in the appearance of the humble shanty.  For fifteen miles along the line the crowds were gathering, and the works were suspended for the day.  The overseers and contractors, to do them justice, had no objection to this occasional interruption of their profits.  At all events, they knew it was a holy day; and even they, with all their irresponsible control over their men, had ample proof that, even in the wild deserts and savage woods of America, the Irish Catholic “remembers” the Sabbaths and festivals of his God or his Church.

Long before the hour of Mass, the shanty was crowded, and many were the comments and remarks made on the physical powers and other external accomplishments of the new priest.

Some remarked that his reverence,—­God bless him!—­need not be afraid of travelling alone through these lonesome glens, for it would require “a good man to handle him; that it would.”

“That’s thrue,” said another; “he would be able to ‘settle bread’ on a half-dozen Yankees any day; that is, provided they did not use any weapon but the arm that God gave ’em.”

“But you know,” said a third, “these Yankees always carry a rewolwer or two in their pockets, the treacherous rogues.  Look how they killed that Irish peddler, and robbed him, and fired six shots into Michael Gasty’s house the other night, and he in bed quietly sleeping.”

This and other such narratives and comments were the order of the day outside the door, only where those who were careless or not preparing for their duties were congregated.  Inside, a large crowd of women and rough-fisted men gathered around the door of the temporary confessional, and it was near noon before the priest ascended the temporary altar to offer up the “victim of peace” for the assembled sons of toil.  Upon his reverence asking if there was anybody to answer or serve Mass, several presented themselves; but he accepted the services of Paul, because he had been accustomed from his childhood to wait round the altar, and he was the most intelligent of those who offered to assist the priest while celebrating.

The substance of the priest’s discourse was, that they should not forget that it was God’s will that the holy sacrifice should be offered in “every place, from the rising to the setting of the sun,” and that probably they were made the instruments which he made use of for the literal fulfilment of that famous prophecy; for if they were not here employed on these public works, probably the holy sacrifice would not be, for years and years to come, offered up in such places as this.  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 worship, though a generous and successful race of men.  That they should guard against drunkenness and faction fights, for these crimes brought their proper punishment