however, up to this time, Paul and his little charge
were well treated, as far as meat and clothing were concerned. Even in
regard to religion, and the devotional exercises prescribed by its
precepts, there was no obstacle thrown in their way; although the
fidelity of Paul and his sister Bridget to their morning and night
prayers was quite astonishing to their patrons. A few indirect, covert
attacks were all that, for many months, it was thought prudent they
should have to encounter from the family, named Prying, with whom they
staid. The truth was, that Paul, the eldest of the children, was such a
smart, watchful, prudent young lad, his younger brothers and sister were
so accustomed to obey him, and he exercised such emphatic authority over
them, that it was the advice of the most prudent of the preachers who
interested themselves in his case, to let him alone for the present. The
change intended to be brought about was to be left to time,
conversation, and the influence of common school education to
accomplish. His education, in Ireland, was principally religious and
classical, rather than commercial; and he was just now acquiring, in his
present trying noviceship, what was precisely wanting to his previous
course. He and his brothers, who lived in the next farmer's house,
together with Bridget, his sister, who was under the same roof with
himself, obstinately refused to attend the Sunday school, the meeting
house, or to join in the prayer with which school was daily opened.
Hence they were more than once publicly prayed for by the fanatical
Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Mr. Gulmore, at whose church the Prying
family attended. There was a sufficiency of prayers now "put up," in Mr.
Gulmore's opinion, to begin the work of more practical conversion.
Accordingly, a "big dinner" was prepared, a turkey cooked, and Friday
fixed upon--the appetite being chosen, after a very ancient pattern in
paradise, as the channel through which to "open the eyes" of these blind
young Papists! Some neighboring ministers were of opinion that it was
too soon to begin; but they were but Methodist, Universalist, and other
preachers, who were jealous of the influence and of the salary of Mr.
Gulmore, and who, besides, did not think it exactly fair that all the
children should be converted to Presbyterianism, while there were a
dozen as good denominations around, "and better too." But the
good-salaried disciple of John Calvin had no respect for