dless, coming to offer her humble apology for
not being able to be prepared for the day. Alas! how may she, clutched
as she is in the fangs of that man, or his scoundrel and profligate
son--how may she fight out the noble battle of religion, and virtue, and
poverty, against the united influences of oppression and lust, wealth
and villany.

The appearance of these different groups--when the inclemency of the
day, their sinking hearts, and downcast pale countenances, were taken
into consideration--was really a strong exponent of the greatest evil
which characterizes and oppresses the country--the unsettled state
of property, and of the relative position of landlord and tenant in
Ireland.

At length the hall-door was opened, and a hard-faced ruffian came
out upon the steps, shouting the name of a man named O'Hare. The man
immediately approached the steps, and after shaking the heavy rain
out of his big coat, and having whisked his hat backwards and forwards
several times, that he might not soil his honor's office, he was brought
in, and having made his humble bow, stood to hear his honor's pleasure.
His honor, however, who had divided the labor between himself and Phil,
had also, by an arrangement which was understood between them, allotted
that young gentleman, at his own request, a peculiar class marked out in
the rental, in which class this man stood. "O'Hare," said Val, "how do
you do?"

"Upon my conscience, your honor, but poorly," replied O'Hare, "the last
heavy fit of illness, joined to the bad times, sir--"

"O'Hare," said Solomon, "suffer me humbly, and without assuming anything
to myself, to point out to you the impropriety of swearing; I do it, my
friend, in all humility; for I fear, that so long as you indulge in that
most sinful practice, the times will seldom be other than bad with you,
or, indeed, with any one that gives way to so Wicked a habit. Excuse me,
O'Hare, I speak to you as a Christian, I humbly trust."

"By G--, that's good, father," exclaimed Phil, "M'Slime preaching to
such a fellow as this!"

"I humbly thank you, sir," said O'Hare to Solomon, "for your kindness
in--"

"Thank the devil, sirra," said Phil; "What the devil does he or I care
about your d----d thanks. Have you your rent?"

The man, with trembling hands, placed some notes, and gold, and silver
before him--the latter being rolled up in the former.

"I'm short for the present," he added, "just thirty shilling, sir; but
you c