134 THE- ANGLER'S GUIDE. 



contents of it. And he would make his rela- 

 tions and give his opinions with a good deal of 

 air and emphasis, evidently contemplating him- 

 self as a person of vast importance. And you 

 will not wonder at all this, when we tell you 

 that he was no less a person than the beadle of 

 a Roman Catholic chapel. And he had to take 

 great care of splendid robes, massive candle- 

 sticks, very thick and long wax candles, little 

 tinkling bells, spice with which to burn sweet 

 odours, relics of the saints, holy oil, and a 

 variety of other holy and mysterious things. 

 It was his duty, moreover, to show timid and 

 bashful young women into confessional boxes, 

 or to chastise little dirty Irish boys if they did 

 not behave themselves, and to fetch the water 

 to be made holy by a wonderful transforma- 

 tion. And was he an angler, you say ? No, 

 he was not ; but we will tell you how he 

 became one, such a one as he made. 



In his neighbourhood lived an aged couple 

 who had seen better days, but misfortune had 

 brought poverty and affliction upon them at a 

 time when they were the least able to bear it. 

 Long had they struggled against biting want, 

 and had parted with almost every article they 

 had to buy food, to keep body and soul toge- 



