aid his wife, "I believe if you took the pledge that it would
give you all you say, and more; for it would bring you back the respect
and good-will of the people, that you've long lost."

"To the divil wid the people! I'll tell you what, if takin' the pledge
reforms Mechil Gam, the crooked disciple that he is, or Tom Whiskey,
mind--mind me--I say if it reforms them, or young Barney Scaddhan, thin
you may spake up for it, an' may be, I'll listen to you."

At length the meeting took place, and the three men alluded to by Art,
attended it as they said they would; each returned home with his pledge;
they rose up the next morning, and on that night went to bed sober.
This was repeated day after day, week after week, month after month, and
still nothing characterized them but sobriety, peace, and industry.

Unfortunately, so far as Art Maguire was concerned, it was out of his
power, as it was out of that of hundreds, to derive any benefit from
the example which some of his old hard-drinking associates had so
unexpectedly set both him and them. No meeting had since occurred within
seventy or eighty miles of Ballykeerin, and yet the contagion of good
example had spread through that and the adjoining parishes in a manner
that was without precedent. In fact, the people murmured, became
impatient, and, ere long, demanded from their respective pastors
that another meeting should be held, to afford them an opportunity of
publicly receiving the pledge; and for that purpose they besought the
Rev. gentlemen to ask Father Matthew to visit Ballykeerin. This wish
was complied with, and Father Matthew consented, though at considerable
inconvenience to himself, and appointed a day for the purpose specified.
This was about three or four months after the meeting that was held in
the neighboring town already alluded to.

For the last six weeks Margaret had been able to discharge the duties of
an humble situation in the hospital, on the condition that she should
at least once a day see her children. Poor as was the situation in
question, it enabled her to contribute much more to their comfort, than
she could if she had resided with them, or, in other words, begged with
them; for to that, had she returned home, it must have come; and, as the
winter was excessively severe, this would have killed her, enfeebled as
she had been by a long and oppressive fever. Her own good sense taught
her to see this, and the destitution of her children and husba