts out the light of heaven    
from the dungeon of his captive4 ,i     
thought this was a free country1 he     
continued2 but ,i find the most odious  
of tyrannies1 domestic tyranny1 and the 
tyranny of opinion1 established here4   
,i1 myself1 have been its victim in no  
less than six instances4 ,yes1 miss1 ,i 
was turned out of employment1 and       
cheated out of my wages1 as ,i would not
 say my prayers with1 or square my creed
 in accordance with1 the notions of my  
eccentric and fanatical employers4      
,that was too bad1 ,murt1 said she1     
laughing4 ,ha1 ha1 ha6  ,it was almost  

as bad as your own attempt to rob these 
orphan children of the faith of their   
fathers4 ,for they were young1 innocent1
 and helpless2 but for me1 ,i am able to
 work1 and can defy any tyrant your     
country affords1 said he1 in a passion4 
,there is not1 ,i believe1 he added1 on 
earth1 a more odious tyranny1 except the
 landlord tyranny in ,ireland1 than that
 of your sectarian ,methodist1          
,presbyterian1 ,episcopalian1           
,nothingarian tyranny in ,america4  ,you
 ,irish should learn to correspond with 
the institutions of the country1 and    
should not attempt to introduce ,popery 
into this ,protestant land4  ,protestant
 land6 said ,murty4 ,we never dream of  
this being a ,protestant land when we   
land on its shores4 ,we look on it as   
the land of liberty1 where no form of   
religion is dominant1 and where all are 
equally protected4 ,protestant land6    
,why1 this sounds odd in a world first  
discovered and trod on by ,catholics4   
,this sounds bad in a republic          

established by the aid of ,catholic     
arms1 blood1 and treasure1 despite of   
the tyranny of ,protestant ,england4    
,this slang of ,protestant land is      
intolerable in a people against whose   
liberties no ,catholic sword was ever   
unsheathed1 though the founder of the   
sect of which your friend ,mr4 ,barker  
is preacher1 ,john ,wesley1 offered     
,george ,,iii4 the services of his forty
 thousand ,methodists to put down the   
,american rebellion4 ,what ,american1   
what republican1 then1 of spirit or     
intelligence1 can for an hour profess   
himself a follower in religion of such a
 fanatic as ,wesley1 with this          
well-known fact staring him in the face8
 ,how noble the conduct of ,catholic    
,france1 or ,catholic ,ireland1 when    
compared with ,protestant ,england or   
,protestant ,germany1 at the time of the
 revolution6 ,the two former ,catholic  
nations sent their men1 ships1 money1   
clothing1 and provisions1 to aid your   
insurgent ancestors2 ,germany and       

,england sent their armed vessels1 their
 cannon1 and their hireling soldiery1 to
 burn the homesteads1 desolate the      
fields1 and murder the wives and        
children of your forefathers4  ,i am    
afraid1 ,murt1 she said1 you will       
convert me to your notions4 ,this was   
said with a tenderness that could not be
 mistaken4  ,i fear not1 miss2 you are  
too old for that1 said he1 meaningly4   
,i am not so very old as you suppose4 ,i
 am not so old as uncle ,jacob1 yet1 she
 said1 perceiving that her meaning was  
understood by ,murty2 and he became a   
,papist before he died4  ,god gave him  
the grace1 and ,i pray that you may     
receive a like grace2 but ,i suppose you
 allude to a different sort of          
conversion8 said he4  ,the truth was1   
,amanda1 having failed to secure the    
permanent regard of any of her numerous 
admirers1 was foolish enough1 as most   
old maids are1 to suppose that some     
green1 young1 inexperienced lover would 
be most likely to be caught in her net4 

,hence she had her mind fixed on ,murty1
 whom she regarded1 as he really was1 a 
young man of talent1 and whose dependent
 and menial condition she considered as 
calculated to balance the disparity in  
their age1 and as likely to insure her  
success4 ,this was why she felt so      
mortified at being detected by him in   
her late attempt on the faith and       
resolution of ,bridget1 having1 since   
her designs on ,murty1 promised to let  
the orphans have their own way1 after   
having attempted to convince him that   
she was quite indifferent on the subject
 of religion1 and that she would be very
 glad to know more from him about the   
,catholic church4  ,the detection of her
 insincerity in this instance1 and of   
the falsity of her professions1 put an  
end to all her further hopes regarding  
the gallant young ,irishman1 who could  
not tolerate a falsehood in any body1   
but especially in a lady1 and who ever  
after avoided her society as much as    
possible4 ,his presence1 however1 in the

 house was a sure guaranty to ,bridget  
of full religious toleration1 ,amanda's 
fiery zeal for religion being succeeded 
by a flame of a somewhat different      
nature4     ,,chapter ,,xviii4  ,,truth 
,,stranger ,,than ,,fiction4   ,we      
devote this chapter of our narrative to 
the record of a very strange succession 
of circumstances1 no less so1 however1  
than true4 ,they may serve as an        
illustration of the wonderful and       
mysterious workings of ,religion on the 
soul1 and1 at the same time1 afford an  
instance of the absolute insufficiency  
of speculative belief or theoretic      
religion1 without the every-day practice
 of her sublime and simple lessons4     
,one morning1 in the town of ,sheffield1
 ,england1 one ,john ,cunningham1 after 
confession and communion1 called on the 
,catholic pastor of that town1 for the  
purpose of procuring a line of          
commendation1 or testimonial of         
character1 that might be of use to him1 
as he thought1 to get him employment in 

some part of the new world1 to which he 
was preparing to emigrate4 ,the poor    
fellow then little dreamed that a       
priest's recommendatory paper1 instead  
of a dollar bill1 was the worst possible
 substitute in certain parts of         
,america2 and1 if of any conceivable    
effect1 was likely to prove an occasion 
to him of such annoyances1 on account of
 his faith1 as we have described in     
these pages4 ,the character1 however1 he
 succeeded in procuring1 and written in 
no niggard terms4 ,if it offended in any
 thing1 it was in being too favorable to
 the bearer4 ,it was by means of this   
paper1 with the respectable name of     
,rev4 ,dr4 ,h---- at its foot1 that     
,cunningham succeeded in ingratiating   
himself into the confidence and favor of
 the ,o',clerys during the voyage1 as   
well as by his attention to ,mr4 ,arthur
 ,o',clery during his fatal sickness4   
,the reverend gentleman whose signature 
stood at the foot of the character was  
well known to the ,o',clery family2 and 

hence1 undoubtedly1 originated the      
intimacy1 strengthened by his asserting 
falsely that he was a relative of the   
priest1 which subsequently enabled him  
to rob the poor widow and her orphans of
 their entire means4 ,accomplished      
villain as he was1 ,religion had not yet
 lost her whole sway over his soul1 and 
by way of punishing himself1 but in     
reality1 making bad worse1 the second   
day after his liberation from arrest    
consequent on the theft1 he listed in   
the ,united ,states army1 and was       
hurried off forthwith to the field of   
battle1 in ,florida4 ,the gnawing worm  
of remorse still followed him on board  
of ship1 and in barrack1 and on the     
scorching plains of the south4 ,he had  
less dread of the sabre1 or grape1 or   
rifle of the enemy1 than of the thought 
that he had robbed the poor widow1 and  
availed himself of the confidence of    
confession to elicit from his too       
confiding director the paper that       
principally enabled him to do so4 ,he   

had plundered an honest family of their 
all1 and it was of no use to him4 ,the  
injury done was severely felt by not    
only one1 but several4 ,the pleasure1   
comfort1 or happiness to him was nothing
 at all4 ,unhappy man1 what was he to   
do8 ,he could not help it now2 the enemy
 was before him1 and he could not turn  
his back1 and the money was lost        
forever4 ,he feared death would deprive 
him of the means of making restitution1 
for he had a presentiment he would fall 
on this very day4 ,first1 that sin he   
committed in ,liverpool1 when1 in an    
evil hour1 yielding to the advice and   
example of wicked companions1 he took to
 drink in order to smother the thought  
of it2 and drink caused him to rob the  
widow1 and to shun further the thought  
of these crimes he enlisted in the army2
 but yet1 here1 in the very ranks1 with 
drums beating1 and music playing1 amid  
the shouts of ,indians and din of       
battle1 the sins were uppermost still in
 his mind4 ,how horrid must be the      

feelings of poor ,cunningham1 with death
 staring him in the face1 and yet he    
expected nothing but judgment after     
death6 ,in vain did he look around for  
the tall and venerable form of ,father  
,mc,el----1 to cast himself at his      
knees1 and ask for advice1 blessing1 and
 forgiveness4 ,he was nowhere now to be 
found4 ,o misery unspeakable6 ,and but  
yesterday1 but this very morning1 four  
hours ago1 that father went through the 
ranks1 encouraging the men1 and exciting
 them to contrition4 ,ah1 yes6 ,but     
yesterday ,cunningham had got some      
drink1 and1 not perceiving the danger1  
refused to confess4 ,but now1 if he     
could see the priest6 ,o ,god6 said he1 
where is the priest8 ,some of his       
comrades1 who heard this exclamation    
expressed aloud1 laughed2 others taunted
 him on his evil conscience4 ,however1  
down on his knees he fell1 as if        
unconscious of the presence of his      
comrades1 and promised1 if ,god spared  
him1 on the first opportunity1 that he  

would not only restore the stolen       
treasure1 but1 if necessary1 travel the 
whole ,union in search of those whom he 
robbed2 and ask their forgiveness for   
the injury done them4 ,he had scarcely  
risen into the ranks of his comrades    
when the hostile fire opened on the     
plains of ,tampa1 and a bullet from the 
rifle of the enemy shattered his arm to 
pieces4 ,a few hours decided that       
well-known victory of the ,americans1   
and ,cunningham had not long to remain  
on the field1 exposed to the scorching  
sun1 when he was conveyed to the        
hospital4 ,though the pain he felt in   
his arm was great1 that which rankled in
 his bosom was greater2 and on his      
reaching the hospital1 he called out for
 ,father ,mc,el----1 before he would    
allow the surgeon to inspect his arm4   
,after the amputation of the limb he    
recovered1 got his discharge1 came back 
to ,new ,york1 and1 in company with a   
respectable ,catholic citizen1 went out 
about seven miles east of ,brooklyn1 and

 there1 at the foot of a maple tree1    
they dug out of the ground1 three feet  
deep1 the bag sure enough1 containing   
every sovereign and note of the money   
stolen from the widow ,o',clery4 ,they  
went with it right straight to the      
priest of ,st4 ,peter's ,church1 who1   
upon hearing the recital of the now     
penitent thief1 promised that he should 
suffer no legal consequences1 and       
inserted advertisements in the papers to
 find out where the ,o',clerys might be4
  ,this information was communicated to 
,paul by ,mr4 ,clarke1 and to ,bridget  
by ,father ,ugo1 on the same day4  ,this
 news1 when made known1 created the most
 intense excitement4 ,amanda was now    
very polite to ,bridget1 whom she marked
 out in her own mind as a suitable wife 
for her eldest brother ,calvin4 ,paul   
was declared to be a young likely       
gentleman1 of real genius4 ,the two     
younger brothers1 ,patrick and ,eugene1 
were lauded1 flattered1 and admired4 ,in
 fine1 the sudden change which took     

place in the relation in which they     
stood in the house of bondage was such  
as to cause ,murty to remark to         
,paul1--who lost no time in coming to   
pay for his brothers' and sister's      
board1 although the term of servitude of
 ,bridget was now almost                
expired1--,paul1 ,i see that it is not  
our faith that is so much hated by these
 goodly ,christians as our poverty4     
,there may be some truth in that1       
replied ,paul4  ,ever1 continued ,murty1
 since it appeared in our papers here   
that you had your thousand pounds       
restored to you1 all mouths are full of 
your praise4 ,you were uncommon         
children1 and it was cruel of the       
minister ,gulmore to conspire against   
you4 ,it was infamous in him1 they now  
say1 to have your letters 'burked' in   
the post office1 as it appears from     
,amanda1 who has turned informer on the 
parson1 because he did not marry her    
after his first wife's death4 ,before   
this ye were paupers1 ,irish1 and       

,papists2 now1 you and your sister and  
brothers are noble and likely young     
people4  ,o ,murty1 said ,paul1 ,i can  
see the hand of ,god in all this4 ,where
 ,i have lived for the last three years1
 several families1 together with my     
friend and former employer1 ,mr4        
,clarke1 have been converted4 ,the very 
minister1 ,mr4 ,strongly1 has embraced  
the true faith2 and another parson1     
,rev4 ,mr4 ,h----1 ,i am sure1 only     
waits instruction to enter the gate of  
life within the true church4  ,thank    
,god6 said ,murty ,o',dwyer4 ,i thought 
these ,yankees never could be good      
,catholics1 they are so fond of money1  
trading1 cheating1 and legal swindling1 
such as assigning1 and mortgaging1 and  
the like4  ,o1 bless you1 ,murty1 all   
,yankees are not alike4 ,there are no   
better ,catholics on earth than         
,americans1 when they once get the      
faith4 ,mr4 ,clarke1 and my friends in  
,vermont1 who consider me as            
instrumental in bringing them to the    

true faith1 have paid for my education  
in the college of ,g----1 after they    
found that ,i was resolved to embrace   
the clerical state4  ,that was very     
generous of them1 indeed1 sir1 said     
,murty1 assuming a little less          
familiarity2 those here1 in this        
neighborhood1 cannot be much blamed for 
their bigotry2 they know no better1     
imposed on for ages by such fellows as  
,miller1 ,scullion1 ,barker1 ,gulmore1  
,grinoble1 ,scaly1 and the like4  ,but  
it is not so in the cities1 ,murty1     
continued ,paul2 and it will not be so  
here long2 for now railroads are        
building1 light1 and liberality1 and1 ,i
 trust1 charity1 are extending their    
influence4 ,we must do our part1 by     
being good1 and virtuous1 and prudent2  
try to gain them by our good example1   
rather than by argumentative or angry   
discussion4 ',they know not what they   
do' when they contemn1 or attempt to    
stop the progress of1 our faith4 ,they  
are a naturally good and kind-hearted   

people2 as witness how they assist the  
sick and give hospitality4 ,such virtues
 must ultimately gain for them the grace
 of conversion4 ,the greatest obstacle  
in their way is the low cunning of the  
unprincipled parsons1 who1 from being   
peddlers1 and poor1 shiftless mechanics1
 without any proper discipline or       
preparation1 take to the less laborious 
trade of preaching4 ,pray for them1     
,murty--pray for them4  ,i have a far   
stronger inclination to curse them1 said
 ,murty4  ,fie1 fie1 ,murty2 that is not
 ,christian4  ,that ,i know1 said       
,murty2 but have you heard that ,i have 
been cheated out of near two hundred    
dollars by my employer1 and all through 
the influence of a villanous parson who 
got divorced from his wife1 on account  
of a short answer ,i made him8  ,what   
was the answer1 ,murty8 ,i suppose it   
must be droll4  ,one day1 said ,murty1  
this ,parson ,boorman dined where ,i    
worked for two years1 and1 to convert me
 from the error of my ways for observing

 abstinence on ,friday1 commenced       
saying1 ',don't you see1 ,murty1 how    
foolish and unreasonable you act8 ,you  
eat butter and use milk that come from  
the cow1 and you refuse to eat her      
flesh4 ,it's all the same1 my ,irish    
friend1' continued the dominie1 pitying 
my ignorance4 ',i have no great desire1 
,mr4 ,dominie1' said ,i1 'now1 for      
controversy1 being fatigued after my    
hard day's work2 though it takes but    
little learning to refute your profound 
logic4 ,if there is no difference       
between drinking milk and eating flesh1 
then you may as well eat your mother's  
flesh1 parson1 as suck her breast2 and  
as you1 ,i expect1 have done the latter1
 therefore1 dominie1 you must be a      
cannibal4 ,how do you like this8' said  
,i4  ',o1' said the dominie1 'the       
butter1 you know1 that comes from the   
cow1 what do you say to that8' ',i say1 
parson1 that there is another substance 
besides butter that comes from the cow1 
and you would not like to dine on it4'  

,at this the whole company laughed      
outright in his face1 and from that time
 to this the dominie never ceased to    
persecute me4  ,that was a very queer   
way you took to silence the dominie1    
said ,paul2 but ,i presume1 after that  
ludicrous answer1 you met with very     
little religious controversy afterwards4
  ,that's true1 said ,murty2 but ,i have
 suffered the loss of my wages through  
the unrelenting malice of the           
,presbyterian dominie4  ,never mind1    
,murty2 do good to those who hate you1  
bless those who curse you1 pray for     
those who persecute and calumniate you4 
,for your kindness to ,bridget while ,i 
was away1 ,i feel bound to give you some
 remuneration4 ,have courage1 have      
courage1 and think better of the        
,yankees4 ,the more you know of them1   
the better you will like them4 ,they    
have their faults1--as what nation has  
not8--but they have their virtues also4 
,this conversation took place between   
,paul and ,murty in the farm house of   

,mr4 ,clarke1 where he had just arrived1
 as well to spend the vacation as to    
make arrangements regarding the future  
of his brothers and sister4 ,murty1 upon
 hearing of his arrival1 lost not a     
moment's time in going across lots from 
the ,pryings' farm to that of ,mr4      
,clarke1 thinking he might be the first 
to communicate to ,paul the joyous      
intelligence regarding the recovery of  
the lost money1 and the pleasing change 
in the opinion of all regarding him and 
his brethren4  ,paul could not but feel 
grateful for the kindness of his friend 
,murty2 but he was too well practised in
 ,christian perfection to indulge in any
 thing like excessive joy1 and too well 
accustomed to refer every thing to ,god 
to claim any merit1 or take any         
pleasure1 in the flattering eulogies of 
all his acquaintances1 as repeated by   
,murty4     ,,chapter ,,xix4  ,,what    
,,happened ,,to ,,little ,,eugene       
,o',,clery4   ,fortune now began to     
smile on ,paul ,o',clery1 and to make   

amends for the long course of ill usage 
to which she had subjected himself and  
his kindred4 ,he had not only enjoyed   
the sympathy of friends1 and his talents
 had not only gained him the good will  
and respect of his superiors and        
classfellows1 but he now unexpectedly   
found himself in possession of a        
handsome sum of money1 the fruit of the 
honest industry of his parents4 ,the    
true ,catholic training which ,paul     
received from his very infancy taught   
him the impropriety of immoderate joy or
 gladness1 and the severe trials of the 
last few years had chastened his        
naturally hilarious and pleasant mind to
 a temper of habitual calm and reserve  
bordering on melancholy4 ,it must be    
confessed1 in this instance1 however1   
that his spirit felt unusually buoyant  
and glad1 as he returned1 under present 
circumstances1 to the scene of his late 
trials and humiliation4  ,there are few 
persons born1 however propitious the    
position of their horoscope1 who have   

not1 some time or other1 to experience  
the feeling attendant on a transition   
from an inferior condition to one of    
more respect and honor4 ,it will not1   
therefore1 be difficult to imagine what 
were the sentiments of our young hero on
 his return from the south1 on this     
occasion4 ,he was a slave2 he is now a  
freeman4 ,he was a menial2 he is now a  
gentleman4 ,he was the subject on which 
the hypocrite and the impostor sought to
 try the success of their well-taught   
deceptions2 now1 his virtues1 his       
manners1 and his success are in the     
mouths of all men2 and those who plotted
 against his soul are ready to do homage
 to his accomplishments4 ,when ,st4     
,patrick1 the apostle of ,ireland1      
returned to the house of his former     
master1 who held him in slavery1--the   
glorious prelate and saint to the hut of
 the slave1--what must have been the    
feelings of his exalted and inspired    
soul8 ,not those of hatred1 vanity1 or  
earthly exultation1 but those of        

charity1 thanksgiving1 and apostolic    
zeal1 if not those of gratitude1 to his 
pagan master4 ,kindred to these was the 
mental exultation of ,paul ,o',clery1 on
 approaching the valley of ,r----       
,creek1 the scene of the most           
meritorious part of his life1 and still 
the novitiate of those who were the most
 dear to him on earth4  ,he determined  
not only to redeem his sister and       
brothers1 by paying the customary sum   
for whatever clothing and board they had
 received1 but resolved1 as soon as     
possible1 to have them placed in a      
suitable educational establishment4     
,bridget was already free1 and by right 
entitled to something handsome in       
remuneration of the services she had    
rendered in the family in which she was 
so long a menial2 but ,paul was         
determined that she should not only     
refuse accepting what was to fall to her
 share1 and what in justice she could   
claim1 but said every thing should be   
paid for--board1 lodging1 and even her  

common-school education4 ,this last     
item1 he said1 was not of the most      
choice description1--that is1 the       
'common-school' learning1--but such as  
it is ,i am unwilling to accept it      
gratuitously4 ,he had come to the same  
conclusion regarding ,patrick and       
,eugene4 ,o1 it was on account of these 
latter children1 principally1 that ,paul
 rejoiced and thanked ,god that         
restitution had been made of the stolen 
money2 for he had a burden of care and  
anxiety on his mind on account of these 
two children4 ,it was so difficult a    
work1 especially as himself could not be
 with them1 to save young boys like them
 from the contagious vice so prevalent  
in this country2 and1 above all1 so hard
 to preserve young boys in the          
atmosphere of your common schools4      
,bridget might be said to be safe1 for  
she could remove to a better and more   
,christian neighborhood1 or return to   
her friends in the old country2 but     
,patrick1 and1 above all1 ,eugene1 who  

were in the hands of utter strangers1   
how were they to be saved from the      
universal corruption1 when deprived of  
the continual guardianship of their     
faithful brother8 ,these were the       
considerations1 and not the sole        
recovery of the money restored to him1  
that contributed to the increase of the 
joy1 and gratitude1 and thanksgiving in 
the heart of ,paul that now pervaded it4
 ,alas6 that this joy and these pleasant
 anticipations of future prospects were 
of such short duration6  ,in order to   
understand the following statement of   
facts in relation to the fate of poor   
,eugene ,o',clery1 it is necessary here 
to observe that1 just after ,paul had1  
by means of the support received from   
his convert friends in ,vermont1 been   
enabled to enter college1 a gentleman1  
who stated that he took a great interest
 in ,paul1 from what he learned from the
 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,strongly about him1 wrote  
him a long letter4  ,the burden of the  
epistle was1 that the writer was a      

minister1 with views not far removed    
from those of the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,strongly1 
the convert to the ,catholic church2    
that he had heard a good deal about     
,paul and his trials and success2 that  
he lately visited at ,mr4 ,reuben       
,prying's1 where his two little brothers
 now remained2 that he pitied them1 but 
especially the younger1 for that they   
lacked the opportunity of a better and  
more ,catholic education2 that1 in fine1
 he1 ,dr4 ,dilman1 if ,paul consented1  
would take the younger1 ,eugene1 with   
him into the city1 where his education  
could be attended to1 and where he1 at  
least1 might be saved from the influence
 of the barbarous mannerism and         
irreligious taint of these country      
common schools4 ,his reverence the      
doctor furthermore added1 that ,mr4     
,prying had no objection to the         
arrangement he proposed1 and that he had
 conquered the repugnance that ,mrs4    
,prying had to the separation of the    
brothers by the very flattering terms on

 which he offered to do for the child4  
,in a postscript of this letter1 it was 
stated by this veracious ,christian     
minister1 as he signed himself1 that he 
would send ,paul quarterly or monthly   
bulletins of ,eugene's progress in      
science and virtue1 and1 above all1 that
 his faith should not be tampered with  
in the slightest4  ,the effect of such  
an artful piece of diplomacy may be     
easily conceived4 ,the bait of the      
parson took1 and ,paul was for once     
overreached4 ,the unsuspecting youth    
took this gentleman to be a clergyman of
 the same stamp with his friends ,rev4  
,messrs4 ,strongly and ,h----4 ,and the 
fact that ,parson ,dilman was acquainted
 with the former honorable men1 was     
enough to throw ,paul off his guard4    
,the parson's talk1 too1 about ,catholic
 education1 and the barbarous common    
schools1 served still to deceive1 not   
only ,paul1 but even the professors of  
the college to whom the epistle of      
,parson ,dilman was submitted for advice

 and direction4  ,paul was enthusiastic 
in the praise of his two reverend       
convert friends in ,vermont1 7who were  
the only two ,protestant parsons he     
intimately knew before or after         
conversion17 and hence1 when questioned 
by the professors about what he might   
know of his correspondent1 he answered  
that he knew nothing2 but the fact of   
his intimacy and acquaintance with the  
ex-parsons ,strongly and ,h----1 his    
friends and patrons1 was a good sign of 
his honesty and honor4 ,the shrewd      
,jesuit professors smiling at the poor  
child's credulous and confiding         
disposition1 told him that1 as he had   
such an opinion of the worth and honor  
of the fraternity of dominies1 he might 
commit his brother to the charge of one1
 and especially as he stood in very     
great danger to his faith and morals    
where he was at present4 ,his situation 
might be ameliorated1 but could not be  
much worse2 but the good fathers        
declined taking the responsibility of   

giving a decision on the subject4  ,the 
letter promised what was fair and       
honorable1 but there might be deception1
 said they4  ,deception1 reverend       
fathers6 said ,paul4 ,i can't suspect   
any such thing in one so intimate with  
my dearest and best friends1 the        
converted clergymen in ,vermont4  ,well1
 said the sons of ,ignatius1 whose wise 
experience had taught them to have      
little faith in heretical parsons1 you  
can use your own discretion1 my child4  
,paul1 acting on the impulse of his own 
feelings1 thinking it would be a rash   
judgment in him to suspect evil design  
in one who professed himself favorable  
to ,catholicity1 and1 besides1 was of   
the same sentiments in religion1 or     
nearly the same1 with his convert       
friends in ,vermont1 immediately wrote  
in answer to ,dr4 ,dilman1 consenting to
 have ,eugene go with him4 ,but there   
was to be no legal binding in the       
matter1 and honor was to be the only    
bond under which his younger brother was

 to be held bound4  ,the day now arrived
 for ,eugene to part--alas6 that it     
should be forever--from the society of  
his brother and sister4 ,at first1 some 
opposition was made by ,patrick and     
,bridget2 but when shown the letter of  
their brother ,paul1 they were          
reconciled to what they thought the     
temporary separation4 ,eugene himself   
was calmed1 and his sorrow turned into  
joy1 by being told that he was going    
towards where ,paul was1 and that1 like 
enough1 he would meet him on his way4   
,can ,i see ,paul there8 said he1 drying
 the tears that stood in his eyes4      
,sartain you can4 ,don't you like that1 
,bob8 said ,reuben1 who was in the plot 
with ,dilman4  ,well1 ,i'll go1 then1   
said the child4 ,good by1 ,bid2 good by1
 ,pat4 ,you stay there till ,paul and ,i
 come to see ye4  ,all the household of 
,reuben embraced ,eugene1 and made him  
some little present1 before he set out4 
,an abundance of tears were shed by     
young and old1 as the melancholy and    

thoughtful face of ,eugene was seen by  
them for the last time4  ,truth compels 
us to say a word or two in reference to 
the antecedents of this reverend doctor 
of ,presbyterianism into whose          
protection this innocent lamb was taken4
 ,dr4 ,dilman was about sixty years old 
at this time2 and after having lived in 
some manner with his first wife for near
 thirty years1 had lately taken out a   
bill of divorce by law against the old  
woman1 to make room for a young         
religious lady in his reverend bed4     
,during his long life1 he had changed   
his creed no less than nine times4 ,he  
was first an ,episcopalian2 but having  
been refused ordination in that sect1 on
 account of some peccadilloes of his    
youth1 he joined the ,methodists1 from  
whom he received conversion and a call4 
,being a man of undoubted talent1 and   
thinking the ,methodists were too slow  
in promoting him1 he became a ,baptist4 
,his next hop was to the ,universalists1
 whom1 because he found too penurious1  

he deserted for the ,congregationalists1
 from whom he got a call to a southern  
pro-slavery church1 where1 after        
amassing considerable wealth in cash and
 human chattels1 he resigned his charge1
 came to the north again to recruit his 
sinking constitution1 and1 after trying 
two or three other minor sects1 he      
settled down an old-school anti-slavery 
,presbyterian4 ,poor man6 his star has  
gone down now1 and his memory will soon 
be forgotten2 but the anecdotes and     
tales that his extraordinary life       
illustrated will not be forgotten for   
generations to come4 ,the passage in his
 study1 through which he used to admit  
his ,cressida from a secret door        
communicating with his basement church1 
is now shown as a specimen of his skill4
 ,the transformations and metamorphoses 
he used to undergo1 like ,jupiter of    
old1 in order to pass unobserved to the 
retreats of his ,europas1 on the sides  
and on the summits of the               
classically-sounding hills of the city  

of his ministry1--all these things1 and 
more1 are known to the poorest retailers
 of interesting stories and anecdotes4  
,in a word1 he was as impure as         
,caligula1 as cruel as ,nero or ,calvin 
himself1 and as violent as ,luther or   
,john ,knox4  ,yet it is a melancholy   
fact in connection with1 and            
illustrative of1 the spirit of the      
,protestantisms of the ,united ,states1 
that for twenty years and more1 with all
 this guilt1 with all the crimes in the 
calendar on his head1 with the full     
knowledge of all his sins of impurity1  
hypocrisy1 intolerance1 and cruelty to  
his wife1 this reverend gentleman was   
the most popular1 well-supported1 and   
respected minister in the whole state in
 which he resided4 ,he was a good       
preacher1 an eloquent expounder of the  
word1 a smart man2 that was enough4     
,protestantism could not afford to lose 
him now1 when she was so spare of the   
giants to which she owes her existence4 
,this was the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,dilman who    

took ,eugene under his care about whom  
,reuben ,prying remarked1 after he had  
left the house1 that the doctor was a   
real smart man4 ,your church1 ,murty1   
said he1 can't scare up such a grand    
preacher as that4 ,did you hear that    
lecture he delivered last winter against
 ,popery8 ,he is an honor to our church1
 ,i can tell you4  ,why so8 said ,murty2
 what has he done that you esteem him so
 high8  ,nothin'1 but bein' so eloquent 
and talented1 and able to address such a
 feeling prayer to his hearers4  ,bless 
you1 ,i know one much more talented than
 ever he will be1 said ,murty4  ,i guess
 not1 ,murty1 said he1 shaking his head2
 who is it8  ,why1 the devil1 said      
,murty1 beats him all to pieces4 ,your  
parson only opposes the pope1 you say2  
whereas the devil opposes both the pope 
and the ,almighty4 ,what is any of your 
ministers to great ',ould ,harry'8 ,i   
bet you are beat now4 ,ha6 ha6 ha6 said 
the ,irishman1 laughing4  ,you are a    
curious feller1 ,murty1 said ,mr4       

,prying4  ,am ,i not right8 said ,murty4
 ,you praise your minister1 not because 
he is good1 charitable1 humane1 chaste1 
or pious1 7all which he possibly may    
be17 but solely because he is talented  
or endowed with genius4 ,well1 then1 ,i 
tell you this gains him no merit1 for he
 received this gift from ,god4 ,he may  
abuse it2 and1 at any rate1 the devil1  
the very enemy of ,god1 is endowed with 
more genius than he and all the         
,protestant parsons living put together4
 ,i think this is fair arguing1 ,mr4    
,prying1 don't you8  ,let's drop it1    
,murty1 said ,mr4 ,prying1 not liking to
 hear any more of such arguing1         
particularly as the children were       
present1 and seemed much to enjoy the   
home-spun comparison between the        
,dominie ,dilman and ,old ,harry4 ,this 
was the first time they were observed to
 laugh since the departure of poor      
,eugene4  ,meanwhile1 poor ,eugene      
arrived in the city of the parsonage of 
his reverend protector1 where he was    

received with apparent affection by that
 gentleman's wife4 ,during the first    
three days after his arrival1 several of
 the saints1 male and female1 of the    
doctor's church1 came to see the new    
acquisition1 as well as to congratulate 
the parson on the success of his plan4  
,the little orphan was flattered1       
caressed1 and encouraged by the promise 
of nice clothes and other presents4 ,and
 it would be unnatural to expect that   
the innocent heart of a child of his    
age1 now between eight and nine years1  
could remain insensible to the caresses 
and favors bestowed4 ,the little lad    
felt quite content2 nay1 a gradual      
sunshine began to spread over the calm  
melancholy of his angelic face4  ,they  
first imposed on the child by telling   
him that his reverend protector was the 
priest4 ,he believed it for some time2  
but when1 after two weeks were elapsed1 
he was permitted to go to church1 he was
 perfectly surprised at the quare way   
the priest said mass4 ,he saw no candles

 lighted on the altar4 ,he heard no     
little bell rung at various parts of the
 service4 ,he saw no persons bless      
themselves there1 either4 ,i suppose1   
said he to himself1 they would not tell 
a lie2 but that was a very strange mass 
,i was at to-day4  ,friday came round   
soon after1 and then little ,eugene     
learned where he stood4 ,then he saw    
what hypocrites the self-styled priest1 
his wife1 and all in his house were4 ,he
 had perceived his reverence help       
himself plentifully to fat meat2 and    
,eugene was invited to eat it himself1  
but declined1 saying1 ,i would be a     
,protestant if ,i eat meat on ,friday2  
and ,i fear ye are all here             
,protestants4 ,a suppressed laugh was   
all that his remark could elicit from   
these worthies whose gluttony gave him  
such scandal4  ,eugene's eyes were      
further opened by some boys at school1  
who laughed heartily at his expense when
 he asked about the strange mass that he
 had heard on ,sunday4  ,what mass8 said

 they2 sure it is only the ,popish      
priests that offer mass1 and it is a    
wicked thing to go to mass4  ,the poor  
child1 on seeing the snare laid for him1
 burst into tears and wept aloud1       
calling for his brother ,paul by name1  
and crying1 ,o woe6 woe6 woe6  ,the     
school madam was attracted by the       
lamentable cries of the lad1 and1       
learning the cause of them1 reprimanded 
the impudent boys1 and tried to console 
him4 ,her attempts were1 however1 in    
vain4 ,the child seeing himself sold and
 betrayed1 his candid soul fell back to 
its former melancholy1 and he drooped   
under the weight of the injustice of    
which he was the victim4  ,from that day
 forward he refused to attend either the
 night prayers of the false priest1 or  
to go to any of his meetings1 and to the
 hour of his death this resolution could
 never be shaken by all the wiles of his
 persecutors4 ,several new arts and     
schemes were tried to vanquish his      
resolution1 but all to no purpose4 ,he  

was alternately coaxed and threatened1  
but all attempts either to flatter or   
force him proved ineffectual4 ,he was   
several times locked up in a dark room1 
which was the terror of a young nephew  
of the parson1 who was in the house1 but
 which had far less terror for this     
young confessor than the smiles of his  
false friends4 ,he was heard by young   
,sam1 who often went to the door of the 
dread prison1 chanting his favorite     
hymn1 thus3--     ,ave ,maria6 hear the 
prayer     ,of thy poor1 helpless child2
     ,beneath thy sweet1 maternal care1 
,preserve me undefiled4  ,and when      
spoken to through the keyhole1 he       
answered that he was not a bit afraid of
 ,spookes1 and that there was plenty of 
light for him to say his prayers4 ,even 
the parson himself1 in company with his 
wife1 went to listen at the door of     
where their prisoner was confined1 and  
for a moment their hard hearts even were
 softened by the sweet1 plaintive chant 
of the ,ave ,maria4  ,are you sorry for 

your disobedience1 now1 ,eugene8 said   
the parson2 and will you attend prayers 
and meeting when you are told8  ,i can't
 promise to do what would displease     
,god1 and what my brother ,paul and the 
priest told me not to do1 sir1 said the 
child4  ,don't you know1 ,eugene1 the   
priest is a wicked man1 and the ,lord   
will punish you in a dark dungeon1      
darker than that room you are in1 if you
 do not do what ,i tell you8 added the  
persecuting parson4  ,all this talk was 
lost on poor ,eugene1 who continued     
chanting his little hymn1 or repeating  
the ,hail ,mary and ,holy ,mary1 for his
 father and mother's souls4 ,in a word1 
after a series of whippings1            
confinements1 and scoldings1 after      
compelling him either to eat flesh on   
,friday1 or fast all day without any    
other food1 ,parson ,dilman1 out of     
sheer shame1 gave him up1 and confessed 
himself vanquished by the ,catholic     
child4 ,he did not give him up for good1
 however1 but1 by way of making more    

sure of his victim1 he sent him out into
 the country1 to undergo the treatment  
of a more zealous and perfect           
disciplinarian than himself4 ,this pious
 ,christian was no other than ,shaw     
,gulvert1 who was known to be a prodigy 
of sanctity1 and had a world of zeal in 
reconciling obstinate heretics1 or      
pagans1 7as he called all but his own   
sect17 to the true standard of old      
,presbyterianism4 ,he could boast of    
having most of the ,old ,testament by   
heart1 making a prayer or asking a      
blessing of one hour's duration in the  
delivery2 and by these virtues1 and     
others he knew how to practise1 every   
person who lived in his house1 or came  
within the influence of his zeal1 was   
sure to get religion in no time4 ',tis  
true1 he met some unlucky converts1 and 
one or two very obstinate ,papists whom 
he did not convert at all2 but he soon  
despatched and discharged these latter4 
,and he was especially mortified at the 
conduct of one ,tipperary man1 named    

,burk1 who had the audacity to bring the
 priest to say mass in a house which the
 latter rented from him4 ,the house has 
ever since been locked up1 the pious    
,christian1 ,mr4 ,shaw ,gulvert1        
preferring to let it rot and totter in  
ruin1 rather than run the risk of having
 a ,catholic tenant1 who1 like ,burk1   
would be wicked enough to allow the     
priest inside the threshold4  ,this is  
the gentleman who is intrusted with the 
conversion of poor ,eugene ,o',clery1   
the ,irish emigrant orphan2 and he set  
about the work in right earnest fashion4
     ,,chapter ,,xx4  ,,the ,,same1     
,,continued4   ,during the first two    
months1 ,eugene had comparatively but   
little to fear from the bigotry of his  
protector at ,greenditch2 but he was not
 indebted for this limited peace to the 
generosity of ,mr4 ,shaw ,gulvert4      
,indeed1 that ignorant and cruel man    
dared not to execute his designs        
regarding the little confessor of the   
cross1 while his two hired men1 named   

,devlin1 were in his house to enlighten 
his ignorance and reprimand his         
audacity4 ,these two young men1         
brothers1 were hired for a year by      
,gulvert1 under the impression that they
 were native born2 but after the        
contract between them was signed1 and   
especially when ,friday came on1 ,mr4   
,gulvert found he was gulled1 and ran   
off to the parson1 one ,waistcoat1 to   
see what was to be done4 ,the young men 
told him not to be alarmed if he thought
 their presence would endanger his peace
 of mind1 or that any dangerous         
consequences were to be apprehended from
 two such formidable soldiers of the    
,pope as they were2 that he could easily
 get rid of them by paying them their   
year's wages1 and they would go         
elsewhere to work2 but that1 while in   
his house1 they insisted on perfect     
religious and mental independence4 ,and 
in future1 said they1 we expect to see  
cooked and on the table1 on ,fridays and
 fast days1 such food as we can partake 

of without scruple of conscience1 or    
violating the rules of the ,catholic    
religion1 of which we are unworthy      
members4  ,this is strange1 said        
,gulvert2 why did you not tell me ye    
belonged to ,rome1 and were ,irish8     
,why did we not tell you8 ,because you  
did not ask us4 ,and besides1 boss1 you 
hired us to work1 and not to worship or 
believe according to your notion4  ,i   
have never before kept a ,papist to work
 for me1 said he1 drawing a heavy sigh4 
,well1 boss1 you can't know much about  
them1 then4 ,perhaps you will be        
agreeably disappointed1 and find that1  
if we do not join your very long        
prayers1 we will work as well as the    
most red-hot ,presbyterian4  ,i am much 
in doubt about that1 said the boss4     
,why so1 boss8 ,can we not handle the   
plough1 use the scythe1 or the cradle as
 well as if we were of your school of   
heresy8  ,i allow2 but the good book    
says that 'men don't gather grapes of   
thorns1 or figs of thistles2' so ,i am  

afraid my crops would not prosper1 if   
religious men were not employed in my   
fields4  ,o1 you need not be alarmed1   
boss4 ,god makes his sun to shine on the
 good and the bad2 and though we        
,papists appear very wicked in your     
pious ,presbyterian eyes1 or in those of
 your amiable ,methodist lady here1 we  
will guaranty your crops will be as good
 as those of your neighbors1 otherwise  
we will ask no pay4 ,ain't this fair8   
,yes2 but the good book1 you know4 ,the 
,bible says so plainly1 answered the    
wife1 that men gather not grapes of     
thorns1 or figs of thistles4  ,bless    
you1 madam1 said the elder ,devlin1 you 
are mistaken in the meaning of that     
text1 which has a figurative sense1 and 
has no reference to corn1 pumpkins1 rye1
 or any other crop that your farm       
produces4  ,she shook her head in       
dissent to this speech1 and in a most   
sanctified tone said1 ,our minister1    
,dr4 ,waistcoat1 always applied that    
text to the ,papists when advising us   

against employing ,romanist hired help4 
,that only proved him a booby1 madam1   
said ,devlin4 ,that text partly alludes 
to the ,presbyterian sect1 and partly to
 the ,methodist1 to which you belong4   
,i would like to see how you can show   
that1 said she1 affecting great learning
 in such interpretations4  ,as clear as 
mud1 madam1 resumed ,devlin4 ,the       
,presbyterian religion is the 'thorn'   
tree on which no 'grapes' grow2 for that
 sect reject the ,holy ,eucharist1      
containing the blood of ,christ1 of     
which the grape is a figure4 ,it is full
 of thorns1 for it persecutes and stings
 the head of the ,savior in his         
representative the pope2 and it produces
 no 'grape1' no sacrament1 no good      
works1 no refreshing food or drink4     
,again3 the 'thistle1' that produces no 
figs1 is the ,methodist religion2       
because1 though it has plenty of stings 
and prickles to wound the hand that     
touches it1 the very ass that goes the  
road can bite off its head4 ,or1 in     

other words1 though ye ,methodists are  
malicious enough1 all your malice is    
harmless to the church1 and a very fool 
can refute or crop the most formidable  
of your arguments4  ,this queer private 
interpretation disconcerted the learned 
boss and his better half1 and during the
 remainder of the service of the        
,devlins they did not hear much more    
about the religious interpretations of  
these professors of two contradictory   
sectarian creeds4 ,the ,devlins showed1 
not only to the boss and his wife1 that 
they knew more about the ,bible than    
themselves1 but the minister1 ,mr4      
,waistcoat1 was soon convinced1 by      
conversation with them1 that they were  
not to be duped4 ,the consequence was1  
that the persecution to which ,eugene   
was subjected was arrested for a time2  
and it was not till after the ,devlins  
were paid off that this innocent child  
was again subjected to a series of      
punishments and brutal treatment without
 parallel in the records of modern      

persecution4  ,every ,friday that the   
young confessor refused1 after the      
example of holy ,eleazer1 to eat flesh1 
or go over to the life of the heathens1 
7#b ,mac4 vi4 #bd47 he was compelled to 
go without food till the ,sunday        
following4 ,he was flogged with a black 
snake1 till the blood flowed in rills1  
every time he refused going to meeting4 
,he was compelled to stand out under    
rain and storm1 scorching sun and       
chilling frost1 during the time the     
family spent in prayer4 ,yes1 tied with 
a thong to the pump by his little soft1 
white hands1 the juvenile martyr had to 
bear the merciless violence of the      
elements1 or consent to share in the    
blasphemous prayers of his persecutors6 
,and1 ,o ,god6 worse than all1 they     
robbed him of his rosary1 and of the    
little bunch of shamrocks which were the
 only legacy of his dying mother to him1
 and which his sister ,bridget and he   
took so much pains to keep alive in a   
small glass vase brought from ,ireland4 

,the ,agnus ,dei and ,gospel which it is
 usual with ,irish ,catholic children to
 wear around the neck1 were also        
forcibly stripped off his person and put
 into the stove4  ,all his much-prized  
memorials were now gone--his beads1 or  
rosary1 with the crucifix attached1 to  
remind him of his ,redeemer2 his little 
vase of shamrocks1 to remind him of     
,ireland and ,st4 ,patrick2 and his     
,gospel of ,st4 ,john1 and ,agnus ,dei1 
to recall to his mind his dignity and   
obligations as a believer in the gospel 
of ,jesus ,christ1 and his confidence in
 the ,lamb of ,god who took away his    
sins4 ,these constituted all the riches 
and treasure of ,eugene1 and of these he
 was plundered and stripped ere he was  
confined in the old deserted house that 
stood a few rods away from the dwelling 
house1 and where soon all the           
persecutions he suffered were           
terminated4  ,one evening in ,october1  
the team of ,mr4 ,gulvert broke loose   
from the post to which they were tied   

while he was at meeting1 and1 taking    
fright1 rushed along at full speed on a 
narrow by-road by the river that ran    
through the village1 till1 coming in    
contact with the root of a tree that    
protruded from the road1 the horses and 
wagon were precipitated over a fall of  
some twenty feet into the channel of the
 river beneath4 ,as the night was dark1 
and the road the animals took in their  
furious course was not known1 it was not
 till next morning that the fate of the 
team was discovered1 though not only    
,gulvert himself1 but his hired help1   
including his servant girl and wife     
even1 were out all night on the search  
for them4  ,if the most unexpected      
calamity had visited these enlightened  
,christians--if two of their children1  
instead of two of their horses1 had met 
with a sudden death1--their grief could 
not be more heartrending or despairing  
than on this occasion4 ,the whole family
 was in an uproar4 ,there were wringing 
of hands1 lamentable cries1 and         

bewailings the most bitter1 of the death
 of the best team in the town of        
,greenditch4 ,the very children1 down to
 the youngest of six years old1 joined  
their tears to those of their parents   
and the adult members of the family4    
,not a wink was slept1 not a morsel of  
victuals cooked1 nor even a fire kindled
 in ,mr4 ,culvert's house that night1   
and it was more than a week before the  
pious ,mrs4 ,gulvert could be consoled  
or prevailed on to show herself down    
stairs4 ,she was either really sick1 or 
affected sickness1 so that it was       
doubted whether or not she could survive
 the loss of her darling team4 ,o1 what 
a loss was there6 ,the team would fetch 
two hundred dollars between two         
brothers1 and it was only last month the
 new wagon cost seventy or eighty       
dollars2 and all now gone4  ,what a     
misfortune that ,i went out to hear that
 preacher at all on the ,sabbath6 said  
,gulvert4 ,had ,i remained at home1 or  
walked down to meeting1 ,i would be     

three hundred dollars richer to-day than
 ,i am now4  ,pa1 where were the two    
,paddies1 ,pete and ,bill1 that they did
 not mind the team while you were in    
meeting8 said young ,harry4  ,hang the  
cusses1 ,harry6 ,they wanted to hear the
 preacher1 too1 answered the father4    
,if ,i were you1 pa1 said little ,libby1
 ,i would keep the price of the hosses  
out of ,pete and ,bill's wages1 the ugly
 fellows1 that did not mind and keep the
 team from running away4  ,that would be
 but sarving 'em right1 ,lib1 said her  
mother1 heaving a sigh4  ,yes1 wife1    
said ,gulvert1 that ,i would gladly do2 
but you know they are in my debt4 ,i    
will be glad enough if they wait to work
 out the money that ,i have advanced    
them4  ,you didn't advance them money1  
did you1 ,gulvert8 said his wife4  ,yes1
 ,i did that1 said he1 by the advice of 
that old fool ,parson ,waistcoat1 who   
expected1 as he succeeded in converting 
,pete and ,bill ,kurney1 that he would  
also convert the rest of their friends1 

if they were out here from ,popish      
,ireland4  ,o ,gulvert1 said his better 
half1 sobbing again anew1 you will kill 
me6 ,i cannot live with you1 that is the
 amount of it6 ,how dare you1 sir1 lend 
money1 or dispose1 of my means1 without 
first having consulted me6 ,i lay my    
death at your door6 she added1 in a     
sharp1 angry tone4  ,dear wife1 don't   
blame me----  ,away1 old man6 she       
interrupted1 away1 and leave me here to 
despair6 ,i fear ,i will never again    
leave this bed2 and if ,i find myself   
able1 ,i shall never after spend a day  
in your house1 but go back to my native 
state1 and take out a bill of divorce   
against a man who knows nothing but to  
spend and squander the means of his     
family4  ,o ma1 said ,libby1 do go away 
from father1 the ugly fool1 and ,i will 
go with you1 won't ,i8  ,he ain't       
nothing else1 sis1 said she1 but a poor 
ugly fool1 a shiftless1 good-for-nothing
 old man4 ,o1 me6 ,o1 me6 ,i could      
easily have known that this would be the

 case1 from the dreams ,i had for two   
nights4  ,i had a dream too1 ma1 said   
sis1 who1 though only going in her      
eighth year1 was perfectly well versed  
in all the arcana of the science of     
interpretation4 ,i dreamed ,i saw you   
crying1 ma1 continued ,lib1 and that    
there was blood on the stairs1 and all  
way up garret1 and that ,shaw1 my       
father1 had spilt the blood all round4  
,that's just it1 sis1 said her mother2  
the blood signifies the death of our    
'darling team2' my crying is on account 
of them2 and ,shaw1 the fool1 your      
father1 was the cause of all this       
trouble1 and that is why he appeared to 
you to spill the blood4 ,my dream was   
not so clear as yours1 but ,i could have
 guessed that something was going to be 
the matter4  ,poor ,gulvert was in great
 pain1 in consequence1 among other      
things1 of the oft-repeated threat of   
his wife to separate from him2 and1 to  
give vent to his sorrowful reflections1 
he went up garret as quietly as he      

could1 and folding himself up in several
 heavy comforters1 or padded quilts1 he 
forgot his grief by falling into a sound
 sleep4 ,meantime ,pete and ,bill       
,kurney1 the two ,irish converts of     
,parson ,waistcoat1 seeing things in    
confusion1 thought that now was the time
 for them to free themselves forever    
from the hypocrisy1 as well as bad      
board1 of ,mr4 ,culvert2 and1 to add to 
the grief of ,mrs4 ,gulvert1 next       
morning they were not to be had4 ,these 
knowing fellows1 hearing of ,gulvert's  
character1 put themselves in his way1   
and being questioned as to the nature of
 their doctrines1 and finding them      
suitable to his taste1 he hired them1   
and brought them home to work on his    
farm4 ,they not only became converts    
during the first week in his house1 but 
went to meeting regularly1 where they   
were complimented on their              
highmindedness and independence in      
shaking off ,popery1 and got frequent   
chances to tell their experience4       

,besides their hypocrisy1 these were    
thorough scoundrels2 for they not only  
robbed their employer of the two hundred
 dollars which he had advanced them to  
bring out their parents from the old    
country1 but in addition to this1 and to
 the severity of the punishments which  
their apostasy occasioned ,eugene1 these
 consummate miscreants seduced the two  
sisters of ,mr4 ,gulvert1 one of them an
 old maid1 whom they imposed upon by    
their lying representations and profane 
discourses4 ,here was a little more of  
the natural fruit of ,mr4 ,gulvert's    
great zeal for his sect4 ,his two hired 
men were gone1 without having served one
 eighth of the two years they had agreed
 to work for the money advanced to them2
 both his sisters1 pious things1        
yielding to temptation1 were in a fair  
road to disgrace2 and1 to cap the climax
 of the unfortunate man's guilt and     
remorse1 ,eugene ,o',clery1 neglected in
 his prison in the old house1 on the    
morning of ,all ,saints' day1 first of  

,november1 was found dead on its damp   
floor6 ,yes1 this spotless1 innocent1   
and almost infant but heroic confessor  
of ,christ1 after a course of worse than
 pagan persecution continued for more   
than two years1 in the midst of legions 
of blessed spirits passed out of this   
world1 to add to the joy and glory of   
heaven by his heroic virtues4 ,o ye mock
 philanthropists1 ye lovers1 on the lip1
 of freedom of conscience1 where was    
your voice1 where your sympathy1 where  
your indignation1 where your meetings1  
speeches1 and resolutions1 when this    
,catholic child1 this destitute orphan1 
this noble son of ,catholic ,ireland1   
this spotless confessor and glorious    
martyr of ,christ1 was being sacrificed1
 like his divine ,master1 to the demon  
of cruel sectarianism8 ,o1 the blood of 
this innocent ,abel1 of this infant     
martyr1 shed by the cruel ,herod of     
,presbyterianism1 will cry to ,heaven   
for vengeance on your heads1 and bring a
 curse on your hypocrisy and            

dissimulation4  ,the news of ,eugene's  
death1 communicated by the servant maid1
 created a sudden fear1 but very little 
sympathy1 in the brutal family of ,mr4  
,gulvert4 ,overwhelmed by the loss of   
their darling team1 and confounded by   
the loss of the money which the mock    
converts succeeded in cheating them of1 
they had neither tears nor sympathy to  
spare for such a trifle as the death of 
a little ,papist child4  ,the servant   
girl1 however1 who was a ,scotch lassie1
 called ,jane ,mc,hardy1 cried bitterly 
over the death of the poor orphan       
laddie1 and1 in company with two        
neighboring workmen1 or cotters1 who    
passed for ,protestant ,irishmen1       
watched around the corpse all night1 and
 on the day of its interment in the     
pagan cemetery1 situated in a barren    
corner of ,gulvert's farm1 they lingered
 for a considerable time around the     
spot1 to the scandal of the religious   
people who assembled to take a look at  
the face of the dead1 and who began to  

suspect that those two pretended        
,protestants were ,catholics in         
disguise4 ,their suspicions were well   
founded1 as their subsequent conduct    
proved2 for the two cotters1 on the     
,sunday following ,eugene's death1 went 
to the meeting house for the last time1 
where they1 in giving their experience1 
boldly professed themselves ,catholics1 
asked pardon of the people for having   
deceived and imposed on the public1     
inveighing1 at the same time1 against   
the system of persecution and underhand 
proselytism that prevailed1 and which   
produced the death of ,eugene ,o',clery4
  ,your ministers think they have great 
merit1 said the ,irish cotters1 whose   
names were ,lee and ,twohy1 when they   
succeed in causing a lax ,catholic to   
trample on every precept of his religion
 and to perjure himself2 but as ,god is 
just1 and as those who counsel to evil  
partake of its guilt1 and will have to  
suffer its punishment1 so will all the  
sins that your minister's cruel advice  

led us to commit be laid to his charge  
before the just tribunal of ,christ4    
,after this speech1 the two ,irish      
,catholic cotters retired from the      
meeting1 and ever since these two men   
have proved1 by their repentance1 zeal1 
humility1 and perseverance1 that1 though
 they fell from the external practice of
 their faith1 they did so influenced by 
the evil advice and misrepresentations  
of persons who took advantage of their  
inexperience and poverty to lead them   
astray4 ,they were gradually1 however1  
becoming reconciled to the hard life of 
hypocrisy and sin which they were       
induced to enter on1 and might have     
forever continued in the reprobate path 
on which1 in an evil hour1 they walked1 
had not the cruel martyrdom of the holy 
orphan child aroused them from their    
slumbers4 ,thus1 as of old1 does the    
blood of martyrs become the seed of new 
,christians2 and thus is ,erin1 even in 
,america1 still true to her             
,heaven-appointed destiny--which is1    

that of being a missionary and a martyr 
in the new world as well as in the old4 
,,chapter ,,xxi4    ,considerate1 et    
videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus4   
,attend1 and see if there be any sorrow 
like to my sorrow4       ,,lam4 ,,jer4  
,there was a complete suspension of the 
ordinary occupations on the farm of     
,gulvert for near ten days1 owing to the
 trials with which his family was       
visited4 ,the wife was still confined to
 her room1 and continually threatening  
her husband with the divorce1 who1 on   
his part1 had no heart to conduct the   
necessary work of his farm1 he felt so  
dispirited at the loss of his team and  
of the money out of which his converts  
had tricked him4 ,add to this that there
 were very ugly rumors going the round  
of the neighborhood in reference to the 
ill usage the little ,irish orphan met  
with4 ,while he was living and in       
suffering1 there was nobody to          
sympathize with him or to say a word in 
his favor2 but now1 when that sympathy  

could do him no good1 according to the  
custom of modern philanthropy1 there was
 an abundance on hand1 and the conduct  
of ,shaw ,gulvert1 as the agent of      
,parson ,waistcoat1 was censured by a   
thousand tongues4 ,this is              
characteristic of ,protestant charity3  
when one is dying of hunger1 or forced  
to beg a crum of bread1 she shuts her   
ears1 and points to the prison or       
poorhouse1 as the only proper retreat   
for whoever is compelled to commit the  
sin of mendicity2 but no sooner does the
 victim of her own neglect or           
misdirected benevolence die1 no sooner  
is he out of the reach of all human     
relief1 than the heralds of ,protestant 
charity gather round his tomb1 to       
proffer their assistance1 aid1 and      
liberality--like the ,jews building the 
tombs of the prophets put to death by   
their own malice4  ,this was the case in
 the instance here related4 ,some were  
for having the body of the martyred     
,eugene exhumed1 to see if there were   

any marks of violence visible4 ,some    
proposed to raise a collection to have a
 monument raised on his grave1 and all  
unanimously condemned ,gulvert's cruelty
 to the dear little child4 ,what        
principally turned the current and force
 of public opinion against ,gulvert was1
 that he was impudent enough to go and  
demand restitution of ,parson           
,waistcoat1 of the money that1 on       
account of his recommendation1 he       
advanced to the runaway converts4 ,and  
the parson1 to be revenged on ,gulvert1 
on next meeting day called on the       
congregation for their prayers1 to save 
said ,gulvert from the relapsing gulf   
into which he had fallen4 ,the parson1  
enraged at being held accountable for   
the money lost by ,gulvert1 through his 
own want of godliness1 as he termed it1 
and incensed on account of ,gulvert's   
declaration of deserting his church1    
held him up continually as a stray      
sheep1 and already1 if not lost1 far    
advanced on the broad way to perdition4 

,in the midst of this excitement1 the   
progress of public feeling against      
,gulvert was suddenly checked by the    
following afflicting and sudden         
accidents4  ,the wife of ,gulvert1 being
 a ,boston lady1 of course was          
altogether in favor of the ,sons of     
,temperance2 but1 by some means or      
other1 she happened always to keep a    
little in the house for medicinal       
purposes4 ,it was well known1 among the 
well informed1 that this lady1 having   
been jilted1 or1 in other words1        
deceived1 by a merchant in her native   
city1 who promised to marry her1 was    
subject to frequent melancholy attacks1 
and on these occasions especially did   
she make use of medicinal brandy4 ,she  
suffered from one of these periodical   
attacks now1 and1 consequently1 the     
medicinal glass was always within her   
reach4 ,on the small stand by her bed   
stood two tumblers1 one containing the  
medicinal eau de vie1 and the other was 
half full of vinegar4  ,she ordered     

,jane1 on this fatal day1 to pour a     
little laudanum into that tumbler that  
contained the vinegar1 to see if1 by    
applying it to her temples1 it would not
 allay the terrible headache which she  
said had tormented her4 ,instead of     
pouring the poison into the vinegar     
glass1 where would the ,scotch ,abigail 
empty the cruet but into the tumbler    
with the brandy in it8 ,her mistress    
soon after quaffed off the liquor into  
which the poisonous drug had been       
poured1 and in an hour after she was a  
lifeless corpse4 ,this was not all2 for1
 on the day of the funeral1 young       
,harry1 ,mr4 ,gulvert's son and heir1 in
 order to show his devotion to his      
beloved parent's remains1 was all the   
morning busy in collecting flowers with 
which to deck the room where she was    
laid in state1 and1 attempting to reach 
a flower that grew out of the side of a 
deep1 deserted well1 in the lower end of
 the garden1 the little fellow fell in  
and was drowned4 ,when the feet of them 

who buried ,mrs4 ,gulvert were at the   
door1 they found out the corpse of      
,harry was at the bottom of the well4   
,it was a long time before any body     
could be induced to go into that well1  
as well because it was very deep as on  
account of the prevalent report in the  
neighborhood that ,gulvert's father had 
killed a negro and cast him into the    
well1 with heavy weights attached to    
him4 ,after several unsuccessful        
attempts to raise the body1 they at     
length succeeded1 by the aid and        
undaunted courage of a young man who was
 just after riding up to the crowd1 and 
who1 on learning the cause of such a    
gathering1 generously volunteered to go 
into the well1 notwithstanding the hints
 he received from some of the bystanders
 that the nigger was at the bottom4 ,in 
a few minutes ,paul ,o',clery was at the
 bottom of the enchanted well1 and1 amid
 shouts of ,bravo6 and ,well done6      
almost instantly returned1 with the     
lifeless body of little ,harry in his   

arms4 ,but what's this that he finds    
tangled in the drowned child's hands8   
,it is surely the beads of his beloved  
mother1 which she bequeathed as her     
dying legacy to his youngest brother    
,eugene4 ,how did it get into the well8 
,he trembled visibly as it struck his   
mind that possibly ,eugene might have   
fallen in too4  ,are you sure there is  
nobody else in8 said he to the          
bystanders4  ,no1 there ain't nobody    
else in1 said ,gulvert2 all we have     
left1 now1 are around here4  ,and how   
came this relic to get into the well8   
said ,paul4 ,i think ,i saw this before4
  ,that8 ,o1 that's a toy that a young  
,papist orphan which we had used to say 
his prayers on4  ,and where is that     
orphan now8 ,o1 tell me1 where is he8   
,for ,god's sake tell me1 where is my   
beloved brother8 exclaimed ,paul4  ,he  
is dead4  ,o1 don't mock me1 but tell me
 the truth4 ,i assure you ,i am a       
brother of the orphan child1 ,eugene    
,o',clery4 ,what has become of him8  ,we

 do not joke1 my young gentleman1 said  
an aged man in the crowd4 ,your brother1
 the orphan you allude to1 died suddenly
 on the night of the first of this      
month1 and was interred in yon mound on 
the second of the month4  ,o ,lord6 ,o  
,lord6 grant me patience4 ,o my brother6
 ,o ,eugene6 ,o beloved child of our    
hearts6 what has become of you8 ,did you
 die on your bed1 or meet with an       
accident8 or how did these beads you    
loved so well come into this horrid1    
pestiferous well8 ,o1 woe is me6 ,why   
did ,i ever let you out of my sight8    
,why did ,i not remain in servitude and 
slavery1 rather than let you into the   
care of the cruel1 false-hearted        
stranger8 ,o villanous deceiver6 ,o     
infamous prevaricator6 ,parson ,dilman1 
why did ,i listen to your seductive     
promises8  ,the reader may imagine1 for 
we cannot adequately describe1 the      
burden of woe and grief which took      
possession of the soul of ,paul when he 
found that his darling brother1 on whose

 account he suffered so much anxiety and
 came such a distance1 was gone forever 
from his sight4 ,and when he learned how
 he died2 how1 after countless tortures1
 by whippings1 by hunger1 and by        
confinement1 the delicate martyr of     
,christ was allowed to perish on the    
damp floor of an old1 deserted house2   
how he was deprived of the memorials of 
his faith and country2 how he was buried
 with as little ceremony1 and as much   
indifference1 as if he had been an      
irrational animal1--when he learned all 
these circumstances from the two ,irish 
cotters1 ,lee and ,twohy1 it took him to
 pray continually not to yield to       
feelings of hatred and revenge4  ,a     
circumstance related to him1 however1 by
 the peasants1 whose hospitality ,paul  
consented to avail himself of for a few 
days1 served to reconcile him to        
,eugene's fate1 and to inspire him with 
the most exalted sentiments of          
forgiveness and good will towards the   
murderers of his brother4 ,every night  

since ,eugene's burial a bright column  
of light was seen rising from his tomb1 
and terminating in the heavens above1   
where the column became gradually wider1
 till it became like a wide circle of   
glory1 similar to that which appears    
around the moon on a winter's night1    
when the atmosphere is at the snowing   
temperature4 ,in the centre of the      
circle appeared a beautiful cross of    
most perfect proportions1 and so bright 
in the bright circle that it was        
perfectly dazzling1 and the sight could 
with difficulty be fixed on it for an   
instant4  ,this phenomenon was seen by  
the two ,irish cotters frequently1 and  
all the neighbors around had observed   
the lower part of the column1 but       
concluded that it was phosphorus1 which1
 they said1 from some cause or other1   
either the nature of the soil or from   
the bodies interred there1 ascended to  
the clouds1 attracted by some           
atmospheric body there4 ,paul1 too1 was 
blessed with this happy sight1 but      

without indulging in the gratification  
of a too curious or protracted          
observation of this vision2 and being   
fully convinced that it was no          
phosphoric combination of natural       
phenomena1 concluded to take off the    
body of his beloved brother1 and have it
 interred1 in a ,christian manner1 in   
the same consecrated tomb in which the  
remains of his father reposed4 ,he was  
also fortunate enough1 by the payment of
 a liberal bonus1 to succeed in raising 
the body of his mother1 whose tomb he   
was able to find out1 by a measurement  
which1 on the day of her interment1 he  
had made1 and from certain stones placed
 by him at the head of her coffin4      
,thus1 by the piety of a son and a      
brother1 were the three bodies of these 
members of this pious and renowned      
family united again after a temporary   
separation4 ,lovely and comely in their 
life1 even in death they were not       
divided4 ,in a ,catholic cemetery1 in   
the vicinity of ,new ,york1 can now be  

seen a beautiful monument of ,italian   
marble1 with the names1 ages1 and places
 of the nativity of ,arthur ,o',clery1  
and his wife ,cecilia1 and their son    
,eugene1 inscribed in a neat cruciform  
slab in one of the faces of the         
monument4 ,in another slab are carved1  
in bold relief1 the little vase of      
shamrocks brought by the family from    
,ireland1 together with the ,rosary and 
,cross1 suspended from the hand of the  
virgin holding the child4 ,on the third 
square of the tomb is conspicuous a     
figure of ,erin1 holding in her right   
hand a crucifix1 and with the left hand 
pointing it to her children1 with the   
words1 ,sola spes nostra1 ubi crux ibi  
patria--,this is our only hope2 wherever
 the cross is honored1 call that your   
country4  ,after having seen to the     
proper execution of all things in       
reference to the tomb of his family1    
,paul ,o',clery1 with a heavy heart1    
returned to acquaint his little brother 
,patrick and sister ,bridget about the  

fate of ,eugene4 ,he did not forget1    
however1 before quitting the last       
resting-place of his parents and        
brother1 to have the grave fenced round 
with a neat iron rail2 and fixing all   
inside the fence in the form of two     
pretty flower beds1 he1 with his own    
hands1 carefully planted the roots of   
the shamrocks which were brought from   
,ireland1 and which he luckily found in 
,mr4 ,gulvert's kitchen garden1 where   
they had been thrown1 after having been 
taken from ,eugene4 ,and to this very   
day these shamrocks flourish--neither   
frost1 nor cold1 nor parching heat1 nor 
inclement seasons being able to retard  
their growth2 as if their verdure and   
flourishing vegetation were supplied    
from the pure and genuine ,irish clay to
 which the bodies of the three          
,o',clerys have been long since reduced4
  ,paul now saw his people reduced by   
more than one half4 ,when they left     
,ireland1 they were seven in number2 now
 they were only three4 ,he was too well 

trained in ,christian resignation1      
however1 to repine at what evidently    
appeared to him the dispensation of     
,heaven4 ,after the example of holy     
,job1 therefore1 he praised the ,lord1  
to whom1 if he deprived him of his good 
parents1 he was also indebted for being 
placed under the care of such patterns  
of virtue4 ,these several trials1 and   
the consequent distractions in which    
they involved him1 made him more        
disgusted than ever with the world2 and 
his desire to consecrate himself to ,god
 in the holy priesthood became stronger 
and stronger every day4 ,the ,almighty  
seemed to have some special mission in  
view for this spotless child of ,st4    
,patrick1 when his mercy had conducted  
him1 like the children in the fiery     
furnace1 so early through such          
meritorious trials and sufferings1 as it
 requires the most faithful             
correspondence with grace to endure1 and
 it falls to the lot of a few to        
encounter4  ,the end of all his         

difficulties and trials had now arrived4
 ,from this day forward the breeze that 
bore him along in his ecclesiastical    
voyage became fairer and fairer1 till1  
advancing from virtue to virtue1 and    
honor to honor1 he became the glory of  
the church1 and exercised such influence
 on the destinies of his countrymen and 
of those committed to his charge1 that  
he might adopt the language of ,joseph  
to his brethren3 ,god hath sent me      
before you into ,egypt1 that you may be 
preserved on the earth1 and have food to
 live4 7,gen4 xlv4 #g47 ,but this is    
anticipating what naturally should have 
its place at the conclusion of our      
narrative4     ,,chapter ,,xxii4  ,,the 
,,deserted ,,home ,,of ,,the ,,orphans4 
,now1 said ,murty ,o',dwyer1 one ,sunday
 evening1 as all the members of the     
,prying family were seated around the   
tea table1 will any body doubt the      
usefulness of confession8 ,the very     
robber who1 while under the influence of
 drink and evil advice1 plundered the   

widow ,o',clery and her orphans of their
 money1 has returned from the scorching 
plains of the south1 in obedience to the
 advice of the priest to whom he        
confessed1 to make restitution2 and he  
has made it4  ,it beats all ,i ever     
heard1 said ,mr4 ,prying4  ,that is only
 an ordinary occurrence with ,catholics1
 rejoined ,murty4 ,thousands of dollars1
 and ,i might say millions of money1 are
 yearly restored to those to whom it    
belongs1 through the influence of this  
divine institution4  ,i wonder what has 
,paul done with the rest of the money1  
after paying for the board of himself   
and his sister and brothers8 said       
,calvin4  ,he has given me two hundred  
of it1 said ,murty1 to compensate me for
 what ,i lost on account of the malice  
of ,dominie ,boorman1 the ,presbyterian1
 because ,i could not believe according 
to his cruel code of irreligion4 ,he    
paid one hundred dollars for masses for 
the soul of poor ,cunningham1 who died  
of fever and ague one week after his    

having made the restitution4 ,two       
thousand1 ,i believe1 ,paul paid into   
the convent where his sister ,bridget   
has gone to become a nun4 ,and the rest1
 ,i believe1 he spent in raising an     
elegant monument over his parents and   
beloved ,eugene's remains4 ,o1 yes1 ,i  
forgot2 he paid five hundred dollars    
towards the new ,catholic church1       
,s4,a41 where his convert friends       
reside4  ,it is to me the strangest     
thing on earth1 said old ,mrs4 ,prying1 
how liberal these ,catholics are in     
paying to the support of their religion4
 ,where on earth do they get the means  
to put up such costly buildings as they 
have erected in scores1 within my own   
knowledge1 these past five years8  ,so  
far from this being strange1 said       
,murty1 madam1 it is the most natural   
thing in the world4 ,we know the        
,catholic religion is true4 ,we know it 
has ,god for its ,author1 and that      
through its teachings all men must be   
saved that will be saved4 ,knowing this1

 we understand the merit of supporting  
such an institution4 ,what is the whole 
world to a man if he lose his soul8 and 
how can a man save his soul1 if true    
religion be wanting8  ,ah1 what a noble 
critter that ,bridget ,o',clery was6    
said ,calvin1 changing the subject to   
her whose image stood uppermost in his  
mind1 ,what a pity1 he continued1 that  
she should ever become a nun6 ,do nuns  
ever get married1 ,murty8  ,don't you   
know so much yet1 ,calvin8 ,certainly1  
they never do get married4 ,they vow to 
consecrate their hearts forever to ,god4
 ,in fact1 they anticipate1 here in this
 life1 what all the blessed do in the   
next life--to live in ,god1 and for     
,god4 ,i think the life of a holy nun1  
said ,murty1 kindling into enthusiasm1  
is superior to that of an angel1 and the
 merit far greater4  ,here it is as well
 to state that ,calvin ,prying1 of late 
years1 lost all that zeal for stiff     
,presbyterianism that possessed him in  
his younger days1--an ordinary          

occurrence with ,american ,protestant   
young men1--and that1 instead of his    
former zeal1 he now had the utmost      
indifference1 if not contempt1 for the  
teachers of the hard creed of his cruel 
namesake of ,geneva4 ,he had a heart1   
too2 and though a phlegmatic and a rude 
one1 it could not remain insensible to  
the chaste charms and virtuous beauty of
 ,bridget ,o',clery4 ,for years this    
feeling was growing on him--the         
exhortations1 and lectures1 and advices 
of little ,parson ,gulmore to the       
contrary notwithstanding4 ,in a word1   
though she was ,irish and a pauper1 in  
the slang of parsons and officials1 and 
though the vulgar little dominie was    
continually ridiculing the ,irish and   
the ,catholics1 ,calvin saw that        
,bridget was beautiful in countenance1  
and light as a humming bird in          
heart--circumstances which insensibly   
made an impression on the rude material 
of which his own was made1 creating     
there a feeling of love bordering on    

admiration and distant esteem4 ,no      
sooner1 however1 did it reach his ears  
that the money was restored to the      
orphans1 and he was told that ,bridget  
was likely to have a portion of some    
thousands of dollars1 than his former   
esteem and admiration1 as if by magic   
art1 was turned into love4 ,and now1 who
 dare say word against her8 and how low1
 contemptible1 and wicked the counsels  
of ,parson ,gulmore1 who attempted to   
prejudice him against such a treasure1  
such a model of every virtue1 such an   
angel1 as she always appeared to him to 
be6 ,he would have cheerfully accepted  
the hand of the poor ,irish orphan when 
that hand had some thousands of gold    
dollars in its beauteous grasp4 ,the    
,yankee is not remarkable for having an 
eye for the beautiful in nature or art2 
but when dimes and dollars are in       
prospective1 none is more penetrating or
 sharpsighted than he4 ,beautiful       
paintings1 cathedrals1 the noblest      
creations of the chisel1 the most       

enchanting landscapes have just as much 
attraction for his genius as they can be
 made available for making money1 and no
 more4 ,it was from the same principle  
that ,calvin ,prying's love for ,bridget
 ,o',clery originated4 ,hence he was    
highly enraged at the idea of her going 
into a convent1 and had a strong notion 
in his head to call a public mass       
meeting1 and pass resolutions against   
the constitutionality of allowing young 
ladies of respectable fortunes to enter 
convents4 ,indeed1 he so far succeeded  
in creating an excitement in his favor  
about deterring ,bridget from entering  
the convent1 as to get1 by the payment  
of a small sum1 one of the daily papers 
of the city to write an article in his  
favor1 entitled ,abduction6 ,during a   
few days1 the editor of the same filthy 
sheet repeated his scurrilous attacks on
 ,catholicity1 not forgetting to squirt 
a good deal of his dirt on the ,rev4    
,dr4 ,ugo1 whom he blamed for           
encouraging the girl's vocation1 and    

thus depriving the hungry ,presbyterian 
,calvin of a fair wife and a handsome   
fortune4  ,there was no great tumult    
created1 however4 ,election was         
approaching1 and that absorbed all the  
excitable matter of the people1 in spite
 of the newspapers4 ,the disputes and   
defences of the faith which ,murty      
,o',dwyer had to maintain since the     
departure of the young1 beautiful ,irish
 girl1 as ,bridget was called1 were many
 and critical2 but an event now         
happened1 that fanned the latent but    
active anti-,catholic fire into a       
furious flame4  ,one evening1 at supper1
 after the news arrived at ,r----       
,valley that ,paul ,o',clery was not    
only a priest1 but stationed in the     
second city then in the ,union1 ,amanda1
 casting her malicious eye at her       
youngest sister ,mary1 on whose calm    
cheek she saw1 and seemed to envy1 the  
innocent blush that started there1 on   
having heard the paragraph alluding to  
,paul read and commented on1 thus       

addressed her3--  ,ah1 ,mary1 what do   
you say1 now1 to ,paul1 who is forever  
estranged from you8 for he is not only a
 priest1 but a missionary among the     
',irish1' and1 of course1 can never care
 about you again4  ,i am glad to hear he
 is a priest1 said ,mary1 in a gentle   
voice2 for ,i believe he will be more   
happy so than in any other situation in 
life4 ,i am sure ,i wish him happy1 for 
he was ever good and amiable4  ,but yet1
 rejoined the old maid1 he never made   
you any return for all your fondness for
 him4 ,he never writes you any loving   
letters1 nor cares whether you are      
living or dead1 or else he would write1 
or send you some tokens of friendship4  
,you know a little too much1 ,amanda1   
said ,mary4 ,i never asked him to write2
 and ,i know he loves me so far as to   
pray for me1 and that's all he ever     
pretended to2 and as for presents1 ,i do
 not covet them1 as ,i have got this    
beautiful one1 a miniature of the mother
 of ,god1 set in gold1 which ,paul      

presented to me when here last4 ,see it 
here1 she said1 drawing it from her     
bosom4 ,i would not give this for all   
the presents in ,new ,york4  ,idolatry6 
idolatry6 cried out ,amanda4 ,idolatry6 
cried out ,calvin and the rest of the   
family4 ,idolatry6 yes1 as the ,lord    
liveth1 groaned a hollow1 dramatic      
voice1 as he entered by the woodshed way
 to the dining room4 ,it was that of    
,rev4 ,mr4 ,gulmore1 who after a long   
absence1 hearing the ,romanizing        
tendencies that threatened to desolate  
this once stanch ,presbyterian family1  
came1 he said1 with his sickle1 to cut  
down the cockles1 and weed out this once
 fertile but now overgrown garden4      
,what is this ,i have been hearing8     
thundered the little thick man1 stamping
 on the floor4 ,is it possible that my  
senses deceive me8 or have ,i heard and 
seen the daughter of my friend1 my      
,orthodox--once ,orthodox--friend1 draw 
forth her idolatrous bawble from her    
,american bosom1 and defend its use and 

veneration with her tongue8 ,is this    
true8 ,tell me6 ,speak6  ,there was a   
short pause after this short            
declamation1 delivered in the most      
passionate form4 ,at length1 ,mr4       
,prying1 senior1 coolly answered1 ,yes1 
,mr4 ,gulmore1 ,i 'spect ,mary is lost  
to your church1 and inclined to the     
,catholic system4  ,o ,lord1 forbid it6 
cried the little thick man in white     
choker4 ,it cannot be2 we cannot allow  
it4 ,i shall storm heaven with prayers4 
,i shall do violence to the ,lord4 ,i   
shall catch hold of him1 and not let him
 go till he give back this lamb to my   
bosom4  ,such were only some of the     
expressions1 blasphemously familiar1    
which this clerical mountebank made use 
of during a full half hour1 that he     
almost electrified the whole company by 
his half-mad gesticulations and         
discourses4 ,at length1 when his legs   
began to fail1 he got on his knees1 or  
rather on his heels--a posture the      
,irish call on his grugg4 ,he prayed1   

and roared1 and screamed1 and he cried1 
as it were1 shedding tears1 to the alarm
 of the oldest members of the family1   
who feared he might burst a blood       
vessel1 as he was a short-necked1       
plethoric1 chunk of a man2 and to the   
infinite amusement of ,murty ,o',dwyer  
and the younger members of the family1  
who1 from the violence of the laughter  
that seized them1 were in danger of     
meeting that fate from which the former 
wanted to save the parson4  ,this levity
 on the part of the youngsters did not  
escape the notice of his weeping        
reverence2 and he no sooner recovered   
himself than he administered a sharp    
reprimand to all concerned1 but         
especially to ,murty4  ,i pity men of   
your country1 said he1 addressing       
,murty1--who1 it must be recollected1   
had made very great improvement in his  
education since we first introduced him 
to our readers1--,i pity men of your    
country1 on account of the ignorance in 
which they are kept by the              

soul-destroying system of ,popery that  
binds them down4  ,indeed1 ,mr4         
,gulmore1 said ,murty1 ,i am sorry you  
don't take some other means1 besides    
those not very enlightened prayers you  
have volunteered to favor us with1 to   
dispel and instruct our ignorance4      
,why1 thou ,papist boor1 durst thou deny
 the power of prayer8  ,no1 sir4 ,i have
 great faith in prayer1 especially the  
prayer of a 'just man2' but ,god forbid 
that ,i should regard your eccentric1   
indeed1 ,i might say blasphemous1       
effusions as prayer6 ,you talk of the   
'ignorance' of my countrymen6 ,ah1 sir1 
,i have no hesitation in saying the most
 ignorant among them would be ashamed of
 such silly-acting and disgusting cant  
as you have just now delivered4  ,i     
blame you not1 deluded ,papist2 you have
 not felt the 'power of prayer1' brought
 up in all the ignorance and idolatry of
 the 'scarlet lady4' ,but it is not for 
you ,i prayed or wrestled with the      
,lord1 but for my beloved dove1 this    

innocent victim of your idolatry and the
 hellish arts of your church4 ,do you   
not feel the change of heart1 ,mary1 my 
love8 he said1 approaching near to the  
girl4 ,tell me1 have ,i gained thee8    
,has the ,lord heard my groanings1 and  
sighs1 and petitions for thy restoration
 to the creed of our ,protestant        
fathers8 ,do1 ,mary dear1 tell me the   
feelings of thy heart6 ,do1 love1       
comfort me by the assurance that ,i have
 gained thee6  ,mr4 ,gulmore1 answered  
the good child1 ,i thought you had long 
since ceased visiting us1 and we hoped  
never again to be annoyed by your       
ministrations4 ,your conduct in         
combining with my step-sister here1 in  
conjunction with the late postmaster of 
,s----1 to prevent ,paul from holding   
correspondence1 has disgusted1 not only 
me1 but even father1 beyond the limits  
of reconciliation2 and whatever ,i may  
think of your religion1 be assured ,i   
have no two opinions about yourself4    
,o1 she is lost1 ,i greatly fear6       

,fallen is an angel from heaven6 ,save1 
save1 ,o ,lord6 cried the parson1 as    
,mary ,prying rose up from her seat and 
left the room4  ,the foregoing rebuke of
 the spirited girl brought this         
craven-hearted dominie at once to his   
senses1 and during the remainder of the 
evening he was more rational in conduct 
and discourse1 seeing that ,mary was the
 darling of her father1 who would allow 
the parson to make no reflections on the
 motives that actuated her in the steps 
she was about to take4  ,i am afraid1   
parson1 said ,murty1 breaking the       
embarrassing silence that continued for 
a few minutes1 ,i am afraid the lady has
 eluded the forceful grasp of your      
powerful prayer4 ,i guess she will      
become a nun1 too1 notwithstanding your 
great efforts to make her sing     ,but 
,i won't be a nun2 ,i can't be a nun2   
,i'm so fond of pleasure that ,i can't  
be a nun4  ,i greatly fear1 yer         
riverince1 said he1 affecting the       
broadest ,irish brogue1 y'ill have to   

phray a great deal yet afore you convart
 her from her resolution4  ,we must     
submit to the decree of the ,lord in all
 that he has planned from the beginning 
of the world1 ,murty1 said the parson1  
resignedly4  ,think the ,lord has       
decreed ,mary for the nunnery1 reverend 
and learned sir8 said ,murty1 affecting 
great politeness4  ,not exactly1 ,murty2
 but the ,lord1 by his inscrutable      
decree before the creation1 has passed  
sentence on all accountable beings3 some
 he has delivered over to irremediable  
wrath1 and others he has predestined to 
glory and bliss eternal2 and no efforts 
of men can reverse these irrevocable    
decrees4  ,o1 dreadful6 said ,murty4 ,i 
always heard that ,god willed all men to
 be saved2 that it was in every man's   
power to avoid evil1 and do good2 that  
the giving of the commandments supposed 
the perfect liberty of men2 and that1   
supposing the grace of ,god1 all men had
 the means of salvation within their    
reach4 ,if your system were true1 all   

efforts of man to save himself would be 
useless1 and all your pulpits and       
sermons would be worse than useless2 for
 they would be a gross imposition1 and a
 loss of time4  ,there is where you are 
in error1 ,murty1 said the parson4      
,churches1 pulpits1 ,bibles1 and        
ministers are the machinery the ,lord   
makes use of to secure the perseverance 
of the elect4  ,that talk appears to me 
silly1 rejoined ,murty4 ,the elect are  
to be saved1 or they are not2 if they   
are to be saved by the decree of ,god1  
then there is no use of you and your    
machinery2 if they can lose their       
'election1' and become reprobate1 then  
your theory is contradictory1 absurd1   
and grossly perversive of the gospel4   
,take your choice of the horns of the   
dilemma4  ,the parson here entered into 
a very unintelligible explanation of a  
subject which constitutes1 in defiance  
of common sense and of the plainest     
teaching of the gospel1 the leading     
dogma of ,presbyterianism2 namely1      

foreordination1 or the eternal decree of
 every man's election or reprobation1   
irrespective of free will1 good works1  
or even the all-saving merits of our    
,lord ,jesus ,christ4  ,how             
contradictory the tenets of             
sectarianism6 said ,murty4 ,you1 that   
accuse ,catholicity of teaching absurd  
and incredible doctrines1 are yourselves
 enslaved by the most incredible and    
contradictory creeds4 ,it is the same in
 every sect4 ,take the ,methodists1 and 
they are the very contrary of what their
 name signifies4 ,instead of following  
any method in their mad orgies1 they    
would seem to be1 intellectually1 the   
successors of the ancient bacchanalians4
 ,they would carry man back to his      
primitive woods1 and1 by the medium of  
plenty of 'straw1' would annihilate the 
distinctions between the sexes1 by      
introducing a promiscuous intercourse1  
and legalizing1 by custom1 the most     
indecent practices4  ,you have been at a
 camp meeting then1 ,i see1 said the    

parson1 glad that attention was turned  
from his own sect to one that was a     
rival of it4  ,yes1 sir1 ,i have1 ,i    
regret to be obliged to confess1 said   
,murty2 and ,i must say that the        
,methodists1 by their conduct there1    
showed themselves more ingenious in     
inventing the means of election than    
those of the church of ,calvin4  ,how   
so1 ,murty8 ,in what do they exceed the 
,presbyterians8  ,why1 in this1 that    
they have beat you hollow in securing   
salvation4 ,you make use of churches1   
pulpits1 parsons1 ,bibles1 and          
anti-,popery lectures to secure the     
election for the brethren2 but the      
,methodists secure the same gift by     
means of some 'straw4' ,at the camp     
meeting held last year at ,m----ville1  
of which the ,irish laborer who spent a 
night there said1 'that there were more 
souls made there than convarted1'--at   
that meeting1 where there were twenty   
thousand persons present1 ,i heard a    
preacher cry out1 ',more straw6 more    

straw6 ,fifty souls lost for the want of
 straw6' ,now1 continued ,murty1 this is
 what ,i call progress1 to make as much 
out of a good bed of straw as you do out
 of all your church machinery for saving
 souls4  ,ha6 ha6 ha6 said the parson1  
turning to ,mrs4 ,prying4 ,he is right2 
,i saw and heard them myself at such    
absurdities4  ,then1 said ,murty1 you or
 any other ,americans who are aware of  
such gross impositions on the credulity 
of your people1 and of their gross      
ignorance1 should be the last persons on
 earth to reproach the ,irish or any    
other people with ignorance1            
superstition1 credulity1 or fanaticism4 
,good night1 parson1 and every time you 
are tempted to reproach an ,irishman    
with ignorance1 think of ',more straw6  
more straw6 ,fifty souls lost for the   
want of straw6' and that this sermon was
 preached in enlightened ,america of    
,bibles6  ,after the departure of ,murty
 from the room1 ,gulmore1 to make amends
 for his senseless conduct in his       

attempts to convert ,mary ,prying1      
became very complaisant1 and1 for the   
want of a better subject1 resumed the   
subject of the extravagances of the     
,methodists where ,murty left off4 ,he  
knew1 also1 that old ,mrs4 ,prying had  
an antipathy to that sect4  ,the        
,irishman is an amusing fellow1 ,i      
perceive1 commenced he2 he is not far   
wrong in his description of the         
,methodists1 ,i can tell you4  ,i never 
could bear that denomination1 said ,mrs4
 ,prying1 especially since the time that
 ,morefat carried on over in ,vermont2  
and ,i am still more displeased since   
that ,minister ,barker seduced ,amanda  
to his meeting1 together with others of 
our regular members4  ,they are a horrid
 set6 said the dominie4 ,did you not    
hear of the donation party at brother   
,funny's1 last new year's8  ,no4 ,do you
 mean the talk about ,miss ,talebearer8 
,worse than that1 although nothing      
secret4 ,nothing that the whole town has
 not heard4 ,you know ,mr4 ,funny was   

rather poor1 having been but a few      
months on the 'circuit2' and so ,mrs4   
,plumpcheek1 wife to ,aaron ,plumpcheek1
 while he was off in ,virginia1 went to 
the party1 and there offered to kiss    
every man that would pay her a dollar   
for the proceeds of the donation6 ,the  
consequence was1 that she realized      
seventy-five dollars in hard cash1      
though most of the boys paid her but two
 shillings4 ,and thus poor ,brother     
,funny made a handsome sum by the free  
charms of ,mrs4 ,plumpcheek6 ,ever since
 her husband is made jealous1 and ,i    
think he has reason4  ,sectarians1 you  
who are so loud in your pretended zeal  
for education and morals1 you who talk  
so much and loudly about the corruption 
of ,popery at home and abroad1 why do   
you not cast the beam out of your own   
impure eyes1 and then you may see in    
your own land of plenty1 carried on     
under the sanction of what you call     
religion1 scenes such as the annals of  
paganism can scarcely parallel4  ,we can

 prove the facts related above by       
,parson ,gulmore to be literally true1  
and to have happened annually for years 
under the sanction of religious         
ministers1 and exposed to the cognizance
 of fathers and mothers accompanied by  
their daughters and sons4  ,we publish  
these things reluctantly1 on account of 
our readers2 but we must tell the truth1
 though it be piecemeal and in          
fractional parts1 rather than in the    
full view of its naked reality4  ,is it 
not time to say to these hypocritical   
sects1 ,physicians1 heal yourselves8    
,look into the conduct and constitutions
 of your own bodies ere you turn censors
 on others4 ,the corruptions and        
deformities of your own bodies will take
 all your zeal1 all your energy1 and all
 your lives1 to correct1 purify1 and    
eradicate1 leaving the ,catholic church 
to reform whatever abuses may have crept
 into the lives or morals of her        
children by the ordinary resources1     
which are ample1 and always within her  

reach4  ,really1 the hypocrisy1         
audacity1 and malice of the ,pharisees  
of old1 in persecuting ,jesus ,christ in
 the flesh1 were not equalled1 in degree
 or intensity1 to the malice and        
hypocrisy of sectarians1 under every    
,protestant title1 in their unrelenting 
hatred of the same divine ,person in his
 mystical body here on earth6  ',tis all
 nonsense to reproach ,catholics with   
conduct similar1 or as gross1 as these  
instances of immorality which we justly 
charge on the ,protestant sects4        
,catholics1 as individuals1 may be1 and 
have been1 guilty of grave crimes and   
scandalous immoralities2 but does the   
church countenance or connive at their  
conduct8 ,no2 we say1 emphatically1 ,no4
 ,on the contrary1 she condemns vice in 
every shape1 and denounces1 like another
 ,baptist in the wilderness1 the wrath  
of ,heaven on the workers of iniquity4  
,is there one of her precepts1 counsels1
 or rules1 that guards not against sin  
and its occasions8 ,according to the    

accusations of her enemies themselves1  
who reproach her1 with too much         
severity1 of imposing too many          
restrictions on the passions1 is she not
 continually preaching up to her        
followers the necessity of self-denial1 
humility1 purity1 charity1 prayer1      
fastings1 watchings1 and1 above all1    
,,of ,,shunning ,,the ,,occasions ,,of  
,,sin8 ,hence1 in the whole volume of   
her history for eighteen centuries and  
better1 we read not of one camp meeting 
sanctioned by her1 nor that she ever    
authorized her ministers to feel for the
 change of heart in young ladies1 to    
proclaim the use of more straw for the  
conversion of both sexes1 or to raise   
funds by the abominable practices of the
 donation parties for the support of her
 institutions4 ,and mind1 these scandals
 the sectarian churches sanction and    
carry on under the sun of heaven1 by day
 as well as by night1 exposed to the    
jeers and ridicule of one another1 and  
to the condemnation of the ,catholic    

church4 ,when they are such in the      
greenwood1 what would they be not in the
 dry8 ,if1 like the ,catholic church1   
they had the world to themselves for a  
thousand years and more1 what           
abominations would their spurious       
churches have not only tolerated1 but   
have instituted and approved8 ,if they  
have produced ,mormons1                 
,transcendentalists1 ,universalists1 and
 spiritual rappers1 in the nineteenth   
century1 what monsters would they not   
have produced in the ninth8  ,in the    
dark ages1 the ,catholic church saved   
the world1 preserved literature1        
civilized real barbarians1 and1 above   
all1 practised1 as well as preached1 a  
,,pure ,,morality4 ,the ,protestant     
sects in this enlightened age1 by their 
novelties1 by their dissensions1 and1   
above all1 by the low standard of morals
 which they inculcate1 threaten to throw
 the world back again to the dark chaos 
from which ,catholicity has drawn it1   
and to substitute for the glory of      

,christianity the miserable philosophism
 and superstition of the degenerate days
 of paganism4  ,in proof of these       
statements1 we refer any candid mind to 
the spiritual rappers1 women's rights1  
,mormonism1 gold hunting1 and other     
manias1 which1 within the last few      
years1 have sprung from the sectarian   
systems and their teaching1 and from no 
other source4  ,we are horrified at the 
morals and tenets of the ,gnostic sects1
 the ,manicheans1 the ,albigenses1 and  
other defunct heresies of old2 but we   
doubt if any thing more impious1        
immoral1 or absurd happened under the   
auspices of these by-gone sects than the
 blasphemies1 delusions1 and corruptions
 carried on under the cloak of your camp
 meetings1 revivals1 mediums1 spiritual 
wife system1 and other modern           
reproductions of the ,protestant        
,christian churches1 falsely so called4 
,,chapter ,,xxiii4  ,,in ,,which ,,the  
,,scene ,,of ,,our ,,tale ,,is          
,,changed4   ,the events recorded in the

 foregoing chapters1 as you are aware1  
good reader1 happened principally among 
the poor and humble of life2 and this   
was in accordance with the scope of our 
narrative1 having no higher ambition    
than to chronicle the lowly annals of   
that numerous class of the community4   
,nunc paulo majora4 ,now we must        
introduce you into high life4 ,we turn  
our eyes to one of those grand mansions 
of the rich1--one of those palaces of   
the upper ten1--where few of the humble 
are privileged to enter1 much less to be
 introduced or admitted on terms of     
familiarity4 ,it is our privilege to    
introduce you1 friend of the blistered  
hand and dusty coat1 but of the honest  
heart1 into that palace of the merchant 
prince of the second city in the ,union1
 in order that you may see and judge for
 yourselves whether or not more         
happiness dwells there than in your     
homely residence4 ,see the imposing     
structure1 with the neatly-mowed lawn in
 front4 ,observe the taste and artistic 

skill with which the walks1 the little  
hedges1 and the shrubberies are laid    
out4 ,you can yet get but an imperfect  
view of the proud edifice itself1 which 
seems as if a monarch1 that looks down  
with dignity and authority on the       
countless array of ordinary buildings   
that extend as far as the eye can reach 
on every side4 ,the gates1 as you enter 
the enclosure1 are of massive iron1     
painted green1 and1 by the help of      
machinery1 yield to the gentlest        
pressure of the hand1 as if some spirit 
of the ancient fabled ,olympus kept     
guard at their hinges4 ,it is a complete
 rus in urbi1 inside the outer wall4    
,here the luxuriant grape vine creeps   
along in graceful festoons1 groaning    
under the pressure of her full paps2    
there the lofty and beauteous palm      
spreads his cooling and protecting      
branches4  ,on one side see the fruitful
 lemon and orange trees1 bending under  
the weight of their golden and emerald  
productions2 on the other the fragrant  

apple1 the sweet pear1 and mellow peach 
borrow support from the strong granite  
wall to bring their burdens to maturity4
 ,behold there two fountains casting    
their crystal and refreshing contents   
aloft1 as if making restitution to the  
thirsting atmosphere for what they stole
 from him under ground4 ,the water falls
 back again1 however1 and is received by
 the marble basin at the base1 to form a
 neat pond1 where gold and silver fish  
sport and gambol4 ,a little at a        
distance1 to the rear1 the fragrance of 
honey and the busy hum of the bee are   
perceived by your grateful senses4 ,the 
place looks like an earthly paradise2   
every thing there seems to laugh without
 restraint1 from the creeping rose      
fastened to the hedge to the tall1      
princely-looking mountain ash1 with its 
bunches of red berries4  ,the only one  
living thing that seemed pensive and sad
 there was a lovely1 delicate fawn1     
which rested1 with her head drooping1 at
 the foot of a rose bush1 on the summit 

of the little green mound which was the 
centre of this delightful spot4 ,perhaps
 the lovely creature is after being     
weaned from the udder of its            
affectionate dam2 or1 perhaps1 she      
grieves for the absence of some favorite
 in the palace of whom she is the pet4  
,but that the creature grieves is       
evident1 for you could see the two moist
 tracks furrowed on the smooth face1    
from the tears that have flowed there4  
,but the inside of the great house1 who 
can describe it8 ,from the ground floor 
to the uppermost attic1 the rooms       
presented that waste of furniture1 in   
the shape of sofas1 ottomans1 easy      
chairs1 couches1 carpets1 tapestries1   
curtains1 paintings1 pier glasses1      
plate1 and a thousand other articles    
contributive of ease and luxury1 which  
the most extravagant expenditure could  
procure or vanity suggest4 ,in truth1   
the interior was the exact counterpart  
of the exterior1 in the artistic        
arrangement and splendor of every thing4

 ,to the eye of an observer1 on an      
ordinary occasion1 every thing appeared 
gorgeous in the extreme2 but on the     
occasion we describe1 when preparation  
was making for a grand reception1 all   
was joy1 mirth1 luxury1 and happiness4  
,servants of every color and hue were   
seen moving through the labyrinths of   
the saloons and chambers of this great  
palace1 uncovering the long-concealed   
splendors of valuable articles1 and     
arranging every thing for the most      
advantageous show4  ,and     ,now       
through the palace chambers moving      
lights     ,and busy shapes proclaim the
 toilet's rites2     ,from room to room 
the ready handmaids hie1     ,some      
skilled to wreathe the headdress        
tastefully1     ,or hang the veil1 in   
negligence of shade1     ,o'er the warm 
blushes of the youthful maid4  ,splendid
 services of gold and silver plate met  
the eye in every direction1 on their way
 to the grand dining room2 while1 from  
the remotest part of the building1 the  

sense of smelling was simultaneously    
assailed by several currents of         
delightful culinary exhalations1 which1 
like the winds in the cave of olus1     
struggled for egress from their confined
 birthplace4  ,this is one of those     
occasions on which the ,dives of this   
sumptuous palace1 ,mr4 ,goldrich1       
intends to celebrate his birthday2 and  
as he can't tell where he was born1 nor 
can he show any genuine images of his   
ancestry1 7except that he came down a   
scion from the great ,anglo-,saxon      
race17 he is determined to make amends  
for this calamity he could not help1 and
 the want of taste in his father1       
whoever he was1 by spending an ordinary 
fortune in the present celebration1 and 
thus combine the splendors of all the   
possible past anniversaries of his birth
 in one grand1 unrivalled celebration   
to-day4     ,and here1 at once1 the     
glittering saloon     ,bursts on the    
sight1 boundless and bright as noon4    
,the select music of splendid bands now 

announced the movements of guests       
towards the grand banquet room4 ,in     
pairs they enter1 and singular2 the     
short procession is now at an end1 and  
the places are filled up with the scanty
 number of twoscore guests1 male and    
female4  ,you would have supposed1 from 
the preparation1 that the inhabitants of
 the entire city were invited2 but no1  
the exact number was forty1 besides the 
members of the rich man's family4 ,and  
this happened not by accident1 or       
because of the penury or avarice of ,mr4
 ,goldrich1 but because in the whole    
city there were no more than twenty     
families who ranked in the sphere of the
 upper ten in which mine host moved4    
,these shining figures1 that you can    
scarcely look at without risk to your   
eyes from their jewelry1 are the ladies 
who leave us in doubt which they love   
most to exhibit--their charms1 or the   
richness of their ornaments4 ,among that
 bright array of female beauty there is 
missed the fair form of one who was1    

heretofore1 an ordinary occupant of an  
honorable place at the family table4 ,it
 was the chair of the rosy-cheeked ,alia
 that was unoccupied at this splendid   
circle4 ,the presiding queen of the     
feast1 ,madam ,goldrich1 apologized for 
the absence of poor ,alia1 by           
representing her indisposed2 and at the 
announcement of this dispiriting        
intelligence1 disappointment marked the 
countenances of the guests1 for ,alia   
was the brightest star that shone in    
that brilliant galaxy of fashion4       
,being the oldest among the children of 
,mr4 ,goldrich1 ,alia possessed all that
 graceful and dignified superiority over
 those whom she regarded as her younger 
sisters1 which are the acknowledged     
privileges of age in every              
well-regulated family1 and which her    
superior talent seemed naturally to     
enforce4  ,years rolled on1 and the dear
 child lived in blissful ignorance of   
her origin and desolate condition1 till 
the jealousy of her younger sisters     

excited her suspicions1 and she began to
 mistrust the genuineness1 as she felt  
the coldness1 of that parental affection
 which the pretended authors of her     
existence so long counterfeited4 ,during
 many months1 if not years1 these       
suspicions preyed on the poor girl's    
mind2 and though she never dared to     
mention them to any save old ,judy1 the 
negro woman1 she felt satisfied that her
 sisters and herself could not belong to
 the same stock or the same race4 ,the  
transparent delicacy of her complexion1 
the rosy tint on her cheek1 unrivalled  
by the costly paint of her sisters1 the 
shining blackness of her splendid       
hair1--all these circumstances pointed  
her out and proclaimed her as of a      
different race to those whom she        
hitherto regarded as her kindred4 ,long 
had she mused on the cause of this      
disparity1 and much had she suffered1 in
 the depth of her soul1 from the        
representations and suggestions of her  
active imagination in reference to her  

origin1 and many were the tears shed by 
her while oppressed with these doubts4  
,but the events of this day1 added to   
the late insolent conduct of her        
sisters1 which provoked the reprimand of
 her peevish mother guardian1 who told  
her to curb her ,irish temper1--these   
cleared up all her doubts2 and1 filled  
with a melancholy joy at a revelation   
she owed to the jealousy and vanity of a
 proud mother and her daughters1 ,alia  
retired to her room to give vent to her 
feelings in sobs and tears4  ,thank     
,god1 she cried1 ,i know what ,i am1 or 
ought to be4 ,thank ,god ,i am ,irish1  
too1 for ,i often wished ,i belonged to 
that much-abused and persecuted people4 
,but ,o1 where shall ,i find my parents8
 or how came my lot to be cast in this  
proud palace1 which1 alas6 ,i too long  
regarded as my home8 ,o1 who1 who will  
restore this poor 'exile of ,erin1' to  
the home of her unknown parents8 ,how   
gladly would ,i exchange all the        
splendor of this place for the homeliest

 cot in that land of the shamrock and   
the cross2 ay1 the poorest 'cabin1 fast 
by the wild-wood1' in the land of ,st4  
,patrick1 and my unknown ancestors4     
,such were the soliloquies of poor1     
despised ,alia1 in her room on the third
 floor1 where old aunt ,judy1 the negro1
 having missed her favorite from the    
grand company1 after having sought her  
in vain in the lower saloons of the     
house1 just entered her room4  ,dere1   
now1 ,miss ,ali'1 am poor aunt ,judy    
half kilt from sarching for you all     
over4 ,what make you be here1 and all   
the gran' gem'men asking for you8  ,ah1 
aunt ,judy1 why have you all along      
denied of me all knowledge of my        
extraction1 parentage1 and race8 ,did   
you not know that ,i was ,irish8 and yet
 you always denied that ,i was1 though  
,i have suspected ,i was1 and you must  
have known it1 having lived so long in  
the family4 ,this is not what ,i        
expected from you1 aunt ,judy1 she said1
 casting a look of gentle reproach at   

the old negro4  ,o1 dear1 miss--,o1     
dear1 cried the poor affectionate       
creature1 bursting into tears2 don't    
blame dis ole nigger1 but massa and     
missus1 and ,miss ,sillerman1 sister to 
the missus who died last year4 ,they    
forbid aunt ,jude to tell who rosy-faced
 ,ali' was4 ,i was bound to swear not to
 tell4 ,if they knowed ,i did hab a     
parle vit you on de subject1 they would 
turn poor ole ,jude out de door to die  
in the poor maison4  ,this poor negro   
woman was a native of ,st4 ,domingo1    
and1 at the time of the revolution      
there1 came to ,new ,orleans1 in care of
 a child belonging to one of the white  
planters who was murdered--which child1 
by the way1 has since become a pious and
 eminent clergyman4 ,by some accident or
 other she fell in with the ,goldriches1
 in their commercial visits to ,new     
,orleans1 and1 though brought up a      
,catholic1 the poor thing forgot all    
practice of her religion1 and this      
accounts for her evasions and denials to

 the repeated questions of ,alia        
regarding her parentage and birth4      
',pon my fait1 miss1 she ever said1 ,i  
know nothing about you1 'cept that you  
are the rose-cheeked ,ali'1 the fleur de
 lis of the flock4  ,promises1 and      
flattering presents1 and all other      
persuasive arts of ,alia to get the     
secret out of ,judy proved useless4 ,she
 had promised to keep it1 and no human  
authority1 she thought1 could ever cause
 her to violate that promise4 ,although 
,judy had1 through fear of displeasing  
her patrons1 given up all public        
practice of her religion1 she           
nevertheless never denied that she was a
 ,catholique1 and never omitted to      
recite full five decades of the beads   
after going to bed4 ,she declared she   
could not fall asleep till she complied 
with this rather lazy effort of prayer4 
,besides these rather faint evidences of
 her faith1 she often told her loved    
,ali' that she intended calling in the  
priest at the hour of her death2 and she

 confided to the honor of the young lady
 this secret desire of hers1 and        
elicited many promises from her ,ali' to
 send for his reverence when she would  
perceive her end approach4 ,this is     
rather a singular notion of yours1 ,alia
 used to say4 ,if you are a ,catholic1  
and believe your faith the best1 or the 
only true one1 why do you not practise  
its teachings1 and fulfil all the       
requirements of your church8 ,i am sure 
neither father nor mother would blame   
you4  ,o miss1 ,i feard1 ,i feard1 the  
poor1 timid soul would answer4 ,but tink
 of vat ,i tol' you2 when ,i go to die1 
send for the bon priest1 who know how to
 do the 'parle ,franaise1' and ,i pray  
for you when ,i go to heaven4  ,i shall 
do that for you1 poor aunt ,judy1 or    
even attend you now1 while you are in   
health1 to the ,catholic church1 where  
you can go to the sacraments1 and become
 a member again of that church which you
 have so long neglected1 but which yet  
seems still to retain a strong hold of  

your affections and heart4 ,won't this  
be the best course1 aunt ,judy8 ,i will 
attend you to the church of that zealous
 young ,irish priest whom ,i see so     
often hurrying along here to his sick   
calls up town2 and as ,i suspect ,i am  
',irish' myself1 ,i hope he will not be 
displeased at my call4  ,o1 you no      
,irish1 miss1 at all1 but good ,yankee4 
,but tish better not go for de priest   
till he come to me when ,i go to die4   
,now ,i have religion here in mon coeur2
 ven ,i die1 ,i profess her open4       
,well1 ,judy1 act as you wish2 but it   
appears to me your conduct is singular4 
,i shall do my part1 however2 and if    
there is a priest to be had in the city 
when you take to your death bed1 you    
must have him to attend you4  ,it was by
 such communings and conversations as   
the foregoing1 during the leisure hours 
of aunt ,judy and her loved ,ali'1 that 
mutual confidence and disinterested     
friendship grew into maturity between   
them--the childish and helpless         

simplicity of the one1 and kind and     
good-natured condescension of the other1
 producing the like effects in the      
hearts of both respectively--that is1   
disinterested friendship4 ,yet strong as
 this friendship was1 and enthusiastic  
as was the love of ,judy for her        
rosy-cheeked favorite1 they were not    
sufficient to cause her to reveal the   
secret of her birth and adoption1 even  
at this hour of ,alia's deepest grief   
and affliction4  ,there were two causes 
for this her unaccountable silence4     
,firstly1 she had promised not to       
mention the slightest circumstance      
connected with the adopted child1 and   
she feared punishment from the anger of 
her proud massa1 whose disgrace might be
 the consequence4 ,and again1 having    
been in the habit of hearing all sorts  
of reflections on the ,irish1 whom some 
mad abolitionists would gladly enslave  
in place of the blacks1 poor ,judy      
thought to save ,alia from the          
mortification of finding herself ,irish1

 by her equivocation and falsehood4     
,,chapter ,,xxiv4  ,,shows ,,how ,,the  
,,cross ,,and ,,shamrock ,,were         
,,permanently ,,united ,,after ,a ,,long
 ,,separation4   ,paul ,o',clery had    
been appointed pastor of one of the     
principal churches in the second city in
 the ,union1 as we have before          
mentioned1 and already the evidences of 
the care of souls with which he was     
charged for several years began to      
manifest themselves on his placid brow4 
,his was a life of unceasing activity4  
,the visitations of the sick1 the calls 
of charity1 the hearing of confessions1 
together with the instruction of youth  
and the preaching of ,god's             
word1--these1 the ordinary lot of       
pastors1 constituted but a share1 and   
not the largest one1 of his onerous     
duties4 ,ever mindful of his own        
destitute condition while an orphan     
deprived of both parents1 all the       
orphans of the thickly-inhabited        
district that constituted his mission   

became objects of his special care4 ,and
 at a time when such an institution as a
 ,catholic orphanage was regarded as    
visionary1 or the ephemeral creation of 
a too ardent zeal1 this good pastor     
succeeded in founding and supporting an 
asylum which has since become of        
incalculable value1 not only to the     
,catholics as a body1 but to the        
inhabitants of the whole city and state4
 ,a house of refuge for repentant       
,magdalens1 placed under the care of the
 ,sisters of ,mercy1 commanded his next 
care4 ,in a word1 the founding of       
schools1 hospitals1 confraternities1    
guilds1 and other pious institutions    
exercised all of his time that was not  
devoted to his strictly ecclesiastical  
duties2 so that his sister ,bridget1    
known in religion as ,sister ,st4 ,john 
of the ,cross1 complained a good deal of
 his want of charity in not having      
visited her but once in seven years4 ,ad
 majorem ,dei gloriam1--,to the greater 
glory of ,god1--was this pious ,levite's

 motto2 and he was dead to all the ties 
of flesh and blood1 and heedless of all 
calls save those of charity to his ,god 
and his neighbor4  ,in the pulpit1 the  
spontaneous eloquence of his heart      
chained the attention of his hearers2   
and his discourses1 though rather       
inclined to asceticism than             
controversial1 went to the hearts1 and  
convinced the understandings1 of        
unbelievers of the divinity of the      
doctrine he preached4 ,no class of his  
fellow-creatures was excluded from the  
influence of his boundless zeal4        
,protestants--to whom he was very mild1 
on account of his knowledge of the      
ignorant prejudices in which they are   
bound by the malice of their            
teachers--heard him1 and became converts
 to the church of ,god4 ,even the       
neglected negro race claimed and        
received a full measure of his zeal4 ,he
 established a school for the children  
of these neglected sons of ,africa1 and 
never lost an opportunity of visiting   

them at the death bed or in the hour of 
serious sickness4  ,it was on occasion  
of one of these visits that ,god        
rewarded his priest1 even in this world1
 by the joyous disclosure which we here 
record1 and which1 next to his grace of 
vocation to the priesthood1 of all the  
manifestations of ,god's mercy to him1  
claimed his sincerest gratitude and     
thanksgiving4 ,after the end of the     
grand birthday banquet1 which lasted for
 a day and two nights1 ,alia's position 
at the palace became more disagreeable  
than ever4 ,the young girls frowned on  
her and shunned her society1 and ,madame
 ,goldrich1 after she had got over the  
fatigue of the party1 read her a smart  
lesson on her ill manners and ,irish    
temper1 because she dared to absent     
herself1 to the disappointment of the   
guests1 from a table at which she was   
denied her proper and usual place4      
,alia1 this conduct of yours must be    
reformed1 and that quick1 or your       
separation from this family1 to which   

you do not belong1 must soon take place4
 ,i ain't goin' to let you take         
precedence of my children no longer4    
,to this vulgar speech of the princess1 
our hostess1 as she was flatteringly    
toasted by a ,john ,bull guest who was  
there1 ,alia answered not a word1 but1  
having retired to her room1 fell on her 
knees and prayed long and fervently to  
the ,god of her fathers to assist her by
 his inspirations1 and direct her to the
 best1 in her present perplexity4       
,having unburdened her bosom of a load  
of grief by a copious effusion of tears1
 and felt in her spirit that calm       
resignation which a sense of its own    
forlorn condition and a total reliance  
on ,god are calculated to inspire even  
in the unregenerate and imperfect soul1 
,alia now proceeded to the chamber of   
old ,judy1 whose expected illness had at
 last arrived1 having been ill now for  
three days4 ,on perceiving her entrance 
into the room1 the old negress appealed 
to her in most supplicating terms to    

fulfil her promise to send for de       
priest1 for now de hour am come4 ,o     
,ali'1 angel1 dear1 she cried1 do not   
let me die without the 'bon ,dieu1' or  
,i lost foreber4 ,o1 haste6 ,o1 haste6  
,alia lost no time1 but1 taking pen and 
paper1 wrote as follows to the bishop of
 the diocese3--  ,the ,right ,rev4      
,catholic bishop is respectfully        
informed that there is a negro woman    
lying dangerously ill at ,mr4           
,goldrich's1 who1 being a ,catholic1    
desires the last rites of that church4  
,being a native of ,st4 ,domingo1 the   
,french is her vernacular tongue2 for   
which cause it will be desirable1 if    
possible1 to send1 a clergyman who can  
speak that language4  ,a young negro lad
 was the bearer of this despatch1 and he
 returned in less than an hour1 attended
 by ,rev4 ,paul ,o',clery1 whom the     
bishop sent to answer this urgent call1 
all those of the episcopal residence    
having been out since early morning     
attending on the sick in their          

respective localities4 ,in order to     
avoid any further cause of displeasure  
to ,mrs4 ,goldrich1 ,alia had given the 
negro lad instructions to bring the     
priest in through a private door that   
communicated with the garden1 rather    
than attract attention by entering the  
hall door4 ,she had a full view of the  
countenance of the young priest1 through
 the window1 while he was crossing that 
part of the garden that lay next the    
houses of the city1 and1 strange6 her   
heart throbbed1 and an indescribable    
sensation passed over her frame4  ,how  
happy1 she thought1 must be the sister  
of such a gentleman as that6 how        
different her lot from mine6  ,the      
priest entered1 and was received with a 
very polite bow by ,alia1 which was     
returned profoundly4 ,declining to take 
a seat1 on account of his many other    
urgent calls1 he was escorted to old    
,judy's chamber by his fair guide1 who1 
on the way thither1 explained to him    
what sort of a person she was1 and how  

odd in her notions about religion4      
,having conducted him to her bedside1   
she made a polite bow1 and retired1     
asking if her services were further     
needed4  ,the priest answered1 ,no2 that
 he believed all the requirements for   
this holy but melancholy service were   
prepared1 and that he supposed he had to
 thank her for the nice arrangements he 
observed4  ,yes1 mon pere1 said old     
,judy1 in half ,french1 half ,english1  
there is the 'chandel1' the             
'eau-benite1' the 'la croix1' and the   
rest1 that ,i keep many year for my     
deathday4  ,it was only when she retired
 from the chamber that the priest caught
 a full view of the fair ,alia2 and now 
,a strange emotion worked within him1   
more     ,than mere compassion ever     
worked before4  ,he saw in this         
interesting stranger the strongest      
resemblance to his own sister ,bridget4 
,there were the same raven hair1 the    
same candid and large eyes1 the same    
broad and well-set teeth so peculiar to 

the ,o',clerys1 and the same form almost
 to a line4 ,the groans and urgent call 
of his penitent ,judy1 however1 soon    
recalled his mind from its reveries1 and
 he banished all thoughts of ,alia1 as  
temptations1 or1 at least1 speculations1
 which it was for the present useless to
 entertain4 ,he put on his stole1 and   
after a short aspiration for light and  
grace to discharge his duty to the sick 
woman1 was just in the act of repeating 
the prayer1 ,dominus sit in corde tuo et
 in labiis1--,may the ,lord be in your  
heart and lips1--when the creature1     
raising herself up in her bed1 prevented
 him1 saying1 ,mon pere1 ,i vant1 before
 ,i begin the confession1 to tell you a 
secret that burden my mind long time4   
,she then proceeded to tell how that    
young lady he had just seen had been    
adopted1 or rather kidnapped1 by the    
family she now lived with2 how her name 
was changed from ,aloysia to ,alia2 how 
this scheme was planned and carried out 
by ,miss ,sillerman1 ,mrs4 ,goldrich's  

sister1 who died not long since2 how1   
till of late1 she was brought up as one 
of the family2 how carefully she was    
instructed in all the ways of the       
,presbyterians2 and1 above all1 how they
 endeavored to conceal her family name1 
for fear of being claimed by her        
friends4 ,but1 mon pere1 said she1 in   
continuation1 though ,i forget the      
family name of this young1 lubly lady1  
,i have an article here 7loosing an     
old-fashioned workbag7 which may tell   
her family name4  ,with that she handed 
,father ,paul a neat ruby necklace1 with
 a rather heavy gold clasp1 on which    
were carved deeply a cross1 interwoven  
with shamrocks1 with these words1 in    
italics1 ,the ,o',c---- ,arms4 ,this was
 enough for ,paul ,o',clery2 he had no  
doubt of having seen and conversed with 
his own dear1 long-lost sister1 a few   
moments before4 ,he sunk down on his    
knees1 buried his face in his hands1 and
 tried as well as he could to suppress  
the emotions that pervaded his bosom4   

,after having prepared old ,judy for    
heaven1--having first prevailed on her  
to make these disclosures in presence of
 witnesses1 on condition that the       
circumstances of her revelation should  
not be published till after her         
death1--the priest retired from that    
palace1 promising to call again1        
accompanied with another gentleman1 in  
the afternoon4 ,lest his feelings should
 betray him1 he retired from the house  
with as little delay as was consistent  
with politeness2 and he trembled all    
over as he a second time returned the   
greeting of his dear ,aloysia1 as she   
conducted him to the door4  ,with as    
little delay as possible1 he sought the 
office of his legal adviser1 and1       
accompanied by a judge of the ,supreme  
,court of eminent character1 and the    
legal adviser1 and a third1 all         
,protestant gentlemen1 he sought the    
sick chamber of the old negress again1  
and there her deposition1 and a         
confirmation of her previous account of 

,alia's bringing up and captivity1 were 
obtained4 ,they had scarcely concluded  
her testimony1 when poor ,judy bid      
farewell to the world and its crosses1  
and the priest had the satisfaction of  
bidding ,god speed to her soul in its   
passage to eternity1 having read for her
 the last benediction a second time4    
,the presence of so many strangers in   
the house naturally created some        
surprise among the inmates1 and shortly 
the death chamber of ,judy was filled   
with the members of the family1 of both 
sexes4  ,an explanation of this unusual 
and unauthorized proceeding was demanded
 by ,mrs4 ,goldrich1 which the eminent  
judge consented to give1 provided an    
adjournment to a more appropriate court 
was agreed to4  ,his honor was in the   
act of unravelling the mysterious but   
well-connected development of old       
,judy--a work of supererogation on his  
part1 as far as madam was               
concerned--when the fair-faced ,alia    
herself made her appearance2 and her    

reverend brother ,paul1 no longer able  
to check his feelings1 sprang forward1  
and1 seizing her white hand1 kissed it1 
saying1 ,my dearest sister ,aloysia1    
welcome to the embrace of your brother6 
',you were lost1 and ,i have found you2 
you were dead1 and are again come to    
life6 ,rejoice1 and be glad4'  ,this was
 too much happiness for ,alia to bear up
 against without momentarily yielding to
 the shock1 and she sank1 as if         
lifeless1 on a couch4 ,she was soon     
restored1 however1 and surrounded by the
 seemingly affectionate caresses of her 
envious mother and jealous sisters4 ,she
 had to hear all their arguments to     
persuade her to prefer her present      
splendid misery to the equivocal boon of
 having found out a poor1 destitute     
brother1 though it was not yet clear    
whether she could call him by that name4
 ,appearances were deceitful4  ,father  
,paul listened meekly to the smooth     
discourses and flattering promises of   
the rich lady and her children1 not     

doubting1 if she were an ,o',clery1     
which side she would choose4  ,you are  
young1 my dear ,aloysia1 but yet at or  
near the age of mature understanding2   
and ,i know a brother cannot command you
 as a parent could in this 'free        
country4' ,you have your choice--the    
traditional glory of the old family of  
,o',clery1 two brothers1 and a sister as
 fair as yourself1 together with the old
 faith of ,st4 ,patrick1--the glorious  
,,cross and the immortal                
,,shamrock1--all these balanced against 
this grand palace1 probably great       
earthly comforts1 and a religion that   
'is not fit for a gentleman4' ,have your
 choice2 choose boldly1 and at once1 and
 free your brother from suspense4  ,are 
you my brother8 she said1 wildly1 or do 
,i dream8 ,have ,i a brother on earth1  
and one so worthy as thou8 ,o1 ,i have  
no second choice1 she cried1 falling at 
his feet1 and wetting them with her     
tears4     ,plant this ,cross in my     
bosom1     ,and this ,shamrock in my    

hair2     ,and these are the only       
ornaments     ,i ever again shall wear4 
,the spirited girl prepared immediately 
to quit the splendid palace1 and she    
came to the resolution of taking nothing
 with her1 either of dress1 or trinkets1
 or jewelry4 ,naked and bare ,i came    
into this family1 and with one single   
dress shall ,i leave it1 said she1      
feeling sufficiently enriched in what ,i
 have this day found--a brother1 with   
the ,cross and ,shamrock of the         
,o',clerys4 ,o1 what complete changes6  
,instead of ,alia1 ,i am ,aloysia2      
instead of ,goldrich1 ,i am ,o',clery4  
,paul did not think it prudent to allow 
his sister to quit the house of her rich
 patrons so quickly1 especially as ,mr4 
,goldrich was from home1 and till the   
public should be satisfied1 and all     
doubts about her identity resolved4     
,there was some opposition made by the  
parsons1 one of whom1 a ,mr4 ,cashman1  
was long fishing for the fair hand of   
,aloysia2 but this little dust raised by

 the white necks was soon hushed1 when  
the record of the baptism of ,miss      
,o',clery was produced1 and when the    
book of heraldry was consulted to verify
 the armorial bearings of the           
,o',clerys1 which were1 as we said1     
carved on the clasp of her necklace2    
and1 above all1 when1 on the left-hand  
ring finger of the young lady1 the same 
impression of a ring appeared which     
several persons testified having seen on
 it when an infant4     ,,chapter ,,xxv4
  ,,conclusion4   ,during the dnouement 
of the events recorded in the preceding 
chapter1 and the discussion of them by  
the various religious newspapers1--each 
of which1 like a well-trained spaniel1  
tried to bark so as to secure the       
approbation of those from whom it       
derived its food1--,father ,o',clery    
continued in the discharge of his       
ordinary duties as if nothing strange   
had happened4 ,he addressed one letter  
on the subject to the leading secular   
journals of the city1 showing1 by the   

most convincing chain of evidence1 the  
identity of the lady passing so long for
 a daughter of ,mr4 ,goldrich with his  
own younger and long-lost sister1 and   
satisfying all but fanatics and bigots  
of his prudence1 and the propriety of   
the steps taken by him for her recovery4
  ,mr4 ,goldrich1 in the mean time1     
returned home1 and though he could not  
but feel astonished at the developments 
which took place in his absence         
respecting his adopted daughter1 he was 
too shrewd and too keen a man of        
business to make himself a tool in the  
hands of bigoted parsons1 or to deny the
 validity of the evidence proving her to
 be no other than ,aloysia ,o',clery4   
,this was enough4 ,what now was become  
of all the talking1 writing1 swearing1  
and preaching of the dominies8 ,to what 
purpose was this big talk1 loud         
exclamations1 puzzling interrogatories1 
and flaming articles of the ,babylonian 
press8 ,for a whole month nothing was   
published by the editors but leaders1   

articles1 paragraphs1 communications1   
reports1 speeches1 lectures1 sermons1   
mass meetings1 resolutions1 protests1   
and letters of correspondents1 regarding
 this ,popish plot1 this ,romanist      
aggression1 this priestly insolence1 and
 a thousand other names1 threats1 and   
unflattering epithets against persons   
and institutions1 whose only connection 
with the case of ,miss ,o',clery was1   
that they belonged to the ,catholic     
church1 or dared to speak the truth1 or 
claim their rights4 ,now the            
hundred-headed ,cerberus of the press is
 silenced1 and skulks into its dark     
lair1 beaten and silenced1 but not      
ashamed of the filthy dribblings of its 
lying tongue4 ,now all the talk1        
articles1 and leaders go for nothing1   
since ,mr4 ,goldrich acknowledges the   
priest is right2 she is his sister4 ,but
 did not that clamorous press1 that     
bellowed and hallooed on the rabble to  
rob1 murder1 and destroy1--did it not   
recall its words1 apologize for its     

naughty language1 and retract every     
charge groundlessly made8 ,like a       
convicted felon1 did it cry peccavi--,i 
have sinned1 been misled1 or            
misinformed8 ,no2 not a sign of         
repentance has been manifested1 not an  
apology made1 not a word of retraction  
uttered by these self-styled            
philosophers of the press1 who think    
they are responsible to no law1 human or
 divine1 and who say they have a world  
to redeem1 and nations and peoples to   
regenerate4 ,we have read countless     
folios of calumnies1 misrepresentations1
 and black libels on every thing sacred 
and venerable on earth1 by the ,american
 press1 during several years that we    
have read newspapers2 but we never yet  
found one editor to retract1 apologize1 
or mend his manners and language1 except
 when compelled by the cudgel or by the 
law4 ,what an anomaly does the          
observation of the conduct of the world 
present to us6 ,they refuse to hear the 
church1 or be guided by the teaching of 

men who have spent their lives in       
preparing and qualifying themselves for 
the office of public teaching2 and they 
submit themselves blindly and without   
control to the guidance of men whom they
 know not1 who have not always the best 
moral characters1 and whose training1 in
 most instances1 does any thing but     
qualify them for the dangerous office   
they fill4  ,the instance which is here 
given of the almost unanimous hostility 
of the press to the cause of justice1   
truth1 and honor1 illustrates what we   
say2 and the obvious conclusion is1 that
 the fourth estate itself needs         
reclaiming--the great modern reformer   
needs reformation4  ,soon after ,mr4    
,goldrich's return home1 he called on   
,father ,paul ,o',clery1 and1 with a    
great deal of good nature1 congratulated
 him on his very providential discovery 
of his sister1 my dear adopted child4   
,and now1 reverend sir1 said he1        
affectionately1 ,i beg to tender you the
 hospitalities of our house4 ,as your   

sister has been for so many years one of
 the family1--and not the least loved   
one1 ,i assure you1--,i hope ,i may1    
without impropriety1 by right of        
relationship by adoption1 claim you as a
 member also4  ,father ,paul answered by
 assuring him he appreciated his        
kindness2 that he acknowledged the      
honorable connection in full2 and that1 
though this very affectionate advance   
had not taken place1 ,mr4 ,goldrich     
would ever be regarded by him with      
feelings of veneration and love1 on     
account of his affectionate kindness to 
his sister1 in giving her such a        
superior education1 and treating her on 
terms of equality with his own children4
 ,the highminded and liberal gentleman1 
after having shed tears at the idea of  
losing his dear adopted girl1 departed1 
having previously extorted a promise    
from ,father ,paul to attend a great    
party in honor of ,aloysia1 at the      
palace1 on the evening of the next day4 
,in the mean time1 ,aloysia's room was  

besieged with crowds of anxious visitors
 and voluntary condolers on her         
resolution of renouncing wealth1        
pleasure1 and ,protestantism1 for       
poverty1 ,popery1 and penance4 ,rich    
merchants came1 offering to settle      
annuities on her for life2 rich widows  
came1 with their tracts and ,bibles in  
one hand1 and their real estate deeds   
and scrip in the other1 hoping to       
conquer her resolution2 and eloquent    
parsons1 with their sweet speeches and  
flattering discourses1 were chasing one 
another1 like clouds driven by the      
winds1 to and from the well-furnished   
boudoir1 all charged with the same      
apostolic office of saving a soul1 a    
beautiful1 interesting one1 from falling
 into that world-wide net of ,popery    
with which ,st4 ,peter and his          
successors have never ceased to catch   
men1 since the days of ,jesus ,christ4  
,all the discourses1 prayers1           
entreaties1 threats1 crocodile tears1   
flatteries1 misrepresentations1         

legacies1 settlements1 and other        
seductive allurements have miscarried1  
this time4 ,a ,catholic ,aloysia was    
baptized1 and a ,catholic she is        
resolved to live and die1 with ,god's   
grace4  ,the big dinner was prepared at 
the rich man's house1 where ,father     
,paul through courtesy attended1 and    
where he was obliged to defend1 in a    
speech of some length1 the violent      
assault of that ,parson ,cashman1 who we
 told was fishing for the hand of       
,aloysia1 but who now1 because she      
rejected him with scorn1 had the bad    
taste to insult the whole company by his
 champagne-inspired attack on ,ireland1 
her creed1 and her children4  ,paul     
completely refuted his charge of        
ignorance of the ,irish1 by contrasting 
their religious knowledge with that of  
the ,english and ,americans2 in the     
former one of which countries there are 
seven or eight millions of pagans1 and  
in the later so many thousands who      
follow such impostors as ,miller1       

,smith1 spiritual rappers1              
,transcendentalists1 ,fourierites1 and  
other impostors notorious for their     
crimes4  ,the reverend gentleman        
forgets1 said he1 that ,ireland was     
once1 and for ages1 the most enlightened
 country on earth1 and deserved to be   
called the ,island of ,saints2 and that 
whatever of ignorance1 poverty1 and     
crime--which1 thank ,god1 is little--she
 is afflicted with1 was inherited by her
 from the curse introduced into her by  
the upas tree of ,protestantism4 ,ah1   
sir1 the eulogy of ,england comes with a
 bad grace from the lips of a son of    
,america1 which she oppressed1 and      
which1 but for ,catholic arms1 might be 
now1 instead of a great republic1 a     
badly-ruled province of ,protestant     
,england4 ,study history1 sir2 study    
history2 and you will soon think better 
of ,ireland and ,catholicity1 and less  
of ,england and her persecuting         
,protestantism4 ,and with that he       
retired4  ,the remaining part of our    

tale is soon told4 ,paul ,o',clery1 from
 being a good priest1 became1 in        
addition1 a great man2 his virtues1     
learning1 and genius soon attracted the 
notice of the princes of ,god's church4 
,he was consecrated bishop1 in partibus 
infidelium1 and he is now a pillar of   
,god's church1 and an ornament in his   
sanctuary1 as archbishop in one of the  
great cities of ,british ,india1 in     
,asia4 ,behold1 my young readers1 how   
the church opens the gates of her       
treasures1 and encourages the promotion 
of the humblest of her children4 ,virtue
 and genius are the only titles to      
nobility which she regards4 ,every      
office in her gift 7and she has stations
 too high for angels7 is open to the    
humblest aspirant to perfection4 ,how   
many scores of young men might be now   
shining lamps in ,god's sanctuary1      
instead of being degraded to the level  
of the drudges of the earth and the     
slaves of the world1 if they only       
resisted the glittering bait of         

temptation at first1 and took as their  
model ,paul ,o',clery1 the orphan boy6  
,what became of ,aloysia1 do you wish to
 know8 ,she joined her sister ,bridget  
in the nunnery1 and after atoning by her
 tears and repentance for the material  
heresy of her youth1 she lately fell a  
victim to fever1 contracted by her in   
caring for the poor negro slaves of ,new
 ,orleans4 ,she preferred to die a saint
 than live a princess4  ,eugene1 as you 
already know1 died a martyr for his     
faith1 having been persecuted to death  
by ,parson ,dilman and ,mr4 ,shaw       
,gulvert of evil memory4  ,patrick      
returned to ,ireland1 where he has      
lately purchased an estate under the    
encumbered estates law--the very same   
estate on which his father lived under  
,lord ,mandemon4  ,you recollect ,van   
,stingey1 the first persecutor of the   
orphan family1 was blown up by powder1  
and perished miserably4 ,amanda ,prying 
met a fate little better4 ,having been  
in the habit of imbibing strong drafts  

of chloroform1 for purposes of          
intoxication1 she was found dead in bed 
one ,december morning1 after having     
imbibed too strong a dose4  ,the        
youngest child of ,reuben ,prying met   
with his death in this way3 ,willy1 the 
youngest but one1 hearing that somebody 
was to be hanged1 asked his pa how the  
operation was performed4 ,the father1 of
 course1 believing that knowledge was   
power1 taught the child how to act the  
hangman1 and the lesson was not taught  
in vain2 for1 the next day1 ,willy1     
experimenting on the knowledge          
communicated1 hanged his younger        
brother1 ,lory1 dead4 ,thus perished the
 darling son of him who combined with   
the parson to kill ,eugene ,o',clery4   
,i forgot to say that ,mary ,prying1 the
 innocent1 good girl1 and the admirer of
 ,paul1 became a convert1 and is now a  
nun1 called ,sister ,mary ,magdalen4    
,but what of the ,parsons ,grinoble1    
,gulmore1 ,barker1 ,scullion1 and the   
others1 who had a hand in robbing the   

orphans of their faith8 ,they are all   
alive yet1 and1 according to their      
limited capacities1 doing all the harm  
it is possible for them to do1 in       
propagating error and disseminating     
discord4 ,and your friend ,dr4 ,ugo1 who
 was instrumental in saving the orphans1
 is yet living1 and battling for the    
faith1 never omitting to inculcate      
fidelity to the ,,cross and attachment  
to the ,,shamrock on all his beloved    
parishioners and hearers4 ,amen6