s toleration, Amanda's fiery zeal for religion
being succeeded by a flame of a somewhat different nature.

CHAPTER XVIII.

"TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION."

We devote this chapter of our narrative to the record of a very strange
succession of circumstances, no less so, however, than true. They may
serve as an illustration of the wonderful and mysterious workings of
Religion on the soul, and, at the same time, afford an instance of the
absolute insufficiency of speculative belief or theoretic religion,
without the every-day practice of her sublime and simple lessons.

One morning, in the town of Sheffield, England, one John Cunningham,
after confession and communion, called on the Catholic pastor of that
town, for the purpose of procuring a line of commendation, or
testimonial of character, that might be of use to him, as he thought, to
get him employment in some part of the new world, to which he was
preparing to emigrate. The poor fellow then little dreamed that a
priest's recommendatory paper, instead of a dollar bill, was the worst
possible substitute in certain parts of America; and, if of any
conceivable effect, was likely to prove an occasion to him of such
annoyances, on account of his faith, as we have described in these
pages. "The character," however, he succeeded in procuring, and written
in no niggard terms. If it offended in any thing, it was in being too
favorable to the bearer. It was by means of this paper, with the
respectable name of Rev. Dr. H---- at its foot, that Cunningham
succeeded in ingratiating himself into the confidence and favor of the
O'Clerys during the voyage, as well as by his attention to Mr. Arthur
O'Clery during his fatal sickness. The reverend gentleman whose
signature stood at the foot of the "character" was well known to the
O'Clery family; and hence, undoubtedly, originated the intimacy,
strengthened by his asserting falsely that he was a relative of the
priest, which subsequently enabled him to rob the poor widow and her
orphans of their entire means. Accomplished villain as he was, Religion
had not yet lost her whole sway over his soul, and by way of punishing
himself, but in reality, making bad worse, the second day after his
liberation from arrest consequent on the theft, he listed in the United
States army, and was hurried off forthwith to the field of battle, in
Florida. The gnawing worm of remorse still followed him on board of
ship, and in barrack, and on the sco