re_, the poorhouse is such a dangerous
place for Catholics. I heard the priest say he would call to-morrow; and
may be he will _do for_ the little dears."

"'Tis hard for him to provide for all that are in distress," said Norry.

"I know it; but it would be a murther to let such well-reared and decent
children into the hands of those poormasters, but especially that Van
Stingey, whose great delight is, they say, to convart the children of
Catholics to his own sect. See what he done to the little Cronin
children, whose father and mother died lately."

"I heard of that; but I am afraid the priest won't be able to call on
to-morrow, as he promised, if it continue to snow so."

"_O yea_, God forbid; but it is a terrible night. Do ye hear how it
blows? _O Heirna Dioa._"

"Yes, and the snow is falling in mountains; the roads will be blocked
up, and hills and hollows will be on a level in the morning."

"God help every poor Christian that is out to-night," said Mrs. Doherty.
"I hope the Lord will save his reverence from all harm."

"Amen!" answered Norry. "He will have a hard night of it. Had he far to
go?"

"He had, _agra_, forty miles out in Vermont; but sure he could not
refuse going. The woman is just dying; and besides, she is a Protestant,
who wants to die in the faith."

"Happy for her," said Norry, "if he overtakes her alive. How good the
priests are to these Yankees, although they are always ridiculing the
clergy; yet, if one of them is going to die, the priest not only
forgives them, but is willing to travel any distance to do them a
service."

"Sure that's the orders of God and the church," said Mrs. Doherty. "It
is not for them alone they are working, but for God, you know."

"That's true," said Norry. "But still and all, when one hears how they
are always ridiculing priests and nuns, and sees how they hate our
religion, it is very hard, I think, to forgive them."

"Yes, _agra_," said Peggy, who was better informed than Norry; "so it is
hard for flesh and blood to forgive the heretics; but, unless we forgive
them, God won't forgive us. The priest knows this well; and so, if there
were two sick calls to come at one time to him, as happened lately, one
a Protestant and the other a Catholic, he would go to the Protestant
first."

"That beats all," said Norry, "and is more than I would do, if I were
the priest; for I know well all that is said of him behind his back."

"What harm will all that scandalo