The Cross and the Shamrock eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 233 pages of information about The Cross and the Shamrock.

The Cross and the Shamrock eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 233 pages of information about The Cross and the Shamrock.
a lawyer, and editor of a daily journal in the capital of Vermont, and only spent a few days in the summer and fall with his family at the farm.  Paul’s chief occupation was to attend young Master Clarke in his sports of fishing, fowling, and riding on horseback.  The duties of his present situation afforded Paul not only time and leisure to keep up his accustomed religious exercises, but, in addition, he was able to revise what he had previously studied, and to add considerably to his stock of useful knowledge.  The equal terms and familiarity in which he stood in his relation with his young employer afforded him an opportunity of revising Virgil, Sallust, Lucian, and other classical authors, the use of which he was so long obliged to discontinue.

Mr. Clarke was delighted when he learned from his son that Paul knew Greek and Latin much better than his former teacher in the academy.  And this information he knew to be correct, from the fact that he found his son had learned more during vacation, in company with Paul, than he did during the whole year before in college.  He therefore advanced Paul’s wages by one-third, and prolonged his son’s stay in the country beyond the usual period.  This generous and kind-hearted man was also sensibly affected when Paul, at his request, related how he came to know Latin; how he was nephew of the grand vicar of Kil——­; how he had spent five years in college; how his father was obliged to emigrate with his family; how he had died on the voyage; how they were robbed of a thousand pounds; how his mother sunk under her trials; how he and his brethren were kidnapped out hither; how the priest of T——­ had advertised for them; and how, “I suppose,” said he, “they gave us up in despair; thinking, probably, that we were lost in some of the late steamboat disasters; but here we are yet, thank God!”

Mr. Clarke, with the instinct of a true-hearted Yankee, immediately saw into the snare laid for the faith of the young orphans; and he thanked his God mentally that he had come to the knowledge of these facts, for he was the man to expose and reprobate such foul play.  “I now well remember, Paul,” said he, “the advertisements respecting you and your brothers and sister.  I shall see to this business, I promise you.  In the meantime, be you and Joe good friends.  Don’t spend too much time at fishing and gunning, but study a good deal.  Good-by, Joe, my son.  Good-by, Paul.  I shall soon return again to see you.”

Paul took every favorable opportunity to visit his sister and brothers, to console and strengthen them against the temptations to which he knew they were exposed.

“Now, Patsy, my boy,” he said to the elder of his younger brothers, “every time you look at that cross—­show it to me—­have you lost it?”

“No, sir-ee; I never put it off my neck since mother put it on,” said Patrick, pulling it out of his bosom.

“Every time you look at that crucifix,” continued Paul, “think how our Lord God Himself suffered; how, when he was a boy like you, he was good, obeyed his parents, and was subject to them.  Now, you have no parents here but one, the Catholic Church; and if you obey not her counsels and precepts, you will not be rewarded by Christ, whose image you wear around your neck.  Say the Six Precepts of the Church for me, Pat.”

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The Cross and the Shamrock from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.