e influence in both.--When I get a parish,
however, it is not improbable that I may have occasion to see company;
the neighboring gentlemen will be apt to relish my society, particularly
those who are addicted to conviviality; and our object will be to render
ourselves as populous as possible; now, whether in that case it would be
compatible--but never fear, father, whilst I have the means, you or one
of the family shall never want."

"Will you let the people be far behind in their dues, Denis?" inquired
Brian.

"No, no--leave that point to my management. Depend upon it, I'll have
them like mice before me--ready to run into the first augerhole they
meet. I'll collect lots of oats, and get as much yarn every year as
would clothe three regiments of militia, or, for that matther, of
dragoons. I'll appoint my stations, too, in the snuggest farmers' houses
in the parish, just as Father Finnerty, our worthy parochial priest,
ingeniously contrives to do. And, to revert secondarily to the
collection of the oats, I'll talk liberally to the Protestant boddaghs;
give the Presbyterians a learned homily upon civil and religious
freedom: make hard hits with them at that Incubus, the Established
Church; and, never fear, but I shall fill bag after bag with good corn
from many of both creeds."

"That," said Brian, "will be givin' them the bag to hould in airnest."

"No, Brian, but it will be makin' them fill the bag when I hold it,
which will be better still."

"But," said Susan, "who'll keep house for you? You know that a priest
can't live widout a housekeeper."

"That, Susy," replied Denis, "is, and will be the most difficult point
on which to accomplish anything like a satisfactory determination. I
have nieces enough, however. There's Peter Finnegan's eldest daughter
Mary, and Hugh Tracy's Ailsey--(to whom he added about a dozen and a
half more)--together with several yet to be endowed with existence, all
of whom will be brisk candidates for the situation."

"I don't think," replied Mrs. O'Shaughnessy, "that you'll ever get any
one who'd be more comfortable about you nor your own ould mother. What
do you think of takin' myself, Denis?"

"Ay, but consider the accomplishments in the culinary art--_in re vel in
arte culinaria_--which will be necessary for my housekeeper to know. How
would you, for instance, dress a dinner for the bishop if he happened to
pay me a visit, as you may be certain he will? How would you make pies
an