promise you. In the
meantime, be you and Joe good friends. Don't spend too much time at
fishing and gunning, but study a good deal. Good-by, Joe, my son.
Good-by, Paul. I shall soon return again to see you."

Paul took every favorable opportunity to visit his sister and brothers,
to console and strengthen them against the temptations to which he knew
they were exposed.

"Now, Patsy, my boy," he said to the elder of his younger brothers,
"every time you look at that cross--show it to me--have you lost it?"

"No, sir-ee; I never put it off my neck since mother put it on," said
Patrick, pulling it out of his bosom.

"Every time you look at that crucifix," continued Paul, "think how our
Lord God Himself suffered; how, when he was a boy like you, he was good,
obeyed his parents, and was subject to them. Now, you have no parents
here but one, the Catholic Church; and if you obey not her counsels and
precepts, you will not be rewarded by Christ, whose image you wear
around your neck. Say the Six Precepts of the Church for me, Pat."

"First. I am the Lord thy God--"

"Oh, Pat, you are saying the ten commandments of God. Your little
brother Eugene can say _them_. I examined you in these before."

"Oh, I forgot. 1st. To hear Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
2d. To fast and abstain on the days commanded. 3d. To confess our sins
at least once a year. 4th. To receive communion at Easter. 5th. To
contribute to the support of our pastors. 6th. Not to solemnize marriage
within forbidden degrees, nor clandestinely."

"The first precept, Patrick, we cannot keep here, as we are not near the
church. But the second, 'to abstain on the days commanded,' we can keep.
Do you ever eat meat on Friday, Pat?"

"Never but once, through mistake," said Pat. "I thought it was Thursday.
Mr. Prying is always wanting me to eat it every day, and so was a
gentleman whom he called the _priest_,--sure he is not a right priest,
is he, Paul?"

"Not at all, Pat; he is only a Protestant minister."

"A minister!" said Pat, in astonishment. "Why did they call him a
priest? He wanted me and Eugene to eat meat on Friday; but I said I
could not, it would make me sick. Then Mrs. Prying told him to let me
be; that she could not allow any interference with our religion; and
since that, the minister never returned to our house, or nobody said a
word about it. I think she is very good. She often cries when she hears
me and Eugene speaking of fathe