The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-16
RECOLLECTIONS OF IRELAND

CHAPTER VII.
Observation-Disclosures, Quakers.
In the wider sense of the word, the Irish
might safely be called religious people. They
might be ignorant, they might be disorderly,
they might be even grossly immoral, still they
were Jealous about their religion. ] knew
drunken Pennsylvania, who said he had not
much religion, but what he had was OF the
right kind 1t was the contrary with the Irish,
what was wanting in the quality of their re-
ligion was made up in quantity. In our re-
gion we had Episcopalians, Roman Catholics,
Methodists, Quakers, and Presbyterians Of three
kinds.
Although the Episcopalian was the estab
lished religion, and their place of worship for
that reason called the church, while all others
were simply called meeting houses, yet 1t al
ways seemed an exotic in Ireland. Charles
| ii said that Presbyterianism was no religion
for gentleman. The Scotch Irish agreed with
him, and drew the inference that Episcopalian-
ism was no religion for the common people.
The old devout folks used to read the works of
DR.. Scott, Romano, Harvey, &C., and wonder
that ministers of the church of England could
produce such sound books but to attend the
established church, even occasionally, they
would think far out Of the way of duty.
A young woman went into the church on
Christmas morning, as the organ began to
chime up most beautifully. Up jumped fine
looking young fellow, as the story goes, and
motioned her along the aisle. She could dance
a little, but in such fine place as that she
could not try. So when he invited her to the
door, she answered. "Oh Gamma Still he
signed for her to come. AT last she says,
"Weel, if mann gang, play Maggie Picken
Instead of running a reel with her, however, he
only opened pew, and showed her into it.
would not assert that the story was true, but
will assert that it was often told. In our parish
there was sometimes nobody at all in attend
ance at the parish church but the rector and
his clerk. In the south of the island, l heard
of one parish, where the incumbent was forced
visited his church, he had to 60 to the priest
and ask him to lend him his congregation.
In almost every part Of the country the 1.-THE
was paid with peculiar i'll will. AS my uncle
Azbeii was returning from Rathfriland one
market-day, he met our neighbor, Ann Nc
Canley. He remarked to her, loosely, =" You
are going to town in the bachelors end Of tbs
f day." II am going" was her reply, 6 to pay
, that cursed 1.-THE" DR.. Tye, our rector, wa
individually gentleman. One dear summer
he gave away all he had to the poor, then Dor
rowed to give away till his credit failed, ane
t after that cleared out to Dublin, that he nigh
' not see their misery.
: The Methodists never made much progress
in the north of Ireland. Their simple and ter
ribly earnest manner of worship would hav'
suited our excitable ancestors, but they came tot
late. Presbyterianism was endeared to thu
, Scotch Irish by early education, long usage
l and traditional recollections. What the father
had fought and suffered for, the children woult
, not lightly forsake. They might neither be
lieve nor understand the doctrine Of predestina
ton, vet they accepted it, because better mel
r btban they said it was true. 1t was not likely
then. that they would fall in with religion
. which came from England, whose preachers
/ like the Episcopalian clergymen, knelt in tn
) church, and whose people responded "Amen
! to the preacher. Still the Methodists made
. few converts about Rathfriland. They hav
f always had happy tact for working on tn