BORROWING A CONGREGATION. 211 



they would walk, like humble Christians, with the cripple in 

 the middle, and neither caring a traneein, whether popery or 

 protestantism was at the head of the barrow. These were 

 blessed days, Colonel. I'll thank you for the canister, that 

 tobacco is excellent, and I'll try another pipeful." 



" Och hone !" exclaimed the otter-killer, " isn't it a murder 

 to see the clargy making such fools of themselves now 1 

 When I was young, priest and minister were hand-and- 

 glove. It seems to me but yesterday, when Father Patt 

 Joyce, the Lord be good to him ! lent Mr. Carson a con- 

 gregation." 



" Eh ! what Antony ?" said the Colonel. " A congregation 

 appears rather an extraordinary article to borrow." 



" Faith," said the otter-killer, "it's true. I was there 

 myself, and I'll tell you the story. It was in the time of 

 Bishop Beresford, that beautiful old man, many a half- 

 crown he gave me, for I used often to bring game and fish 

 to the palace from the master's father. He was the hand- 

 somest gentleman I ever laid my eyes on ; and, och hone ! 

 it was he that knew how to live like a bishop. He never 

 went a step without four long- tailed black horses to his car- 

 riage, and two mounted grooms behind him. His own body- 

 man told me, one time I went with a haunch of red -deer and 

 a bittern to the palace, that never less than twenty sat down 

 in the parlour, and, in troth, there was double that number in 

 the hall, for nobody came or went without being well taken 

 care of. 



"Well, it came into old Lord Peter's* head, that he would 

 build a church, and s ttle a colony of northmen away in the 

 west. Faith, he managed the one easy enough ; but it failed 

 him to do the other, for devil an inch the northmen would 

 come ; for, says they, " Hell and Connaught's bad enough, 

 but what is either to Connemara ?' 



" Well, the minister came down, and a nice little man he 

 was, one Mr. Carson. Father Patt Flyn had the parish then, 

 and faith, in course of time they two became as thick as inkle- 

 weavers. 



" Everything went on beautiful, for the two clargy lived 

 together. Father Patt Flyn minded his chapel and the flock, 



* Grandfather to the present Marquis of Sligo. 



