“Ever,” continued Murty, “since it appeared in our papers here that you had your thousand pounds restored to you, all mouths are full of your praise.  You were uncommon children, and it was cruel of the minister Gulmore to conspire against you.  It was infamous in him, they now say, to have your letters ‘burked’ in the post office, as it appears from Amanda, who has turned informer on the parson, because he did not marry her after his first wife’s death.  Before this ye were paupers, Irish, and Papists; now, you and your sister and brothers are noble and likely young people.”

“O Murty,” said Paul, “I can see the hand of God in all this.  Where I have lived for the last three years, several families, together with my friend and former employer, Mr. Clarke, have been converted.  The very minister, Mr. Strongly, has embraced the true faith; and another parson, Rev. Mr. H——­, I am sure, only waits instruction to enter the gate of life within the true church.”

“Thank God!” said Murty O’Dwyer.  “I thought these Yankees never could be good Catholics, they are so fond of money, trading, cheating, and legal swindling, such as assigning, and mortgaging, and the like.”

“O, bless you, Murty, all Yankees are not alike.  There are no better Catholics on earth than Americans, when they once get the faith.  Mr. Clarke, and my friends in Vermont, who consider me as instrumental in bringing them to the true faith, have paid for my education in the college of G——­, after they found that I was resolved to embrace the clerical state.”

“That was very generous of them, indeed, sir,” said Murty, assuming a little less familiarity; “those here, in this neighborhood, cannot be much blamed for their bigotry; they know no better, imposed on for ages by such fellows as Miller, Scullion, Barker, Gulmore, Grinoble, Scaly, and the like.”

“But it is not so in the cities, Murty,” continued Paul; “and it will not be so here long; for now railroads are building, light, and liberality, and, I trust, charity, are extending their influence.  We must do our part, by being good, and virtuous, and prudent; try to gain them by our good example, rather than by argumentative or angry discussion.  ‘They know not what they do’ when they contemn, or attempt to stop the progress of, our faith.  They are a naturally good and kind-hearted people; as witness how they assist the sick and give hospitality.  Such virtues must ultimately gain for them the grace of conversion.  The greatest obstacle in their way is the low cunning of the unprincipled parsons, who, from being peddlers, and poor, shiftless mechanics, without any proper discipline or preparation, take to the less laborious trade of preaching.  Pray for them, Murty—­pray for them.”

“I have a far stronger inclination to curse them,” said Murty.

“Fie, fie, Murty; that is not Christian.”

“That I know,” said Murty; “but have you heard that I have been cheated out of near two hundred dollars by my employer, and all through the influence of a villanous parson who got divorced from his wife, on account of a short answer I made him?”