, 'I have yourself
and your nephew for examples that it's possible to live and be well fed
without divinity.'

"'At any rate,' says my uncle, putting in his tongue, 'I think you're
both very well able to make divinity a joke betune you,' says he.

"'Well done, Brian,' says the friar, 'and so they are, for I believe it
is the only subject they can joke upon! and I beg your pardon,
Michael, for not excepting it before; on that subject I allow you to be
humorsome.'

"'If that be the case, then,' says Father Corrigan, 'I must give up your
company, Frank, in order to avoid the force of bad example; for you're
so much in the habit of joking on everything else, that you're not able
to accept even divinity itself.'

"'You may aisily give me up,' says the friar, 'but how will you be able
to forget Father Corrigan? I'm afeard you'll find his acquaintance as
great a detriment to yourself, as it is to others in that respect.'

"'What makes you say,' says Father James, who was more in airnest than
the rest, 'that my uncle won't make me fit for the kingdom of heaven?'

"'I had a pair of rasons for it, Jemmy,' says the friar; 'one is, that
he doesn't understand the subject himself; another is, that you haven't
capacity for it, even if he did. You've a want of natural parts--a
_whackuuum_ here' pointing to his forehead.

"'I beg your pardon, Frank,' says Father James 'I deny your premises,
and I'll now argue in Latin with you, if you wish, upon any subject you
please.'

"'Come, then,' says the friar,--'Kid eat ivy mare eat hay.'

"'Kid--what?' says the other.

"'Kid eat ivy mare eat hay,' answers the friar.

"'I don't know what you're at,' says Father James, 'but I'll argue in
Latin with you as long as you wish.'

"'Tut man,' says Father Rooney, 'Latin's for school-boys; but come, now,
I'll take you in another language--I'll try you in Greek--_In-mud-eel-is
in-clay-none-is in-fir-tar-is in-oak-no ne-is_.'

"The curate looked at him, amazed, not knowing what answer to make.
At last says he, 'I don't profess to know Greek, bekase I never larned
it--but stick to the Latin, and I'm not afeard of you.'

"'Well, then,' says the friar, 'I'll give you a trial at that--Afflat te
canis ter--Forte dux fel flat in guttur.'

"'A flat tay-canisther--Forty ducks fell flat in the gutthers!' says
Father James,--'why that's English!'

"'English!' says the friar, 'oh, good-bye to you, Mr. Secular; 'if
that's your knowledge of Latin, y