The Irish standard., 1886-08-28

lEll0d olIAlND1AEk1 0E
s.And SO, after that, you concluded tc
drink no more?"
'Gave it up, sir, right straight off;
saw it wouldn't pay"
'tAnd that, I suppose, was your only
motive for becoming temperate?"
'Why, yes-of course it was.''
"Well, " said the priest, 81 can't adj
mire it much. Had you only united
that motive, selfish as it was. with de
sire to please God, and save you,
soul
ssWhew!' CALCULATED Weeks, interrupt
ing the priest; ssthat's quite another at
fair My principle is, to leave Chris
tianity and religion, and all that sortel
thing, to those whose duty it is to lool
after it. I'm a business man, squire
and my object is trade, and nothing
else.''
! ssGood!" cried the captain, returning
and clapping Weeks on the shoulder al
he passed him on his way to the head O
the table. ..Good, sir; that's homes
I speaking. By George, Weeks, you're
trump
.Wel, them'a my sentiments, and ]
ain afraid to avow them either" sale
Weeks, taking courage from the captain
and the poteen together. "I'm a bust
ness man, and make no pretensions K
piety, nor nothing else
"Certainly not, sir; that's as much al
you can attend to-
sol course it is-no doubt of it,
eAnd see here,'' said Weeks, aftel
finishing the last glass, and making Sh'
spoon ring in the empty tumbler,-t' set
here, captain; I may as well say what ]
think. l never saw pious business
man yet worth a copper to the country
I swonnie never did,
'sHa, hap laughed the captain; ellis
ten to that, Father john
&.Ana I tell you what, sir, !" continued
Weeks, turning to the priest, who now
kept his head down to hide smile, willis
he toyed with his watch chain for az ex.
cuse,-'I tell you what sill, ministers
may say what they please, but they're q
darned set Of humbugs; that's the hull
amount of it..
"Hah! take that, my reverend FRIEND
chuckled the captain again. :sThe
truth occasionally, you know, will do
you good.'
"I'm quite surprised, MIR. Weeks. .
gravely observed the priest, while the
smile still kept playing about the. cor
ners Of his mouth, FIN really sur
prised to hear you speak SO irrever-
entity
"Well, hold or q bit--hold on--see
here: L know as many as fifty ministers
in New England alone, and mora too,
abandoned their pulpits last year, and
went off to speculate in this, that, and
t'otl,er thing, to make money. Sons
went into the fish business, some into
the lum Der trade, two OF 'ena from my
own town burned to the law, and the
MAJ ority managed to squeeze themselves
into the Legislature. Now, if these men
had, what they pretended to have. q
vocation to the ministry before tilei1
ordination, where in thunder did it &c
after? I'd like to Know
stIts no doubt a melancholy fact,'
said the priest, that your Protestant
clergy OF New England, especially those
with limited revenues, III very many in
stances have renowned their sacred call
ing for more lucrative trades and profes.
sions. thereby disgracing themselves and
their religion. Such instances are very
rare in this country, however,
:sAre?--how' that?''
"Why, we don't love money here, per
haps, SO much as you do in the States:
and besides, we haven't the same OPP
portunities to speculate.
"Well, that may be all very true; but
it's my opinion ministers, in general,
! make a trade of religion every where,
one way OF other. 1 have had pretty
good chance myself to see how the thing
works, and / reckon ] can tell as much
about it, too, as most folks. Been q
class leader cnce in my time.''
'sWhat!" exclaimed the captain, lean
ing his folded arms on the table, and
gazing at the Yankee, bedizened all over
as he was with chains and brooches.
'SWhat, class-leader-you?"
Eyes"
s'A Methodist class-leader?'
"Why, certainly
"a canting Methodist class-leader?"
ssOf course"
MAY the Lord forgive you, SIR
(The reader is already aware of the cap
tain's special contempt for that particular
sect) why, you must have lost your
Senses