210 REAL CHRISTIAN FEELING. 



"I did that last Candlemas. He brought a girl out of 

 Achil, on book oath, and he with his three decent wives in 

 the parish already. I quenched the candles on him, and 

 then he took to the revenue Nemo repente fuit turpissimus" 



" And how do you and the new minister get on ?" 



" Poorly enough," answered the Priest. "This reforma- 

 tion work has put the country clean asunder." 



" No good will come of it," said the Colonel. " I mind 

 the time in Connaught when no man clearly knew to what 

 religion he belonged ; and in one family, the boys would go 

 to church and the girls to mass, or may be, both would join 

 and go to whichever happened to be nearest. When I en- 

 tered the militia, I recollect, the first time I was ever 

 detached from head- quarters, I went with the company to 

 Portumna. Old Sir Mark Blake, who commanded the regi- 

 ment, happened to be passing through, and the night before 

 he had had a desperate drink with General Loftus at the 

 Castle. When I left Loughrea, I forgot to ascertain where I 

 should bring the men on Sunday, and I thought this a good 

 opportunity to ask the question. I opened his bedroom-door 

 softly. ' Sir Mark,' says I, f where shall I march the men ?' 

 ' What kind of a day is it ?" says he. ' Rather wet/ was my 

 answer. 'It's liker the night that preceded it/ said he. 



* Upon my conscience, my lad/ he continued, ( my head's 

 not clear enough at present to recollect the exact position of 

 church and chapel ; but take them to the nearest.' That is 

 what I call," and the Colonel shook his head gravely, "real 

 Christian feeling." 



"Real Christian feeling," said the Priest, with a groan, 

 " is nearly banished from the world. When I went first to 

 Castlebar, to learn Latin from Dan Donovan, my uncle 

 Martin, God be merciful to him! was parish priest, and 

 Jack Benton was the minister. They agreed like sworn 

 brothers, and no one dared say a word against either in the 

 presence of his friend. Where the priest dined, the curate 

 was sure to be also. They lived in true brotherhood ; and 

 when one happened to be the worse of liquor, why the other 

 would not leave him for a bishopric. The town was the 

 most peaceable place in Connaught ; and how could it be 

 otherwise with such an example ? Many a night I went 

 before them with a lantern, when they carried Carney, the 



we fiddler, round the streets, to serenade the ladies. There 



