There will be Protestants here, I'll
engage, and you must act dacently before them, if it was only to set
them a good example. And now I'll tell yez a story that the mintion of
the Protestants brings to my mind:--
* In the North of Ireland the word black-mouth means a
Presbyterian.
"There was, you see, a Protestant man and a Catholic woman once married
together. The man was a swearing, drinking, wicked rascal, and his wife
the same: between them they were a blessed pair to be sure. She never
bent her knee under a priest until she was on her death-bed; nor was he
known ever to enter a church door, or to give a shilling in charity
but once, that being--as follows:--He was passing a Catholic place of
worship one Sunday, on his way to fowl--for he had his dog and gun with
him;--'twas beside a road, and many of the congregration were kneeling
out across the way. Just as he passed they were making a collection
for a poor scholar--and surely they that love the larning desarve to be
encouraged! Well, behold you, says one of them, 'will you remember the
poor scholar,' says he, 'and put something in the hat? You don't know,'
says he, 'but his prayers will be before you.' (* In the other world.)
'True enough, maybe,' says the man, 'and there's a crown to him, for
God's sake.' Well and good; the man died, and so did the wife; but the
very day before her departure, she got a scapular, and died in it. She
had one sister, however, a good crature, that did nothing but fast and
pray, and make her sowl.
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